Earth Travel On Time, Again

burgburgburg writes "The NY Times has an interesting article about a rather puzzling phenomena: for the fifth year in a row, the Earth's travel through space is right on time. The rate that the Earth travels through space has slowed ever so slightly for millenia. To compensate for this, since 1972, scientists have added a "leap second" at the end of each year. The problem: Since 1999, the Earth has been on time. The recognition of a need for a leap second was an unintended consequence of the invention of the atomic clock. Suggested reasons for the unexpected punctuality: the tides, weather and changes in the Earth's core."

Comments

It's Obvious

[dreamchaser]

The Earth knows that we're watching now, so it's taking extra care to be punctual...

Re:It's Obvious

[ackthpt]

The Earth knows that we're watching now, so it's taking extra care to be punctual...

Damn, and I _just_ bought that stinking atomic clock so I could be the most precise on the block and I'm going to be off by a freaking second now! I couldn't be happy with the Bart Simpson watch from Burger King...

It's a tough life being an ubergeek.

Re:It's Obvious

[Squareball]

No, it's now on time. So that rules out it being a woman. ;)

Re:It's Obvious

[Anonymous Coward]

But it knows where it's going, so that rules out it being a man. ;)

Re:It's Obvious

[Tjp($)pjT]

It is just running in circles and won't stop to ask directions. So it is masculine.

All wrong...

[Anonymous Coward]

Suggested reasons for the unexpected punctuality: the tides, weather and changes in the Earth's core.

No. God just likes to screw with us.

Re:All wrong...

[Anonymous Coward]

Or maybe He just likes to really mess around with physicists...

On time?

[snevig]

Hmmm... don't think that'll help my procrastination.

If we all run in one direction fast enough...

[Anonymous Coward]

.... we can speed it back up again.

Let's do it!

Next on Tom's Hardware - OC'ing the earth

[xC0000005]

We decided that for a change this holiday we'd work on big iron - the earth. Using polar cap cooling and using two atoms instead of one in the atomic clock, we managed to accelerate the earth by 1 second. System is perfectly stable. Except in California. And Iran.

Re:Next on Tom's Hardware - OC'ing the earth

[xC0000005]

It's running WindowsGE (geological edition). When you get a protection fault in the pacific, folks in Japan get the BWOD (blue wave of death). This was fixed in later revisions (code named Mars) Mars has no oceans, and hence no BWOD, but probe() calls tend to hang or crash on it.

It's Because the Moon is Gone

[hondo77]

Don't you guys remember back in 1999 when the moon blasted out of earth's orbit? That would probably explain the change.

this sucks

[G27 Radio]

I really could have used that extra second of sleep after partying late on new years eve.

Re:Physics for the rest of us

[utahjazz]

how on earth do they figure out that the earth is in the exact same position as it was a 'year' ago? Do they use the background of stars, or some other mechanism?

Duh. They use GPS.

Re:Physics for the rest of us

[Anonymous Coward]

Duh. They use GPS.

Galactic Positioning System?

Bad for United

[KFury]

Now there's one less excuse the airlines can claim for why my flight was late.

good point

[G27 Radio]

I really should've taken the optimistic view that I'd feel better new year's morning from not spending as much time partying the previous night.

Switzerland

[Anonymous Coward]

If the Swiss Army equipment is so good, why don't these people try to take over the world by force instead of making clocks?

Ha Ha! FART Strikes Again

[Roofus]

I'm the leader of a Terrorist organization known as FART. Over the past few years Fuck Anal Retentive Timekeepers (FART) has led millions of disenfranchised Timex employees in a quest to change time! Yes, every morning and night (corresponding with sunrise and sunset), we face our asses westward and let our flatulence fly!

It's good to see our efforts to fuck with those atomic timekeeping twits succeeding!

Re: It's funny...

[Black Parrot]

> before the atomic clock the Earth was always on time.

Maybe we should set it 5 minutes fast, to allow a little extra time.

The Core?

[Anonymous Coward]

I thought they fixed that core problem a few years back by blowing the shit out of it with a bunch of nukes! I saw a documentary on this recently.

Re:It's those d*mned Republicans!

[DaveAtFraud]

You got it backwards. The "leap second" was needed because the Earth *was* taking a little longer. For some reason it has stopped being slow by a second. If anything, its the Democrats trying to get Bush out of office a little sooner.

I'm really glad the Earth is on time

[PollGuy]

...beause if Gaia were pregnant, it would mean massively swollen oceans, more earthquakes from the kicking, and a new moon that could severely affect the tides and drown us all. Not to mention the munchies.

It's a conspiracy and Bush is responsible

[jp93023]

Learn all about it at: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboa rd.php?az=show_topics&forum=104

A different God?

[HermanAB]

Well, I suppose Jupiter sacked Atlas for his continual tardiness and the new God is still all gung ho about the promotion to the new job. Eventually he'll get tired too...

Re:A different God?

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe Ayn Rand?

Re:27 years. good statistical sample....

[Rick.C]

there wansn't any mention of dooms day

We here at HaulmarkCards.com think about Dooms Day a lot. An awful lot. We've been trying to come up with some catchy verses and clever phrases for a new line of Dooms Day greeting/sympathy cards. We have three problems:

1. We're not sure exactly when Dooms Day will fall, so getting cards to retailers will be a logistical nightmare,

2. We won't have much time afterward to spend the profits, and

3. Well, gosh! We just don't know how to "read" the public on this whole Dooms Day issue. We don't want to come off all tacky with something like, "Life was Swell, See you in Hell!" Then again "Best wishes for a Brighter Tomorrow" just doesn't give us that warm fuzzy glow that your granny has come to expect from Haulmark Cards.

So we're asking you, the movers and shakers in the feel-good arena to offer up some suggestions. (In keeping with our policy of not paying for anything, these would be considered free-as-in-"free advice".)

TIA

Re:Do atomic clocks keep perfect time?

[belloc]

They also have a plan to use pulsars to see just how imperfect the atomic clocks are.

Terrific. So how do they check the pulsars? Or is it just turtles all the way down?

Belloc

Re:Intercalation, Calendar Calibration, Leap Secon

[bar-agent]

Fortunately, the earth is pretty regular in its movement around the sun.

Well, according to the article, the Earth has been having trouble with regularity.

Anybody got any bran muffins?

Thank you, Mr. Bush!

[louzerr]

This could be just one more "boast" for the Bush campaign - "During my (usurped) presidency, not only did I fight terrorism, Sadam, and free markets, I also kept the world running on time!".

Strange days

[t0ny]

The rate that the Earth travels through space has slowed ever so slightly for millenia. To compensate for this, since 1972, scientists have added a "leap second" at the end of each year. The problem: Since 1999, the Earth has been on time.

Well, everyone keeps saying the world moves faster these days. I guess they are right.