The Latest Breaking News from Patrizia Tavella

Earth is starting to spin faster — and scientists are considering doing something unprecedented

Two days this summer have been unusually short, with the shortest expected on Aug. 5, leading global timekeepers to consider adding a negative leap second.

LiveScience · Jul 24, 2025

Climate change is delaying world clocks' need for a 'negative leap second'

We're nearing a year when a negative leap second could be needed to shave time — an unprecedented step that would have unpredictable effects, a new study says.

WEKU · Mar 30, 2024

Climate Change Is Messing With How We Measure Time: Study

Struggle to wrap your head around daylight savings? If the need for an "unprecedented" negative leap second was delayed, that would be "welcome news indeed," Patrizia Tavella, the head of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures, which is responsible for UTC, commented in Nature.

International Business Times · Mar 28, 2024