A Clock That Is Off by Only One Second in 30 Billion Years

It also detected that clocks at higher altitudes run faster.

Keio University's Professor Emeritus Masaru Tomita's free online seminar series, 'Sunday Morning Frontier Exploration Series,' will be held on Sunday, June 7, 2026. It will feature Professor Hidetoshi Katori of the University of Tokyo as the speaker on the theme of the forefront of 'optical lattice clocks.'

The optical lattice clock is currently gaining attention as a next-generation atomic clock with the world's highest level of precision.

Its accuracy is described as 'being off by only about one second in 30 billion years,' far surpassing conventional atomic clocks.

In the future, it is expected to be applied to: ・Higher precision GPS positioning ・Observation of crustal deformation and gravity changes ・Global environmental measurement ・Precise verification of the theory of relativity ・Updating the definition of the 'second'

Professor Katori is the researcher who proposed the basic principle of the 'optical lattice clock' and has been a global leader in its research and development.

In this lecture, he will provide easy-to-understand explanations for both science and humanities-oriented audiences on topics such as: ・Why are ultra-precise clocks necessary? ・What is 'time'? ・The relationship between the theory of relativity and clocks ・What it means for the passage of time to change with slight differences in height

Event Overview Date & Time: Sunday, June 7, 2026. Doors open at 8:50 AM, starts at 9:00 AM, ends at 10:15 AM Method: Zoom Webinar Target Audience: From high school students to working adults, regardless of academic background Participation Fee: Free Registration URL: https://biolab64.peatix.com

'The future is not written in textbooks.' Sunday Morning Frontier Exploration Series A popular free online seminar series held since 2021. It is one of Japan's largest educational online seminars, with 4,000 followers and a total of 20,000 viewers.