How Nature Tells Time without a Clock

About this episode

Cathy Haynes discusses the art of telling time using natural cues in this episode of Books & Looks.

Can you tell time without a clock? Join author Cathy Haynes as she reveals the fascinating art of telling time with nature using birds, flowers, and stars. Episode Resources: "The Fullness of Time" by Cathy Haynes Cathy Haynes Official Website What if you had to tell the time without glancing at a watch, phone, or screen? In this episode of Books & Looks, host Blaine DeSantis sits down with best-selling author Cathy Haynes to explore the forgotten ways humanity once used the natural world to track the hours of the day. Tune in to discover how you can break free from rigid clock-watching and start reading the rhythmic, environmental cues hidden right in your own backyard. Discussing her Wall Street Journal must-read book, “The Fullness of Time”, Cathy shares captivating historical timekeeping methods, from medieval scratch dials to Icelandic day marks that map the sun's journey across the landscape. The conversation explores fascinating natural phenomena like ornithological clocks, the rhythmic waulking songs of the Scottish Hebrides, and why observing a sheep's pupils can accurately reveal the approaching dusk. But can humans actually rely on biological timekeepers like…

People in this episode

Host: Blaine DeSantis

Guest: Cathy Haynes

Topics covered

• nature
• timekeeping
• biological clocks
• pollinators
• historical methods

Keywords

• time without a clock
• nature
• birds
• flowers
• stars
• historical timekeeping
• circadian rhythms

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Wall Street Journal

Books & works: The Fullness of Time

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