Take Time to Nodus

Sundials

Evan Boxer-Cook

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eboxercook@gmail.com

The Black Box of Modern Time

• The public conception of time is largely detached from the sun
• The clock has usurped the sun as the authority of time in popular conception
• Noon = 12:00; little popular association with the sun’s position
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• There is no longer an active participation in time measurement; clocks synchronize and adjust automatically
• It is no longer necessary to understand when a clock is fast/slow; the time displayed simply is the time
• The day is blocked out by clock-bound activities
• Light on demand–less organizational attention placed on the presence of daylight
• Schedule requires that we default to the clock
• The day is ruled by the civil hour, with the sun and daylight as atmospheric background actors

The Sun Obscured

• It is not necessary to consider the the sun as anything more than the bringer of daylight
• Most people aren’t aware of the relationship between a given hour and the position of the sun
• Many aren’t aware of the sun’s annual path (or its daily path)
• When time is vested wholly in the clock and its adjustments automated, public understanding of its basis atrophies

Microcosm of the Sundial

• Sundials model the celestial sphere and the motions of the sun
• Using sundials expands one’s awareness of the celestial sphere’s motions
• The process of using sundials expands the natural awareness of the user and draws attention to the natural cycles often left unexamined
• With the context of the sundial, the daily and annual motion of the sun and shadows can be more generally understood

A Catalyst for Further Exploration

• Calling attention to existing sundials/constructing new ones:
• Instills an intuitive understanding of the sun’s annual motion
• Leads one to understand the relationship between the civil hour and solar time
• Acts as a gateway into the history of astronomy, other timekeeping systems, history and artistry, etc. (sundials extend into most disciplines)
• Provides an interdisciplinary opportunity for the application and cultivation of varied skills

Take Time to N dus

Sundials