In 725, the Chinese engineer and astronomer Yi Xing created one of the world’s first alarm clocks. His device, given the supremely catchy name of “Water-Driven Spherical Bird’s-Eye-View Map of the Heaven,” used a water wheel to turn its gears, with puppet shows and gongs set to emerge at various times. Yi Xing’s invention, along with the water clock Plato used to wake himself up for his legendary dawn lectures in the 4th century BCE, show that humans have been looking for ways to rise on time for thousands of years. Let’s take a look at a few of the most ingenious…
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