JAN 122 - Time and Time-Timekeeping

Instructor(s):  Hamm, Elizabeth
Email:  elizabeth.hamm@stmarys-ca.edu

In this course we will explore how time is and has been measured, how have different time-reckoning technologies have shaped the human experience of time, and what are we measuring when we measure time. Drawing on historical, philosophical, and creative explorations of time, we will begin by studying some of the most intuitive ways time is reckoned: day-and-night periods, lunar periods, and solar periods. We will examine the history of time-measurement and particular technologies such as sundials, clepsydra, calendars, astrolabes, and early mechanical clocks. Different time-reckoning technologies had varied effects on society and we will explore the impact of these technologies both historically and today. Additionally, we will engage with philosophical discussions about time by Aristotle, Augustine, and Newton. Finally, we will study a few special topics in the history of timekeeping, such as the role of time-measurement in the industrial revolution, the use of timepieces in the eighteenth century to solve the “longitude problem”, and historical and contemporary debates around daylight savings time. Along the way, we will think about how we each personally understand and experience time. At different points in the term, students will be asked to keep a quantitative time journal, a qualitative time journal, and participate in a “clock fast,” where they will avoid time-pieces altogether and reflect on their experience. This class will meet in person.
 

Prerequisites & Notes
None

Credits: 3-CU