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New Atomic Clock 1000 Times More Accurate

stevelinton writes "The UK National Physical Laboratory has a new atomic clock potentially 1000 times more accurate than current cesium clocks: to within 1 second in about 30 billion years! This could lead quite soon to a new definition of the second, and in a while to improved resolution in GPS successor systems. More interestingly, there are theories that some of the universe's fundamental dimensionless constants may have changed by a parts in a million over the last 10 billion years or so. These clocks are so accurate that they should be able to detect these changes over a year or two."

18 of 313 comments (clear)

  1. I'll alert Britannica... by grub · · Score: 5, Funny


    This could lead quite soon to a new definition of the second

    Now all we need is a13 year old to update the wikipedia entry.

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    1. Re:I'll alert Britannica... by bstadil · · Score: 2, Funny
      Now all we need is a13 year old to update the wikipedia entry

      Hey! Wait a secon........never mind

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  2. Yes, but... by untaken_name · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...what if someone forgets to wind it?

  3. Great! by nixdorf_ · · Score: 5, Funny

    My boss will now know with 1000x the accuracy exactly how late I am. Wonderful!

  4. Re:Great! by Orgazmus · · Score: 2, Funny

    Hehehehehe. *giggles*
    You said time, man!

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  5. Give or take a year... by CleverNickedName · · Score: 2, Funny

    More interestingly, there are theories that some of the universe's fundamental dimensionless constants may have changed by a parts in a million over the last 10 billion years or so. These clocks are so accurate that they should be able to detect these changes over a year or two.

    Exactly how long will it take to detect these changes?

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    Unfortunately, I am not Wil Wheaton
  6. Atomic wristwatch? by cortana · · Score: 4, Funny

    Call me back when there's a portable version available.

  7. Like Henry Ford said when visiting a museum by melted · · Score: 4, Funny

    of clocks: "I see no progress in this industry. These clocks are no faster than the ones they made a hundred years ago."

  8. That's nice but... by ZoneGray · · Score: 4, Funny

    That's all well and good, but I'll bet it still flashes "12:00-12:00-12:00" after the power goes off.

  9. Re:Accurate distance too? by bobdotorg · · Score: 4, Funny

    it should be possible to measure a metre very exactly.

    Ah - but I suspect that measurement of what comprises six inches will be as imprecise and inaccurate as it's always been.

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  10. Spring forward, Fall back by AndroidCat · · Score: 2, Funny

    Remember folks, turn your fine-structure constant ahead tonight before going to bed.

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  11. Re:running late! by thepoch · · Score: 2, Funny

    You must be female. I hear it the other way...

    "You're a billionth of a second late! Hmph!"

    Damn clocks.

  12. Re:Second Minute by kingkade · · Score: 4, Funny

    Thank you for the answer to a question no one asked.

  13. Awesome by roman_mir · · Score: 5, Funny

    But the real question is can MS make a download status bar that is 1000 times more precise and does not go from 2 minutes to 20, then to 4 minutes, then to 5 minutes etc. Or this invention does not affect a standard Microsoft Millisecond (which I believe is a random function?)

  14. Re:fundamental constants? by Stevyn · · Score: 2, Funny

    so I guess seconds should be represented as floats instead of ints?

  15. WTF? by commodoresloat · · Score: 4, Funny

    Man that shit is complicated. No wonder we Americans never adopted the metric system. If I want to measure a yard, I don't need no fancy lasers. Just a yardstick!!

  16. I have an even more accurate clock.. by adeyadey · · Score: 2, Funny

    ..in my bedroom. It has stopped, and shows *exactly* the right time twice a day.

    This "accurate" clock you describe is only exactly right every few billion years..

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  17. Re:Accurate distance too? by SpaceLifeForm · · Score: 2, Funny

    That can't be accurate. I'm sure that 1 nanosecond is 8 inches. The ladies say it's less however.

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