These digital clocks aren't digital at all

[@TechnologyConnections]

Hair.

[@matthewpalmer9820]

Take it back, TAKE IT BACK

[@alifaan595]

hair

[@KT8D5]

Hair

[@HerrBlauzahn]

Hair

[@HolyKhaaaaan]

Are you alright, Alec? Say time three times if someone's holding you hostage. We want to be timely in hour rescue minute.

[@Simoneister]

Oh dear, you got me with the latent heat again

[@fsodn]

Yes, that line was brilliant. I was really surprised by "latent head and the refrigeration cycle". I thought "wait, what, really?".

[@ShinoPuppy]

@@fsodn I've heard it so much lately that I just was kinda like "oh, okay, that's normal now."

[@rosskwolfe]

I also admit that I fell for it.

[@StormsparkPegasus]

Yeah that got me too.

[@jannegrey]

My mid stopped for a second - I started wondering how a clock could be operated based on Latent heat and refrigeration cycle. I mean it's possible - and also Temperature can be very important to accuracy of mechanical clocks. And frankly most of other clocks as well - though in those cases, "usually" not at ranges that concern us in normal day to day life.

[@AttentiveDragon]

"We first need to learn about latent heat and the refrigeration cycle." At this point, I was more than willing to just accept that at face value.

[@kernelle4]

He could've gone on about it for 20 min and be like. "Actually, it's not that important" and we'd still be watching

[@NeoTechni]

He got me.

[@ivanoffw]

You had to put in a clock pun, didn't you?

[@RedPhoenix550]

Me too honestly lol.

[@mySeaPrince_]

I had that moment of ... How is that connected.. and my mind sped up.. I only realised when he said kidding... Interesting effect....

[@classicaltrombone]

LATENT HEAT. And I don't even question it anymore.

[@NoobLord98]

ikr, I was completely on board with it and even questioned myself why he'd go through the entire cycle again.

[@willpower3544]

I've been watching TC for years, and just recently started watching your channel and here you are! what a coincidence.

[@CC-ke5np]

My favorite is *"parasitic capacity"* when it comes to energy and signal wires and inside high speed microchips.

[@daghtus]

He so got me with this one

[@thefountainpendesk]

Ikrrrr 😭😭

[@Klarpimier]

“Dad where do babies come from” “Latent heat and the refrigeration cycle”

[@grn1]

I wouldn't be surprised if latent heat played some role in why it gets cold in the winter which most certainly can lead to conception.

[@hardcoretrance3435]

Check out Anton Petrov. He is a wonderful person. He did a video showing the chemical burst at interception.

[@ranjanbiswas3233]

Son: Sure, Nerd.

[@SaraWolffs]

"See, there's a pump..."

[@secondace9495]

@@SaraWolffs too descriptive...please wait for the child's brain to process

[@MarieAnne.]

Who else is looking forward to the day he makes a video about the old flip boards in train stations and airports?

[@blah2blah65]

Yes please!!! They were so hypnotic. And once set you had to quickly find the info you needed before it started the clack-clack-clack reset.

[@dotspacedot3775]

fun fact they still use a flip board in Nikola Tesla airport in serbia to show flight times and gates and whatnot

[@3omda29]

I didn’t know I wanted this but I do!

[@plushifoxed]

im looking forward to the day i can afford a solari board of my own 😭

[@nickwallette6201]

The minute he acknowledged that upcoming video, I mentally did the Scott Pilgrim waiting for delivery thing.

[@_brianhamilton]

What if Groundhog Day happened to Bill Murray because he managed to get the alarm knob *just right* on 6:00 AM and the universe just wanted to make the most of it

[@DUDERMANx]

This is now my head canon of the movie

[@miriamrosemary9110]

YES

[@IgnatRemizov]

Brilliant! I love it!

[@johnarken1810]

I was just about to say the same thing!!! +1

[@retrogiftsuk4812]

If the numbers in the clock change 'jerkily' (like in the film) then the alarm is more likely to be triggered at an exact minute, and a little trial and error could get it to trigger at a required time (most days). I don't think you see Bill Murray (Phil) set the alarm in the film, so it could have been set by a previous guest adjusting it over a number of nights (and Phil happy with the alarm time left it as is) Obviously if it goes off at exactly 6am one day, it will every day, as Phil is reliving the same day.

[@justrecentlyi5444]

In defense of Groundhog Day: the day itself repeats, so it only needed to go off precisely at 6am for the first day. Every day thereafter it's simply a repetition of the initial scenario.

[@JonBerry555]

I was thinking the same thing as well.

[@sasquatch8600]

Came down to comment this.

[@draconic5129]

I was about to comment the same thing

[@RevaeRavus]

Happens twice. That day, and the day after at the end of the movie where he wakes up in bed with Rita. 6:00 exactly. Same song, but it's a gag at the end.

[@draconic5129]

@@RevaeRavus still not super unlikely

[@Bluesabara]

The hair really adds to the "I'm a batman villain involving clocks" vibe.

[@RichardBronosky]

I’m loving the hair. Wish i hadn’t cut mine.

[@SimonBuchanNz]

By "a Batman villain involving clocks", you mean the Batman villain "Clock King"?

[@MikehMike01]

@@RichardBronosky it looks like it hasnt been washed in a month

[@Blentr0n]

He’s called The Clock King and you will show him the credit he deserves!

[@tealc6218]

Villian: " I am the Hourglass. And your time is up." Robin: "Holy timeless treachery Batman!"

[@Xylot]

"Some clocks have a third hand that we call the second. It's great!" I _lost it._

[@iwanabana]

Nod to Dave Allen! ;)

[@fisheatsyourhead]

I hope you find it again!

[@PaulCotterCanada]

@@iwanabana I'd give him the finger.

[@erazn9077]

@@PaulCotterCanada kinky

[@PaulCotterCanada]

@@erazn9077 He was famous for having lost a portion of an index finger, something that appeared in a number of his sketches and jokes.

[@theMuBot]

I hear "there's a catch" and my next thought is "please let it be a literal catch." I was not disappointed.

[@craigcarter400]

Instead of a catch 22 it is a catch 24 LOL.

[@BodyMusicification]

Thanks. I didn't catch that.

[@m.degroot6837]

"But there's a catch" *shows an actual catch Please never stop.

[@Rundumsfliegen]

He's great 🤣 ( My name is Marlon lol)

[@SpecterNeverSpectator]

I was so into the video i didn't even get the joke, I genuinely want one of this clocks now.

[@m.degroot6837]

@@Rundumsfliegen the Internet is such a small place

[@Rundumsfliegen]

@@m.degroot6837 true

[@variancewithin]

7:10 where he says "but there's a catch" and about 7:34 where he explains the 2nd catch mechanism that keeps the hours synced to the minutes

[@WooShell]

"sometimes there's even a third hand, which we call the second". I love these minute puns..

[@HotelPapa100]

I see what you did there...

[@Robbedem]

Here is your like good sir.

[@goeland4585]

Wait a minute, that's 3 times I have seen that joke mentioned... Or is it the second? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[@ZubinMadon]

There's a catch

[@TheKb117]

I guess it's that time again😁

[@The8BitGuy]

Very neat. I actually didn't know how these worked. And it has been so long since I've seen one, I hadn't even thought about them in ages.

[@PhillyMotoXTS]

The 8-Bit Guy commenting on Technology Connections. I'm in KZbin heaven!

[@lucasc5622]

at least technology connections doesnt stick paper clips in things when they dont work

[@PhillyMotoXTS]

@@lucasc5622 it's good enough for MacGyver!

[@1abdullahjabbar]

Could this clock use some retro brightening?

[@xx_bean_xx]

@@lucasc5622 Jeez, the internet still salty about that one?

[@allNicksAlreadyTaken]

This is a poetry channel disguised as a technology channel and I appreciate it a lot

[@mySeaPrince_]

... 🐱 ...

[@666t]

Is that what's you appreciates?

[@APDFrosty]

This man is a national treasure. 10/10 Would recommend him having a pbs time slot.

[@Skullair313]

He is the american version of James May in my book

[@KitGerrits]

​@@Skullair313I associate him more with Stephen Fry, but that might just be the tweed jacket.

[@antdah]

Don't be a treasure-hog. He's an _international_ treasure!

[@randysterbentz5599]

“This one even has a third hand, that we call ‘the second’.” Of all your dumb jokes, this is probably THE best hahahaha

[@highpath4776]

See Dave Allen on teaching time.

[@NorroTaku]

I didn't even catch that that makes it even better 😂

[@Mattski_83]

1:50 into the video and I had to pause it to come to the comments. If this video goes at this joke rate, I'll be laughing too much to actually learn anything like I usually do.

[@johndododoe1411]

My house has a third floor that we call the second, because we don't number the ground floor.

[@MattSpooner69]

@@johndododoe1411 Makes sense to me.

[@StraveTube]

I feel like we're watching Alec's descent into a Vsauce-style madness in real time. Except this one's somehow driven by latent heat.

[@CadillacDriver]

And the refrigeration cycle.

[@leahc3357]

I’m LOOSING it at this comment

[@CadillacDriver]

@@leahc3357 *losing.

[@Tunkkis]

And Michael's descent is fueled by saliva facts.

[@camronwilliams2590]

@@CadillacDriver wow, this guy just solved grammar

[@valshaped]

It's incredible how versatile the refrigeration cycle is. Not only will it cool your food, heat your home, dry your clothes, but it even keeps time, too!

[@DunnickFayuro]

Someone needs to make a clock out of this XD

[@joshuascholar3220]

:(

[@coriscotupi]

The Galeao airport in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, had a multitude of those e clocks hanging from posts fixed to the ceiling. The neat part was that they were not independent clocks, but just repeaters remotely driven by a centralized controller, and it was cool to watch them all flip the cards at the exact moment, in perfect sync. A slight oddity was the fact that the clocks were placed at only about 2.3 meters (some 7.5 ft) off the ground, within easy reach of the public. It became somewhat of a national sport to reach up and intentionally flip the minute card, immediately prompting the clock to go through the entire 24-hour cycle, to again show the correct time. It took the airport administration a few years to fix this. They did it by enclosing all clock faces in acrylic protection boxes.

[@RainBwateur]

Bro thank you for sharing this little piece of your place's culture

[@coriscotupi]

@@RainBwateur Yeah. Not particularly proud of it. LOL

[@Exponaut_R-01]

I like to imagine people didn't do it super often because they had places to be but when those nearby saw someone do it and heard it start flipping they went ballistic

[@Blue-Maned_Hawk]

Those spoilsports.

[@djp_video]

This channel should really be called "Smart Alec."

[@Technizor]

@@promontorium Probably watched it early due to the Patreon preview window.

[@gator_productions]

@@promontorium what's wrong with commenting before watching the whole video? And yes they had a patron early

[@ReptilianLepton]

@@promontorium Commented: 22 hours ago. Stop slinging accusations if you're going to be an illiterate ass about it.

[@dipie197]

No that’s so tacky and bad

[@promontorium]

@@gator_productions "what's wrong with commenting before watching the whole video" ... When the video has been up for less time than the length, it's actually legally terrorism.

[@maplecinna3979]

"Some of them even have a third hand, which we call 'the second'". It is lines like these that make me watch videos about stuff I already understand.

[@davidoverbaugh1180]

I always thought it was odd that Marty's alarm clock went off at 10:28 in Back to the Future. Now I know why. Thank you.

[@superadventure6297]

Back when we watched it as kids, that didn't seem weird it made perfect sense. The music would just start playing and eventually the minutes would flip. Thank you for reminding me about one of my favorite movie intros- nostalgia!

[@awilliams1701]

I thought he had a real digital clock. hahahaha I need to dust off my blu-rays.

[@oniinu]

i still don't get it

[@FFVison]

I always thought that was weird too. There were many instances where alarm clocks would go off at weird times rather than exactly on the top of the hour and I wondered why they set the clock for a weird time. I guess this video explains it.

[@louistournas120]

Why does it go off at 10:28? Is that a prop clock or a real Panasonic clock?

[@ianmcnaney6528]

The alarm clock's unrealistic accuracy in Groundhog Day doesn't have to bother you. He's replaying the same day over and over from the same starting point, which is when he wakes up, so of course even an inaccurate alarm clock would go off at the same time.

[@afrog2666]

Good point ;)

[@draconic5129]

I agree, if the day is repeating the alarm should always go off at the same time, just like how all the other initial conditions are the same.

[@SamiJumppanen]

There's still the point of how to make the alarm hit the hour change, on the second, for the first time (and the second time, when the story goes on). Irrelevant to how many times the history repeats.

[@chudleyflusher748]

“...latent heat and the refrigeration cycle.” You really had me for a moment.🤣

[@janosnagyj.9540]

I really started to think about, how he could connect those things with flip clocks :) :)

[@maschan91]

Google how the Jaeger Lecoultre Atmos works ;)

[@janosnagyj.9540]

@@maschan91 Wow. Not exactly the refrigeration cycle, but sort of ;)

[@SueBobChicVid]

I don't laugh out loud too often, but that one made me.

[@NorroTaku]

I was really exited to get to see the continuation of that saga

[@TheLoopyTiger]

This is it folks. This is the video where we can see Alec's sanity slip away. Like sand in an hourglass.

[@cjc363636]

Hourglasses should be the next 'time' video!

[@mgsbigdog9079]

Honestly, it was only a matter of time.

[@2010ngojo]

Just turn him upside down to reset his sanity.

[@kaya9293]

Its sad really.

[@vocalpro]

Does he actually have a name? Wow I never knew

[@paulanhalt3609]

I love how much he cracked when filming his refrigeration joke

[@MichaelFri]

Well, It's not easy to keep his cool talking about the refrigeration cycle.

[@earthling_parth]

@@MichaelFri ROFL. This channel's comments have the best heat jokes 😆

[@excentrisitet7922]

And judging by the comment section it was worth it. 😁 I was kinda "Seriously? Here?...😮 That will be interesting to hear how they managed to implement this totally unrelated piece right here..."

[@MTCGBuilds]

To tell you how much effort he puts into these videos, The time he takes to just record is over triple the amount of time the actual video is, as indicated by the clocks. thank you for the quality videos my friend.

[@bobnelly2716]

I came here to say that

[@esotericVideos]

To be fair, even just recording the audio for a video can take several factors of time more than the playtime. Whenever I've made a video essay I would be so happy if it only took 1 hour per 20 minutes of audio recording. But he's a pro so it make sense he can do it in as little as 60 minutes of recording for 20 minutes of video.

[@mischasmit4530]

Nice observation, and so in tune with the subject at hand -I noticed a similar case in a home improvement show, where the chore of choice that was presented as a five minute task, actually took a bit over three hours by the looks of the clock in the back

[@Ni999]

Fun fact about seconds (the third hand) from Wikipedia - _Historically, the word "minute" comes from the Latin pars minuta prima, meaning "first small part". This division of the hour can be further refined with a "second small part" (Latin: pars minuta secunda), and this is where the word "second" comes from._ Thirds and fourths used to be popular too.

[@stormveil]

I was gonna say this, but it looks like there is someone at least as nerdy & a little faster than me today! :D

[@Ni999]

@@stormveil The nerdy part makes sense because we're looking at a video on how clocks work. As for the other I guess I'm just running a little fast! :D

[@miriamrosemary9110]

Fascinating!

[@SkyCharger001]

thirds are still popular in timed sports.

[@zeroone8800]

@@SkyCharger001 I have never seen units other than decimal fractions of a second. There should be 60 thirds in a second.

[@figeon]

"We'll first need to learn about latent heat and the refrigeration cycle“ God I’m so tired I genuinely believed you there.

[@brandonporter8509]

It’s the new “but first we need to talk about parallel universes”

[@Valkyrie_Coach]

I’m watching this after getting off a long overnight shift on minimal sleep. I /am/ this comment right now.

[@mySeaPrince_]

I had that moment of ... How is that connected.. and my mind sped up.. I only realised when he said wasn't... Interesting effect.

[@rickwalker9265]

I have been obsessed with these clocks for as long as I can remember. They just make me happy so thank you for this. Even already knowing how they work there's always something new to learn or a new perspective to see. I had no idea the latent heat was so important to their function.

[@gabrielecossettini2923]

My parents used to have a Solari Cifra 3 in a beautiful orange colour who stopped to work in the early 2000. Worked well for at least 35 years. For their 50° years of marriage I wanted to purchase a functionin clock like this but their process were totally out of head (600+€).

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

I didn't even realize that I'm obsessed with these until now.

[@12voltvids]

I have a couple of those, myself and a much more rare 7 segment mechanical shutter digital which is at least 50 years old and still running

[@gage3725]

Huh can you tell me the 7 segment clocks brand?

[@fisheatsyourhead]

@@gage3725 apparently not

[@hweigel528]

Moral of the story: If your flip-clock alarm goes off at exactly 6AM, beware you might actually be caught in a time loop.

[@Lanthanideification]

Maybe that was the cause of the timeloop in the movie after all.

[@LittleDancerByGrace]

Well, I guess I'm safe then... 6am is too early for me.

[@chudleyflusher748]

The “Groundhog Day Phenomenon” occurs when the display time, the real time, and the alarm time all synchronize at the correct moment. You wake up and it’s yesterday.

[@EebstertheGreat]

All this time, we thought he broke out of the loop because he slept with Rita or found happiness or improved his life or whatever. Actually, he just bumped his clock and made it fall out of synch.

[@mjlagrone]

So... we have an analog clock with a mechanical "sample and hold"...

[@BlackTomorrowMusic]

As a synth player, this analogy is quite satisfying.

[@zeroone8800]

The flip mechanism is a mechanical analogue to digital converter. Since the invention of the pendulum clock and the spring balance watch, most clocks have been internally digital with analogue displays. Most of these modern flip clocks have a continuous motor meaning they are internally analogue.

[@NorroTaku]

@@BlackTomorrowMusic hue hue analog

[@eDoc2020]

@@zeroone8800 The motor may spin continuously but on these quartz movements it is driven by a quare wave, AFAIK 8Hz. Essentially the motor itself is a mechanical digital to analog converter with a low pass filter.

[@MrKyltpzyxm]

Thanks for instilling within me a desire to create a functional clock that runs on latent heat and the refrigeration cycle. Now I just need a few dozen years of chemical, mechanical, and electrical engineering training. If I can get ahold of that Groundhog's Day clock, then I should have a working model for you tomorrow.

[@hrhtrekhaus]

I would just like to say that I appreciate the jokes in the captions. I have a processing disorder so I use captions on everything and it is easy to tell how much concern is given and you successfully give a shit, thank you.

[@fjh89]

I especially liked how at the end there's extra captions with no voice. :D

[@hrhtrekhaus]

@@fjh89 "suspiciously smooth jazz" showed up a while ago.

[@fjh89]

@@hrhtrekhaus haha there's even more after that...

[@ArniVidar]

"Some even have a third hand, which we call the second." LOL, this is stupid. I laughed so hard!

[@draketungsten74]

Me too.

[@mikefochtman7164]

Wow! Completely missed that pun until you pointed it out. lol Zoom.... right over my head. :)

[@peterk7931]

It's the 2nd division of the hour.

[@RCAvhstape]

Solution: change the name of the SI unit of time from the "second" to the "third". Rewrite and republish all textbooks and software references. Start calling it the third hand. Problem solved.

[@piast99]

That reminds mi of that sketch when angry father tries to teach his kid to tell time... "AND THE THIRD HAND IS THE SECOND HAND!!!".

[@NorthshireGaming]

When your film watching immersion is shattered by the slightly inaccurate portrayal of a clock's mechanical operation in a film about a man being forced to knowingly relive the same day for, presumably, thousands of years. God I love the internet.

[@averagejoey2000]

Most unrealistic thing about groundhog Day is that the alarm goes off precisely at 6:00 a.m. the second most unrealistic thing is that a man is put into a thousand year time loop without any explanation

[@kairon156]

@@averagejoey2000 A fan theory is that he died and or this was his limbo until he could change his ways.

[@GoingtoHecq]

Wait, I don't think it was thousands of years, or even 1000 days. Is there any other movie besides groundhog day?

[@kairon156]

@@GoingtoHecq In Stargate SG1 There's a groundhog day like event that happens.

[@57thorns]

@@GoingtoHecq He did learn to play the piano, that takes a few years. And I believe there was a magic trick as well, again, a couple of years. Perhaps not 1000 years, but definitely many years. I also saw another ground hog movie a while ago, where a boy and a girl had to map out everything that happened in their town on that day to break the cycle.

[@JuliaAllenHesse]

This channel is great, it's all about random stuff I remember from my grandparents' house growing up.

[@SollowP]

"It's time for a simpler video" >18+ min long Never change

[@TechnologyConnections]

I wrote those words when the script was 6 words long and, uh, it got out of hand...

[@samiraperi467]

It's like Buildzoid's "short" videos that are less than an hour long.

[@bryanjk]

I wish it were longer.

[@wayannurlangga4439]

And time does go by really fast.

[@aaronporter9715]

@@samiraperi467 Hooray! Overlap between BZ and TC subscribers!

[@NickHorvath]

"Some clocks have a third hand which we call the second" nearly had cereal all over my desk.

[@KairuHakubi]

it hurts more when you look up why they're called seconds. because they are the second level of precision AFTER the hour. or something like that.

[@AMalas]

@@KairuHakubi no. I refuse. I cannot accept that. Nope. Dont like that.

[@tech99070]

I texted that to my wife and she just replied, "nerd"

[@loopshackr]

God bless English.

[@1224chrisng]

should we call the Hour the Zeroth?

[@bobbros3414]

Was legitimately excited to learn what latent heat had to do with clocks

[@thefaboo]

I was already trying to figure out what kind of sunbeam-level cleverness could run a clock 😂

[@amateurghost4311]

Unless there's something I'm missing it's actually pretty interesting that it goes off at 6am every time in Groundhog Day. Because if he's really repeating each day the possibility that the clock just so happens to alarm at exactly 6am every time becomes guaranteed (once it happened the first time by chance)

[@ironchef8000]

The how-train-schedule-boards-work video NEEDS to happen.

[@Transit_Biker]

Solari still makes them.

[@Dong_Harvey]

Obviously some form of Latent Heat and the refrigeration cycle.. possibly boosted by a color pulse in it's signal

[@PanduPoluan]

"The third hand which is called the second hand" okay now I'm going to be irrationally irked for the rest of my English-speaking life.

[@renakunisaki]

Enveloped doesn't rhyme with developed.

[@pyglik2296]

It's really simple. It is a second small (or minute) part of an hour.

[@Spartan322]

Its called a second for the second minutia of an hour, (or secunda pars minuta, aka second diminished part) because the first one, the minute, was already named. (from pars minuta prima) Also me using minutia here is deceptively irrelevant.

[@justsomeguy892]

@@renakunisaki Enveloped does rhyme with developed, but enveloped does not rhyme with developed.

[@nthgth]

@@Spartan322 wait so it's not a coincidence that "second" is both an ordinal and a unit of time?? That blows my mind. What about how "express" can be used in "express lane" and "express yourself?"

[@rfldss89]

"isn't this just the neatest idea you've ever heard of‽" Me: "yes omg this is so amazingly neat!!" "That's hyperbole, yes..." "... it is?"

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

Obviously, the neatest idea you've ever heard of is heat pumps.

[@melefab]

interrobang!

[@EricAtRandom]

Thumbs up for the casual use of my favorite punctuation: the interrobang.

[@schrodingerscat3741]

I'm rather partial to that one toaster

[@angelarch5352]

Same here... I really do think this is the neatest idea I've ever heard of!

[@RinoaL]

0:56 that actually got me! I immediatly thought what i knew of these was a lie and i was about to be schooled! hahaha

[@SarahRWilson]

Hi Rinoa, fancy seeing you here.

[@mySeaPrince_]

I had that moment of ... How is that connected.. and my mind sped up.. I only realised when he said wasn't... Interesting effect.

[@WingMaster562]

My initial thought was gonna be about the Big Bang

[@flochartingham2333]

Costello: "What do call the third hand on a clock?" Abbott: "The second hand." Costello: "Then what do you call the hand after the first hand?" Abbott: "The minute hand." Costello: "Wait a second..." Abbott: "That's the third hand."

[@Th3BlackLotus]

...what? He's on Second

[@macronencer]

@@Th3BlackLotus Yes, but who's on stage?

[@VedalkenEntrancer]

This reference is soooo underrated

[@nthgth]

I want a full length version of this!

[@macronencer]

@@nthgth I second (hand) that!

[@markwhi1]

Awesome video, as usual. Btw, the 'little ramp thing' is called a cam, as in camshaft.

[@TechnologyConnections]

Well, we don't want to get too technical now, do we?

[@samerm8657]

@@TechnologyConnections 😂

[@Bootleg_Jones]

Not Too Technical Connections

[@pinaz993]

@@TechnologyConnections Have you met yourself?

[@JeffGeerling]

They remind me of the giant flippy-letter signboards at transportation terminals that seemed to be popular until giant digital signage became cheap enough to replace them. I would try to hang out and watch the numbers change for as long as I could. Something serene about it.

[@devnol]

Oh look it's Jeff!

[@DvS2171]

I miss those.

[@Christopher-N]

Perfect for duration jokes, like in _National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1._

[@ian_b]

@@DvS2171 So do I.

[@patrickhanft]

I remember how I've seen some of this old school tech on big hacker congresses and conferences, where a lot of work is done to have such mechanical signboards display new content that is controlled by arduino boards and python APIs or stuff like that. There are subcultures who are very creative with this stuff and do beautiful art.

[@georgeparkins777]

I like the three-drum type quite a bit. Sometimes they were called Numechron clocks. Originally they had rigid polygonal drums and were by necessity quite tall, often square in profile, but by the 60's GE was making them with hinged panels forming some kind of belt, and they got much shorter and became a more compact alternative to flip clocks. I have one on my desk that has been running with acceptable or better accuracy for the entire five years I've had it, despite being over 50 years old and plugged in literally continuously since I bought it. It also has the world's most effective alarm tone, an ear-splitting electric buzzer that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

[@Airhan15]

I like the "How it's Made" style panning over the clock in the introduction

[@Esgelrothion]

THAT'S where I recognized that shot from!!

[@MrZarathas]

The best part about doing a video on clocks is we have a vague idea of how long it took to film this episode

[@tparadox88]

Just about an hour for a 20 minute video is less than I got the impression from how he talks about it, but more like my experience back when I did videos with pieces to camera.

[@JasperJanssen]

You think he didn’t turn the clocks back a little every time he went to a new take?

[@markwright3161]

@@JasperJanssen Would he really scroll through 1'440 minutes up to 4 times (3 flip clocks and the radio on screen at once) for every re-take?

[@Tussengassed]

@@JasperJanssen Turning these clocks back? Have you even watched the video?

[@JasperJanssen]

@@markwright3161 ... of course! He’s clearly totally that dedicated.

[@CorruptPianist]

"Some even have a third hand, called the second." Your wordplay gets me every time, ya rascal. Never stop~

[@dascandy]

He's not wrong though... second is actually short for second minute, as opposed to the first minute which we call minute.

[@nthgth]

It's only arbitrarily called "third" anyway. It's the first hand whose motion you can notice so maybe it should be called the first hand. There must be some clocks manufactured by installing one hand, then this hand, then the last - on those clocks the second hand is also the second hand!

[@basedeltazero714]

@@dascandy 'Minute' being derived from 'pars minutia' or 'small part' (of an hour).

[@randygonzalez6250]

Your videos are so pleasing, you're connecting me back to my childhood. There's such strange violence in this world, I'm currently recovering from viscious assaults that have consumed the last couple decades of my life, when the only thing I've ever wanted was to know stuff like this. I love technology and clever innovation, I've missed it so damn much.

[@djordjeblaga7815]

Me when my new flip clock finally arrives in the mail: *My time has come*

[@spider7288]

wait a minute..

[@scorpio6587]

nice

[@twistedtomatoful]

I have no concept how you managed to present old clocks that I could not care less about in a manner so entertaining that I laughed out loud multiple times and watched the whole thing to the end. You are magic.

[@animeartist888]

That's the whole channel, honestly lol

[@prowler7321]

When I was a kid I had a flip alarm clock with a dim amber light. I figured out how to disassemble the face and would pop out the bulb an would read a book under the covers by that light so as not to get in trouble for being up too late. Thank you for helping dredge up that old memory lol.

[@eDoc2020]

That sounds like a neon lamp. If so, I'm surprised you could read by it. I had a clock with one and I couldn't even read the digits with it.

[@Deltarious]

I enjoyed the whole video greatly, but I have to say my favourite part of it was the insight into how long it takes you to shoot one of these! Oh, and jokes that make you break like the latent heat one, I'm a fan of the idea of telling it dry first but then cutting to you cracking up telling it to acknowledge it was just the same for you, too.

[@olegvelichko1659]

Totally with you on the whole “brilliant idea” thing regarding the mechanism to synchronize the drop of the hour card with the 00 minute card. Simple, elegant, genius.

[@izzieb]

The split-flap departure boards are generally known as Solari boards, as many were made by the Italian firm of the same name. I think many fellow British viewers will have memories of them, as they were used in many major stations. I can still hear the sound of them all switching over.

[@justmike2944]

When i was a kid i took one apart to "fix it" mom was finding numbers for the next year . Good times .

[@ernestsmith3581]

I bought it at a garage sale. The radio works great! ;-)

[@redsquirrelftw]

I think it would be bad times if you put them in the wrong way after. :D

[@renakunisaki]

@@redsquirrelftw I see what you did there.

[@tired_and_bored_nerd]

The way that those clocks make sure the hour mark will be synchronized is honestly really cool

[@nitramluap]

I LOVE the flip boards at airports and I'm sad to see them go. The sound it makes as it refreshes brings back memories.

[@jpe1]

Your facial expressions at 2:39 are priceless! I was totally fascinated by flip clocks when I was a kid; my dentist had one in the waiting room, and I would stare at it, hoping to see the digit flip by as it transitioned, but it was always too quick for me to see.

[@BobElHat]

I'm 50% here for the fascinating technology and 50% here to see Alec's continued descent into madness.

[@GuestUser18]

I love how you somehow combined the question mark and exclamation mark in the captions at 9:19

[@thebelovedlion2208]

“Isn’t this just the neatest idea you’ve ever heard of‽‽” (before you ask, it’s called an Interrobang)

[@jrpstonecarver]

So glad to learn more about latent heat and the refrigeration cycle! Thanks!

[@JeffGeerling]

07:09 - admit it, you're the voice actor for Guilty Spark 343.

[@san12362mega]

he is not the voice actor, he is the human form of Guilty Spark

[@haph2087]

I didn’t think of that, but now that you mention it, I totally agree.

[@skyraider87]

Yes, he is now 343 Guilty Spark. In his uncomposed human form.

[@nthgth]

Headcanon assimilated

[@HankMeyer]

NEW GROUNDHOG DAY FAN THEORY: flip clock radio alarms are so inaccurate and inconsistent, that if they should ever go off at exactly the correct time two days in row, it will trigger a time loop.

[@I.am.Sarah.]

And here I thought that was common knowledge ;)

[@goeland4585]

OR... the flip clock is totally unrelated to the time loop and it just happened to go off correctly the infamous morning(s).

[@HankMeyer]

@@goeland4585 that's not a new theory. That's an old theory.

[@josephpostma1787]

To make it more epic should ya use 2 clocks from different brands one being made 37 years ago?

[@goeland4585]

@@HankMeyer ... I said nothing about this being a _new_ theory but ok.

[@joetrivers4093]

Just ran across this terrific video. Another neat thing about the flip clock mechanisms, at least the ones I've taken apart, as that the flip is driven magnetically. There seems to be a little permanent magnet in each number card, and before the flip they're aligned N-N and S-S so they repel. After the flip the alignment changes so they're N-S and S-N and attract. Lay the clock on its back and it still flips--it's not just gravity that flips the numbers. Ingenious!

[@DinirNertan]

“Does anybody know what I’m talking about here?” I don’t know, I am just happily distracted by you bringing my focus to these clocks as their hour cards flip.

[@worldbfr3e263]

8:04 The little “ramp" thing could probably be called a "cam".

[@RCAvhstape]

My theory about Groundhog Day is that they did it that way just to piss you off. I mean you, personally.

[@kelvin0mql]

14:00 “This is the sort of movie pedantry I live for.” Dude... you’re the soul-mate I expect to never meet IRL.

[@Lew114]

Best comment yet.

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

This is the correct response to any movie pedantry.

[@starbase218]

For me, these will always be the kind of clocks that can magically restart the day at 6am for Phil Connors, allowing him to get bored to death (literally, by committing suicide a dozen times over), get to know people, take up skills, help people, and finally be able to move on to the next day.

[@ralphvanthoff]

The worst case of OCD time disorder I witnessed was my father in law who chose his car merely because it had a digital clock that displayed seconds as well.

[@tangydiesel1886]

I had a grandmother that picked a car solely on how far down the sun visor would go. Not ocd, but still an odd thing to fixate on, being that they sell add on visors.

[@AliceC993]

My car has a VFD for its clock, and thusly I am never selling it. It's a Toyota Corolla.

[@CadgerChristmasLightShow]

My saturn vue doesnt even have a clock built in. I think there was maybe one on the stock radio but thats long gone. I wish it did have a clock :(

[@CorollaChronicles]

@@AliceC993 Guessing it's a 1997? We had one of those nearly...3 years ago!

[@AliceC993]

@@CorollaChronicles 1999

[@alex0589]

FINALLY the video on refrigeration we all were waiting for.

[@geoffparnell8514]

I bet you knew how cool the time-lapse would look with the lava lamp in the background at 5:30. Well done, Alec!

[@Slash0mega]

i need to take a time-lapse of my own lava lamp now

[@jpe1]

I was too focused on the foreground, totally missed the lava lamp; thank you for pointing it out (and using a timecode link for easy access!)

[@CASEMSTR]

Your quality of these videos over the last few years has just gotten better and better, and this is just an awesome presentation every time! For sure one of my most shared and recommended channels on KZbin! Keep it up :D

[@blaeser13]

1:30 This is the quality content that keeps me coming back

[@AMalas]

It makes much more sense after he explained how non exact they are

[@blaeser13]

@@AMalas it just occurred to me that the flip to eight o'clock was a nice bit of foreshadowing to the explanation of the inaccuracy of these clocks. Neat!

[@c182SkylaneRG]

To be honest, you got me with the refrigeration joke. I was like, "Wait, REALLY?? How do these... Oh he's joking". :D

[@cjc363636]

Me, too! I was thinking...."The illumination light causes heat, and that causes inaccuracy, and so the drum rolling must have some correction for the.....Oh....He was pulling our leg!"

[@nelsonmachupa]

How come literally every video you put out I’m like “I WISH SOMEONE WOULD HAVE MADE A VIDEO (in this quality) ABOUT THIS AGES AGO”

[@Formedras]

Great. Now I want Technology Connections to do a remake of KevinDDR's Candy Cabs video. Problem is that that video was basically a buying guide and this channel is a How Things Work channel.

[@HansLemurson]

"The third hand which is called the second." As a programmer used to dealing with indexes, this doesn't phase me.

[@2adamast]

Ok, but the minute hand being tall?

[@scythal]

Oddly the minute and second are named after the Latin terms "pars minuta prima" (minute) and "pars minuta secunda" (second). The smart guy who decided to confusingly take "minuta" out of "pars minuta prima" is unfortunately beyond me.

[@HansLemurson]

@@scythal Ever since I saw degree subdivisions in latitude and longitude written as "minutes" and "seconds" I interpreted it as "minute" just being a term for 1/60th, and so when you subdivide a minute further, it's a minute of a minute, and thus a "second minute". I'd forgotten about the Latin origin.

[@scythal]

@@HansLemurson I've never understood coordinates honestly. But it would be cool to understand someday...

[@Kineth1]

There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary. Those who don't. Those who start counting at 0 (like a normal person). Those who make off-by-one errors.

[@DarwinsChihuahua]

OMG, a Techmoan and a Technology Connections clock video on the same day? My luck can't be this good.

[@AMalas]

Oh no will this cause groundhog day?

[@teacfan1080]

The stars aligned perfectly today. I just finished Techmoan's video and this video was in the recommended column.

[@suralos]

Techmoan releases video about DIDGITAL CLOCKS THAT LOOK ANALOG CLOCKS on the same day Technology Connections releases video about ANALOG CLOCKS THAT LOOK LIKE DIDGITAL CLOCKS. KZbin viewers are all Pikachu Face!

[@grossniklaus]

Loved the discussion of the “Groundhog Day” prop clock! I won’t be able to unsee that the 5:59 card is visible behind the 6:00 cards. That will haunt me for the rest of my life... Much more than that the alarm shouldn’t go off at precisely 6:00 o’clock.

[@jkibble98]

"I gave that one away" Oh yeah you're human and have human interactions

[@NorroTaku]

I TOO HAVE HUMAN INTERACTION FELLOW HUMAN HAHAHA LOOKT AT US INTERACTING LIKE THE REAL HUMANS WE ARE

[@cigix22]

What ? He is not trapped in a room with an oversized table and a Kallax ?

[@StarCrusher.]

Rude

[@nahometesfay1112]

@@NorroTaku and now I- a human- am interacting with you- another human- in the way humans often interact with each other!

[@amasterofone]

Your humor is just the best. I remember an alarm clock I used to see at a friend's house as a kid that was JUST like the one in Groundhog day. I would watch it all the time to see the time flip.

[@daf666]

You are quickly approaching one Michael Stevens worth of puns per episode.

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

I thought Michael Stevens was a unit of triggering existential crises.

[@startedtech]

Oh man, memories came rushing back about my old HTC phones with the flip clock widget when you mentioned that! The "good" old days of android.

[@refitdan]

I got a new phone recently and found my flip-clock app was no longer supported. I must have spent hours searching for a new one - to no avail 😔

[@mack.attack]

"We'll first need to learn about latent heat and the refrigeration cycle." Me: "Oh, wow. Okay." "Kidding, HAHAHAHAHA" "He thinks that sounded outlandish to us? Does he know we've watched all his videos?" 😁

[@RuuDBoY868]

A small part of me was disappointed, while a small part was also relieved lol

[@crystalsoulslayer]

I love the "as soon as I'm finished here, I have twenty-two hours to plan three weddings, clean my entire life, do all of my holiday shopping, and prevent nuclear war" feel of this installment. It's a vibe.

[@matthewnelson5680]

“Take the battery out for an hour and try your best to remember to put it back.” Only an owner of one of these clocks knows how painfully true this is. 😂

[@notovny]

I've had the third-from-the-left flip clock for a few years now, and I've never considered taking the battery out for the Standard Time Fall-Back. I'll have to try it this year.

[@Shermanbay]

Just set your alarm for one hour. Oh, wait...

[@AaronOfMpls]

As a kid, we had an alarm flip-clock radio that had been relegated to the laundry room. I think the novelty of it helped make up for having to set it the long way around when falling back from DST. (Though I think I might've unplugged it for an hour at least one year too. 😼)

[@butchs.4239]

I have a big analog wall clock in my shop that's been displaying the wrong time since a power failure. Resetting it means clearing space below it to set up an extension ladder (it's 15 feet off the floor) and either unplugging it till time catches up or winding the hands all the way around.

[@xiro6]

@@butchs.4239 like when they put big clocks ona facade,5 levesl up in the air,without a remote system.better to not having any clock than a clock not adjusted.or at least,stop it.

[@tookitogo]

Assuming that “victrola” clock’s front is actually made of metal, methinks some paint thinner would make quick business of the branding. :)

[@5roundsrapid263]

That or steel wool.

[@tookitogo]

@@5roundsrapid263 yes, but that would definitely leave a visible mark in the finish. Solvent would not.

[@floxbr9350]

"It's fair to say I was overselling the inaccuracy here..." reminds me of Tom Scott's toaster. ;)

[@KagerowRS]

Its even funnier because of 16:03.

[@casualbird7671]

The faces you made while demonstrating the clock modifications were beyond perfect. I adore your comedy every time

[@mereth13]

I'd imagine it's a little hard to demo, but I'd love to see you delve into old master clock / clock network systems. There really doesn't seem to be a lot of at-a-glance info readily available about them, and given how common they were, especially in places like schools, offices, and transportation hubs, there might be a video in there.

[@steviebboy69]

I remember in my old factory workplace they had the Master clock, and when they changed the time on that, I guess all the slave clocks or what ever you call them would move as well.

[@bigmclargehuge8219]

I love seeing the bloopers at the end, they never fail to make me smile. :)

[@CptJistuce]

Not gonna lie, I laughed very hard at that "latent heat and the refrigeration cycle" line.

[@janmelantu7490]

Technology Connections, standing at a conspiracy theory wall: “it’s all connected to the refrigeration cycle! Everything is a heat pump!”

[@JohnHughesChampigny]

Now I want to see a clock that actually works by latent heat and the refrigeration cycle -- it'd be cool.

[@brentonjoseph]

Thank you so much for this video! I have a little obsession with one specific flip clock which just arrived today from ebay after years of hunting. I'm so glad to understand how it works!