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Clock Powers of Ten

Do you remember that cool science movie called Powers of Ten? In a series of still photos, it zoomed in and out to explore distance in exponential jumps: from 1 meter and much smaller, to 1 meter and much larger.

Perhaps the same can be done with time; specifically the measure of clock accuracy. Time is the most precisely measured fundamental quantity in science. Clocks, time & frequency are all around us. But just how accurate are the time sources in your life?

All these are examples of a frequency source. Count rhythm or repetitive pulses and you have a clock, a measure of time. The accuracy of your clock depends on the accuracy or stability of the frequency.

Anyway, here's a set of slides -- Clock Powers of Ten -- taking you on a journey from a really bad clock to a really good clock, and everything in between.


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