Clock Quote by Rainer Weiss
“If the wave is getting bigger, it causes the time to grow a little bit. If the wave is trying to contract, it reduces it a little bit. So, you can see this oscillation in time on the clock.”
About This Quote
Source Lecture: “Time and Wave Phenomena” by Rainer Weiss, 2015
Wave amplitude changes cause slight variations in perceived time, creating oscillations.
In simple terms: Larger waves stretch time; smaller waves compress it.
Key Takeaway
Consider wave effects in precise timing systems.
Themes
physics
time
wave dynamics
Mood
analytical
technical
Type
scientific
educational
When to use this quote
- experimental physics
- engineering
Key Concepts
relativity
signal processing
Questions to Reflect On
- How does this affect GPS accuracy?
- Can we measure these changes directly?
A Different Perspective
Oscillations are minute and may be negligible in everyday life.
![“[W]hen we look at the graphs of rising ocean temperatures, rising carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and so on, we know that they are climbing far more steeply than can be accounted for by the natural oscillation of the weather ... What people (must) do is to change their behavior and their…” quote by David Attenborough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/04d/david-attenborough-2396_atmosphere_w-hen-we-look-at-the-graphs-of-rising-oc_1110905.jpg)
![“The observations, so numerous and so important, of the pendulum as object are especially relevant to the length of its oscillations. Those that I propose to make known to the [Paris] Academy [of Sciences] are principally addressed to the direction of the plane of its oscillation, which, moving…” quote by Leon Foucault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e85/leon-foucault-85526_academy_the-observations-so-numerous-and-so-impo_870149.jpg)
