Corpus Clock

Online on Wired Magazine today they posted an article about a clock at Corpus Christi College designed by clock aficionado, John Taylor.

As you may guess from its inclusion in this post, Taylor’s clock is no ordinary clock.

True, it is clock-shaped but instead of hands it has glowing LEDs on its face that indicate the passage of time. It also has a horrific grasshopper-like beast called the “Chronophage” ticking away the seconds, minutes, and hours on the top.

The Wired article bi-line is “Ravenous Clock Runs Backwards, Scares Children” and after seeing this clock, I am now thinking they weren’t joking with the “Scares Children” part.

The closer you get to the grasshopper, the scarier it looks. It makes one wonder (especially if one is a psychologist) as to Taylor’s feelings about time. Maybe something about time being devoured by a ferocious beast until the plate is empty?

Chronophage close-up

That is something else about this clock, it lends itself to metaphors – probably because it’s inventor uses numerous metaphors (and puns) in its design. For example, that horrible grasshopper?  It is actually a grasshopper escapement, which is a device that slowly moves the gears of a clock forward with each swing of the pendulum. In the case of the Corpus Clock, it is a grasshopper escapement made real. Watch the embedded video below to see the grasshopper’s legs reach and grab the clock face to move it along.

By watching the video with its narration by Taylor, you get to see how some other concepts associated with time are embedded metaphorically into the clock’s design.  For example, the clock sometimes runs more slowly or more quickly. Taylor says that this is, in part, because he wants the clock to capture people’s attention (it is usually a good idea to be mindful of the time). However, he says it also captures the subjective quality of the perception of the passage of time. When you are doing something you enjoy, then time seems to pass very quickly. When you are doing something you do not enjoy, a minute feels like an hour.

The video doesn’t indicate whether the clock, in general, accurately records the time. I do know that it is a fully mechanical clock and that it is beautifully crafted. I agree with the article in its assessment of Taylor’s Corpus Clock as “steampunkeriffic”

It isn’t too hard to guess people’s reaction to the cake in this picture. In fact, the tag line on the email I received with this picture was “Would you eat this cake?”

People cognitively understand that the cake is a real cake – something that is usually yummy – despite its appearance. However, this cognitive realization doesn’t prevent the reluctance to eat the cake.

I believe that this has clear implications for the creativity and innovation of this creation.
In terms of creativity, making a cake that resembles a toilet is creative – in part, because it violates taboo. Because few people violate taboos, the cake will be novel to most people. It is also artistically creative in the sense that some artists create art that causes people to feel something. Sometimes the “something” that artists cause people to feel is unpleasant or strong emotions. Serving this cake at a party and the resultant emotions that are induced as people try to decide whether or not to eat the cake could be said to satisfy this definition of artistic creativity.

However, it is very difficult to overcome the “Ewww” factor and even though people might admit to the creativity of the cake, I’m guessing it wouldn’t be a popular item at the local Krogers bakery or even at the more eclectic bakeries. If this is the case, then as an innovation, its chances of commercial success are iffy at best which prevents this cake from being truly innovative.  Why? Because creativity that does not result in at least a moderately commercially successful product isn’t perceived as innovative by the world of business. It is only creative.

At a certain level, I am opposed to product placement because it turns my world into a garish advertisement.  We are already continuously bombarded by advertising on television, radio, print media, while traveling, going to concerts, sporting events, and movies.

At another level, I have to admit that product placement in song lyrics is a clever advertising ploy.  Admittedly, it logically follows from product placement in movies and television shows. However, it does tap into a previously untapped resource.

I’ll also admit to not being as annoyed to product placement in television and movies if it is subtle product placement (as opposed to athletes being papered in their sponsor’s brands).  Just this week, my partner and I had an in-depth discussion of product placement in the new Mad Men episode and the degree to which the Mad Men producers paid the product company for the privilege of focusing the show on the product or if it was the other way around.

I only hope that this type of advertising remains subtle.  Alas, I suspect that it will not and will become as annoying and pernicious as traditional commercial advertising as people become as immune to the influence of product placement as they are to commercials.