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Quantum Collapse Models Point to Tiny Time Uncertainty and an Ultimate Clock Limit

The peer-reviewed analysis links collapse dynamics to spacetime fluctuations to yield testable departures from standard quantum theory.

Overview

  • An international team supported by the Foundational Questions Institute reports that certain collapse models imply a minuscule intrinsic uncertainty in time.
  • The study examines the Diósi–Penrose model and Continuous Spontaneous Localization, deriving a first quantitative connection between CSL and gravitational spacetime fluctuations.
  • The predicted effect imposes a fundamental limit on clock precision, though the uncertainty is extraordinarily small.
  • Authors stress that the effect lies many orders of magnitude below current sensitivity, leaving atomic clocks and everyday timekeeping unaffected.
  • Published in Physical Review Research in November 2025, the work motivates future tests that could probe links between quantum mechanics, gravity, and the nature of time.