Earth is starting to spin faster — and scientists are considering doing something unprecedented

livesicence.com ^ | 1/24/2025 | Pandora Dewan

[Signalman]

Two days this summer have been unusually short, with the shortest expected on Aug. 5, leading global timekeepers to consider adding a negative leap second.

The Earth's rotation has accelerated in recent decades, leading scientists to consider adding the first ever negative leap second.

Earth is spinning so fast that global timekeepers are considering something that's never been done before: adding a negative leap second.

So far this year, July 9 and July 22 have been unusually short — by about 1.3 and 1.4 milliseconds, respectively. However, Aug. 5 is expected to be even shorter, losing roughly 1.5 milliseconds, according to timeanddate.com.

This follows a trend that has been observed since 2020. "We now have slightly shorter days than in the last 50 years," Dirk Piester, head of Time Dissemination Group 4.42 at Germany's national meteorology institute, previously told Live Science.

Earth's energy imbalance is rising much faster than scientists expected — and now researchers worry they might lose the means to figure out why an abstract illustration of a clock with swirls of light Groundbreaking atomic clock is off by less than 1 second every 100 million years

Why is Earth spinning faster? A day on Earth lasts roughly 86,400 seconds, or 24 hours — the time it takes for the planet to fully rotate on its axis. But exactly how long it takes to perform one full rotation depends on many factors, including the positions of the sun and the moon, and Earth's gravitational field.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Everybody extend your arms! Quick!

I was thinking the same thing. 🤡

[Savage Beast]

I’m getting dizzy.

[StAnDeliver]

Let's go back to 2020 and fix what we know now...

[faithhopecharity]

yes but my cat shakes unwanted water off
and it seems to work rather well

[Swirl]

“We now have slightly shorter days than in the last 50 years,”

But we also have slightly shorter nights. The radiation budget should even out?

With faster spinning. Everyone, except near the poles will weigh less. (due to increase in outward centrifugal force). But it is so slight I don’t think anyone will notice. Similarly, sea level will be higher due to the earth’s reduced effective gravity.

With a faster earth’s spin, Coriolis is stronger, possible resulting in stronger synoptic systems such as cyclones and hurricanes.

[fidelis]

'If everybody minded their own business,' the Duchess said in a hoarse growl, 'the world would go round a deal faster than it does.'
'Which would NOT be an advantage,' said Alice, who felt very glad to get an opportunity of showing off a little of her knowledge. 'Just think of what work it would make with the day and night! You see the earth takes twenty-four hours to turn round on its axis--'
'Talking of axes,' said the Duchess, 'chop off her head!' Alice glanced rather anxiously at the cook, to see if she meant to take the hint; but the cook was busily stirring the soup, and seemed not to be listening, so she went on again: 'Twenty-four hours, I THINK; or is it twelve? I--'
'Oh, don't bother ME,' said the Duchess; 'I never could abide figures!'
(Alice in Wonderland)

[GingisK]

Oh! Please don’t send that to Alex Jones.

[GingisK]

I understand we gain a lot more space dust mass than we send out. Do you suppose there is a balance sheet somewhere?

[StAnDeliver]

"Where is Mr Hand? Are you people on dope?"

You have summoned the lily-white Crackern!

[lee martell]

Split Screen:
On one side: Planet Earth seen in it’s stately rotation
On the other side: A Whirling Dervish Monk, in full Sufi regalia.

[StAnDeliver]

In all seriousness, they -1 at the risk of molten Milky Way nougat inside/tidal forces/equatorial forces suddenly reverse "REAMING SPEED" and putting +2 back on the clock.

[SpaceBar]

The Earth gains approximately 40,000 to 100,000 kg of cosmic dust each day. This dust is a combination of space dust, micrometeorites, and debris from asteroids and comets. While some of this material burns up in the atmosphere as meteors, a significant amount settles on the Earth's surface. google AI

[Myrddin]

I hope this won’t be like the fuss around Y2K, for those of you old enough to remember.

Y2K was lots of fun. I built special software for Lufthansa, upgraded their servers and spent some very enjoyable time in Frankfurt am Main in Germany.

For the "main event", I was sitting next to my wife at the San Diego Sheriff's Office dispatch. It was an odd way to spend New Year's Eve together. It was mostly a nothing burger. The remediation that needed to happen was done in time.

[BFW]

It must be grant time again.

Not only has the alarm been sounded about the earth slowing down, it has in the near present been sped up after a particularly large earth quake.

That's in milliseconds. By the way.

This is why you must look to see if any study has been peer reviewed as well as reproduced.

Other wise it's just so much Bu^& SH)*.

[Bratch]

[linMcHlp]

Melting polar ice is slowing the Earth's rotation, with possible consequences for timekeeping [Posted on 04/16/2024 6:20:59 AM PDT by MNDude]

Earth's rotating inner core is starting to slow down - and it could alter the length of our days [Posted on 06/29/2024 7:16:57 PM PDT by SunkenCiv]

"it could potentially lengthen Earth's days"

[Texas Eagle]

Earth's energy imbalance is rising much faster than scientists expected

The only people who are wrong more often than economists are scientists.

[Texas Eagle]

I blame Usain Bolt.

[M Kehoe]

Ah, no wonder I feel fatter.

5.56mm

[Texas Eagle]

Great. As if professional golfers aren’t slow enough already, now they’re going take even more time trying to figure out how fast the earth is spinning.