https://tube.blueben.net/videos/watch/5d48de27-87fd-47cd-b098-f11173b0dc80 50x50: Science Across America is a national series uncovering exceptional science in all 50 states. It is a production of the Independent Media Initiative in collaboration with HHMI Tangled Bank Studios, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the Winn Family Foundation. See all the states at https://5050science.com In 1656, Christiaan Huygens invented a pendulum clock that, based on the period of its pendulum swings, could measure time down to the second. Today, we have clocks that measure a second out to 19 decimal places. What’s the point of subdividing time into such infinitesimally tiny fractions? LEARN MORE To learn more about this topic, start your googling with these keywords: Pendulum clock: is a clock that uses a swinging weight known as a pendulum as its timekeeping element, Atomic clock: is a clock that measures time by monitoring the resonant frequency of atoms., Cesium clock: is an atomic clock that measures time using a precise natural frequency of cesium atoms. 9,192,631,770 cycles of that frequency define one second., NIST-F3: is an ultra-precise cesium fountain atomic clock, developed to improve U.S. official timekeeping., Bacteriophage: A virus that infects bacteria., Cesium: A chemical element (symbol Cs) used in atomic clocks due to its predictable atomic behavior., Dark Matter: A hypothetical form of matter that does not interact with light and makes up a significant portion of the universe's mass., Latency: The delay or lag in a system (e.g., in online gaming)., Radiation: Energy that travels in the form of waves or particles; in this case, referring to the energy emitted by atoms., Supercooled: Cooled below the freezing point without becoming solid., Ytterbium: A chemical element (symbol Yb) used in more advanced atomic clocks., SUPPORT MINUTEEARTH If you like what we do, you can help us!: Become our patron: https://patreon.com/MinuteEarth, Our merch: store.dftba.com/me, Our book: https://minuteearth.com/books, Sign up to our newsletter: http://news.minuteearth.com, Share this video with your friends and family, Leave us a comment (we read them!), CREDITS Cameron Duke | Script Writer, Narrator and Director Arcadi Garcia i Rius | Illustration, Video Editing and Animation Nathaniel Schroeder | Music MinuteEarth is produced by Neptune Studios LLC https://neptunestudios.info OUR STAFF Lizah van der Aart • Sarah Berman • Cameron Duke Arcadi Garcia i Rius • David Goldenberg • Melissa Hayes Henry Reich • Ever Salazar • Leonardo Souza • Kate Yoshida OUR LINKS Youtube | https://youtube.com/MinuteEarth TikTok | https://tiktok.com/@minuteearth Twitter | https://twitter.com/MinuteEarth Instagram | https://instagram.com/minute_earth Facebook | https://facebook.com/Minuteearth Website | https://minuteearth.com Apple Podcasts| https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/minuteearth/id649211176 REFERENCES Boulder Atomic Clock Optical Network (BACON) Collaboration. (2021). Frequency ratio measurements at 18-digit accuracy using an optical clock network. Nature, 591, 564–569. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03253-4 Gerginov, V., Hoth, G. W., Heavner, T. P., Parker, T. E., Gibble, K., & Sherman, J. A. (2025). Accuracy evaluation of primary frequency standard NIST-F4. Metrologia, 62(3), Article 035002. https://doi.org/10.1088/1681-7575/adc7bd Hoth, G. W., Sherman, J. A., Radnaev, A. G., Mitchell, P., & Gerginov, V. (2023). NIST-F3, a cesium fountain frequency reference. In Proceedings of the 2023 Precise Time and Time Interval Systems and Applications Meeting (pp. 183–188). Institute of Navigation. https://doi.org/10.33012/2023.18691 Marshall, M., Rodriguez Castillo, D., Dworschack, W. J., Aeppli, A., Kim, K., Lee, D., Warfield, W., Nardelli, N., Fortier, T. M., Ye, J., Leibrandt, D. R., & Hume, D. B. (2025). High-stability single-ion clock with 5.5 × 10^-19 systematic uncertainty. Physical Review Letters, 135, Article 033201. https://doi.org/10.1103/hb3c-dk28 Murdin, B. (2021, March). Scientists are hoping to redefine the second – here's why. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/scientists-are-hoping-to-redefine-the-second-heres-why-157645 Rowlatt, J. (2014, October 3). Caesium: A brief history of timekeeping. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29476893 Fri, 06 Nov 2026 19:13:31 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://tube.blueben.net https://tube.blueben.net/client/assets/images/icons/icon-96x96.png https://tube.blueben.net/videos/watch/5d48de27-87fd-47cd-b098-f11173b0dc80 All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://tube.blueben.net/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.