3 ms·

If you're interested in the subject, the book "Longitude" by Dava Sobel (mentioned in Resources) is a very good read with lots of historical perspective on how

If you're interested in the subject, the book "Longitude" by Dava Sobel (mentioned in Resources) is a very good read with lots of historical perspective on how these clocks were built.

daoboy 3y ago
Seconded! It is a wonderful book. Also an easy read and not very long.
- hilbert42 3y ago
  I can't agree more, I've not seen a better book on the subject and Sobel's writing makes it an enjoyable read (I still have my copy of it).
throw0101b 3y ago
Made into a four-part mini-series with Jeremy Irons and Michael Gambon: * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longitude_(TV_series) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longitude_(TV_series) * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longitude_(book) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longitude_(book)
- jstanley 3y ago
  Very enjoyable (albeit long) and available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHvt48S9l4w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHvt48S9l4w
ethanbond 3y ago
I was lucky enough to come across this book in elementary or middle school and found it absolutely mind blowing. In retrospect it exposed me to what are still among the most important ideas sloshing around my brain: 1. The realization of how much of the world has to be “invented.” Latitude and longitude didn’t strike me as an invention, but they are, and more interestingly longitude specifically is a conceptual invention that more or less had to sit downstream of a rather immense physical invention (Harrison’s clocks). 2. “The world has a surprising amount of detail”: as evidenced by looking at H1, H2, etc… there’s a lot you have to account for to achieve the apparently simple task of measuring time aboard a ship. 3. The social components to invention/discovery/progress: The competitions, funding/lack thereof, the need for “evangelism” around the different approaches, the need to find patrons (VC’s basically) to create a breakthrough, etc. This book would make a great gift to an intellectually-inclined young person in your family!

If you're interested in the subject, the book "Longitude" by Dava Sobel (mentioned in Resources) is a very good read with lots of historical perspective on how these clocks were built.

daoboy 3y ago

Seconded! It is a wonderful book. Also an easy read and not very long.

hilbert42 3y ago
I can't agree more, I've not seen a better book on the subject and Sobel's writing makes it an enjoyable read (I still have my copy of it).

throw0101b 3y ago

Made into a four-part mini-series with Jeremy Irons and Michael Gambon: * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longitude_(TV_series) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longitude_(TV_series) * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longitude_(book) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longitude_(book)

jstanley 3y ago
Very enjoyable (albeit long) and available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHvt48S9l4w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHvt48S9l4w

ethanbond 3y ago

I was lucky enough to come across this book in elementary or middle school and found it absolutely mind blowing. In retrospect it exposed me to what are still among the most important ideas sloshing around my brain: 1. The realization of how much of the world has to be “invented.” Latitude and longitude didn’t strike me as an invention, but they are, and more interestingly longitude specifically is a conceptual invention that more or less had to sit downstream of a rather immense physical invention (Harrison’s clocks). 2. “The world has a surprising amount of detail”: as evidenced by looking at H1, H2, etc… there’s a lot you have to account for to achieve the apparently simple task of measuring time aboard a ship. 3. The social components to invention/discovery/progress: The competitions, funding/lack thereof, the need for “evangelism” around the different approaches, the need to find patrons (VC’s basically) to create a breakthrough, etc. This book would make a great gift to an intellectually-inclined young person in your family!