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Physicists Propose "Perpetual Motion" Time Crystals

Posted by Unknown on from the four-harmonic-corner-days dept.

First time accepted submitter b30w0lf writes "It is commonly understood that crystals exist in a state of matter that is periodic in space. Meanwhile, relativistic physics tells us that we should think of time as being a physical dimension, given similar status to the other spacial dimensions. The combination of these two ideas has lead researchers at the University of Kentucky and MIT to propose special manifestations of matter which would be periodic in both space and time, dubbed 'time crystals.' Time crystals would continually transition between a set of physical states in a kind of perpetual motion. Note: the articles stress that this kind of perpetual motion in no way violates the established laws of thermodynamics. While time crystals remain theoretical, methods have been proposed for creating them. The most obvious application of time crystals is the creation of very precise clocks; however, other applications to time crystals have been proposed, ranging from quantum computing to helping us understand certain cosmological models."

10 of 153 comments (clear)

  1. Doc Brown had it all wrong... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    So it should have been flux time crystals, not the flux capacitor...

    Now, where's that Delorean???

    1. Re:Doc Brown had it all wrong... by dgatwood · · Score: 4, Funny

      Blasphemer! This new concept of zero is a heresy against Ra!

      Too soon?

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      Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

  2. Time crysals. What Timecubes are made of by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    http://www.timecube.com/

  3. Seems reasonable by roidzrus · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm pretty sure this is what the Power Rangers used to beat Lord Zedd.

  4. It'll make lots of sense by future+assassin · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm sure when I re-read it after smoking a couple of joints.

    --
    by TheSpoom (715771) Uncaring Linux user here. I have nothing to add to this but please continue. *munches popcorn*
  5. Just one question: by Pluvius · · Score: 4, Funny

    Do these crystals have a cubic structure?

    Maybe we were all educated stupid after all...

    Rob

  6. Been there, done that by Voyager529 · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's where Krypton keeps their most dangerous criminals, duh!

  7. why stop at time crystals? by circletimessquare · · Score: 3, Funny

    why not build a time cube?

    i know of a distinguished scientist who has spoken at numerous universities, including MIT, on his groundbreaking work in this area:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Cube#Public_reaction

    note: if you visit http://timecube.com/ for the first time in a decade, like i just did, you discover that gene ray has been experimenting with javascript, but i don't think he got the effect he was looking for. i think he is trying to profit from clicks, but i think he mangled the code and you get a page redirect whenever you try to load his site. i guess deep knowledge of time cubez does not translate into mad html skillz

    --
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  8. Re:It's like Seinfeld. by JustOK · · Score: 5, Funny

    call it the Sien field

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    rewriting history since 2109
  9. Re:You can't read it (without other power) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    One key point that makes it not a free energy machine is that you can't actually read it or otherwise do anything useful with it (nor can it do anything) without spending extra external energy.

    Well, even if you can't, I think it would be cool if you routed your car's power through a perpetual motion machine, just to say one was involved.