It's About Time

The information below should not be interpreted as an extension of the rules. The official rules in the Rules Manual take precedence.  This event is supported by the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors. For those who are interested, there is a NEW It's About Time DVD in the Science Olympiad Store. Put the Science Olympiad Rules in your pocket with the Mobile Rules Apps, found in the iTunes and Google Play stores! See the home page for links.

Resources

• Official Rules Clarification Posted 3/15/16
• It's About Time Team Checklist (PDF) - Posted 12/4/15
• It's About Time Event Score Sheet (Excel) - Posted 12/4/15
• It's About Time Trial Answer Sheet (PDF) - For 2015-2016 Competition
• 1-minute Video Clip of It's About Time devices on the Science Olympiad TV YouTube channel

Links

• Time Exhibits
• How Stuff Works: Electronics
• The Horology Source
• National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors
• National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors Chapter Finder (Volunteer help)
• National Institute of Standards and Technology "A Walk Through Time"
• The Science Channel's Exploring Time Series
• Wikipedia Page on  Clocks

Zip file (updated!) containing computer generated MP3s with tones for all possible time trial periods.  Note each file consists of the following:

1. An initial warning 'bell'
2. A short delay
3. Another warning 'bell'
4. A short delay
5. A start 'beep'
6. A precise delay equal to the time in the filename
7. A stop 'beep'

The time trial begins at the beginning of the start beep (step 5 above) and ends at the beginning of the stop beep (step 7).

Useful Resource:
Jespersen, Fitz-Randolph, Robb.  "From Sundials to Atomic Clocks: Understanding Time and Frequency" 1999.