FORT COLLINS>> Daylight saving time returns this weekend, nudging the clocks forward an hour to make better use of daylight.

But as the “It’s About Time” exhibit at the Global Village Museum in Fort Collins demonstrates, time isn’t just something we measure — it’s also something we experience.

“The ancient Greeks had two words for time, the ‘chronos’ and the ‘kairos,’ ” said Seraina Gessler, one of the show’s curators, as she pointed out items in the exhibit. “ ‘Chronos’ is about hours and minutes, but ‘kairos’ is more about how we feel in the moment.”

Part history lesson, part philosophical discussion, “It’s About Time” takes visitors through the changing ways we measure and understand time.

“The idea that there is only the now, not a future and not a past is the theme that goes through all the material in the exhibit,” said Johannes Gessler, Seraina’s husband and another member of the curation team.

Included are examples of some of humanity’s earliest timekeeping devices, such as the water clock, which uses a drip system to mark time. It was used as far back as ancient Egypt to make water distribution more orderly, explained Johannes Gessler.

“They had to share waters and in order to be fair to everybody, they had to measure time,” he said. “Everybody gets the same amount of time to pull water out of the ditch.”

The exhibit also features early pendulum clocks, antique wristwatches and much more.

Taking a more expansive view of time, the Gesslers also included pieces that show how humans are newcomers when it comes to life on Earth.

“Basically the idea is to put 13.8 billion years of history together into one year, 12 months, and how does it look,” Seraina Gessler said as she pointed out a “cosmic” calendar. “If you look at Dec. 31, five seconds to midnight, Christ was born. It gives you just a feeling for cosmic time.”

Another item looks to the future of timekeeping, Seraina Gessler explained.

“An interesting new thing that we had no idea about (is) the Long Now Foundation,” she said.

The foundation is building a massive clock designed to last 10,000 years, as a way to challenge short-term perspectives.

“Do we need to have a clock that lasts 10,000 years? That’s debatable, but it exists,” Seraina continued. “They are doing something, so it’s important to know about it.”

The exhibit also takes a look at how cultures around the world have measured and marked time, from the ancient Mayans and Aztecs to tribal groups in Asia. In many cases, Johannes Gessler explained, it’s much different from our western conceptions of time.

“They don’t have the concept of yesterday. They don’t have an expression for tomorrow. They just live in the moment,” he said.

Kat Bertram, collections manager at the museum, also assembled a collection of artwork to complement the theme.

“I wanted to show how different cultures interpret time, as well as art that deals with the subject of time, from very famous ones to very subtle ones that you might not necessarily associate with time,” Bertram explained.

On the lighter side, “It’s About Time” features hands-on activities for younger patrons, demonstrating the role that time plays in games and music. The exhibit also explores how popular culture depicts the passage and manipulation of time, including a collage of movie posters showcasing stories of time travel and alternate realities, with an invitation to visitors to write down their favorites.

The “It’s About Time” exhibit will be open at the Global Village Museum through May 24.