Interesting, Jim: the things you say resonate with my thinking or “justifications” for my interest. As you say, it might be something about the kinds of minds that find IT interesting, or it might just be coincidence that you understand my interest.

It amazes me that some of the clock mechanisms in the 18th and 19th century were made out of wood (!) I mean wood gears, wood facing plates, and so on: a few parts were usually metal, but in some of those clocks it was very few parts indeed. I guess it was because metal was expensive, but it is hard to imagine. How the heck do you make an accurate timepiece out of wood? It’s amazing to me.

Irene pointed out another explanation: she thinks its because I admire the evil character Sylar in Heroes who starts off as a clock/watch repairer. I don’t actually “admire” him (although I think he’s a cool character), but his drive to understand “how it works” is sort of a caricature of my own interests. I suppose it is possible this character subconsciously triggered some of my old memories…