Scientists create a clock so accurate it won't lose time for 40 million years

From CNET.com (Sept. 3):

The Cryogenic Sapphire Oscillator is one of the most precise clocks ever invented -- and it's not just keeping time, it's keeping Australia safe.

Researchers at the Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS) in Adelaide, Australia in conjunction with Cryoclock, have, for the past 20 years been working on developing the Oscillator which they have dubbed the "Sapphire Clock."

It is 1,000 times more precise than any other commercial system currently available and ticks 10 billion times per second. The  "cryogenic" in the device's real name comes from the 1,200-carat sapphire crystal that needs to be cooled to minus 267 degrees Celsius (around 449 degrees Fahrenheit) -- only a few degrees above absolute zero.

The idea to harness the amazing properties of sapphire came from Andre Luiten, director of IPAS, during his PhD project before moving to Adelaide in 2013.  [read more]

Wow, that’s one accurate clock. Then again who will be around to check the accuracy.