20 votes

Breakthrough in nuclear spectroscopy would lead to more accurate clocks

Posted by gco
Tags: physics, time, spectroscopy.nuclear, clocks, breakthroughs, author.holly ober, source.ucla
https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/nuclear-spectroscopy-breakthrough-could-rewrite-fundamental-constants-of-nature

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Title
Nuclear spectroscopy breakthrough could rewrite the fundamental constants of nature
Word count
1003 words

4 comments

  1. [3]
    SirNut
    Link
    Can someone ELI5 why our current clocks aren’t accurate enough, and why we’re still researching better time tracking technologies? (Not trying to be ignorant, I just have no idea)

    Can someone ELI5 why our current clocks aren’t accurate enough, and why we’re still researching better time tracking technologies?

    (Not trying to be ignorant, I just have no idea)

    6 votes
    1. [2]
      EmperorPenguin
      Link Parent
      Mentioned in the article.

      Mentioned in the article.

      The achievement would allow today’s atomic clocks to be replaced with a nuclear clock that would be the most accurate clock to ever exist, allowing advances like deep space navigation and communication. It would also allow scientists to measure precisely whether the fundamental constants of nature are, in fact, really constant or merely appear to be because we have not yet measured them precisely enough.

      11 votes
      1. SirNut
        Link Parent
        Wow I feel dumb that I did not even consider craft on other planets or deep space. Thanks, I 100% understand why we would need more accurate clocks so that settlements not on earth would be able...

        Wow I feel dumb that I did not even consider craft on other planets or deep space. Thanks, I 100% understand why we would need more accurate clocks so that settlements not on earth would be able to track time

        4 votes
  2. gco
    Link
    This article from a couple of years ago is really good at breaking down and explaining a bit of the evolution of time measuring, as well as the difference between atomic and nuclear clocks.

    This article from a couple of years ago is really good at breaking down and explaining a bit of the evolution of time measuring, as well as the difference between atomic and nuclear clocks.

    5 votes