In answer to your question, there are practical things that can be done with an optical or electron microscope that cannot be done with unaided vision. What I am asking is not the validity of the quest for better timing but rather its tangible applications. Note that I did not say or even suggest that there are no tangible applications, I'm simply interested in what they are. I thought I made that fairly clear.
As to your analogy, it is valid only if and to the extent that NIST-F2 has practical applications. That is what I am asking about. No, there is no logic issue in my statement but I will grant that it is a bit imprecise. (Donning pedant hat) "...will be deleted as soon as I have read enough to conclude that it is dismissive or snarky." If you have an answer to my question, I will be very happy to receive it. Best regards On Tuesday, June 4, 2019, Bill Beam <[email protected]> wrote: > You will have an answer if you can answer the question: > "Why is an optical microscope needed when unaided vision is good enough?" > My PhD is in high energy particle physics ca 1966. > This is not intended to be 'Dismissive and/or snarky'. > Your statement "Dismissive and/or snarky replies will be deleted unread." > has a logic issue.... > Regards (73) > > On Tue, 4 Jun 2019 12:43:04 -0400, William H. Fite wrote: > > >Warning: Potentially heretical material below > > >Let me begin by saying I am neither an engineer nor a time expert. My PhD > >is in statistics and my spouse's PhD is in theoretical computer science, > >working on quantum computer algorithms. Neither of us claims any special > >expertise when it comes to time and frequency measurement. I am a radio > >amateur and I came to this group following a recommendation from John > >Ackermann, who very kindly answered some questions for me regarding the > >amateur radio frequency measurement test. I thoroughly enjoy the dialogue > >here and I think that I have learned a bit about the subject though, by > any > >standard of this group, I am the rankest newbie. > > >My question is a serious one. I am not trolling, nor am I trying to begin > >an argument, nor am I implying criticism of anyone or any endeavor, here > or > >elsewhere. > > >What useful purpose, if any, is served by the continuing evolution of > >clocks like NIST-F2 that now achieve accuracy along the lines of one > second > >per many billions of years? Are there tangible benefits to be had? I > >consulted an astronomer friend who advised that the current generation of > >clocks would allow a suitable space vehicle to plant a probe squarely in > >the middle of Alpha Centauri, if rocket technology existed to do so. We > >have many friends in the academic computer science community who say that > >neither conventional nor quantum computers that exist at present or in the > >projectable future require anything like this kind of accuracy. > > >By no means am I questioning the value of new knowledge qua knowledge. For > >theoreticians like the one to whom I am wedded, no justification is needed > >beyond the words of mountaineer George Mallory: "Because it's there." I'm > >sure that engineers and scientists in the field of time and frequency > >measurement feel the same. From that perspective, there need be no > >rationalization beyond the desire to do it just a little better than it > has > >been done. > > >Please don't lecture me about the value of science for its own sake. My > >career has largely been built on that principle. I'd like to be informed > as > >to present or anticipated applications that require such accuracy. Are we > >developing these incredible devices just to push boundaries? Or do they > >have some practical purpose? > > >I'll appreciate thoughtful answers. Dismissive and/or snarky replies will > >be deleted unread. > > >Thanks for your help. > > > >-- > >Homo sum humani a me nihil alienum puto. > >_______________________________________________ > >time-nuts mailing list -- [email protected] > >To unsubscribe, go to http://lists.febo.com/mailman/ > listinfo/time-nuts_lists.febo.com > >and follow the instructions there. > > > Bill Beam > NL7F > > > > -- Homo sum humani a me nihil alienum puto. _______________________________________________ time-nuts mailing list -- [email protected] To unsubscribe, go to http://lists.febo.com/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts_lists.febo.com and follow the instructions there.
