Main content

Why sunrise in Tibet happens around midday

There's no such thing as "the correct time". Like the value of money, it's a convention that derives its usefulness from the widespread acceptance of others. But there is such a thing as accurate timekeeping. That dates from 1656, and a Dutchman named Christiaan Huygens. In the centuries since, as Tim Harford explains, the clock has become utterly essential.

First broadcast on 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy, 19 June 2017.

Release date:

Duration:

5 minutes

This clip is from