Unintelligent Design

A clock, earlier last centuryThe MSF low frequency time-signal that drives ‘radio-controlled’ clocks is moving from Rugby to Anthorn in the Lake District.

That sounds like quite a mad idea as Rugby feels like it’s in the middle of the country and anything in the Lakes doesn’t.

But looking at a map I guess it actually does make sense, especially if you live in Scotland.

I just worry how my ‘radio-controlled’ Sony clock radio will cope. When not doing wheelies and dives it struggles to pick up a signal from Rugby. And, boy, does it need that Rugby signal. It loses just over three seconds a day. Quite an achievement for a digital mains-powered time piece. My watch is a Timex that cost about �5 and it loses less than three seconds a week.

As I lie there watching it struggle to get its time signal and inevitably hurl me three seconds into the future, I wonder why the designer didn’t have it measure the amount of correction needed each day and apply an appropriate offset to the counter on the clock.

But then I wonder why Renault couldn’t put a small socket on my car radio so I can plug my iPod in. Or maybe get the car’s clock to set its time from the RDS radio that’s built into the same unit. Or, or, or…

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