Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: neilep on 20/06/2008 01:31:16

Title: What's the Shortest Time That Can Be Measured ?
Post by: neilep on 20/06/2008 01:31:16

Dear Timeologists and DR Who !


See these clocks ?

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Nice eh ?.....see them there all being busy telling us the time !

Time is my all time favourite thing that demonstrates the passages of moments and stuff !


So, what is the shortest length of time that can actually be measured today ?...NOT described...but measured by a time keeping thingy ?

I reckon about half a second...cos half a second is like........well quick !!


what do you think ?

Take your time !!


Neil
Time Interval Truncater (TIT!)

Title: What's the Shortest Time That Can Be Measured ?
Post by: LeeE on 20/06/2008 01:48:54

Oh - an easy one [;D]

Ever heard of the Planck time unit?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planck_time (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planck_time)

Title: What's the Shortest Time That Can Be Measured ?
Post by: TheHerbaholic on 20/06/2008 02:19:30

lol @ take your time, that made me chuckle

Title: What's the Shortest Time That Can Be Measured ?
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 20/06/2008 08:03:39

Quote from: LeeE on 20/06/2008 01:48:54

Oh - an easy one [;D]

Ever heard of the Planck time unit?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planck_time (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planck_time)

But we can't measure that, so you haven't answered the question.  [:P]

Title: What's the Shortest Time That Can Be Measured ?
Post by: Soul Surfer on 20/06/2008 09:18:08

High energy particle physiscs experiments can measure the lifetime of particles by looking at the uncertanty in certain interactions and particles that only last as long as light takes to travel across the nucleus of an atom (around 10**-23 seconds) can be measured but that's still quite long copmpared with the planck time

Title: What's the Shortest Time That Can Be Measured ?
Post by: Flyberius on 20/06/2008 09:34:51

You really do come out with some guduns neil.

I take it if I say Cesium Clock, "Cesium Clock" will flash in big letters on the screens behind me while an alarm sounds.

I want QI back damnit.

Title: What's the Shortest Time That Can Be Measured ?
Post by: neilep on 20/06/2008 13:51:22

Thank you all for your wonderful responses ...and WELCOME to Flyberius

Title: What's the Shortest Time That Can Be Measured ?
Post by: Karen W. on 20/06/2008 14:26:28

what about nano seconds, micro seconds, mili seconds, etc????

Title: What's the Shortest Time That Can Be Measured ?
Post by: LeeE on 20/06/2008 15:27:41

Oops - you're right DrB - I misread the question.

Title: What's the Shortest Time That Can Be Measured ?
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 20/06/2008 23:00:16

Quote from: Karen W. on 20/06/2008 14:26:28

what about nano seconds, micro seconds, mili seconds, etc????

A microsecond is 10^-6 seconds. A nanosecond is 10^-9 seconds. The Planck time is, apparently,  (https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fmath%2Fa%2F2%2Ff%2Fa2ff51f44a010844fcc48e8d2c84b21f.png&hash=9773bdd1fc905279048aacd00f06080e)

But, to answer the question...

According to an informed source, the shortest time actually measured thus far (or, at least, up until 2006) is an attosecond - 10^-18 seconds.

Here is a BBC news report (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3486160.stm) from 2004 that puts attoseconds nicely into perspective.

Title: What's the Shortest Time That Can Be Measured ?
Post by: Alan McDougall on 22/06/2008 05:57:03

Hi,

There is really no moment in time, when we think we have reached a moment it has already passed into the past

Alan

Title: What's the Shortest Time That Can Be Measured ?
Post by: Bored chemist on 22/06/2008 08:58:14

That is a comment on our thoughts rather than on the existence of moments.