Tidskällan

Tidskällan (literally time source) is a term used in Swedish-language contexts to refer to the reference point or clock used to measure and synchronize time. In metrology, a tidskällan is the clock or time signal that a system uses to establish the current time; common examples include atomic clocks and external time signals such as GNSS-based time, or network time protocols. National laboratories maintain primary standards and distribute secondary signals.

In physics and philosophy, tidskällan can denote the origin of temporal ordering. There is debate whether time is fundamental or emergent, with theories in quantum gravity and cosmology exploring how a time parameter arises from more fundamental dynamics or from thermodynamic properties like entropy.

In computing and electronics, the term describes a clock source that drives circuits and coordinates operations; a stable, accurate tidskällan is essential for reliable data transfer and sequencing.

In culture, tidskällan may appear in titles, fiction, or discussions about memory and history as metaphorical sources of time.

See also: time, timekeeping, clock signal, atomic clock, UTC, TAI, time synchronization, philosophy of time.