Re: Cesium Clocks

[Les Fraley <les@lamar.ColoState.EDU>]

On Mon, 6 May 1996 Ccja@aol.com wrote:

> One reason for the unwarranted, though not at all unreasonable, assumption
> that a "cesium clock", frequently called an "atomic" clock, uses a
> radioisotope of cesium (whether Cs-137, or another) is that people may figure
> that the timing function uses the decay constant of the nuclide, in some way.
> Also, there has been, historically, and continues to be, considerable
> confusion about the meanings, and proper usages, of the terms "atomic" and
> "nuclear." This goes right back to the beginning, when nuclear weapons were
> referred to as "atomic bombs", and is perpetuated by even the most literate
> and knowledgeable of the lay media, e.g., the New York Times, The Economist.
> 
Not to mention MANY persons working (scientists & others) in the nuclear 
and/or radiation protection field!