Brief reflection on accuracy
Fish
always accurately
know where to move and when,
and likewise
birds have an
accurate built-in time sense
and orientation.
Humanity, however,
lacking such
instincts resorts to scientific
research. Its
nature is illustrated by the following
occurrence.
A certain soldier
had to fire a
cannon at six o’clock sharp every evening.
Being a soldier he
did so. When his accuracy was
investigated he
explained:
I go by
the absolutely
accurate chronometer in the window
of the clockmaker
down in the city. Every day at seventeen
forty-five I set
my watch by it and
climb the hill
where my cannon stands ready.
At seventeen
fifty-nine precisely I step up to the cannon
and at eighteen
hours sharp I fire.
And it was clear
that this method
of firing was absolutely accurate.
All that was left
was to check that chronometer. So
the clockmaker
down in the city was questioned about
his instrument’s
accuracy.
Oh, said the clockmaker,
this is one of the
most accurate instruments ever. Just imagine,
for many years now
a cannon has been fired at six o’clock sharp.
And every day I
look at this chronometer
and always it
shows exactly six.
Chronometers tick and cannon boom.
Miroslav Holub
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