'A dream come true': Nuclear clock breakthrough could revolutionize study of the universe's fundamental forces

By nudging a thorium-229 nucleus into a higher energy state, physicists have made it possible to develop a nuclear clock that could probe the most fundamental forces in physics. However, there is still a long way to go. Scientists have figured out how to turn a thorium atom into a nuclear clock -- and innovation that could change how we study the universe.(Image credit: Getty Images) Scientists have made a major breakthrough that takes us a step closer to developing …