For thousands of years, we’ve divided days into 24 hours, hours into 60 minutes, and minutes into 60 seconds. But why do we have to do that? Here’s the story of the one gloriously failed attempt to ...

Many stop lights at street intersections display a countdown of the remaining seconds before the light changes. If you’re like me, you count this time in your head and then check how in sync you are.

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in ...