Slashdot Mirror
Scientist Investigate A Brand New Form of Matter: Time Crystals (sciencealert.com)
The discovery of "non-equilibrium matter" could re-write the rules of physics. Long-time Slashdot reader jasonbrown quotes ScienceAlert: For months now, there's been speculation that researchers might have finally created time crystals — strange crystals that have an atomic structure that repeats not just in space, but in time, putting them in perpetual motion without energy. Now it's official — researchers have just reported in detail how to make and measure these bizarre crystals. And two independent teams of scientists claim they've actually created time crystals in the lab based off this blueprint, confirming the existence of an entirely new form of matter.
Both teams -- one at Harvard and the other at the University of Maryland -- have submitted their findings to peer-reviewed publications, according to the article, and "the fact that two separate teams have used the same blueprint to make time crystals out of vastly different systems is promising."
Both teams -- one at Harvard and the other at the University of Maryland -- have submitted their findings to peer-reviewed publications, according to the article, and "the fact that two separate teams have used the same blueprint to make time crystals out of vastly different systems is promising."
The two lasers that were periodically nudging the ytterbium atoms were producing a repetition in the system at twice the period of the nudges, something that couldn't occur in a normal system.
When they're saying 'twice the period of the nudges', do they mean twice the frequency of the nudges, or twice the duration of the nudges? What I'm after here is, is whether or not they're actually implying that there's more energy coming out of this than is being put into it, and by the way unless I'm totally misreading it, it sounds like this isn't 'perpetual motion' at all, not in the sense I think of 'perpetual motion', because they have to 'nudge' it with a pulse from a laser to cause this effect to occur -- unless what I'm missing here, is that all they have to do is 'nudge' it once, and it starts a self-sustaining oscillation? Even if it's self-sustaining once started, isn't it then in a state of equilibrium regardless, and any attempt to tap into the energy of that oscillation would cause it to stop?
Smarter people than you say otherwise:
While cool i agree, and i can see perhaps some esoteric use beyond basic research, what sort of practical day-to-day use for the common man would there be?
Quite likely, it's too early to tell.
There is a story, perhaps apocryphal or misattributed, of then-prime-minister Benjamin Disraeli visiting Michael Faraday's lab, and asking Faraday "what use is electricity?" Faraday replied: "What use is a new-born baby?"
If it weren't for deadlines, nothing would be late.
Perpetual motion machines are allowed by the laws of physics. The galaxy is one for example, it perpetually rotates effectively forever, and by definition beyond what we can measure.
What IS impossible, is to remove energy from the system. If you do that, any machine stops, eventually, unless you add it back in somehow.
excitingthingstodo.blogspot.com
Smarter people than you say otherwise:
This. Mod parent up.
Quantum-mechanical systems in their ground state cannot radiate energy, because they are already in their lowest possible energy-state.
If it weren't for deadlines, nothing would be late.
It sounds even more like a name of a classic Dr Who episode. ;)
Ezekiel 23:20
The one I know, also likely to be apocryphal, is where William Gladstone, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, asked the same question. Faraday's reputed reply was, "Why, sir, there is every probability that you will soon be able to tax it."
Newton wasn't a lawyer.
rewriting history since 2109
Timey Wimey Crystals.
Attempting to read the article made me feel dumb.
So I read the comments, and now feel like a genius.