Who Else Wants To Know About The Atomic Wall Clock?

I remember when I was a kid and my dad first bought us an atomic wall clock. Back then, I thought it was the very coolest thing in the world. The atomic clock, you see, was accurate to one seconds in a million years. Although it was an atomic analog wall clock, you could tell that the hands were to the correct position within a millimeter. I liked the style. I liked the idea of an atomic watch or clock that had both the style of an analog layout and the accuracy of a digital one. My dad had inspired a passion for punctuality and a sense of accuracy in me, one that lasts to this very day. The atomic wall clock allowed me to know that, no matter what time or date it was, my clock would show it completely accurately.

One thing I did not realize about that atomic wall clock at the time was how it worked. I had always assumed that atomic wall clocks possessed little gears inside of them that were so fantastically accurate that nothing ever went wrong with them. I didn't realize that the atomic wall clock did not really tell time on its own. Atomic wall clocks have some ability to run, and they may be pretty accurate, however they are constantly recalibrated from a central point. They are set up to automatically contact the time bureau to get the precise time every certain number of minutes. They are not precise clocks in and of themselves – they are radio controlled clocks.

Of course, nowadays the atomic wall clock is less of a big deal. As a matter of fact, it has gone the way of the antique wall clock. It is a mere curiosity, nothing outstanding at all. You see, cell phones function as well as an atomic wall clock,  as do computers. You may not know this, but both your PC and your cell phone contact the time bureau to make sure they have the correct time. When I was a kid, that would have seemed neat, but to today's kids who are so used to the miracles of digital technology, there is nothing particularly amazing about it. It is just another one of the many marvels that surround all of us these days. I love technology, but when I look at that old atomic wall clock, I wonder if it has taken away our capacity to gaze in wonder.