# Have you seen the Berliner Uhr aka Set Theory Clock? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 14, 2021, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-the-berliner-uhr-aka-set-theory-clock/942096 "2021-05-14T18:13:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2021, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-the-berliner-uhr-aka-set-theory-clock/942096/1 "2021-05-14T18:13:54Z")
_Poll ([view on site](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-the-berliner-uhr-aka-set-theory-clock/942096/1))_ It was built in 1975. Somehow, I had never read anything about it. It’s easy to read after you’ve looked at a few examples. > **[My Berlin: An Unusual (Set Theory) Clock](https://fotoeins.com/2017/12/11/my-berlin-mengenlehreuhr-berlin-clock/)** > > Berlin Clock, Berliner Uhr, a.k.a. Mengenlehreuhr (set theory clock) ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2021, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-the-berliner-uhr-aka-set-theory-clock/942096/2 "2021-05-14T18:23:09Z")
I have not seen the Berlin Clock, but I would have if I’d known about it. I have seen the Clock of Flowing Time, which is on the same block. I wasn’t looking for it, though; just stumbled across it by accident. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2021, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-the-berliner-uhr-aka-set-theory-clock/942096/3 "2021-05-14T18:25:28Z")
I’d like a small version for my desk at work. It would be a good conversation starter. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2021, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-the-berliner-uhr-aka-set-theory-clock/942096/4 "2021-05-14T18:26:55Z")
Looks vaguely familiar, but if you merely regard it as a digital clock, can it really claim to be the first? There is a nice (mechanical) clock in Alexanderplatz, if you are walking around… > [@aceplace57](#): > > I’d like a small version for my desk at work. It would be a good conversation starter. Well, in that case you could get this [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Digital-BCD-clock.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Digital-BCD-clock.jpg) …but actually I agree, a small Set Theory Clock would be cool ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2021, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-the-berliner-uhr-aka-set-theory-clock/942096/5 "2021-05-14T18:28:04Z")
I’ve been to Berlin and somehow I managed to miss all three clocks mentioned above (the set theory clock, the water clock and the Alexanderplatz world clock). ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2021, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-the-berliner-uhr-aka-set-theory-clock/942096/6 "2021-05-14T20:22:12Z")
I haven’t and I kind of hate it. Trying too hard to be clever. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2021, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-the-berliner-uhr-aka-set-theory-clock/942096/7 "2021-05-14T20:33:36Z")
I knew about Kryptos (the sculpture outside CIA headquarters with famously unsolved codes, mentioned in the article), but I had never heard of the Berliner Uhr. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2021, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-the-berliner-uhr-aka-set-theory-clock/942096/8 "2021-05-15T12:19:16Z")
I’ve been twice at Alexanderplatz and saw the famous World Clock, first in 1987 when it was still the capital of the GDR, and after reunion in 2005, but I’ve never heard of the Berliner Uhr. ---
**Author:** ![Pitchmeister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pitchmeister/32/3459_2.png) [@Pitchmeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pitchmeister)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2021, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-the-berliner-uhr-aka-set-theory-clock/942096/9 "2021-05-15T18:23:57Z")
I live in Berlin, I have even rented a car from the rental place it’s apparently in front of, and I’ve never heard of it before. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2021, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-the-berliner-uhr-aka-set-theory-clock/942096/10 "2021-05-15T18:34:17Z")
In what sense is this “based on set theory”, in a way that every other clock in the world isn’t? ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2021, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-the-berliner-uhr-aka-set-theory-clock/942096/11 "2021-05-16T14:37:48Z")
All the others use ordinary numbers, you see. And ordinary numbers don’t have anything to do with set theory, right? /s ---
**Author:** ![Limmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Limmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limmin)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2021, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-the-berliner-uhr-aka-set-theory-clock/942096/12 "2021-05-16T14:45:20Z")
Here is a link to an android widget for this sort of clock, for those of us who like to stare a long time at a clock trying to figure out what time it is: [https://apkpure.com/berlin-clock-widget/ch.crisi.berlinclock\_widget](https://apkpure.com/berlin-clock-widget/ch.crisi.berlinclock_widget) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2021, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-the-berliner-uhr-aka-set-theory-clock/942096/13 "2021-05-16T20:47:21Z")
I was in Berlin in 1986 but cannot remember having ever heard of it or the other clocks mentioned here. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2021, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-the-berliner-uhr-aka-set-theory-clock/942096/14 "2021-05-17T01:36:26Z")
Apparently the clock isn’t heavily promoted for tourism. People could walk by it and think it was a sign. We’re conditioned to ignore signs unless it’s something important. I learned about it on a "what is this object? " list. Old tools and kitchen gadgets that people find and don’t recognize. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2021, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-the-berliner-uhr-aka-set-theory-clock/942096/15 "2021-05-17T01:43:15Z")
92% “No” at the moment. I said “no” because I’ve never been anywhere near Berlin. How many who said “no” have actually been there? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2021, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-the-berliner-uhr-aka-set-theory-clock/942096/16 "2021-05-17T02:03:36Z")
I haven’t been to Germany. I was in high school when the clock was built in 1975. I don’t remember any news about it. I learned about it 47 years later. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2021, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-the-berliner-uhr-aka-set-theory-clock/942096/17 "2021-05-17T03:56:14Z")
You learned about it in 2022? 😲 ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2021, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-the-berliner-uhr-aka-set-theory-clock/942096/18 "2021-05-17T18:36:37Z")
I’ve been to Berlin. Never heard about this clock. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2021, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-the-berliner-uhr-aka-set-theory-clock/942096/19 "2021-05-20T17:48:11Z")
I selected “Have you seen the Berliner Uhr Clock?” because i can.