How do people around the world keep time together? They use atomic clocks. These remarkable devices tap into frequencies hidden in the hearts of atoms to produce astoundingly stable, accurate ticks of time – far better than any other kind of clock. This animation explains why we use atoms to keep time and how they keep us all on the beat. | National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

How atomic clocks measure time more accurately ⌚️ If you apply an electric current to a crystal, it vibrates about 32,000 times a second. This frequency oscillation gives a more accurate measure of time and is the basis of atomic clocks, a technology born from the Second World War. Early atomic clocks vibrated at around 5 billion times a second. Current iterations get to 430 trillion energy transitions per second or more, allowing for far more refined definitions of time. Tap link to learn more: