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In this episode, we discuss the water clock (its path from the ancient Egyptian version through Greece and Rome). We discuss the water clock as the answer to providing indoor, sunless time that can be synced with a sundial. We look at improvements made by the Greeks, including making water clocks effective at keeping seasonal hours. We take a detour to learn about early alarm clocks and look at modern incarnations of the water clock. Greg gives his thoughts on time being man’s most important invention and learns that he has to give up his dream of being the next Walter Cronkite, while Julia becomes a convert to seasonal hours.
TIME STAMPS
(00:01) Introduction.
(06:40) The rundown.
(09:44) How does the water clock work?
(13:40) Theme of today’s story.
(15:30) Who invented the water clock?
(29:39) Making a water clock work with seasonal hours
(30:50) Why days are 24 hours long.
(38:00) How can you make a water clock match seasonal hours on a sundial?
(40:30) How a water clock works in an 18 second nutshell.
(42:13) Ancient Greek changes to the water clock.
(43:10) Origin of the Name Clepsydra.
(43:54) Ctesibius makes the most accurate clock for 2 millennia.
(49:50) The decision to stick with seasonal hours.
(52:44) Controversy about Egyptian water clock accuracy.
(58:36) Greg’s theory on how to calibrate an ancient water clock.
(65:15) Review to this point.
(66:36) Detour: the alarm clock.
(75:20) Water clocks today.
(78:57) End of show stuff.
(79:17) Julia’s big takeaway
(80:16) Greg’s summation: time as the most important invention.
(85:30) Ike!
14 Mar 2026
015 Excerpt Show: Sundials in Space
Excerpt from the main show on sundials where we tell the story of sundials that made their way to space.
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