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

Seen the new digitally-printed sundial? (or did I hear about it from you?)

http://www.visualnews.com/2016/02/07/3d-printed-digital-sundial-mixes-old-new-tech/

I saw it but didn't undertand how it works.

I think, from the explanation underneath, the times shown are not projected from a light source, but the holes in the gnomon are placed so that the sun shining through them shows the time.

So, although it looks as though it has moving parts, it is literally just standing there, letting the sunlight through. It only tells the time between 10 am and 4 pm.

That's clever!

That's a good link!

Fascinating!

...and very original.

I presume the version given works only for standard time....

Of course, a gnomon adjustable for one's personal latitude is an advantage over a fixed gnomon all by itself.

I doubt if you could run a railway by it, so I wouldn't be bothered whose time it was actually telling. Although it would survive a lot of things that would knock our digital systems out. (Satellites exploding, magnetic storms, pole-reversing, power cuts)

Except, of course, clouds.

I gather the design is specific to a certain range of latitude in the northern hemisphere. When the clocks change you'd have to move it round a little.

If it is 3d printed, they can probably adjust it to your exact latitude, and possibly longitude.

Perhaps Mesopotamia was small enough that what was one o'clock in the Eastern edge of it was pretty much one o'clock at the western edge.