"Melting Polar Ice Slows Earth's Rotation, Prompting Time Adjustment"

Earth's rotation is speeding up, potentially requiring a "negative leap second" to be subtracted from world clocks around 2029, due to the planet rotating faster than before. This unprecedented situation is attributed to the melting of ice at the poles counteracting the Earth's increased speed. The discrepancy between astronomical and atomic time, caused by the Earth's varying rotation rate, has led to the need for leap seconds to be added periodically. However, the prospect of subtracting a second poses challenges for computer systems and timekeepers, prompting tech companies to implement their own solutions. While some experts believe a negative leap second will be necessary, others argue that predicting long-term trends in Earth's rotation is uncertain.