A behind-the-scenes look at the work of Canada’s timekeepers - audio

Transcription:

Interviewer:

Time is omnipresent. It wakes us in the morning, gets us to work on time (most days), and runs our mobile devices and our stock markets. But how can we make sure all of these clocks are on time? Exact time, to be precise. Dr. Louis Marmet, spokesperson for the National Research Council, is one of Canada’s official timekeepers, and explains the importance of accurately measuring and maintaining the time.

Dr. Louis Marmet (National Research Council Canada):

So we do maintain the atomic clocks, we provide the most accurate time, and we make sure to disseminate it to all the customers. Accurate time is very important, because it’s used in all the electronic devices, the GPS systems, and telecommunications, for example.

Interviewer:

There is a lot of work involved in keeping Canadians on time. One thing you can be sure of is that timekeepers like Louis will keep working around the clock, because time never stops.