Why We'll Never Build a Perfect Clock

We can make clocks that keep accurate time for millions of years. We can also make clocks with such high resolution they tick one billion billion times per second. So why can't we make a clock that does both? Hosted by: Savannah Geary (they/them) ---------- Support SciShow by becoming a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/scishow ---------- Huge thanks go to the following Patreon supporters for helping us keep SciShow free for everyone forever: Adam Brainard, Alex Hackman, Ash, Benjamin Carleski, Bryan Cloer, charles george, Chris Mackey, Chris Peters, Christoph Schwanke, Christopher R Boucher, DrakoEsper, Eric Jensen, Friso, Garrett Galloway, Harrison Mills, J. Copen, Jaap Westera, Jason A Saslow, Jeffrey Mckishen, Jeremy Mattern, Kenny Wilson, Kevin Bealer, Kevin Knupp, Lyndsay Brown, Matt Curls, Michelle Dove, Piya Shedden, Rizwan Kassim, Sam Lutfi ---------- Looking for SciShow elsewhere on the internet? SciShow Tangents Podcast: https://scishow-tangents.simplecast.com/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@scishow Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/scishow Instagram: http://instagram.com/thescishow Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scishow #SciShow #science #education #learning #complexly ---------- Sources: Dr. Florian Meier, interview https://www.sciencealert.com/physics-prevents-us-from-making-the-perfect-clock-heres-why-thats-a-problem https://phys.org/news/2023-11-limits-quantum-clocks-impossible.html https://www.newscientist.com/article/2405140-physicists-find-ultimate-limit-for-how-accurate-clocks-can-be/ https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.220201 https://journals.aps.org/prx/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevX.11.021029 https://journals.aps.org/prx/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevX.11.011046 https://www.quantamagazine.org/the-new-science-of-clocks-prompts-questions-about-the-nature-of-time-20210831/ https://phys.org/news/2021-05-thermodynamic-timekeeping.html https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.160204 https://spectrum.ieee.org/quantum-computing-timing-limits https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00107514.2020.1837471 https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/2023/press-release/ https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abb9318 https://www.vice.com/en/article/g5bx8j/scientists-clocked-the-shortest-time-period-ever-247-zeptoseconds Image Sources: https://tinyurl.com/3dwbzrfv https://tinyurl.com/2utv5aw9 https://tinyurl.com/2y52r6ut https://science.nasa.gov/image-detail/stsci-01ga76rm0c11w977jrhgj5j26x-2/ https://tinyurl.com/2uxrp6w7 https://tinyurl.com/2zz239yp https://tinyurl.com/59tykfz7 https://tinyurl.com/mwcyhsd5 https://tinyurl.com/2fxzkhu5 https://tinyurl.com/244jhyck https://tinyurl.com/4mtjbt3y https://tinyurl.com/2rksucan https://tinyurl.com/bdcpfkkt https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ytterbium_Lattice_Atomic_Clock_(10444764266).jpg https://tinyurl.com/ms54fshj https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/close-up-of-silver-metal-clock-stock-footage/1846367985 https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/automatic-doors-open-and-close-stock-footage/494773012 https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/temporal-vortex-royalty-free-image/2008073120?phrase=clock https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/unbranded-modern-clock-covering-14-hours-in-timelapse-stock-footage/1409023493 https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/over-the-shoulder-view-of-college-students-in-lecture-stock-footage/1462211513 https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/antique-pendulum-clock-in-a-forest-timelapse-stock-footage/1705003285 https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/blue-cartoon-figur-running-loop-animation-stock-footage/492028332 https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/male-hand-turning-on-stopwatch-to-record-time-during-stock-footage/906532800 https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/chemical-reaction-similar-to-the-appearance-of-mold-stock-footage/1142227615 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-05185-6 https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/hourglass-time-passing-background-concept-for-royalty-free-image/1339449460?phrase=sand+timer https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/illustration/futuristic-time-clock-hand-and-clock-face-royalty-free-illustration/1487963070?phrase=clock https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/footage-time-lapse-of-crowded-business-people-and-stock-footage/1478138019 https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/on-the-microscope-lens-manually-close-the-diaphragm-to-stock-footage/898417938 https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/its-almost-time-stock-footage/1171805677 https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/advanced-mobile-microprocessor-chip-connecting-with-a-stock-footage/1466622894 https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/dolly-shot-of-a-black-male-programmer-working-in-a-stock-footage/1473264480 https://www.flickr.com/photos/ibm_research_zurich/51248690716/ https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/endless-loop-digital-tech-network-data-time-clock-stock-footage/1601003737