If every clock stopped...

[Mel Feasance]

If every clock in the world all ceased to keep time, each for a random interval of time, then began again, would we ever be able to get them set to the time prior to the stoppage event? Or would we just have to give it our best shot?

Also, would it even matter?

 

[Boris Blank's glass eye]

Yes, it would matter. Say goodbye to your GPS, control systems in every industry, and possibly the relatively high degree of peace - I mean the "not war" kind - we have right now.

 

[Kari Kamiya]

*laughs in sundial*

 

[Mel Feasance]

*laughs in sundial*

...shit. I forgot shadows exist lmfao.

 

[LazarusOwenhart]

There are no stupid questions, just stupid people. But srsly the answer is yes, very easily, using established scientific means.

 

[Coffee Shits]

No, nothing of significance would happen. Everything is wired up to a government atomic clock somewhere, and all of the computers in the world would show a few hours off until some egghead fixes it manually and it propagates out to the rest of the world.

 

[the dubya]

clocks are cocks

 

[sasazuka]

No, nothing of significance would happen. Everything is wired up to a government atomic clock somewhere, and all of the computers in the world would show a few hours off until some egghead fixes it manually and it propagates out to the rest of the world.

I think the OP post implies that every atomic clock also fails... umm... to keep up with the atomic vibrations somehow. I think that`s how they work, right?

 

[Coffee Shits]

I think the OP post implies that every atomic clock also fails... umm... to keep up with the atomic vibrations somehow. I think that`s how they work, right?

From what I gather, yeah. It's based on the vibration frequency of materials when you shine UV/infrared light on it. Same as how quartz is used in wristwatches because it vibrates at 60 Hz.

If all the clocks fell out of sync permanently because international atomic time was no longer reliable anywhere, then we'd have some problems. Knowing what time it was would be the least of them, though, since that would mess with some really baseline understandings at the atomic level.

 

[William Tell Underpass]

Set your computers clock back one hour and try to go on the internet.

Everything doesn't need to be exactly correct (Time is not objectively correct, see Daylight savings) everything just has to be aligned with everything else.
If nothing was able to align with anything else ever again on an atomic vibration level which is how all that shit functions all our synapses would probably go to shit and every living thing would end up like the battle droids at the end of The Phantom Menace.

 

[BONE_Buddy]

...shit. I forgot shadows exist lmfao.

Don't worry, so did just about everyone else.

In unrelated news @Kari Kamiya is a Freak and a Nerd.

 

[Chan Fan]

Then the time will be party time, all the time

 

[Kari Kamiya]

In unrelated news @Kari Kamiya is a Freak and a Nerd.

Now I dunno how well sundials work at night, so think you're half-right unless I go dormant immediately at dusk. Also if it was perpetually cloudy, then sundials aren't very practical.

Basically, hooray for late-night postings!