h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A447202

Here is an article about sundials, which I hope is suitable for inclusion in the edited guide. I'm going to Greece for a few weeks but I'll look at any of your comments when I get back.

Now we know where your nickname comes from

This is excellent, can't fault it.

But do you know why?

Well, obviously not

Gnomon, from a Greek word meaning "the one who knows" or "the one that shows the way".

Wonderful entry!

I always freak out my wife by being able to approximate the time by looking at my shadow on the ground.

The only thing I might mention is that in the popular cartoon 'The Flintstones' everyone wore sundials as wristwatches. (Actually I wouldn't add that to the entry - it's pointless, but I wanted to say something other than slobbering praise! )

This one won't linger in peer review long enough for me to get to pick it next week. This one is a real winner!

- X

I have never seen a sundial wristwatch in real life, but I have a "pocket sundial" which hangs on a chain like a pocket-watch. I've never got around to working out how to use it.

Good, and really won't hang around for long. However, I'd suggest you rename it to 'Home-made Sundials' or something like that, because there are real big ones spread all over the world which were set up in ancient times (India has lots of them, I'm not sure if Stonehenge is to be counted in as well).

This was really very interesting and informative... I rather had the notion that there was little more to sundials than plunking a stick in the ground... no wonder I'm always late.
Thanks for such an enjoyable article... I hope it gets selected soon.
cheers-
Ariel

Picked and accepted.

I guess you know what's going to happen now: This Entry is going out to the SubEditors, they send it back to the inhouse editing team, and then it will be featured on the Front page. This means it won't take more than a couple of months (just kidding) before it's "on top".

Well done!

Sorry I'm late. Very interesting and nicely written. Congratulations on having the entry picked, though, of course, that was inevitable

I have only one suggestion: write some more entries.

Editorial Note: This thread has been moved out of the Peer Review forum because this entry has now been recommended for the Edited Guide.

If they have not been along already, the Scout who recommended your entry will post here soon, to let you know what happens next. Meanwhile you can find out what will happen to your entry here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/SubEditors-Process

Congratulations!

A good motto in English to add to the Latin ones is the one from the Brazen Head:
"Time Is, Time Was, Time Is Past".
I have written a little entry about Roger Bacon and the Brazen Head (A544178). It was this entry on sundials that reminded me of the story of the Brazen Head.
Azara

Thanks everyone! I've been away and am only just back, so it is only now I find that my article has been accepted.