Quieter Clocks [About this Issue]

Although it´s not immediately evident, one of the most useful things to have if you wish to find out where you are is a clock. If you´re on a ship somewhere on the ocean, where maps are not especially useful, you could check what time it is when the sun is directly overhead. If your clock is set to the time back home, then the time difference can tell you how far east or west of home you are. This navigation technique was one of the great motivations for developing better clocks in the days when ships with sails explored the globe and the consequences of not knowing location were dire.