A Time magazine article on the 50 best inventions of 2008 recognized a mechanical timekeeper called the Corpus Clock, invented by Englishman John Taylor. At first glance, the clock looks like a huge gold serving plate with a giant insect standing on top. Upon closer inspection, you see that the clock has no hands, but instead the face of the clock contains three dots of blue light. One dot of light circles the edge of the clock every second. The other dots of light stand in the positions where the hands would point. The giant insect that sits atop the clock is a hideous grasshopper. As the grasshopper's feet march atop the gear-like rim of the clock, the grasshopper's mouth opens and closes, signifying the gobbling up of time.

The Corpus Clock conveys a message. As the inventor explains, "The face of the clock depicts time as a wave coming out from the center of the universe. Every second runs round the dial, a pulse of light, showing time racing away."