C
Chris Smith
Guest
- Scientists are considering shortening the minute to 59 seconds to make up for the Earth’s faster spin speed.
- Some say at least one “leap second” might have to be subtracted from a minute to align time to the Earth’s real rotation.
- Others approach the idea with caution, as leap seconds can have unwanted side-effects in those industries that rely on accurate timekeeping.
It’s not (just) the coronavirus pandemic that might make you feel like time is moving faster. The earth has been speeding up, and it’s now spinning faster than before. A direct result is shorter days, which can be a problem that science will have to figure out. One idea is to shorten the minute to 59 seconds at least for one “negative leap second” so that we can realign with Earth’s real rotation. After all, the world did add extra seconds when it was necessary to correct time, so the change wouldn’t be unusual. However, it’s easier said than done, as removing a full second from a minute might wreak havoc in those places that rely on precise timekeeping.
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Scientists want to shorten a minute to 59 seconds originally appeared on BGR.com on Thu, 14 Jan 2021 at 20:08:52 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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