Produced by: Manoj Kumar
Scientists say Earth might spin so fast this summer, we’ll lose time—literally. The shortest day ever could be just weeks away.
A difference of 1.51 milliseconds sounds tiny—until you realize global tech systems rely on that exact precision. Think GPS, financial networks, and satellite syncs.
For decades, Earth’s spin was slowing. Now it’s doing the opposite—and no one knows why. Not the moon. Not tectonics. Just mystery.
Like a figure skater pulling in their arms, shifting mass inside Earth’s molten core may be tightening the spin. Faster spin, shorter days.
July 5, 2024, already holds the record. But July 9, July 22, or August 5 could steal the title this year. All bets are on.
Tiny time gaps could ripple through GPS signals, trading algorithms, and mobile apps. One millisecond off, and the system hiccups.
If this keeps up, scientists may have to delete a second from world clocks—a historic first that could confuse timekeeping globally.
Earth’s spin is speeding up, but no one agrees on the trigger. Jet streams? Ocean currents? The core? Every theory has holes.
The hunt is on. Scientists are using atomic clocks to track Earth’s spin to the microsecond—because the planet isn’t playing by the old rules anymore.