A scientist at the University of Birmingham, Professor Giovanni Barontini, built a small lab model to study a big question: does time come naturally, or does it appear only when things change? Professor Barontini used about 24,000 rubidium atoms and made them very cold—almost at absolute zero. He put the atoms into a system with two areas, separated by a laser barrier. One area was bright and easy to watch, while the other was dark and hidden, but atoms could still move between them.

The main reason for the experiment was to see if time could be created by changes inside the system, instead of being something separate. The scientists watched as the number and location of atoms changed. These changes acted like a clock inside the system, with time moving forward when the atoms moved and stopping when everything stayed the same.

After this study, scientists learned that, at least in this model, time can appear because of changes in a system, not just from outside. This means that parts of a system might work as a clock for other parts. This experiment gives physicists a new way to test big questions about time and the universe.