subject: The History And Evolution Of Alarm Clocks [print this page] Clocks are among the most important discovery of mankind. Since the time they were discovered, they have been used by mankind in almost all civilizations and now in today's world everything depends on time and has to run on time, including us.
Clocks have evolved with the passage of time and still continue to evolve. The first clock that came into existence was the sun dial. These dials were dependent on the shadow created by the sun rays. The dial supported twelve hours and showed time on the basis of the shadow of a central angular pillar. So we can conclude that though these clocks were fairly accurate, the major drawback was that it couldn't show time in night time.
With the passage of time came the pendulum clock also known as grandfather's clock. Most of these clocks are now used as antique collections as these clocks have existed since a long time and many of these clocks have unique handcrafted artwork on their body and some of them also have historic value.
The next key evolution in clocks came with the discovery of electricity. These led to invention of clocks that would run electromagnetically. Further with the advancement of technology and electrical science, batteries were invented. This invention brought about many changes in the types of clocks and the way they were manufactured.
Another major advancement was the development of alarm clocks. In the first generation of these clocks, users could set the time and at that particular time a buzzer or bell would ring. With passage of time, these alarm clocks became more advanced and users can now keep multiple alarm timings. Alarm clocks with clock radios that play songs instead of the regular buzzer to wake up the user are also available in the market.
People can also use these clocks as a regular radio to listen to music. Alarm clocks are no longer just a machine that shows time and wakes us up. With the availability of iPod dock radios, alarm clocks have transformed to a mode of entertainment. Digital clocks are now being replaced by atomic clocks. These clocks are far advanced and can be accurate even up to microseconds.
Till time continues to play an important role in our lives, clocks will always persist to be an irreplaceable part of human civilization.
