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About these units
Second (s)
The second is the fundamental SI unit of time and the basis for nearly every modern timing system, from everyday clocks to astronomical calculations and quantum physics. Historically, the second was defined as 1/86,400 of a mean solar day—reflecting Earth's rotation. But because Earth's rotation is not perfectly constant, this definition proved insufficient for scientific precision. Today, the second is defined by the vibration frequency of the cesium-133 atom, specifically 9,192,631,770 oscillations of its hyperfine transition. This atomic definition gives the second extraordinary accuracy and stability, enabling technologies like GPS, satellite communications, deep-space navigation, and particle physics experiments. The second sits at the intersection of human history and cutting-edge physics: once tied to the apparent motion of the Sun, it is now anchored to a universal atomic constant, making it one of the most precisely defined units in science.
Shake (shake)
A shake is a playful but scientifically important unit equal to 10 nanoseconds. It originated in the Manhattan Project, where physicists needed a convenient term for very short intervals in nuclear chain reactions. A nuclear fission event occurs on the order of a few shakes, making the unit ideal for modeling neutron capture, reaction propagation, and weapon physics. Today, the shake appears in nuclear engineering literature, plasma physics, and astrophysics—any field involving extremely rapid events. Despite its whimsical name, the shake represents a meaningful scientific compromise: short enough for nuclear events, yet still relatable and easy to calculate.