biology

Revolution in Time

Revolution in Time is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Revolution in Time rather than just read about it. In short: Revolution in Time: Clocks and the Making of the Modern World, is an influential history book by David S. Landes.

Key takeaways

Revolution in Time belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Revolution in Time to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Revolution in Time from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Revolution in Time: Clocks and the Making of the Modern World, is an influential history book by David S. Landes. Its focus is on the history of the measure of time and its interdependence with the evolution of the various civilisations over the centuries. The book was first published in 1983 by Belknap Press of the Harvard University Press (hardback ISBN 0-674-76800-0, paperback ISBN 0-674-76802-7) and has been expanded in its second edition, published in 2000: ISBN 0-674-00282-2, copyright 1983, 2000 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College. The book deals with innovations and inventions that brought about modernization and technological developments in timekeeping in the whole world. It is considered to be one of the preeminent works on the history of horology.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Revolution in Time

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Revolution in Time claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Revolution in Time before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Revolution in Time ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Revolution in Time

In research: Revolution in Time appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Revolution in Time in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Revolution in Time is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1983 non-fiction books, 2000 non-fiction books, Books about the history of science, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Revolution in Time outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Revolution in Time in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Revolution in Time means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Revolution in Time out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Revolution in Time in simple terms?

Revolution in Time: Clocks and the Making of the Modern World, is an influential history book by David S. Landes.

Why does Revolution in Time matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Revolution in Time?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Revolution in Time.