3 1
Gregorian chants, for example, have been shown to energize the
brains of both the chanting monks as well as those who listen to
the chants. Because of its Pythagorean tuning, the Zen Alarm
Clock’s chime may produce a subtle charging effect on your mind.
2. The Chime’s Golden Mean Progression
The Zen Alarm Clock’s progressive chiming takes place over
about 10 minutes. This progression is measured from the first
strike of the chime until the clock reaches its final cycle of contin-
uous chiming, about every 5 seconds. The sequence of chime
strikes within this 10 minute cycle is designed to approximate the
“Golden Mean.” The Golden Mean, also known as the “Divine
Proportion,” is a special relationship between any given whole
and a specific part thereof. Nature uses the Golden Mean as its
formula for creation.
The simplest expression of the Golden Mean is in the division of a
line: A line with a given length is divided into a small part and a
large part. The relationship of the small segment of the line to the
large segment of the line is in the same proportion as the relation-
ship of the large segment to the line as a whole.
3 0
The Golden Mean has been used since ancient times by artists,
architects and designers to express harmony and balance. The
beauty of the Golden Mean is that all three parts––the small part,
the large part, and the whole––are in perfect proportion with each
other. Nature uses this divine proportion to grow from within
itself. Golden Mean relationships are everywhere in
nature––from the human body to the solar system. The progres-
sive sequence of the Zen Alarm Clock’s chime expresses the
Golden Mean by dividing the 10 minute time “line” into smaller
and smaller Golden Mean ratios. The first chime divides the line
at 3 minutes and 27 seconds. The next chime divides the large
part of the original division (the remaining 6 and a half minutes of
the 10 minute cycle) by the same ratio. The process continues as
illustrated on the following page:
1.
1.61803...
whole
large part
large part
small part
Golden
mean
=
=
Design Principles
Design Principles
Clock Book 6/6/05 2:43 PM Page 30
