A Wrinkle in Timekeeping

The trouble with time started a century ago, when Albert Einstein’s special and general theories of relativity demolished the idea of time as a universal constant. One consequence is that the past, present, and future are not absolutes.

Einstein’s theories also opened a rift in physics because the rules of general relativity (which describe gravity and the large-scale structure of the cosmos) seem incompatible with those of quantum physics (which govern the realm of the tiny). In short, the best way to think about quantum reality is to give up the notion of time -- that the fundamental description of the universe must be timeless.

The possibility that time may not exist is known among physicists as the “problem of time.” It may be the biggest, but it is far from the only temporal conundrum. Mankind has been adding "leap seconds" to coordinate time across the globe with atomic time, rather than rely on the variable rotation of the Earth. But are these leap seconds necessary?

This week, we look at a wrinkle in timekeeping.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Feelings aren't positive or negative Data, it's what you do with those feelings that becomes good or bad." - Counselor Deanna Troi , Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Descent Part 1"

Timekeeping