An international team of scientists say a new  technique could turn pulsars into superbly accurate time-keepers.

A pulsar is the spinning, collapsed core of a massive star that ended in a supernova explosion and was first discovered in 1967.   A pulsar weighs more than our Sun but can be the size of New York City and produces beams of radio waves which sweep around the sky hundreds of times a second. Radio telescopes receive a regular train of pulses as the beam repeatedly crosses the Earth so that the object is observed as a pulsating radio signal.
Introduction

The use of non-human animal models has allowed the fast progression of scientific discovery over the last several centuries. These experiments have lead to great discoveries that have allowed for the alleviation of suffering, sickness, and disease in both humans and animals. Over the years there have been changes in the way we view the rights of animals that have lead to better treatment of models, and discoveries of methods that reduce the need for experimentation on animals. However, we have not yet reached the point that their use is not necessary. If the use of animals in experimentation is to continue, there are many ways of limiting and minimizing suffering while maximizing the benefit from their use.