DOES THE
TIME BOTHER YOU??!!
Pink Floyd
Ticking
away the moments that make up a dull day
Fritter and waste the hours in an off-hand way
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way
Fritter and waste the hours in an off-hand way
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way
Lou’s Uncle Dave, (affectionately called “Unc”) is
celebrating a milestone birthday this week. I won’t give his age away, but let’s
just say it’s worth recognition!!
We thought hard and long on the best gift to get him to mark
this milestone! One thought was to get him a clock that didn’t have to be reset
for daylight savings time. We usually
visit about twice a year and Unc waits for us to come so Lou can get the ladder
from the next door neighbor, take the clock down from the wall, and adjust it
to the correct time. (He spends about
half the year with his clock an hour off either way, waiting for us to come.)
A little research on the internet uncovered something called
AN ATOMIC clock. Who knew?? When I hear the word ATOMIC, I conjure up
visions of bombs and radiation. At the very
least, Einstein, electrons and splitting atoms! YIKES! I’m already out of my comfort zone!! Apparently these clocks have been around since
the 1940’s. (Dave were you around
then??) J
I read several articles on how an atomic clock works, but to
be honest, I don’t get it. I found this info
in an article for kids.
An atomic
clock is a very good clock that
works with atoms,
as opposed to most other clocks which are mechanical.
The frequency comes
from the crossing radiation of electrons.
Atomic clocks are currently the most exact clocks of the world. They are also
called primary clocks.[1]
Most clocks know what time it is because they count how many
times something moves back and forth. Atomic clocks count how many time an atom
wiggles back and forth. Most atomic clocks use an atom of cesium.
UM…written for kids huh? I’m
going to go with it’s “a good clock”. And apparently these clocks are always
accurate because they respond to a radio frequency that comes from Colorado. (At
least in our hemisphere) These signals are used with GPS’s, satellites,
computers and even our cell phones.
Again…who knew??
Amazon helped us find "a good" atomic clock. We were excited for its arrival. We had to watch a you-tube video to learn how
to set it up!
Again…out of our comfort zone!! There were buttons to push
while it faced a west window. One of several things could happen once you set
it up. It would either go right to the correct time…or not. Ours did not. The directions said that if it
stopped at 4 o’clock, then it might need to be placed in a west facing window
for 3-5 days to wait for it to pick up the signal from Colorado! Um…if the
signal was out there, why wasn’t it picking it up? How was it traveling?? Why
so slow? Is radiation being transmitted through my house? We were staring to think we got ripped
off. So west facing window it was. Several times a day I found myself staring at
it willing it to change! Nothing! Such stress!
Change darn you!! When the 5th day arrived we couldn’t wait
to check the clock. NOTHING. Back to you-tube. More buttons to push and closer to the window. We were beginning to think this whole thing
was a joke. What next? Jump up and down
while holding a rubber chicken? Then…magic! (Or science) It changed! Amazing!! And it will never have
to be changed for daylight savings time.
It should (fingers crossed) change based on this mysterious signal from
Colorado.
Someday I want to visit this mysterious clock in Colorado. I wonder what it’s like? Is it big? Pretty? Mechanical looking? Will I get radiation poisoning?
So for now, we just stare at our atomic clock. I hope when
the time comes I’ll be able to hand it over to Unc. We’ve considered keeping it. After all, we’ve
been through a lot together!
Does the Time Bother you, by George Carlin
