By Anonymous
BOULDER, CO June 30, 2004 -- I was with my dad, David W. Allan, this past Father's Day. He is an atomic clock physicist (AllansTIME.com), who spent his professional career in Boulder, Colorado with the atomic clock team there at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST, formerly NBS). During his 32 years at NBS/NIST, he and the Time and Frequency Division team were able to increase the accuracy of timekeeping by more than a factor of a 1000.
He now lives just north of me in Fountain Green, Utah, in a beautiful solar home he designed and built as a family project. Retired in '92, he is now more busy than ever, but enjoying the research that he is doing.
A couple of weeks ago he returned from Boulder from a week-long stint, during which he gave a lecture and got caught up to speed on the work being done amongst his colleagues there.
NIST has been a leader in precision time-keeping. They showed him their recent work that will increased time accuracy by yet another 100-fold.
Let me quote from his Father's Day message from him to me and my brother a couple of weeks ago, if I may indulge:
"As I mentioned to you, we just got back from a glorious week in Boulder. We got to meet a ton of friends and to get updated on the latest and greatest in atomic clock metrology. NIST just finished a 60-day evaluation of the most accurate atomic clock in the world.
http://www.boulder.nist.gov/timefreq/cesium/fountain.htm
"The current accuracy is +/- a second in 40 million years. And they now have an optical clock – not cesium, which is about 100 times better. Also saw their quantum computing work. They have to be the best division in all of the Dept. of Commerce:
http://www.linuxelectrons.com/article.php/20040617051318151
"It was wonderful to see all this technical progress with great team work."
Time measurement is the most accurate measurement known to man, with an accuracy that amounts to less than +/- 80 picoseconds in a day (a picosecond is one million-millionth of a second). It is at the heart of the modern technology world, keeping the power grid in sync, airlines on course, cell phones connected, and the Internet operational. Modern timekeeping counts the vibrations of atoms, for example, as the "pendulum" by which they obtain accuracy.
Now, here is the punch line.
Recently I have been working with James Fauble to open source his Ion Source Beam Projector design, which he believes will extract energy for practical use. He has been trying to source some quadrupole magnets of a particular dimension to replicate his design, which he built previously. He has been having a hard time sourcing the quadrupole magnets, whereas it used to be much easier to find them. It costs as much as $5,000 USD to tool up to build them to spec.
Well, it so happens that quadrupole magnets were used in atomic clock metrology in the past. They now use a different, "fountain" technology, mentioned by my dad, above. Perhaps that is why it was easier for James to find them before, compared to now.
Here is the explanation my dad gave of the role of quadrupole magnets in atomic clock metrology.
"A quadrapole can be used as a quantum energy state selector. It acts like a lens. Instead of focusing light, a quadrapole focuses a desired quantum energy state. Like the lens has a gradient in the thickness of the glass -- symmetric about the center, so does a quadrapole generate magnetic or electric field gradient, where the adjacent poles are of opposite polarity. Once the desired energy state is focused -- into a cavity for example -- then the atom or molecule can be interrogated in order to deduce some natural frequency associated with a particular pair of quantum energy levels. This frequency is that measured for the photons that are either absorbed or emitted proportional to this quantum energy difference. It is this frequency that is used like a pendulum for an atomic clock."
My dad said he would check around to see if there might be some quadrupole magnets that can be borrowed for Fauble's project. It will not happen quickly, though, because he is tremendously busy with his present project. This should not be construed as an explicit endorsement by him of that project, as he has not had the time to study it carefully.
The above story by Sterling D. Allan is published at http://pesn.com/2004/06/28/6900027AtomicClockQuadrupoles/
XML/RSS News feed: http://pureenergysystems.com/news/rss
SEE ALSO
http://pureenergysystems.com/os/IonSourceBeamProjector/
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By Anonymous
WASHINGTON, D.C. June 21, 2004 -- Eco-Artware.com is demonstrating how to put oldies but goodies to a new use. For music aficianados, album collectors or retro-minded fashion divas: one of a kind fashion statements made from classic long playing records.
These unique tote bags feature velcro-enclosed clear vinyl sides that hold two different authentic record jackets: a Beatles, Rolling Stones, or Bruce Springsteen album cover on one side, and a random rock favorite on the second side (http://www.eco-artware.com/catalog/bags.shtml). Created by designer Meg Musick-Makely, these bags are very cool because of their smooth lines and practicality. When a new look - or musical theme - is desired, the covers can be recycled with others in your collection. Two amplifier knobs (that actually turn) decorate the sides and the two-inch wide shoulder strap is adjustable.
See the Vintage Vinyl Record Bracelet by Meg Musick-Makely (http://www.eco-artware.com/catalog/jewelry.html). When her pre-teen daughter dropped and cracked a favorite 33-1/3 record, Meg cut out the label to preserve the wonderful associations she had with the record. As she sliced across the surface, she got the idea to transform the label into a bracelet. The rest is record-breaking history, and we're proud to feature these vinyl cuff bracelets featuring various artists.
Still not rockin' enough? One of eco-Artware's most popular items continues to be Jeff Davis' Vinyl Record Bowls - deocrative centerpiece bowls molded from genuine LPs (http://www.eco-artware.com/bowls-baskets.shtml). The labels are sealed with mylar so that nothing falls through the spindle hole and are great for holding non-liquid food items or display pieces. The bowls can be accented by a set of Vinyl Record Coasters (http://www.eco-artware.com/catalog.eating-drinking.shtml) or the very timely Vinyl Record Clock (http://www.eco-artware.com/catalog.walls-windows.shtml).
Everyone from aspiring lylricists to autograph seekers will love our one-of-a-kind Album Cover Notebooks (http://www.eco-artware.com/reading-writing.shtml). Each is designed using authentic vintage LP album covers. And if that alone isn't cool enough, the notebook's paper is made with 100 percent recovered cotton denim, harvested from denim clothing manufacturers in the U.S. (We don't know, however, how mucyh of the denim comes from bell-bottoms).
There's no doubt that rock and roll is here to stay-in more ways than one - at Eco-Artware.com.
ABOUT ECO-ARTWARE.COM - Eco-artware has something for every budget, for every taste and especially for a friendlier planet. Words don't do these products justice, visit http://www.eco-artware.com for photos and specifications. If your audience is looking for an ideal, unique gift that also promotes greener consumerism, or are looking for resources on creating their own gifts, book reviews, recycling tips, and access to our renown 'Recycling Rag' newsletter, send them this way.
If you need high resolution images of any of Eco-Artware.com's products, or have further questions, please contact Reena Kazmann at reena@eco-artware.com or toll free at 1-877-32602781.
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By Anonymous
AURORA, Ontario, October 27, 2003 -- Knowledge Probe Inc announces the availability of the first of a family of unique computerized Alarm Clocks for MS/Windows®. Two initial products, Free Cellular Alarm Clock and CellAlarm, are directed towards users with cellular phones. Without any predecessors in the software marketplace, these PC-based productivity tools allow users to virtually pre-program their cellular phones with appointments, wake-up calls and reminders. No matter where they are, cell phone users can receive their important alarms and reminders at the times needed.
Created out of the necessity of scheduling varied wake-up times, the Cellular Alarms are useful for more than just wake-up calls. The company's website lists a myriad of uses from existing users. One user is quoted as using a pre-programmed alarm as a way of getting out of a boring meeting early. Another corporate user is using the tool to automatically remind staff away from the office to submit reports.
This simple application has already been downloaded by thousands of users in places as remote as Mauritius in the Pacific Ocean. According to the company, all one needs is a cellular provider that supports text messaging. Over 250 cellular providers across the globe are listed as being able to support the cellular alarms.
"I created CellAlarm to give my teenage son a way of getting up for college at different times each weekday. Seems teenagers respond better to telephone calls than alarm clocks", said Mark Kolb, President of Knowledge Probe Inc. Mr. Kolb further adds "You only need to program CellAlarm once. That's better than changing your alarm clock each night for the next morning - day in-day out".
In an interest marketing strategy, the Free Cellular Alarm version is available to any corporate sponsor at no cost for the purpose of branding their logo and targetted message within the product.
The Free Cellular Alarm Clock allows a user to program a single alarm at a time for his/her cell phone, while CellAlarm allows a user to program up to five cell phones (family/friends/staff) with up to 99 alarms. CellAlarm retails for $10 (US). Both products are delivered via the Internet.
With CellAlarm, users have the convenience of a novel way of being reminded anywhere they are of the things they need to do - provided they keep their cell phones handy.
About Knowledge Probe:
Knowledge Probe Inc primarily develops educational software in the form of mathematical, language and word games for all ages. Its free hit game "Mixed-Up Math" is used by tens of thousands of parents, teachers and kids all over the world.
MS/Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
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