[time-nuts] NPR Story I heard this morning

[Chris Albertson]

On Mon, Nov 3, 2014 at 8:17 AM, xaos <xaos at darksmile.net> wrote:

> Small correction: The numbers were 10E-16.
>

No I think it was "one part in 10E16" ;)   But the interesting thing was
they used numbers rather then saying something like "really super ultra
tiny".

But you are right, no two clocks will ever agree at that level because they
will experience different gravitational fields.  At this level the reason
to have a clock is no longer to tell time.  It is to measure the
gravitational field.  With an array of many clocks like these we might be
able to map the density of the interior of the earth or detect black holes
or who knows what.   I think it opens up a new area of observation.  When
ever this happens we discover things we never would have thought of.  Maybe
in 40 years these Strontium oscillators will be mass produced for $2 each.

Does anyone know how much "g" changes per cm of altitude?  I'm to lazy to
figure it out.



> One important concept that was discussed was this:
> If the next generation clock was even more accurate
> (maybe by an order or two), then no two clocks
> can ever agree on the time.
>
> Minute changes in gravity and other factors will
> always make each clock completely different.
>
> So, to that I said: WOW! Wait just a damn minute.
> I got into this so I can tell time precisely. Now I'm back
> to to the beginning.
>
> I know I am exaggerating a bit here but still.
>
> -GKH
>
> On 11/03/2014 11:09 AM, Chris Albertson wrote:
> > Yes,  A story about time and frequency standards.  They actually used
> > numbers like 10E16 in the story.  Apparently at that level your clock can
> > measure a change in elevation of a few centimeters because of the
> > relativistic effects of the reduced gravity field in just a few cm.
> >
> > On Mon, Nov 3, 2014 at 6:28 AM, xaos <xaos at darksmile.net> wrote:
> >
> >> This morning, as I was driving to work,
> >> I heard this really cool story on NPR radio here in NYC.
> >>
> >> This is the link to the story:
> >>
> >>
> >>
> http://www.npr.org/2014/11/03/361069820/what-time-is-it-it-depends-where-you-are-in-the-universe
> >>
> >> What a nice way to start the week.
> >>
> >> Past stories with similar headlines.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> http://www.npr.org/2014/01/24/265247930/tickety-tock-an-even-more-accurate-atomic-clock
> >>
> >> Cheers,
> >>
> >> George Hrysanthopoulos, N2FGX
> >>
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> >
>
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-- 

Chris Albertson
Redondo Beach, California