Meditações - Chronometers tick and cannon boom

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, "Brief reflection on accuracy” from Poems Before & After