A Clock That Will Last Forever:

[Karlis]

Imagine a clock that will keep perfect time forever, even after the heat-death of the universe.

A device known as a "space-time crystal," a four-dimensional crystal that has periodic structure in time as well as space. A space-time crystal could also be used to study phenomena in the quantum world, such as entanglement, in which an action on one particle impacts another particle even if the two particles are separated by vast distances.

The proposed space-time crystal is not a perpetual motion machine because being at the lowest quantum energy state, there is no energy output. However, there are a great many scientific studies for which a space-time crystal would be invaluable.

Source

[Capt Amerika]

Somewhere a Mayan is congratulating them on finally catching up.

[StarMountainKid]

Interesting stuff, thanks Karlis.

[Idano]

Ouch, that makes my brain hurt

[Karlis]

If this becomes a reality, I guess that puts an end to built-in obsolescence.

[Chooky88]

I thought I was an intelligent educated guy. Until I read that article. I was with them all the way up to the mention of four dimensions.

[synchronomy]

Interesting.

But who's going to give a damn what time it is after the heat-death of the Universe

[Eluus]

We may go to that time and would still be able to tell the time even if nothing is around. Also we would know that we are in the future

Edited September 25, 2012 by MOON IS FAKE

[Karlis]

The OP article points out some of the "practical" values of this new possibility. Only time will tell what benefits Mankind may gain. It's a potential tool for studying and understanding our universe. One example from the article:

With such a 4D crystal, scientists would have a new and more effective means by which to study how complex physical properties and behaviors emerge from the collective interactions of large numbers of individual particles, the so-called many-body problem of physics.

[Junior Chubb]

I bet it will still get confused when the clocks go back in October...

[pallidin]

Uh... will it fit in my watch?