With the invention of cesium atomic clocks in 1955, time measurement became perfect, accurate by even a millionth of a second. However, the Earth’s rotation speed around its axis is constantly changing due to ocean currents, molten core and natural forces.
Our planet, which has historically slowed down, has unexpectedly begun to accelerate in the last decade. When the difference between the atomic clocks, which ensured the perfect flow of time, and the Earth’s real time, which slowed down or accelerated, increased, an extra 1 second was added or subtracted from the clocks.
TECHNOLOGICAL CRISIS WILL BE PREVENTED
This extra second applied in the past caused minutes to last 61 seconds, causing giant platforms such as Reddit and LinkedIn to crash, flights to be delayed, and global communication networks to lock down.
Experts stated that as the Earth accelerates, the risk of “missing second” applications, which have never been tested, may lead to greater disasters in technological systems. With the new decision taken at the conference in Versailles, the clocks will no longer be moved every minute and will not be intervened until the difference between universal time and real time reaches one hour.
Officials emphasize that, given the Earth’s current rotation rate, it could take thousands of years to implement the first leap clock.
WILL THIS CHANGE AFFECT OUR DAILY LIFE?
Although this radical decision taken by international authorities will radically change the global time system, it will not directly affect the people on the street or their daily routines. When you wake up tomorrow morning, the time on your smartphone, wristwatch or computer will not have changed automatically; You will not experience being late or early for work, school or appointments.
Because this regulation concerns not the mechanism of the atomic clocks themselves, which maintain their flow without error of a millionth of a second, but the technical time adjustments made in the background of this huge system to protect the internet infrastructures, global stock markets, satellite communications and airline networks. Therefore, while time continues to flow for billions of people, the real revolution will only take place in the invisible digital world.
