h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So it is not NASA trying to do a leap millisecond correction by rotating the Earth a little faster?

Oh, THAT'S what they were up to? They shouldn't have televised it.

Just checked the numbers.

The acceleration / deceleration (depending on thrust direction relative to the Earth's spin) generated by the two minute test, leads to only 5 femtoseconds (0.000000000000005 seconds) difference on a yearly basis. So I think we will be safe.

Although the torque value is massive, the mass of the Earth is definitely dominant in this equation.

I wonder if we could be more effective if all the cars in the world accelerated in the same rotational direction at the same time (East to slow down, West to speed up). I'll think about that later.

Hang on, just found out I missed one factor somewhere along the line.

It's 0.0000000000018 seconds per annum (1.8 picoseconds)

I suppose we'll survive - that, at any rate.

Maybe point the next test the other way, just to be sure.