14 DAY TRIAL // Over the last half century, cesium 133 atomic clocks have been all the rage in time keeping. They were very reliable even when they first appeared, when they could be as accurate as not missing a single beat in 300 years. Over the years, and up until today, this precision has been considerably refined, in that a modern atomic clock can keep the accuracy of the flow of time to 1 second in 80 million years. But now, a new class of time-measuring instruments, the optical ones, is taking over and is attempting to record every beat of time ever “generated” since it was itself formed.
In other words, the new technology seeks to create a device that will have recorded all the seconds passed since the Big Bang, without ever missing a beat. And that sums up to approximately 13.7 billion years. This, however, poses a problem – such a degree of accuracy in keeping time can also bring about a new understanding of the way it flows, in that it’s volatile in nature. That is to say, the fact is that it doesn't flow constantly, but registers a number of “hick-ups.”
A good example of that is the rotation speed of our planet, the one that determines the days and their duration. Earth doesn't always spin at a linear speed, which prompts various adjustments to clocks. But the optical variety will not be adjusted, so physicists could find themselves in the position where the time they keep is actually “ahead” of the perceived one. Understanding these discrepancies could potentially help them devise new formulas and calculations as to the so-called “fourth dimension.”
Another application for the new devices would regard their implementation in GPS devices, which would substantially increase their accuracy, so that they will be able to establish a position with an error of up to one meter, instead of the tens of meters now possible. Unmanned vehicles and airplanes could also benefit from the new technology, which will most likely bring down the number of flaws they record.
In addition, a huge cause for concern for scientists worldwide is the hassle they will have to go through when they start synchronizing the new clocks. The devices need to be set at the same relative height, because various altitudes trigger various speeds in the flow of time. Setting up such a global system will at best require the entire scientific lifetime of an expert. However, once this is completed, the international community will have a reliable source of time monitoring, complete with numerous benefits.