The Earth's rotation is speeding up so fast we may need to change our clocks. Here's why.
June 29, 2022 was the fastest day since the 1960s.
Star trails created by the Earth's rotation.
It can be distressing to think about the state of the planet. The climate is changing at a rapid pace, species are being lost at an alarming rate and the world’s oceans are being filled with plastic.
But as legendary TV pitchman Billy Mays famously said, “Oh wait, there’s more!”
The planet’s rotation is speeding up, creating shorter days.
On June 29, 2022, the Earth had its shortest day since the 1960s when scientists began measuring the length of a day using high-precision atomic clocks, The Guardian reported. It was the shortest day in the lives of most people on the planet although nobody noticed it because it was only 1.59 milliseconds shorter than expected.
The change in the Earth’s rotation comes after years of slowing. The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) accounted for the slower spin by adding leap seconds as recently as December 31, 2016.
"Since 2016 the Earth started to accelerate," Lomonosov Moscow State University scientist Leonid Zotov told CBS News. "This year it rotates quicker than in 2021 and 2020."
If the Earth continues to move faster than our clocks, things will become out of sync.
As the number of shorter days has increased over the past few years, scientists are now considering removing a second off the atomic clock. "Since we can not change the clock arrows attached to the Earth rotation, we adjust the atomic clock scale," Zotov said.
This sounds like a great idea in practice, but tech experts warn that it may lead to devastating consequences. "The impact of a negative leap second has never been tested on a large scale; it could have a devastating effect on the software relying on timers or schedulers," Meta engineers Oleg Obleukhov and Ahmad Byagowi wrote on the company blog. "In any case, every leap second is a major source of pain for people who manage hardware infrastructures."
Messing with the time on global technology seems like it could cause significant problems. But didn’t a lot of people predict that when the year changed from 1999 to 2000 it would create a global disaster known as Y2K, which never happened?
The big question is, why is the globe spinning so fast?
Forbes senior contributor Jamie Carter says there are multiple reasons why the Earth's rotation is ramping up. He points to glacier melt that puts more pressure on the poles, motion in our planet’s inner molten core, seismic activity and the movement of the planet’s geographical poles across its surface.
Obleukhov and Byagowi believe the rotation change is a symptom of climate change. They speculate that it may be caused by the melting and refreezing of the ice caps on the world’s tallest mountains.
"This phenomenon can be simply visualized by thinking about a spinning figure skater, who manages angular velocity by controlling their arms and hands," they told CBS News. "As they spread their arms the angular velocity decreases, preserving the skater's momentum. As soon as the skater tucks their arms back in, the angular velocity increases. Same happens here at this moment because of rising temperatures on Earth. Ice caps melt and lead to angular velocity increase."
The good news is that the Earth is spinning faster and no one seems to notice. However, for those of you who like to worry, Popular Science speculates that if Earth’s rotation sped up by one mile an hour, sea levels would rise and telecommunications satellites would stop functioning. It currently spins at about 1,000 miles per hour at the equator.
If Earth's rotation sped up to 17,641 miles per hour you’d become weightless, according to NASA astronomer Sten Odenwald. That would be cool, but you probably would have drowned before that happened.
Our mouths loves chips. Our bodies not so much.Photo by 
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12 non-threatening leadership strategies for women
We mustn't hurt a man's feelings.
Men and the feels.
Note: This an excerpt is from Sarah Cooper's book, How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men's Feelings.
In this fast-paced business world, female leaders need to make sure they're not perceived as pushy, aggressive, or competent.
One way to do that is to alter your leadership style to account for the fragile male ego.
Should men accept powerful women and not feel threatened by them? Yes. Is that asking too much?
IS IT?
Sorry, I didn't mean to get aggressive there. Anyhoo, here are twelve non-threatening leadership strategies for women.
Encourage.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
When setting a deadline, ask your coworker what he thinks of doing something, instead of just asking him to get it done. This makes him feel less like you're telling him what to do and more like you care about his opinions.
Sharing ideas.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
When sharing your ideas, overconfidence is a killer. You don't want your male coworkers to think you're getting all uppity. Instead, downplay your ideas as just "thinking out loud," "throwing something out there," or sharing something "dumb," "random," or "crazy."
Email requests.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
Pepper your emails with exclamation marks and emojis so you don't come across as too clear or direct. Your lack of efficient communication will make you seem more approachable.
Idea sharing.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
If a male coworker steals your idea in a meeting, thank him for it. Give him kudos for how he explained your idea so clearly. And let's face it, no one might've ever heard it if he hadn't repeated it.
Sexism.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
When you hear a sexist comment, the awkward laugh is key. Practice your awkward laugh at home, with your friends and family, and in the mirror. Make sure you sound truly delighted even as your soul is dying inside.
Mansplain.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
Men love explaining things. But when he's explaining something and you already know that, it might be tempting to say, "I already know that." Instead, have him explain it to you over and over again. It will make him feel useful and will give you some time to think about how to avoid him in the future.
Mistakes.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
Pointing out a mistake is always risky so it's important to always apologize for noticing the mistake and then make sure that no one thinks you're too sure about it. People will appreciate your "hey what do I know?!" sensibilities.
Promotions.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
Asking your manager for a promotion could make you seem power- hungry, opportunistic, and transparent. Instead, ask a male coworker to vouch for you. Have your coworker tell your manager you'd be great for the role even though you don't really want it. This will make you more likely to actually get that promotion.
Rude.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
Sometimes not everyone is properly introduced at the start of a meeting. Don't take it personally even if it happens to you all the time, and certainly don't stop the meeting from moving forward to introduce yourself. Sending a quick note afterward is the best way to introduce yourself without seeming too self-important.
Interruptions.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
When you get interrupted, you might be tempted to just continue talking or even ask if you can finish what you were saying. This is treacherous territory. Instead, simply stop talking. The path of least resistance is silence.
Collaboration.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
When collaborating with a man, type using only one finger. Skill and speed are very off-putting.
Disagreements.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
When all else fails, wear a mustache so everyone sees you as more man-like. This will cancel out any need to change your leadership style. In fact, you may even get a quick promotion!
In conclusion...
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
Many women have discovered the secret power of non-threatening leadership. We call it a "secret power" because no one else actually knows about it. We keep our power hidden within ourselves so that it doesn't frighten and intimidate others. That's what makes us the true unsung heroes of the corporate world.
About the Author: Sarah Cooper
Sarah Cooper is a writer, comedian, and author of 100 Tricks to Appear Smart in Meetings. Her new book, How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men's Feelings, is out now.
The comedic book cover.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
A satirical take on what it's like to be a woman in the workplace, Cooper draws from her experience as a former executive in the world of tech (she's a former Googler and Yahooer). You can get the book here.
This article was originally published on March 25, 2019.