Recently scientists made a massive breakthrough by taking the first steps in creating a nuclear clock. Nuclear clocks are ultra-precise timekeepers, with this atomic one doing so by measuring the space between the quantum energy states of a thorium nucleus.
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00:00Recently, scientists made a massive breakthrough by taking the first steps in creating a nuclear
00:09clock. Nuclear clocks are ultra-precise timekeepers, with this atomic one doing so by measuring
00:14the space between the quantum energy states of a thorium nucleus. The researchers say
00:19by using this one, in conjunction with another strontium atomic clock, they are nearing the
00:23development of the first nuclear clock. They say this is a proof of concept, as they have
00:28now confirmed thorium as an atomic timekeeper, and that the technical development work is
00:32all that is left. Atomic clocks use atoms switching between different states as their
00:36ticking mechanism, rather than cogs like a traditional clock. A nuclear clock is another
00:40step above an atomic one, as it is more stable and even more precise. A timekeeper of this
00:45magnitude is highly sought after, as it could improve our measurements in the physical universe.
00:50This will be invaluable for navigating greater and greater distances in space, and could
00:54also help us solve the dark matter mystery. So how good is the current nuclear clock prototype?
00:59The researchers say the first atomic clocks were able to determine the frequency to within
01:03a few gigahertz, which was a thousand times better than previous ones. Adding quote, now
01:07however, we have precision in the kilohertz range, which is again a million times better.