Physicists at the University of Birmingham have successfully created a 'mini universe' in a laboratory using 24,000 ultracold rubidium atoms. This miniature universe was able to keep track of its own evolution through changes within itself, providing an internal measure of time called 'entropic time'. The experiment was designed to investigate whether time can emerge from relationships within a physical system. The researchers used laboratory clocks to collect and check measurements, but the internal time variable was constructed from the interactions within the system itself. This achievement is significant because it provides a controlled way to test theories about the nature of time. The experiment does not prove that time is unreal or recreate our universe, but it does offer a new perspective on how time can be measured and understood. The study was published in Physical Review Research and demonstrates the potential for scientists to explore complex concepts in a simplified laboratory setting.