Aydın Tiryaki (2026)
Time and the calendar are perhaps the most mysterious yet most recklessly utilized units in the universe. Our current systems—the 24-hour day, 60-minute hour, and 7-day week—are neither fully rational nor perfectly aligned with the digital world or the organic rhythms of nature. From the irregular number of days in 12 months (28, 30, 31) to the fact that a week does not evenly divide a month or a year, our existing system is a “patchwork” inherited from ancient Sumerian, Babylonian, and Roman traditions.
From an engineer’s perspective, this is not just a matter of habit; it is a massive source of computational and planning complexity. The way we choose to measure time and the calendar throughout different stages of our lives reflects how we perceive the world and how we seek to bring order to chaos. If we were to pick up our rulers and compasses to redesign time and the calendar from scratch, which needs would those designs serve?
Here are four different visions of time and the calendar, spanning from the rationalism of my early career to the maturity of today.
1. The Rationalism of the 1970s: The Decimal (Metric) System
Philosophy: Harmony Between Humans and Calculators
In the 1970s, the ideal was to eliminate mental load by anchoring everything to powers of 10. In this model, not just the hours but also the weeks and months surrender to the perfection of the decimal system.
- Time Order: 1 Day = 10 Hours / 1 Hour = 100 Minutes / 1 Minute = 100 Seconds
- Calendar Order: 1 Year = 10 Months / 1 Week = 10 Days
- The Engineering Solution: In this system, knowing that 75% of the year has passed means exactly the 5th day of the 7th month. There is no need to consult a calendar for calculations; shifting a decimal point is all it takes.
2. The Digital Vision of the 1990s: The Binary System
Philosophy: Harmony Between Processors and Data Architecture
In the digital world of the 90s, how machines “understood” time became paramount. This system, based on the power of 2 ($2^n$), brings processor speed and data storage efficiency to their peak.
- Time Order: 1 Day = 16 Hours / 1 Hour = 64 Minutes / 1 Minute = 64 Seconds
- Calendar Order: 1 Year = 16 Months / 1 Week = 8 Days
- The Engineering Solution: Every unit of a day occupies exactly 16 bits of memory ($16 \times 64 \times 64 = 65,536$). An 8-day week aligns perfectly with the “byte” structure of computers, allowing data packets to enter a state of flawless synchronization with time.
3. The Chaos of the Pandemic Days: The Prime Number System
Philosophy: The Indivisible and Raw Nature of the Universe
During the pandemic, a period marked by global stagnation and isolation, the artificial symmetry of time lost its meaning. Instead of attempting to control chaos, we sought refuge in the indivisible, asymmetrical, and “atomic” reality of the universe: prime numbers.
- Time Order: 1 Day = 23 Hours / 1 Hour = 61 Minutes / 1 Minute = 61 Seconds
- Calendar Order: 1 Year = 13 Months / 1 Week = 7 Days
- The Engineering Solution: The dominance of prime numbers like 23, 61, and 13 makes time feel like an indivisible whole. This system serves as a hybrid bridge to the asymmetrical nature of the universe that refuses to fit into rational molds.
4. The Method of Today: Fibonacci Primes (Hybrid Aesthetics)
Philosophy: The Fusion of Organic Growth and Cosmic Mystery
In the maturity we have reached today, we understand that nature is neither purely decimal nor purely binary. Today’s method is a sublime union of the Fibonacci sequence—nature’s growth algorithm—and the indivisible essence of prime numbers.
- Time Order: 1 Day = 13 Hours / 1 Hour = 89 Minutes / 1 Minute = 89 Seconds
- Calendar Order: 1 Year = 13 Months / 1 Week = 5 Days
- The Engineering Solution: These special numbers that are both Fibonacci and prime (5, 13, 89) anchor time to the Golden Ratio of the universe. Consisting of a total of 102,973 units, this day reminds us that time is not just something to be measured, but an organically growing and living phenomenon.
Conclusion: Universal Asymmetry and Human Symmetry
No matter how perfect an internal symmetry we build with decimal or binary systems, the unique asymmetrical structure of the universe (leap years, shifting days) will maintain its irregularity. However, this is not a flaw; it is a hybrid richness. When our rational systems merge with the real universe, a calculable order emerges within chaos, and a natural spirit emerges within order. Throughout this journey from the rationalism of the seventies to the maturity of today, we see that for an engineer, designing time is a mathematical salute to the elusive rhythm of the cosmos.
A Note on Methods and Tools: All observations, ideas, and solution proposals in this study belong entirely to the author; AI has only served as an assistant in the expression and writing process. (The English version of this text was prepared with AI acting as a writing and translation assistant.)
Aydın Tiryaki 