O’Brian and about 40 other scientists at a lab in Boulder are in charge of keeping track of time for all of the rest of us. At the National Institute of Standards and Technology there, they manage the cesium fountain clock, an “atomic” timekeeping device so accurate that it will lose only 1 second in 60 million years. Compare that to an ordinary quartz wristwatch, which may drop a second a day.
Signals from the atomic clock, daily sent to radio station WWVB near Fort Collins, automatically sets millions of radio- controlled clocks and watches all across the United States to NIST time. Signals from the atomic clock, distributed over the Internet, synchronize clocks on computers, routers and other network devices more than 1.5 billion times a day. The team also makes regular reports to the International Bureau of Weights and Measures near Paris to make sure time here tracks with the rest of the world.
Why do we need an atomic clock? Every time we make or receive a call on our cellphones we rely on a network synchronized to a millionth of a second. When we switch on the lights or the computer, we’re making a connection using very accurate time. GPS (Global positioning system) is about 24 satellites orbiting the Earth. Each one has an atomic clock on it that constantly broadcasts “At this instant, at this position, my clock says” to better than a billionth of a second. This information gives an accurate position anywhere on the Earth, whether you are hiking or an airline pilot. The point is, even if you don’t think you’re using accurate time, you are.
What kind of watch do you wear? I won’t tell you the brand, but I do wear a watch that synchs to WWVB.
Do you have enough time? I wish there was more time in the day. I come in early and stay late, and I rarely work through my to-do list. Although I may be tempted, we can’t just add an extra hour in the day. If I did, that would be my last official act as division chief.
Where do you go to get away from it all? As time permits, I like to walk out the back door of NIST and hike through the Flatirons. It helps me clear my mind.
