Einstein Year - a year celebrating physics - time
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Time Lords wanted

Time Freeze competition

Earlier this month, we challenged visitors to einsteinyear.org to provide us with the answer to the question:

"If I could freeze time for ten minutes I would..."time image

We now have a winner - Alice Perrett for her entry "If I could freeze time for ten minutes I would confirm once and for all whether it is arrow-shaped or not". Alice wins a summer placement with the UK's leading time scientists at NPL.

The runners up prize of a binary watch goes to Lynda Nwicke for her entry "If I could freeze time for ten minutes I would dive into the sparkling waters of the Great Barrier Reef. For those ten minutes, no species would be endangered and for those ten minutes I could be as close to marine life as I could have ever dreamed possible. Dancing amongst the exuberant underwater life, I would be entwined in the everchanging colours of the ocean, caught up in a world where momentarily time was non-existent".

Congratulations to both winners, keep an eye on einsteinyear.org for more competitions!

A half century of atomic timekeeping
As well as the centenary of Einstein's miraculous year, 2005 is the 50th anniversary of the invention of the atomic clock. Home of the nation's atomic time scale, the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington is the focus for time and frequency measurements in the UK. 
NPL are supporting Einstein Year- check out their website to find out more!

 

Find out lots of facts about time at www.physics.org - includingphysics.org logo

the history of measuring time
how to make a sundial
international standards of time

how to get involved:

The Martian Clock Challenge
The Young Engineers have organised a challenge to research and devise a timekeeper to show Martian time as distinct from Earth time. The device, for use on Mars, could be a sundial or a mechanical or electronic clock. The competition is open to two groups: students in years 6 to 9 and 10 to 13. 
Enter by 15 October 2005 and your team could have the chance of winning £2000! Visit the challenge website for full details.

The Greek, the Apple and the Time Machine
See the new show from the country’s funniest physics teacher, Bruce Fummey at the Edinburgh Fringe. The Greek, the Apple and the Time Machine is a one hour stand up comedy show taking you from Aristotle to Einstein with laughter all the way. He'll be performing every evening (except Mondays) from 27 August.

Order a free poster on Atomic Timekeeping from NPL
Enlighten your family, students or colleagues with this brief history of (atomic) time!