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Is there (or can there be) a device that could measure the speed and acceleration of time?

Qmechanic
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user1306322
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    the speed of time relative to what? – lurscher Oct 19 '12 at 16:31
  • To the observer. For example there is something unusual going on within a two meter radius from the center of a desk, you put some device there and step away five meters and watch. I don't know how this could possibly work, so I'm asking if something like this is even possible. – user1306322 Oct 19 '12 at 16:32
  • the observer exists at any given time, how do you distinguish different time instants? – lurscher Oct 19 '12 at 16:33
  • The device should tell me if there is a difference in the speeds of time from where it is to where I am. I'm after the details myself. – user1306322 Oct 19 '12 at 16:36
  • Unless you can say very precisely what you mean by this I think it probably falls under one of the prohibition against "your own personal theories or work" or "fictional physics". // ::waiting for one of the theory guys to point out my appalling ignorance:: – dmckee --- ex-moderator kitten Oct 19 '12 at 16:37
  • I'm asking if this is fictional or not, as I'm not sure whether such a device can be created. So if it falls under one of those prohibitions, can I assume that such a device is fictional? – user1306322 Oct 19 '12 at 16:42
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    Repeating the words "such a device" does not improve the situation with respect to defining what the heck you are talking about. What do you mean by "the speed of time"? There is no notion like that in the physics that I am familiar with. Maybe I'm a provincial hick, but I'm going to have to act on my own understanding if you don't square me aware. – dmckee --- ex-moderator kitten Oct 19 '12 at 16:50
  • I was expecting such notion as the speed of time to exist in physics, I am sorry if I was wrong and the question doesn't make much sense because of it. If I'm to try to explain how a time measurement device could work, I'd have to imagine it, but then I would be asking if such device from my own imagination exists, which is not what this question is about. I am not sure if I can even make this right without hoping somebody out there knows what I am talking about in this question. If it helps, by "the speed of time" I mean the maximum rate at which the events can occur in a given scope of space – user1306322 Oct 19 '12 at 17:00
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    The maximum rate that things can happen for all intents and purposes (that we can tell) is the speed of light, but that's not so easy to measure either. – Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams Oct 20 '12 at 02:41
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    Such a device exists--- it is called a "clock". You might have one affixed to your arm. – Ron Maimon Oct 20 '12 at 03:08
  • Related: http://physics.stackexchange.com/q/15371/2451 and links therein. – Qmechanic Oct 21 '12 at 08:50
  • Isn't the speed of time one second/second? You don't need anything to measure it. – Peter Shor Jan 24 '13 at 15:11
  • @PeterShor I don't know that for sure. Are there any serious researches supporting that statement? – user1306322 Jan 24 '13 at 15:24

2 Answers2

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The "speed of time" can only be measured by comparing two clocks. That needs Relativity (as noted in other answer). Light speed is fixed so the speed at which an oscillator (pendulum) relative to a differently accelerated observer gives us the "speed of time" for each. So their is no right or preferred speed of time.
Many devices require we measure the slowing of time due various aspects of relativity, this would include GPS. Certainly measuring atomic particles that would otherwise disintegrate unless time speed was slower for them makes the LHC and any accelerator a device that can measure and must take into account time dilation. Time is a really deep concept with much accessible reading. Scientific American February 2012 "A matter of Time" is a "collectors" special edition magazine collecting some great articles about this stuff. Assume it is still easily available.

user12811
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In order to create such a clock a stationary point in the universe would have to be located, or at least we would need to know how we are (it is) moving in the universe in order to create it. Since we cannot find such a point or know such a thing, no such device can be created and we will have to make do with our current various chronometers.

Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams
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