Second (metric)

A Second is a unit of time.

• It is a standard Imperial metric.

Description (Specifications)

A second is a small unit of time.

Modern Imperial usage defines the second as "the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom".

• The ability to interpret this value is gained at around TL-6, with the advent of sophisticated electronic computers
• The common Imperial abbreviation is sec.

A second is considered to be the smallest unit of time within which a meaningful interaction or reaction can take place. While this may be true for a typical human, other species or sophonts may have alternative perceptions of - and ability to act within - the passage of a single second.

History & Background (Dossier)

The second was defined as a unit of time on Terra prior to the foundation of the Terran Confederation. It was originally calculated as being 1/86,400^th of a complete rotation of the planet (a Terran day).

Technologists found the second useful as the concept of the Technology Level and standardized ideas about sophont society development began to take form.

References & Contributors (Sources)

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Far Future Enterprises or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• Marc Miller. T5 Core Rules (Far Future Enterprises, 2013), .
• Marc Miller. Referee's Manual (Game Designers Workshop, 1987), 57.
• Frank Chadwick, Dave Nilsen. Fire, Fusion, & Steel (Game Designers Workshop, 1993), 5.
• David Golden, Guy Garnett. Fire, Fusion & Steel (Imperium Games, 1997), 7.
• Traveller Wiki Editorial Team
• Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master Scout Emeritus Adie Alegoric Stewart of the IISS
• Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science