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Government Funded Atomic Clock On a Chip
An anonymous reader writes "Today most applications that require accurate atomic clock readings — from sorting separately routed telecommunications packets to timing simultaneous demolition charges — usually refer to signals from global positioning systems (GPS). For applications where GPS is unavailable, such as indoors, underground, undersea or on the battlefield where electronic jamming is present, large, heavy, power hungry hardware atomic clocks were needed. Now an atomic clock-on-a-chip is available that is the result of 10 years of government-funded research and development. The chip is not cheap — $1,500 — but it costs less than conventional atomic clocks and the price is sure to go down as manufacturing gears up to meet demand from military applications."
Umm, not all smoke detectors are of the electrostatic variety. There are types that use an IR laser to check for particulates and smoke based on occlusion.
Also, for some fun facts, see The XKCD Radiation Dosage Chart! If you worry about smoke detectors, you'll be surprised at how much radiation you get from living in a brick house...
Hyperbole: I use it liberally!
(1) most atomic clocks don't use anything radioactive, they use vibrations of cesium atoms. Given how up tight you are, something that vibrates might be useful to you.
(2) don't eat bananas.
Self proclaimed typo king, and inventor of the bear destroying coffee table (patent not pending).
Here's the press release http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/releases/miniclock.cfm http://tf.nist.gov/ofm/smallclock/CSAC.html The 2011 version is comparatively huge -- http://www.smartertechnology.com/images/stories/rcjAtomicClockChip.jpg http://tf.nist.gov/ofm/smallclock/CSAC_files/shapeimage_6.png
Having a local known good time would reduce the GPS error by itself. It would also allow 3D position to be determined with 3 visible satellites instead of 4.