World-first nuclear clock prototype could outperform atomic clocks

Atomic clocks are the most accurate timekeepers we have, losing only seconds across billions of years. But apparently that’s not accurate enough – nuclear clocks could steal their thunder, speeding up GPS and the internet, among other things. Now, scie… Continue reading World-first nuclear clock prototype could outperform atomic clocks

World’s most accurate atomic clock off by 1 second every 30 billion years

Scientists have developed the most precise and accurate atomic clock to date – if you ran it for twice the current age of the universe, it would only be off by one second. This could not only improve services like GPS, but help scientists probe how gra… Continue reading World’s most accurate atomic clock off by 1 second every 30 billion years

Nanopillared lenses let scientists trap individual atoms with light

“Optical tweezers” – systems that focus light to trap and manipulate individual atoms – could pave the way for powerful quantum devices, but they can be a little cumbersome. Researchers have now developed a simplified, smaller design for optical tweeze… Continue reading Nanopillared lenses let scientists trap individual atoms with light

Physicists measure gravitational time warp to within one millimeter

The flow of time isn’t as consistent as we might think – gravity slows it down, so clocks on the surface of Earth tick slower than those in space. Now researchers have measured time passing at different speeds across just one millimeter, the smallest d… Continue reading Physicists measure gravitational time warp to within one millimeter