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Most Precise Atomic Clock Ever Built Will Only Lose a Second Every 30 Billion Years (gizmodo.com)

submitted 4 months ago by jeffw@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

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[–] Sparkega@sh.itjust.works -2 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (2 children)

But does this account for our days getting longer?

Edit: /s

[–] xthexder@l.sw0.com 3 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Standard seconds are defined based on measurable properties of a cesium atom. The historical definition of 1/86400th of a day doesn't work for science if the duration is inconsistent.

For example the statement:

Earth's Days Are Getting 2 seconds Longer Every 100,000 Years

becomes self-referencing and loses all meaning without some other reference point.

[–] RizzRustbolt@lemmy.world 1 points 4 months ago

"I suppose".

Boom, now it's a scientific unit.

[–] todd_bonzalez@lemm.ee 2 points 4 months ago

This is time relative to earth, and the actual passage of time in the universe that we aim to measure doesn't care about the Earth's rotation.