Question

Physics defines, I'm told, that time is "whatever" the clock measures. Time is a measurement means it has to have a unit. So let s (seconds) be the unit of time.

If time measurement is anything like, has to be like, length measurement, 1 s = (2−1) s = ((n+1)−n) s. This is what we'd call consistency in magnitude aka regular in the sense 1 tick = 1 s always, everywhere, for anyone. It's, I believe, a simple notion in math/measurement.

So I have a clock C1. I can't know that C1 is regular using C1. That would be like trying to check a newspaer N for accuracy by reading N
(circulos in probando).

Ergo, we need another clock C2 which must itself be regular. To check if C2 is regular we need a 3rd clock C3, which itself has to be checked for regularity. So on and so forth ... infinite regress.

How does physics solve this problem if it is one?

Answer 1

Physics solves the problem of clock regularity by defining the second based on cesium atom vibrations, creating a stable standard for the measurement of time, and avoiding infinite regress in verifying the accuracy of clocks.

Step-by-step explanation:

The issue of how to ensure the regularity of a clock without infinite regress is addressed in physics through the use of a standard measurement for time. This standard is the second, abbreviated as 's'. Historically, a second was defined as 1/86,400 of a mean solar day, but due to the slowing rotation of the Earth, a more stable standard was needed.

In 1967, the second was redefined based on the vibration of cesium atoms. A second is now defined as the duration of 9,192,631,770 vibrations of the cesium atom. This atomic definition provides a constant physical phenomenon to calibrate time, allowing clocks to be standardized and regulated without the need for comparing them against an endless chain of other clocks. As such, a cesium atomic clock serves as an accurate reference by which the regularity of other timekeeping devices can be checked.