Earth is spinning faster than it used to. Clocks might have to skip a second to keep up.

CBS News ^

[MNDude]

Earth's changing spin is threatening to toy with our sense of time, clocks and computerized society in an unprecedented way — but only for a second.

For the first time in history, world timekeepers may have to consider subtracting a second from our clocks in a few years because the planet is rotating a tad faster than it used to. Clocks may have to skip a second — called a "negative leap second" — around 2029, a study in the journal Nature said Wednesday.

[Getready]

It’s not just the leftists. It’s those who believe that their own perceptions dictate what reality is. So anything they believe in the rock inside their cranium is to be respected as true and inviolate.

[Red Badger]

It’s 25 or 6 to 4.................

[Getready]

Always wondered what would happen if some large Jupiter sized hard object hit the sun and blasted off a chunk of the nuclear fusion sun whose trajectory headed straight toward the earth.

[Fresh Wind]

Stop five people on the street and ask them what time it is on their watches. You’ll get five different answers.

And if you see someone look at their watch, and then ask them the time, 9 times out of 10 they will look again.

[SaveFerris]

I prefer the Chicago Live at Carnegie Hall version but got used to hearing the radio version

[zeugma]

So, which is it?

Earth is spinning faster than it used to. Clocks might have to skip a second to keep up.

or

Melting polar ice is slowing the Earth's rotation, with possible consequences for timekeeping

[Georgia Girl 2]

Or the Earth is flat and there’s nothing to worry about. 😉

[ansel12]

I have an atomic clock on the porch, in my home office, my bedroom, the living room, the bathroom, and 2 in the kitchen, two of the atomic clocks are conventional looking clocks with second hands.

I also wear a wrist watch and of course the computers in every room.

[ansel12]

“”””And if you see someone look at their watch, and then ask them the time, 9 times out of 10 they will look again””””

Some, or many, would do it for the precision, but that is still quite an observation you made, that will be fun to point out to people.

[zeugma]

Stop five people on the street and ask them what time it is on their watches. You’ll get five different answers. I don’t really think one second is that big of a deal.

There are applications were a second really does matter, but mostly not.

Leap seconds happen occasionally, and can go forward or backwards, though to date, all have gone forward.

Here's a chart of leap seconds to date that I put together some time back...

Announced leap seconds to date
Year	Jun 30	Dec 31	Total
1972	+1	+1	2
1973	0	+1	3
1974	0	+1	4
1975	0	+1	5
1976	0	+1	6
1977	0	+1	7
1978	0	+1	8
1979	0	+1	9
1980	0	0	9
1981	+1	0	10
1982	+1	0	11
1983	+1	0	12
1984	0	0	12
1985	+1	0	13
1986	0	0	13
1987	0	+1	14
1988	0	0	14
1989	0	+1	15
1990	0	+1	16
1991	0	0	16
1992	+1	0	17
1993	+1	0	18
1994	+1	0	19
1995	0	+1	20
1996	0	0	20
1997	+1	0	21
1998	0	+1	22
1999	0	0	22
2000	0	0	22
2001	0	0	22
2002	0	0	22
2003	0	0	22
2004	0	0	22
2005	0	+1	23
2006	0	0	23
2007	0	0	23
2008	0	+1	24
2009	0	0	24
2010	0	0	24
2011	0	0	24
2012	+1	0	25
2013	0	0	25
2014	0	0	25
2015	+1	0	26
2016	0	+1	27
Year	Jun 30	Dec 31	Total
Total	11	16	27
Current TAI-UTC = 37

[Lockbar]

Global warming.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Same here. I’ve had the atomic wristwatch for about five years. Wore out and broke the wrist band. I could not believe I was able to find the same exact watch band that goes on the watch on Amazon. Got an atomic wall clock in the dining and living room. I wouldn’t be without them.

[FlingWingFlyer]

One of the things I really miss about Arizona since I moved to Texas. Wish Texas would get off that daylight savings time BS.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Nuclear fusion only takes place deep, deep, in the core of the sun. The specific power of the sun is about the same as rotting bale of hay, about quarter of a watt per meter cubed.

A cubic meter of hay has surface area of 6 meters so the power per square meter is 0.25/6 = 0.042 watts per square meter.

The sun has a volume of 1.412 x 10^27 cubic meters and a surface area of 6.09×10^18 square meters, or roughly 2.32 x 10^8 cubic meters per square meter of surface area or 6 x 10^7 watts per square meter, or roughly a billion times more than the hay bale per square meter.

[metmom]

Follow the science. It’s slowing down and speeding up at the same time.

Kind of like global warming will cause the next ice age.

[VTenigma]

NBC + CBS = Earth’s rotation remains unchanged.

[PIF]

Melting polar ice is slowing the Earth’s rotation, with possible consequences for timekeeping
https://freerepublic.com/focus/news/4231510/posts?page=1

[Red Badger]

https://www.time.gov/

[SunkenCiv]

Nice twofer!

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• Melting polar ice is slowing the Earth's rotation, with possible consequences for timekeeping [04/16/2024]

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[linMcHlp]

U.S. Constitution

Article 1. The Congress shall construct a thermostat to control the temperature of planet earth.

Article 2. Every hour, the Congress shall adjust that thermostat.

Article 3. The Congress shall set the maximum level of the oceans.

Article 4. The Congress shall set the miles per Kilowatt.

Article 5. The Congress shall set the rotational speed of the planet earth.

Article 6. The Congress shall set the size of The Ozone Hole.