who invented the clock

Question: who invented the clock

Asked by me2u4eva to Daniel, Jon, Louise, Sharon, Zoe on 17 Jun 2010 in Categories: General.
- Jon Copley answered on 16 Jun 2010:
  
  Sundials have been used for thousands of years, so I guess the identity of whoever first had that idea is lost in the mists of time.
  
  But one of the first mechanical clocks may have been something called the Antikythera Mechanism – an amazing clockwork “computer”, which may have been used as an astronomical clock. It dates back to the first century BC, but was discovered on a shipwreck in the Mediterranean a hundred years ago:
  
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antikythera_mechanism
  
  The Antikythera Mechanism (named after the island near where it was found) is a great mystery – the technology in it appears to be literally centuries ahead of its time (some people have even suggested it was left by time-travellers!). However, whoever made it didn’t leave their name on it. 🙁
- Louise Dash answered on 16 Jun 2010:
  
  Clocks have been used since ancient times – in the forms of sundials, and later in the form of hourglasses. Mechanical clocks were first used in medieval times, but they weren’t very accurate and needed constant readjustment. Then pendulum clocks were introduced in the 17th century, and a Dutch guy called Christiaan Huygens is usually credited with inventing them.
  
  One of the most interesting developments though was when clocks started to be made small enough and portable enough to be able to be used as navigation devices on ships (you’d use the clock time to compare to the position of the stars to work out where you were). Pendulum clocks weren’t much use on a moving ship because of the ship moving around in the waves! John Harrison solved this problem in 1759, and there’s a really interesting book (and film) about this by a woman called Dava Sobel – it’s called “Longitude” and well worth a read if you’re interested in clocks, it’s also a great story about scientific discovery and rivalry between scientists!
- Sharon Sneddon answered on 16 Jun 2010:
  
  I’m not sure there is a correct answer to this, as there are lots of different types of clock. The earliest ones seem to be Water Clocks, invented by the Egyptians, but I don’t know who was the inventor!
- Zoe Duck answered on 17 Jun 2010:
  
  I’m not sure you will get a good answer to this one. Clocks have been used in various forms for thousands of years. I good place to start would be http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clock

Question: who invented the clock

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