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A giant clock, bigger than London's Big Ben, began ticking recently in the Omkar Hills area, on the outskirts of Bangalore.
The Bangalore Ben is a horological wonder as well as a statistician's delight. It took three years and Rs.20 lakh to build by HMT and has a diameter of 24 ft and the numerals are 2.5 ft tall. The hour and minute hands weigh 40 kg each. The clock tower combines 20 tonnes of steel with 200 cubic metres of concrete. When the bell strikes every hour, you could be three kilometres away and still hear the sound of a conch followed by a reverberating "Om".
The "Cause" of the First Cause
by Ravi Zacharias, from Has Christianity Failed You?
A story circulated some years ago about Sherlock Holmes and his loyal friend and student Watson, who were together on a camping trip. After a good meal, they lay down for the night and went to sleep. Some hours later, Holmes awoke and nudged his faithful friend awake.
“Watson,” he said, “look up at the sky and tell me what you see.” “I see millions and millions of stars,” Watson replied.
Watson pondered the question and then said, “Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo. Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three. Theologically, I can see that God is all-powerful and that we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What does it tell you?”
Holmes was silent for a minute before speaking. “Watson, you idiot!” he said with a measure of restraint. “Someone has stolen our tent!”
Antony Flew, In his book There Is a God, Flew reflects on an argument regarding the probability of human origin that he had to deal with in his younger days.
The argument runs like this: How long would it take for an infinite number of monkeys pounding on an infinite number of typewriters to compose a sonnet by Shakespeare? (Believe it or not, this argument was based on an experiment conducted by the British National Council of the Arts.) A computer was placed in a cage with six monkeys, and after one month of hammering away at the keys and using the computer as a bathroom, the monkeys produced fifty typed pages — but not one single word.
This is amazing, considering that the shortest word in English could be a one-letter word such as the letter a or I. But a one-letter word is only a word if there is space on either side of it. Flew points out that if one considers that there are thirty keys on a keyboard, the possibility of getting a one-letter word is one in 30 x 30 x 30, which is one in 27,000. If these attempts could not even result in one one-letter word, what is the possibility of getting just the first line of one of Shakespeare’s sonnets, let alone a whole sonnet? Flew quotes scientist and author Gerry Schroeder on the sheer improbability of the random existence of the universe:
If you took the entire universe and converted it to computer chips — forget the monkeys — each one weighing a millionth of a gram, and had each computer chip able to spin out 488 trials at, say, a million times a second; if you turn the entire universe into these microcomputer chips and these chips were spinning a million times a second [producing] random letters, the number of trials you would get since the beginning of time would be 10 to the 90th trials. It would be off again by a factor of 10 to the 600th. You will never get a sonnet by chance — let alone the complete works of Shakespeare. The Universe would have to be 10 to the 600th times larger. Yet the world just thinks the monkeys can do it every time.
For Flew, the sheer improbability that such an intricate design as we have in this universe is the product of mindless evolution is insurmountable; the universe must have purpose and design behind it.
As powerful an argument as statistical improbability is, a simple point I want to make here is that although the specifics may be different, this is not a new argument for the improbability of chance. Antony Flew knows this to be so. But I must add that no dyed-in-the-wool naturalist is likely to suggest that our universe could not have beaten such odds. They will say that just because it is improbable, it doesn’t mean that the universe didn’t happen this way — a view that vehemently resists both human limitation and the humility required to follow reason where it leads. Instead, they will wax eloquent, like Watson, on endless categories of convoluted descriptions of what “might” or “could” have happened, all the while ignoring the most obvious deduction or conclusion before them as to the origin of the universe — that it was a deliberate act of creation by an intelligent being. Stubbornly and deliberately ignoring that “the tent has disappeared,” there is no way for naturalists to account for human relational hungers, so they refuse to recognize that these hungers are validated by the real fact that people relate to other people through a relationship.
To even think we could get a Shakespearean sonnet by accident assumes, first, that we have other sonnets to which we can compare the “accidental” one in order to know that it is indeed a Shakespearean sonnet and, second, that whenever we see intelligibility we assume intelligence. Even if the monkeys could have produced a sonnet by accident, we would still wonder at the intelligence behind the technology of the keys and the development of the alphabet, the aesthetics of this sonnet in comparison with other sonnets, and, to boot, whether the monkeys knew what they were doing.
The numerical impossibility actually defies even the “chance” analogy. And in the origin of the universe, as naturalism tells the story, there are no monkeys to begin with. The monkeys evolved from chemistry and energy after the universe already existed. There are no alphabets to be explained. There is no idea of a sonnet except as nonexistent monkeys pounding on nonexistent keys. All these assumptions are circular.
Let me illustrate this point a little differently through the fascinating story of George Frideric Handel’s composition of Messiah. His career as a composer was on the verge of collapse, and he was naturally discouraged, feeling that he was a failure. The words for Messiah were given to him as a possible oratorio, and he decided to try one last time to compose a great piece of music. When he reached the text for the “Hallelujah Chorus” and began to reflect on the words, he said later that he saw the heavens opened and the great God himself. And as the great chorus reached its climax at the first public presentation of Messiah before the king of England, the king rose to his feet in recognition of the awesome power of the words and music combining to give honor to the One to whom honor is due. The convergence of intelligence, aesthetics, and the inspirational power of a transcending reality in the person of God has the power to bring even kings either to their feet or to their knees.
All of this is dismissed as mere nonsense by the skeptic. Not only does he take that which appears statistically impossible and try to make it actual; he takes the emotion and spiritual expression that is common to the human experience, and is therefore actual, and tries to make it farcical. Is it really possible to deny such a reality as that described by Handel’s experience in writing the music for Messiah without even a twinge of doubt that perhaps there is more to life than science alone?
This intertwining of the disciplines with relationship that is both “intrapersonal” and “interpersonal,” within and without, reveals a distinctiveness that we must recognize as sacred and inviolable. But this is denied repeatedly in naturalism, which insists that we just happen to be here, that we’re all just “dancing to our DNA,” as Richard Dawkins puts it. For the Christian, the awesome nature of the world we are part of does not point to brute science in isolation but to the Creator, a personal God who can and does relate to human beings.
Excerpted from Has Christianity Failed You? by Ravi Zacharias, copyright Ravi Zacharias. Published by Zondervan
I bought this Nokia when I thought they were going to make a comeback...it makes for a fun prop now.
115 Pictures in 2015 ... #38. Technology
Probably the oldest working clock in existence, made of hand-wrought iron in or before 1386. As is usual of the period, the clock has no face, being designed only to strike hours.
In two sections, the right-hand one being known as Going Train and the left-hand one as Striking Train, each driven by falling weights which have to be wound up once a day, though the clock will run for slightly over 24 hours.
Received a pair of Yongnuo YN-560 III speedlites this week to upgrade the Mk1 models I had. Nice lights, the on-board RF triggering will get used a lot once the YN-560-TX arrives!
Both speedlites were located at and 3 o-clock, bounced off walls on each side. triggered via an RF-602 transmitter.
Totally didn't see this coming. I've been planning to get a PAM sometime this year, but when I came across the Pelagos, all the planning sort of went awry.
Within the week, I'd scouted for the best prices across several different ADs, and with one offering 15% off retail, I knew I had to pull the trigger.
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Glashutte senator sixties
For those who know me they are well aware that I am a watch enthusiast. Recently I was able to acquire this gorgeous vintage inspired timepiece. The watch and the movement are absolutely stunning !!!!
This Farr&Swit wayfinder is one of my fav watches mostly because of the lume but also just the right amount of beef on your wrist. I prefer this VH31 quartz movement WITHOUT a date window that I have to always set. Really, really great watch!
Shot with the Fotodiox 20mm extension tube.
An Omega Speedmaster from the batch that went to the moon (we think, based on serial numbers). Lit with twoSB600s from top right, one with zoom head at wide setting, one at tele setting. Equal fill, both behind diffuser panels. Triggered by SB800 on D200
Horology is the art or science of measuring time. People interested in horology are called horologists. That term is used both by people who deal professionally with timekeeping apparatus (watchmakers, clockmakers), as well as aficionados and scholars of horology. For more info, check the wiki.
I took this for Kaptain Kobold's choice at We're Here, Teach Me Something New. And since gears are just wheels with teeth, it suits the December 6 topic at december 2011 in photos, Wheels! Yay.
The subject of an upcoming article on watch photography with the Leica M9-P on www.blog.mingthein.com
If you're in KL, come and check out my exhibition of watch photography with Leica and Jaeger Le-Coultre at Starhill Gallery from 3 May 2012!
My fourth quartz piece. The lettering in the 12 and 6 position, and the small icon by the quarter dial are only aesthetic shapes meant to mimic the calligraphy used for the 'three'.
The Old Town Astronomical Clock on the tower of the Old Town Hall, is one of the most important technical monuments in Prague, Bohemia and the whole Europe and is also an evidence of highly advanced science and horology craft in Bohemia at the beginning of the 15th century and in later centuries too. The tower, now 65.5 metres high, was built in 1380. The astronomical clock (consisting of the clock machine and an astronomical sphere) was made by clockmaker Mikuláš of Kadaň and astronomer Jan Ondřejův called Šindel before 1410 when the clock was firstly mentioned in writing. Sculptural stone decorations were made by Parléř’s stone masonry. Clockmaker Jan from Růže also called Hanuš who until recently was considered to be the author of the astronomical clock, only repaired the clock in 1490, improved it and added the calendarium (calendar board). Other repairs were made in 1552-60 (then the moving figures were added to it), then it was rather neglected for centuries and it only was used occassionally with long time periods in between. In 1787 it was even considered to sell it for metal recycling but clockmaker J. Landesberger with the help of the astronomer A. Strnad repaired the mechanical part at least which was then functioning until 1824. This unique clock was again under threat in 1861 when its planned sale was only stopped at last minute, thanks to a public collection of money. After a fire 1864 new wooden figures of Apostles were added and one year later, Prague clockmaker L. Hainz restored the mechanical part of the astronomical clock, the astronomical sphere and a new calendarium by J. Mánes was placed there. In 1866 the beam was replaced by a unique chronometer by mechanician R. Božek and the astronomical clock finally started running again. During the Prague Uprising of 1945 the clock was seriously damaged by the shelling of the German artillery and the subsequent fire, after the war it was restored though and in 1948 the whole system with new statues of Apostles by sculptor V. Sucharda and with a copy of Mánes‘ picture calendar started running again. During the repairs, the clock was connected to an electric motor (before it had to be cranked up). The most recent major repairs of the clock took place in 1979 and 2005.
The astronomical clock consists of approximately 350 components, out of which ¾ are still originals from the 15th century; originally the whole machine didn’t have a single nail in it, just riveted. The central and the main part of the astronomical clock is the astronomical section (the so-called sphere) which shows old Bohemian and also modern time as well as ongoing astronomical phenomena such as the sunrise and sunset, course of the Sun and the Moon and other interconnected movements of astronomic objects in a geocentric system. At present time only experts can understand this whole system and this was also the case in the Middle Ages. The lower calendarium is easier to understand – it shows days and months with their astrological signs. However, for spectator’s point of view, the moving figures are the most attractive part, especially those of the twelve Apostles which gradually appear in the small windows of the former prison in the upper part of the astronomical clock. They are:
In the left window
St.Paul holding a book and a sword
St.Thomas with a spear
St. Jude Thaddeus holding a book in his left hand
St. Simon with a saw
St. Bartholomew with a book and a knife
St. Barnabas with papyrus
In the right window
St. Peter with a key
St. Matthew with an axe
St. John castigating a serpent
St. Andrew bearing saltire cross
St. Philip with a cross
St. James with a fuller’s ram
On the sides of the astronomical clock there are four pairs of moving figures: in the top left-hand corner there are figures of a Coxcomb and a Miser, at the bottom where is a Chronicler and an Angel, in the top right-hand corner there is a Death and a Turk or a fiddler and at the bottom there is an Astronomer and a Philosopher. On each hour the Apostles gradually come out in front of the spectators and the figures on the side come to life too. The Skeleton pulls a string and the ringing starts of the marching of the Apostles. At the same time he nods at the Turk who refuses his services by turning his head. The Miser nods his head, shakes a purse in his hand and also threatens with a stick while the Coxcomb looks at himself in the mirror. After the windows with Apostles close a golden cock crows and then the tower clock strikes.
The most famous legend linked to the Old Town Astronomical Clock is that about Master Hanuš, the alleged author of the clock. He was allegedly blinded by the councillors using a hot metal rod so that he could not build another or even a better clock anywhere else again. Hanuš then asked one of his helpers to lead him to the clock, he tampered with the clock machine and broke it so that nobody could fix; whoever tried to repair it became insane from the complexity of the machine. Similar legend is also said about many other astronomical clocks in Europe. It is also said that if the clock stops for a longer period of time, bad times for the Czech nation are ahead.
The only astronomical clocks that are older than the one in the Old Town are those in Padova, Italy (1344, rebuilt in 1434) and in Strasbourg, France (1352, rebuilt in 1574 and 1838). The Czech clock, however, was preserved in the most authentic state. Another historical clock (from the end of the 15th century) was preserved only in Olomouc in the Czech country, it has been rebuilt numerous times though so its historical appearance is only partly known. According to old sources there also used to be an astronomical clock at the town hall in Kutná Hora towards the end of the 14th century; at the end of the 14th century it was placed on another building and in 1770 destroyed by a fire; there is no information available regarding its appearance or construction.
www.dqhvhlw.kralovskacesta.cz/en/tour/objects/old-town-as...
These are AliExpress knock-offs but maybe someday I will own the real thing! View www.chaykin.ru/collections/new/ And, here is an interesting collection of blog posts...https://www.ablogtowatch.com/watch-brands/konstantin-chaykin/
The marvellous clock of London St. Pancras station keeps a watchful eye on the Underground roundel below.
17-02-2025
The subject of an upcoming article on watch photography with the Leica M9-P on www.blog.mingthein.com
If you're in KL, come and check out my exhibition of watch photography with Leica and Jaeger Le-Coultre at Starhill Gallery from 3 May 2012!
A vintage steel manual winding Omega cal. 268 wristwatch from 1961 with an off-white, champagne patina "sub seconds" dial. Omega signed crystal, crown and buckle.
Can you spot the tiny Ω logo in the middle? :)
Shot with Canon 5D Mk II + Sigma 105 mm Macro w/ CPL at 1/160s and f13. Canon 580EXII top left at 1/2 power through white paper, Canon 430 EXII top right at 1/8 power through white paper. Triggered by Pixel Kings. Black binder set around the watch to control reflections. A Lego car tyre under the housing to lift it from the background (black table top).
This one here is a monster of a watch. Hand-wound tourbillon with a 50-day power reserve. Case made of PVD Titanium, rubber strap, and a cool sticker price of RM1.3mil ($427,210USD) - definitely not for the weak mind, stomach, or pockets.
My mind certainly blanked out; forgot to take a picture. This one courtesy of YatJAyi.
Not sure how these emails arrive but somehow I came across this analog Casio for $30USD via the Creation Watches website. I had no idea of this portal but googled around and very legit. Took FOEVAH to arrive with terrible tracking but when it arrived I was not disappointed!
I have about 4 Casio that are either digi or ani/digi and not fan mostly because of legibility. RIGHT AWAY I loved the clean aesthetics of this watch and the value price made it a no brainer.
No, this does not feel like a $1000 Tudor but the lightweight is welcomed in our hot summers. I like the textured dials, the hands and the super legible 12/3/6 and 9. Yea, it only has a hardlex crystal and I wish the numbers were lumed but after I added this leather strap, this watch can take me to the opera, to Home Depot or the strip club 😂!! (BTW, I have never been to strip club in Vegas...I do not trust those savvy dancers to take pity on my $20 and end up convincing me that true love is found with my credit cards 💓🤔😲)
The subject of an upcoming article on watch photography with the Leica M9-P on www.blog.mingthein.com
If you're in KL, come and check out my exhibition of watch photography with Leica and Jaeger Le-Coultre at Starhill Gallery from 3 May 2012!
The Aqua Horological Tintinnabulator was designed by Rowland Emett OBE in 1973. It currently stands at the north end of Victoria Shopping Centre, Nottingham, but was originally at the south end, outside Boots store. The clock was restored in 2014 and plays music on the hour. All the money that is thrown into the pond is given to local charities.