Murray Barrett

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Lutetium atomic clocks verified at the 19th digit

As of October 2026: Led the 10-year project that built and verified the two clocks

The world's most accurate clock would take more than 260 billion years to lose a second. Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) built two of them from the rare-earth metal lutetium and verified they agree to the 19th decimal place — the most precise clock comparison ever performed.

Updated Oct 6

Notable Quotes

If you only have one clock — how would you know it was accurate?

from Lutetium atomic clocks verified at the 19th digit · Updated Oct 6

For what we have achieved, and eager to see what the future will bring.

from Lutetium atomic clocks verified at the 19th digit · Updated Oct 6