The rate of spin has slowed as tidal forces steal energy from the earth, and leap seconds have been added to maintain accuracy, 27 of them between 1972 and 2016. But the movement of the earth's liquid core has counteracted that recently, and for the first time, a negative leap 2nd may be required, skipping a moment rather than adding one
Pop. Crazy to think about that. I heard somebody else talking about it online the other day, but it's pretty fascinating to think that we can just add a second and take a second, that all the systems, all the computers all over the place can just adhere to it and no one's really off. I mean, a second's not too far off, right? But nonetheless, fascinating concept to think that we've, you know, added 20 seconds in the last however many years