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Atomic Clock Turns 50

karvind writes "BBC has an interesting story on the 50th birthday of atomic clocks. The first accurate caesium atomic clock was developed at the NPL in 1955 by Dr Louis Essen. And after 5 decades In September the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) used computer chip fabrication techniques to make a small atomic clock. The final development should see a battery-operated system about the size of a sugar lump. NIST also has a page on history of atomic clocks"

5 of 482 comments (clear)

  1. Re:It'll be interesting when.... by CastrTroy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    There really is no market for atomic clocks. At best you will get devices that sync themselves to an atomic clock, that's located far away. Even people that do have pretty accurate clocks are always late. I find that in general, most people are late, and don't really worry too much about time in the first place. Really gets on my nerves, as i'm always on time, and always have to wait for someone.

    --

    Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
  2. Re:Time by AndroidCat · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I used to tune in a shortwave time-signal station like WWV or CHU to carefully set my computers. Now, with Internet, they just automatically join the DDoS against TL time servers once a week.

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    One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
  3. Strontium Clock by rakeem · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Anyone see that article a couple of weeks ago in New Scientist about Strontium atoms held in standing waves generated by 6 lasers? Mental. A 50 time more accurate (or something).

  4. Re:Net data? by pyrrhonist · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Did anyone else laugh as they read this? The writer of this article is unaware of sequence numbers... (and thinks that a timestamp is placed on each packet instead.)

    No, because he's essentially correct.

    In VoIP protocols, a timestamp *is* placed in every packet along with a sequence number. The timestamp is used to place the incoming audio and video packets in the correct order with regard to time. The sequence number is used to detect packet loss. So basically, sequence numbers don't help you with jitter. The timestamp is use to actually calculate the amount of jitter, so it's rather important for it to be as accurate as possible.

    --
    Show me on the doll where his noodly appendage touched you.
  5. Re:Lots depend on the clock now by Tim+Browse · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Only thing left are the clocks with a single AA battery on the wall, and at some point they are going to use the pervasive

    Dude, that's so 5 years ago. I just bought a wall clock for my kitchen that takes an AA battery, and it syncs to the UK nuclear clock signal. It's great.

    Cost? 8 pounds.

    A similar clock in my living room does the same thing. The futar is here!