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Watch · Physics, engineering and experiments

No device could prove Einstein wrong... until now

The Brief

  • Chapter list covers how atomic clocks work, why optical atomic clocks are so accurate, and how lasers are used to cool atoms.
  • Covers driving an atomic clock up a mountain, linking clocks across 80 kilometres, and flying a clock in a helicopter.
  • Explains how the frequency of light is measured, using optical frequency combs.
  • Closes by asking whether Einstein is still right, opening with whether gravity obeys the rules of quantum mechanics.

Why watch · It shows how precise atomic clocks are being used to test relativity and gravity, with help from NIST.

  • Atomic clocks
  • Optical frequency combs
  • General relativity
  • NIST

Summarised by Claude from the video’s title and description – no transcript was available, so check the video for the details.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Does gravity obey the rules of quantum mechanics?
  2. 2:40How does an atomic clock work?
  3. 6:06Why Optical Atomic Clocks Are So Accurate
  4. 8:51Using Lasers To Cool Atoms Down
  5. 13:47Driving an atomic clock up a mountain
  6. 17:01Linking Atomic Clocks Across 80 Kilometres
  7. 19:00Flying an Atomic Clock in a Helicopter
  8. 25:11How Do You Measure the Frequency of Light?
  9. 28:40Optical Frequency Combs
  10. 30:42Is Einstein Still Right?
Show the full video description ›

Can atomic clocks prove Einstein wrong? The biggest protection in the game! Go to https://NordVPN.com/veritasium and get an exclusive NordVPN deal + 4 extra months. It’s risk free with NordVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee! If you’re looking for a molecular modelling kit, try Snatoms, a kit I invented where the atoms snap together magnetically - https://ve42.co/SnatomsV Sign up for the Veritasium newsletter for weekly science updates - https://ve42.co/Newsletter Huge thanks to NIST for their help making this video. Visit their website: https://www.nist.gov/pml/time-and-frequency-division Join our Patreon for a chance to get a NASA sticker that went to the edge of space during the eclipse and for early access to work-in-progress videos https://ve42.co/VePatreon Last year, we launched Elements of Truth on Kickstarter and were thrilled by the response. We’re now in the final stages of production, and Kickstarter rewards are shipping soon. If you missed the campaign, you can now pre-order the retail edition through our new website here - https://ve42.co/YTDEcl If you backed us on Kickstarter, don’t worry, your game will ship before any pre-orders are fulfilled. ▀▀▀ 0:00 Does gravity obey the rules of quantum mechanics? 2:40 How does an atomic clock work? 6:06 Why Optical Atomic Clocks Are So Accurate 8:51 Using Lasers To Cool Atoms Down 13:47 Driving an atomic clock up a mountain 17:01 Linking Atomic Clocks Across 80 Kilometres 19:00 Flying an Atomic Clock in a Helicopter 25:11 How Do You Measure the Frequency of Light? 28:40 Optical Frequency Combs 30:42 Is Einstein Still Right? ▀▀▀ With special thanks to the experts and collaborators who made this video possible: In order of appearance, Prof. Jonathan Oppenheim (University College London), Greg Hoth (NIST), Dr. Andrew Ludlow (NIST), Dr. Laura Sinclair (NIST), Dr. Harikesh Ranganath (NIST), Lilani Toms-Hardman (University of Western Australia), Prof. Sascha Schediwy (University of Western Australia), Dr Sabrina Slimani (University of Western Australia), Dr Benjamin Dix-Matthews (University of Western Australia). The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the University of Denver and the Meyer-Womble Observatory, the University of Western Australia and the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, RIKEN and the University of Tokyo. In addition, to the Precision Measurement Group (PMG) in the Institute for Photonics, Advanced Sensing and Quantum Technologies (IPAS-QT) at Ade