Time crystals behave in strange ways when they’re hit with
electromagnetic waves. In a time crystal, the molecules all spin in a
certain direction, and they switch direction at every pulse of
electromagnetic waves. But even if the pulses are uneven, the crystals
still switch direction at regular intervals, meaning they could be used
as a form of keeping time.
..... like a quartz clock?
Yes.
The researchers discovered time crystals forming inside normal crystals made of monoammonium phosphate, which is a common ingredient in crystal growing kits. Theoretically, there could be time crystals inside every crystal grown by children as a science project.
I'm not sure if "ironic" is the right word to use here but this is hilarious nonetheless
SPACE MAN.
The time device THE CRYSTALS!
Listen, the crystals are the key!
Will we finally be able to get him out of that wack ass crystal prison?
Huh, I always thought they were just boogers
I know it's not the same oscillation method but what advantages does this structure have over a quartz model?
Theoretically, there could be time crystals inside every crystal grown by children as a science project.
Unless the children also grew an NMR spectrometer, no.
Time crystals sound like the name of some pseudoscience anti-aging treatment
"Wilczek imagined a crystal that repeated in four: the three dimensions of space as well as one dimension of time."
What does this actually mean though? Is this just something that non-physicists are better off pretending doesn't exist to avoid hurting our feeble minds?
The "used as a form of keeping time" is an artefact of popular science reporting, which for some reason absolutely must introduce some practical application for every scientific discovery reported on.
Fuck, I gotta play through Timesplitters again.
Huh. A while ago, an episode of Star Trek: Discovery used a "time crystal" as a plot device and I thought that just the name sounded kind of dumb and not something that would be in real science.
Turns out it was I who was the dumb one.
