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The history of keeping time - Karen Mensing

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9,429 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

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Where did time-telling come from? What are time zones and why are there so many of them? Get the answers to these questions and more in this journey through the history of time -- from sundials to hourglasses to modern clocks.

Currently there are 40 time zones on land. Because the earliest and latest time zones are 26 hours apart, any given calendar date exists at some point on the globe for 50 hours. What are your thoughts regarding this? Do you think there should be more or fewer time zones? Why?

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Meet The Creators

  • Animator Avi Ofer
  • Educator Karen Mensing
  • Narrator Karen Mensing

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