04.04.06
Jessica Helfand | Essays

A Sequence in Time



Euripedes, the Greek playwright, once observed that time would explain it all. It was a poetic suggestion, yet to date, remains somewhat inconclusive. True, the passage of time might be said to characterize everything from the Mexican migration of Monarch butterflies to why former House majority leader Tom DeLay resigned from Congress, but let's face it: that hardly explains it all.

Sometimes, though, a poetic view offers a welcome respite from the more obligatory demands of timekeeping that seem to dominate contemporary life. And so, consider this: tomorrow, Wednesday April 5, 2006, at two minutes and three seconds past 1:00 A.M., the time and date will be as follows: 01:02:03 04/05/06.

This won't happen again until 2106. At that time, we will be sure to note it here on Design Observer.



Posted in: Arts + Culture, History



Comments [18]

Or until May 4, when it happens in every other country in the world.
Roland
04.04.06
04:28

On the other side of the Atlantic, this will happen on May 4th, 2006.
Kai
04.04.06
04:28

These numbers only mean something when in this exact form.

What if you write it 1.2.3 4.5.2006, a more accurate representation of the date. ( the zero don't mean anything, they are zeros )

If we write it like this we must wait until 12.34.56 7.8.91011, to have consecutive whole numbers fill all measurement of time.

To universe, these number mean absolutely nothing. The universe starting counting billions of years ago.

I hope Design Observer will be around then to note it also.
Nathan Philpot
04.04.06
05:13

We don't have to wait so long. In 2007 there will be 02:03:04 05:06:07. That works for me. In fact, so does this one, only a couple months away... 06:06:06 06:06:06. Kewl stuff, huh?
Gary
04.04.06
06:21

I think our brains are coded to find relationships like these. For example, something I noticed years ago was that when you're changing a $5 --

5 dollars =
4 ones
3 quarters
2 dimes
1 nickel

sheepstealer
04.04.06
06:26

If you think about it too much or make it too scientific, you lose the poetry in it all.
ko
04.04.06
11:44

For former House majority leader Tom DeLay . . .
Actuality is when the lighthouse is dark between flashes: it is the instant between the ticks of the watch: it is a void interval slipping forever through time: the rupture between past and future: the gap at the poles of the revolving magnetic field, infinitesimally small but ultimately real. It is the interchronic pause when nothing is happening. It is the void between events. Yet the instant of actuality is all we ever can know directly.
— George Kubler
Carl
04.05.06
12:21

The Neenstars had an exhibition in Eindhoven which had it's opening halfway through the exhibtion, at 4:44pm on 04/04/04. They also have a Neen theory called, you guessed it, 444. They all noticed how whenever they looked at there watch, they often happened to see 4:44. or 3:03, or 2:22 etc, "finding islands of sense in oceans of time". You can see the site here for more: link
marc Kremers
04.05.06
05:35

Why is it that in nearly every single watch catalogue/advert the time is always 10 past 10?
Atilla
04.05.06
06:09

Atilla: coz the watch likes to be in an ad and is smiling..
oompah
04.05.06
10:25

Su
04.05.06
11:57

Despite my half-practicing Jew, almost-atheist religious status, I'm just hoping to make it through June 6th of this year. Our office flooded the day Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ" opened two years ago. Maybe we'll take a holiday and go see "The Omen" remake.
Eric Heiman
04.05.06
12:31

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Kartik Kannan
04.06.06
01:17

@Kartik: WTF? Dude, read what this website is about and you will find that the largest common denominator is not India.
Max
04.06.06
12:12

Perhaps advertised watches are frequently showing 10:10:36 because at that time none of the hands are blocking the mini dials or date gauges found on many watches.
BrianC
04.07.06
12:08

Gosh it seems like only yesterday it was 06:05:04 03/02/01...
Eric Diamond
04.11.06
03:42

Personally, any time is unique on its own. Don't believe in number.

look fr www.studiolda.com
look
04.16.06
10:57

01:02:03 04.05.06 hasn't happened yet (4th of May 2006...) what's all this yankee Month Day Year crap? That's just the wrong order.. is and always will be DAY then MONTH then YEAR.

lol
James
04.16.06
04:58


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