Alarm clock

The alarm clock is one of the devices that people use the most these days. The reality is that alarm clocks were created by the ancient Greeks long before they appeared to be a contemporary creation. Ctesibius, an ancient Greek engineer, physicist, and mathematician who resided in Alexandria, Ptolemaic Egypt, is credited with developing the fundamental concept of the alarm clock. From mechanical alarms to contemporary devices like cell phones, the alarm clock has seen several alterations and advances over time.

However, the initial alarms employed by the Greeks were not like those used today. Ctesibius (285-222 BC), a Hellenistic engineer and inventor, added an elaborate alarm system to his clepsydras (water clock) that involved pebbles falling onto a gong or the blowing of a trumpet by forcing bell jars into the water and taking the compressed air through a beating reed at pre-set times. It was rumored that the ancient Greek philosopher Plato (428-348 BC) had a large water clock with an alarm that sounded like a water organ. He may have used it at night to announce the start of his lectures at daybreak. The water clocks' sound, nevertheless, was not loud enough to wake someone awake. So that individuals could wake up at a specific time, something more efficient was required.