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Atomic Clocks: A Technology Powerhouse
You probably don’t think about atomic clocks when you plug in an address and ask your phone to help you get there. But the navigation apps we rely on daily are powered by positioning satellites, and those satellites in turn are powered by atomic clocks. Without the precise timing provided by atomic clocks, GPS wouldn’t function — and the blue dot on your phone would no longer tell you where you are.
Navigation is just one area where atomic clocks have had a profound impact on our lives. When you fly, GPS helps your pilots land the plane safely. If you buy or sell a stock, your transaction is stamped using atomic time. When you send an email, the time stamp ultimately traces back to atomic clocks as well. The power grid we rely on is regulated and synchronized using atomic time.
There’s also time itself. Perhaps the first thing you did this morning was grab your phone and check the time, hoping for a few more minutes of sleep. Where did the time on your phone’s display come from? Atomic clocks.
Let’s explore how this remarkable technology has transformed our world.
