The eternal clock for 'doomsday'

The idea of making watches that are capable of working after the destruction of the universe can be realized by the initiative of international scientists.

Theoretically, space-time crystals are a type of 4-dimensional crystalline structure that is periodic in both space and time. Its structure is comparable to three-dimensional crystals - such as diamonds or snowflakes. While diamonds have a circular structure in three dimensions, four-dimensional crystals are structured around both temporal and three-dimensional structures. With it, scientists will have a very effective means to study the complex physical properties and the interaction of particles in nature, Livescience reported.

Illustration of 4-dimensional crystal structure (a) and charged particles
move in closed circle (b) at low energy level. Photo: Livescience

However, the scientific community has yet to find practical and important reasons for making spacetime crystals. In addition, they do not know where to start to fabricate it. Until recently, researchers from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the United States and international colleagues have proposed experimental models of space-time crystals.

Researcher Xiang Zhang said that they could create 4-dimensional crystals using electromagnetic fields to trap charged ions, while also using natural repulsion between two particles with the same charge.

"The electromagnetic field holds the charged particles, and the repulsion between the particles with positive or negative charges causes them to form a circular crystal." In the electromagnetic field, the ionic crystal rotates and does not. Ever stop. The permanent motion of ions in a fixed space leads to the formation of space-time crystals , " Zhang explained.

Simply put, the scientists will create charged particles that constantly move in a closed circle. These particles are still moving even when the universe reaches a thermodynamic equilibrium and destroys itself. If scientists build their time system in their motion, humanity will have eternal watches.