The Doomsday Clock is a symbol which represents the likelihood of a man-made global catastrophe. Maintained since 1947 by the members of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, The Clock is a metaphor for threats to humanity from unchecked scientific and technical advances. The Clock represents the hypothetical global catastrophe as “midnight” and the Bulletin’s opinion on how close the world is to a global catastrophe as a number of “minutes” to midnight. The factors influencing the Clock are nuclear risk and climate change. The Bulletin’s Science and Security Board also monitors new developments in the life sciences and technology that could inflict irrevocable harm to humanity.
Sara J. Schechner and a few friends have assembled a multivenue exhibit called “Time & Time Again.” Through the lens of such craftily juxtaposed artifacts, the exhibit jars viewers into thinking about how time is measured and how conceptions of it change across cultures and epochs.
Illustration for the “Sunwatch,” a portable sundial that never needs winding, Ansonia Clock Co., New York, c. 1930. Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments/Harvard UniversityAnsonia sunwatch
What is time and what impact does it have on us? Generations of researchers in the natural and human sciences have tried to understand it and have produced an abundant literature around this central theme of our society. Since Antiquity, various physical, philosophical, metaphorical and sociological studies have been carried out in this perspective.
The exhibition of the NMB Nouveau Musée Bienne does not aim to offer a synthesis of these innumerable reflections. Instead, it provides an overview of the different time dimensions and explores the effects of time measurement on people’s lives. From the multitude of words and expressions including the concept of “time”, 24 notions were selected, including “Free time”, “Working time”, “Waiting time” or “Air du temps”. Through the exhibition, they are analysed from an artistic, archaeological and historical point of view, experimented individually or questioned according to their social relevance.
D’un temps à l’autre Qu’est-ce que le temps et quel impact a-t-il sur nous ? Des générations de chercheurs en sciences naturelles et humaines ont tenté de le comprendre et ont produit une abondante littérature autour de ce thème central de notre société. Depuis l’Antiquité, diverses études physiques, philosophiques, métaphoriques ou encore sociologiques ont été menées dans cette perspective. L’exposition du NMB Nouveau Musée Bienne n’a pas pour but d’offrir une synthèse de ces innombrables réflexions. Au contraire, elle donne un aperçu des différentes dimensions temporelles et explore les effets de la mesure du temps sur la vie des gens. De la multitude de mots et d’expressions comprenant le concept de « temps », 24 notions ont été sélectionnées dont « Temps libre », « Temps de travail », « Temps d’attente » ou « Air du temps ». À travers l’exposition, elles sont analysées d’un point de vue artistique, archéologique et historique, expérimentées individuellement ou encore interrogées en fonction de leur pertinence sociale.
John Harrison (1693–1776) was a self-educated English carpenter and clockmaker who invented the marine chronometer, a long-sought-after device for solving the problem of calculating longitude while at sea. Harrison’s solution revolutionized navigation and greatly increased the safety of long-distance sea travel. The problem he solved was considered so important following the Scilly naval disaster of 1707 that the British Parliament offered financial rewards of up to £20,000 (equivalent to £3.09 million in 2019) under the 1714 Longitude Act. In 1730, Harrison presented his first design, and worked over many years on improved designs, making several advances in time-keeping technology, finally turning to what were called sea watches. Harrison gained support from the Longitude Board in building and testing his designs. Toward the end of his life, he received recognition and a reward from Parliament. Marine chronometer History of longitude
Carl Sagan (1934-1996) was an American astronomer, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author, science popularizer, and science communicator in astronomy and other natural sciences. He is best known for his work as a science popularizer and communicator (Cosmos: A Personal Voyage (Television series)). His best known scientific contribution is research on extraterrestrial life (SETI Program), including experimental demonstration of the production of amino acids from basic chemicals by radiation. Sagan assembled the first physical messages sent into space: the Pioneer plaque and the Voyager Golden Record, universal messages that could potentially be understood by any extraterrestrial intelligence that might find them.
The Time Machine is a science fiction novella by H. G. Wells, published in 1895 and written as a frame narrative. The work is generally credited with the popularization of the concept of time travel by using a vehicle that allows an operator to travel purposely and selectively forwards or backwards in time. The term “time machine”, coined by Wells, is now almost universally used to refer to such a vehicle. The Time Machine has been adapted into three feature films of the same name, as well as two television versions, and a large number of comic book adaptations. It has also indirectly inspired many more works of fiction in many media productions.
