Summary
The StarTalk Podcast: Cosmic Queries - Timekeeping episode features Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Chuck Nice interviewing guest Anthony Aveni, an astronomer and anthropologist, about timekeeping in different cultures. Aveni highlights the precision achieved by ancient cultures such as the Maya and Inca without modern technology, and emphasizes the importance of understanding different cultures' perspectives on time. The conversation also delves into the history of mechanization and precise measurement of time, which came about with the Enlightenment and the invention of clocks. The hosts answer questions from their Patreon community about atomic timekeeping, adjusting the scale of time, and the potential impact of living longer due to adjusted life expectancy. They also discuss the diversity of human understanding of time and its relation to culture, physics, and mathematics. Throughout the episode, the hosts engage in humorous banter and provide lighthearted yet informative insights into the topic of timekeeping.
