Who’d have thought there was much – well, any – elasticity to what constitutes this measurement of time.
Who’d have thought there was much – well, any – elasticity to what constitutes a second. And why would, say, fractions of a second here or there matter in any case – unless you’re aIn fact, for more than a century there’s been agreement on what constitutes a second, the rules determined by a body that keeps an eye on such things, the Paris-basedProfessor Michael Biercuk: “It’s directly linked to having a trusted standard . . .
That lowly second, we learn, is indeed the common denominator, the basis, if you like, not only of time but of mass, current, temperature and distance – the latter, for example, calculated by measuring how fast light travels in a vacuum. It’s a process scientists have been busy refining and finessing and, with the latest clocks able to bring optical accuracy to the picture, a change in the definition of the second is on the cards.
Metrologists aim to have agreement on the new parameters by 2026 and formal approval by 2030, a lengthy process with hefty ramifications given the second’s importance to global measurement standards and synchronisation.Then again, why change at all when we’ve surely been served well enough to date by the second as we know it? It comes back to the continuing improvements in timekeeping since humans began measuring it.
Since the late 1960s it’s been based on the movement of atomic particles, most recently caesium-133, with so-called caesium clocks offering metronomic regularity thanks to what scientists call their high-frequency pulse., massive contraptions that can measure atoms of varying kinds that “tick” at an even faster frequency due to resonating in the optical electromagnetic spectrum.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Neighbours speak out about alleged murder of Dural mum Shareen KumarHe's behind bars accused of murdering his partner, Shereen Kumar. In the days before her body was found, her boyfriend told neighbours she ran away and that she suffered from depression. WesternWilson9 9News Read more:
Read more »
Police release CCTV vision after spate of armed robberies in Sydney's inner westIn two separate incidents a man allegedly armed with a knife threatened bystanders on busy Sydney streets.
Read more »
Second man charged over Mahmoud 'Brownie' Ahmad's gangland murderA second man is charged over his alleged role in the murder of underworld boss Mahmoud 'Brownie' Ahmad in Sydney’s south-west earlier this year.
Read more »
Second man charged over murder of notorious gangland figureA 37-year-old man has been arrested and is the second person charged in relation to the alleged murder of known Sydney underworld figure Mahmoud 'Brownie' Ahmad earlier this year.
Read more »
'Unusual circumstances': Two sisters identified after bodies found in Sydney unitPolice are appealing for more information after identifying the bodies of two sisters, who were found dead inside a Canterbury unit on June 7. The deaths of Asra and Amaal Abdullah Alsehli are now being investigated as 'suspicious'. 9News MORE:
Read more »
Premier League 2022-23 preview No 1: ArsenalTwo high-quality Manchester City cast-offs could help Mikel Arteta bridge the gap back to the Champions League places
Read more »