Aarva

Smithsonian Magazine ·Behind the news

The World's First Nuclear Clocks Are Ticking, Opening a New Way to Investigate Dark Matter and Other Mysteries of Physics

Published 2026-06-24 16:37:19+00:00

How does the search for dark matter change when a clock is built from an atom's nucleus?

0:00 / 6:06 · Narrator Sulafat

Context

Writing on 24 June 2026, Smithsonian Magazine follows a quiet shift in how time is measured. For decades, the gold standard has been the atomic clock, which relies on the movement of electrons. But two independent teams have now successfully built clocks that tap into the nucleus of an atom instead. This transition from the shell to the nucleus isn't just about better precision; it suggests a future where timekeeping devices act as sensors for dark matter and other hidden forces that current technology simply cannot feel.

Show notes

The development of the first functional nuclear clocks, which utilize thorium-229 nuclei excited by ultraviolet lasers to measure time. The research compares these new devices to traditional atomic clocks, detailing how nuclear transitions provide a frequency less affected by external electromagnetic fields. It examines the current precision of these prototypes and their potential utility in detecting dark matter and investigating fundamental physical constants.

Read on Smithsonian Magazine →