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Chilean Earthquake Shortened Earth's Day

ailnlv writes "Days on Earth just got shorter. The recent earthquake in Chile shifted the planet's axis by about 8 cm and shortened days by 1.26 microseconds 'The changes can be modeled, though they're difficult to detect physically given their small size. ... Some changes may be more obvious, and islands may have shifted. ... Santa Maria Island off the coast near Concepcion, Chile’s second-largest city, may have been raised 2 meters (6 feet) as a result of the latest quake ...'"

19 of 374 comments (clear)

  1. Great! by MichaelSmith · · Score: 5, Funny

    I can go home a few microseconds early today.

    1. Re:Great! by derGoldstein · · Score: 5, Funny

      Sir, please don't bring your heliocentric propaganda into this scientific discussion.

      --
      Entomologically speaking, the spider is not a bug, it's a feature.
    2. Re:Great! by TapeCutter · · Score: 5, Funny

      "Hu, that's pretty interesting but what's a nutron star again?"

      Irresistible bait for spelling Nazi's.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
  2. Now I'm late! by Subm · · Score: 4, Funny

    Crap, I was going to post something funny, but now I'm 1.26 microseconds late. Sorry, I gotta run...

  3. Re:Did this affect climate by larry+bagina · · Score: 5, Funny

    either way, it's anthropogenic.

    --
    Do you even lift?

    These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.

  4. Re:Did this affect climate by biryokumaru · · Score: 4, Funny

    Man, I checked out that pizza link in your sig, and that is so cool! I wish the pizza place would be that good around here. I live in NYC and I can't even get them to leave their car to deliver pizza to my door, let alone all those other handy features they show there.

    --
    When you're afraid to download music illegally in your own home, then the terrorists have won!
  5. Re:What's with the red headline bar? by Tynin · · Score: 5, Funny

    It means that no one had posted anything to the comments of the story yet. And if you are a /. regular it's really a secret troll code telling you to rush in to comment about frosty piss and checking the post anonymously button while praying to the FSM that you beat all the other cowards to it. ;)

  6. FFS! by Foobar+of+Borg · · Score: 4, Funny

    Oh, for fuck's sake! I've got too much shit to do already! And now, I have 1.26 microseconds less to do it in??!! Scheisse! Of course, maybe I shouldn't post on slashdot. Maybe that would save more than 1.26 microseconds.

    1. Re:FFS! by feepness · · Score: 4, Funny

      Oh, for fuck's sake! I've got too much shit to do already! And now, I have 1.26 microseconds less to do it in??!! Scheisse! Of course, maybe I shouldn't post on slashdot. Maybe that would save more than 1.26 microseconds.

      You could make love to your girlfriend a couple fewer times per week.

  7. Re:Did this affect climate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I knew it! I blame the political party I'm not affiliated with.

  8. Re:I know we love sensationalist headlines, but by The+Wild+Norseman · · Score: 5, Funny

    Remember, this is only what a model predicts, unlike what the headline suggests.

    Lemme guess: they used the Quake II engine?

    --
    "A government is a body of people usually -- notably -- ungoverned." -Shepherd Book
  9. Re:GPS affected? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    A James Bond inch? How awesome!

  10. Will it affect global climate? by NotQuiteReal · · Score: 4, Funny

    Will it affect global climate?

    Yes - the days are shorter, therefore less sunlight per day, ergo - global cooling!

    --
    This issue is a bit more complicated than you think.
  11. Re:Did this affect climate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Q. What do all ice ages have in common?

    A. They never happened! That's what they have in common, they have all been concocted by scientists with an agenda to undermine scripture.

    And for all those who think that this earthquake wasn't caused by Man ... well it was! Fornication, homosexuality, feminism, democracy, drug-taking, violent video games, on-line porn, science, charity, freedom of speech, blashpemy, etc. etc. all these evils will not go unpunished!

  12. Re:Did this affect climate by Mitchell314 · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's the fault of both the parties, you sheeple!

    --
    I read TFA and all I got was this lousy cookie
  13. Re:I say everyone by derGoldstein · · Score: 5, Funny

    I wonder... Compare the total weight of the entire chinese population to the total weight of the entire population of the US. Who's heavier?

    --
    Entomologically speaking, the spider is not a bug, it's a feature.
  14. Re:I say everyone by H0p313ss · · Score: 4, Funny

    If the US jumped a microsecond after China then the US would act as the wall and the earth would bounce into the opposite top corner pocket, haven't you ever played pool before.

    Dude, you're doing it all wrong, you want to put ENGLISH on the ball.

    --
    XML is a known as a key material required to create SMD: Software of Mass Destruction
  15. Re:Did this affect climate by AGMW · · Score: 4, Funny

    Q. What do all ice ages have in common?

    A. They never happened! That's what they have in common, they have all been concocted by scientists with an agenda to undermine scripture.

    And for all those who think that this earthquake wasn't caused by Man ... well it was! Fornication, homosexuality, feminism, democracy, drug-taking, violent video games, on-line porn, science, charity, freedom of speech, blashpemy, etc. etc. all these evils will not go unpunished!

    Cool ... so how does this work then? Do we just pick our favourite 5 or something? OK ... give me a fornication, drug-taking, on-line porn, with a side of violent video games, and good God why not, throw in some blasphemy!

    --
    Eclectic beats from Leeds, UK
    handmadehands.co.uk
  16. Everyone stand up by caywen · · Score: 4, Funny

    I think if everyone in the world stands up and raises their arms for 10 seconds once per year, we can compensate for this.