Clock

Published: Feb. 18, 2017, 2:14 p.m.

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There\\u2019s no such thing as \\u201cthe correct time\\u201d. Like the value of money, it\\u2019s 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 to almost every area of the modern economy.

Producer: Ben Crighton\\nEditors: Richard Knight and Richard Vadon

(Image: A wall clock. Credit: Shutterstock)

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