This research suggests that even chaotic, surprising phenomena, like waves on a shore or the beating of a heart, can be used to measure time.
A team of scientists at King’s College London has discovered a new set of mathematical equations that can turn any sequence of random, unpredictable events into a clock. This research suggests that even chaotic, unpredictable phenomena, like waves on a shore or the beating of a heart, can be used to measure the passage of time.
This new idea goes against the traditional belief that a clock must tick regularly. “Our goal was to find the minimum ingredients needed to build a clock. For example, could you still measure time precisely even when stranded on a desert island?” said Dr Mark Mitchison, Proleptic Senior Lecturer in the Department of Physics at King’s and lead author. “We found equations that tell you how to create a ‘clock’ by counting random events around you, like waves lapping on the shore or your heartbeats,” he added.Optimal time estimation for classical stochastic processes. More detailRedefining the clockResearchers are trying to determine the limits of how small clocks can be in quantum, electronic, and biological systems.Many natural processes in the physical and biological worlds move forward in a series of random “jumps” that happen at irregular intervals.The study focuses on Markovian processes. Markovian processes are sequences of random events where each new event is only influenced by the one immediately before. Examples of these processes can be found throughout nature, from the unpredictable rise and fall of stock market values to the irregular heartbeat cadence.The research shows that by analyzing these unpredictable “jumps,” they can accurately measure the passage of time.Unlocking biological mysteries The equations do more than build a new kind of clock; they also serve as a tool for probing the fundamental nature of the universe. The new equations provide a strict limit on the accuracy of a clock based on classical physics. Why does this matter? Because if a system’s timekeeping is more accurate than the equations predict, it suggests something else is at play—something beyond classical physics. This is where things get interesting. It’s a sign of underlying quantum effects. It is probably why quantum technologies like atomic clocks can achieve greater precision than any classical clock.The findings could help us understand how living systems measure time. For example, consider the motor protein kinesin.It acts like a tiny “molecular machine” that converts chaotic thermal energy into a regular, clock-like motion to transport other proteins. When these molecular machines malfunction, it can lead to serious diseases like motor neurone disease.“Thinking about molecular machines as ‘clocks’ gives us insight into how some natural processes spontaneously generate order from chaos. We see this occurring at many different scales in our universe, from biological organisms and ecosystems down to the microscopic world,” explained Mitchison. This discovery gives a new way to look at the universe, but it also brings up some of the biggest questions in science.These include: why time only moves forward, why we only have memories of the past, and whether it exists in discrete, measurable units.The findings were published in the journal Physical Review X.
Clock Kinesin Markovian Processes. Physics Quantum Clocks Time
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