Another Atomic clock

You know how the word atomic seems to scare people away when it refers to power or plant irradiation or weaponry but somehow it usage to describe a clock doesn't raise such concerns.  Which brings me to tonight's word: atomic clock.

I actually read the instruction for something we purchased this year.  Carolyn & I purchased a indoor/outdoor thermometer and atomic clock.  The instructions start out by explaining that an atomic clock is one whose time mechanism is governed by the vibration of atomic particles.  They explain that such clocks are rather expensive and are actually located only in a few places in the world.  They then go on to explain that consumer "atomic" clocks get their right to be called atomic by being in regular communication with these atomic clocks.  It would probably be more accurate to call these consumer clocks "radio clocks" but then they would be confused with clock radios.

Previous indoor/outdoor clocks were always flaking out on me so I was not surprised when the outside temperature disappeared and it looked like I had bit into another bad apple.  But Carolyn used a bit of counter intuitive logic and actually moved the outside probe further away from the main unit.  Surprisingly, it worked!  And it has continued working for the past 2 weeks.  Who would have thought?