Does anybody really know what time it is?
At last! Something cool to write about regarding government publications!
The BBC reported today that Britain's atomic clock is the world's most accurate. The clock is located at the UK's National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in Teddington, London. "The clock would lose or gain less than a second in some 138 million years." It further reports: "The UK is among the handful of nations providing a 'standard second' that keeps the world on time."
But that achievement may soon fall; there is apparently a "time race" going on, with other nations attempting to build even more accurate timepieces.
Studies of the clock's performance, to be published in the journal _Metrologia_.
For those interested, the NPL is administered by the UK ministerial Department of Business, Innovation and Skills. It produces numerous government publications, including an Annual Review, guides, reports, and papers.
The NPL's website has a slew of information about time and time measurement, and a list of FAQ's, which include how to receive singals that provide the time.
BUT NOWHERE DO THEY ACTUALLY TELL YOU WHAT TIME IT IS! (Don't be fooled by the "What is the time?" section under "TIME," it doesn't tell you).
The BBC website - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14657002
The journal _Metrologia_ - http://iopscience.iop.org/0026-1394/
The National Physical Laboratory - http://www.npl.co.uk/about/
The BBC reported today that Britain's atomic clock is the world's most accurate. The clock is located at the UK's National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in Teddington, London. "The clock would lose or gain less than a second in some 138 million years." It further reports: "The UK is among the handful of nations providing a 'standard second' that keeps the world on time."
But that achievement may soon fall; there is apparently a "time race" going on, with other nations attempting to build even more accurate timepieces.
Studies of the clock's performance, to be published in the journal _Metrologia_.
For those interested, the NPL is administered by the UK ministerial Department of Business, Innovation and Skills. It produces numerous government publications, including an Annual Review, guides, reports, and papers.
The NPL's website has a slew of information about time and time measurement, and a list of FAQ's, which include how to receive singals that provide the time.
BUT NOWHERE DO THEY ACTUALLY TELL YOU WHAT TIME IT IS! (Don't be fooled by the "What is the time?" section under "TIME," it doesn't tell you).
The BBC website - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14657002
The journal _Metrologia_ - http://iopscience.iop.org/0026-1394/
The National Physical Laboratory - http://www.npl.co.uk/about/