What exactly is one second? | James May's Q&A (Ep 2) | Head Squeeze

James May discusses what exactly a seconds is. He also delves into how time as we know it could have been totally different. This is because the second had many 'rivals' over the years that never got their way.

James May's Q&A:
With his own unique spin, James May asks and answers the oddball questions that we've all wondered about from 'What exactly is one second?' to 'Is invisibility possible?'

[HolyKoolaid]

One second is the amount of time it takes to decrease the gain on your SFX using one of Taran's hotkeys.

[Ferodra]

Came here because i heard the sound effects were too loud.
Was not disappointed

[bigc]

don't ever try to eat a clock, it's very time consuming

[mikedymonds]

To be honest i find these videos useful and although much of the information is instantly lost, james is doing a great job and these videos are a great resource of general or not so common knowledge

[Nicoder]

A second is exactly one of the length of this video

[Dani-itsy]

Only James May can make me watch a 5 min video explaining what a second is.. James you are a genius !!

[theGoogol]

Please turn up the volume of the sound effects ... I can still hear James talking!

[/end sarcasm, end video]

[RobertBrownieJr]

That's so interesting, the second division of the hour! So simple, never realised that before

[MRdovaful]

I had to pick up pieces of my head after watching this. MIND BLOWN

[mikechamberlain]

The only interesting thing about this video was how the second is now defined somehow in terms of the decay of the cesium atom... and then you stop without event explaining it!

[denizdurdag]

James May, you are a gift to the television.

[Formatic]

Only James May can explain what a second is in 278 seconds... class

[bmanau]

It's also interesting to note that the use of Caesium-133 in atomic clocks has given rise to the popular and oft misquoted phrase "Caesium the day"

[didgemanjan]

thank you James. not the usual time losing things I usually come across on YouTube.

[Entropy]

Holy poop, I memorized that exact fact about the atomic second from a plaque in the Smithsonian timekeeping exhibit... 14 years ago... And I still have it spot on!

Boom shakalaka score one for the old memory.

[j.andrews]

The 60 minute and 60 second division actually dates back to the Sumerians and how they counted. They counted each knuckle on a finger, leading to a count of 12 (hours of night and hours of day...roughly). If you then use the your other hand to keep track of groups of 12, your count is 60. The Sumerians divided their day into 12 day hours, 12 night hours, and divisions of each hour by 60 then each minute by 60; each in equal parts. All related to the way they count, which led to a base 60 counting system. (reference Professor Amanda Podany Ph.D.)

[victorengland]

I'm impressed by the amount of physicists that came out here to have a say.

[RangerHouston]

According to my girlfriend 1 second is equivalent to approximately 5-10 minutes.

[MrLjdude]

Further my comment on the out-takes video I thought maybe that was too narrow a target market so I have tactfully chosen to spam my opinion on all other videos: I'm so glad the series has started. it warms my heart to see the important stuff being discussed!

[TheAngryHistorian]

Thank you Bernard I could not have put that less clearly myself.