The quectosecond represents 10⁻³⁰ seconds, the smallest officially recognized SI time prefix. Physicists require timescales this infinitesimal to describe theoretical events at the quantum level, such as the lifespans of extremely unstable particles or the earliest moments of the universe. The symbol is qs.
Heard on the job
We're modeling quantum fluctuations down to the quectosecond range to see if the symmetry holds.