Category: Analysis

Source: The Conversation – UK – By James O’Donoghue, Research Associate Professor in Planetary Astronomy, Meteorology, University of Reading

Earth will complete a rotation 1.33 milliseconds earlier than usual on Tuesday, August 5. That makes it one of the shortest days of 2025 at 86,399.99867 seconds long. How that happens, and how we can even measure it with such precision, might make your head spin faster too.

On average, Earth physically rotates in 23 hours, 56 minutes, 4 seconds and 90.5 milliseconds – this is called a sidereal day. It is Earth’s “true” rotation relative to distant objects in deep space, like stars.

However, the kind of day most people go by is 24 hours long and that is called a solar day – it’s the time between two sunrises, or consecutive noons. The extra 4 minutes comes from the fact that Earth has to rotate 1 more degree, to 361 degrees, for the Sun to appear in the same place again.

Both kinds of day are slightly shorter on August 5 2025, largely due to what is happening with winds in Earth’s atmosphere, fluid circulation in the ocean and magma – and even the Moon’s gravitational pull.

Deviations from 24 hours have been accurately measured since the 1970s using atomic clocks and astronomy. Over the course of a year, these changes build up: in 1973, for example, the sum of deviations added up to +1,106 milliseconds, meaning that the Earth lagged behind in its rotation by just over a second. Leap seconds were introduced in the same year to correct for this, with one second added to the clock at the end of the day – 23:59:60.

Absurd levels of accuracy are needed in time-keeping. Global positioning systems (more commonly called GPS) can pinpoint where you are in space, that’s no problem. But if the planetary surface you are on has physically spun slightly faster or slower than expected that day, an uncorrected GPS won’t know that, and your position won’t match with your map.

A 1.33 millisecond deviation translates to a position error of about 62 cm at the equator, so 1973’s cumulative drift would have caused GPS errors of around half a kilometre if left uncorrected over the year.

Why doesn’t the Earth stay still?

To find out how fast the Earth is spinning at all, you need to find a reference frame in which, ideally, nothing is moving. Everything in space moves relative to everything else, but the farther we look, the more still things seem; just as distant hills appear to move slower while you’re on a train, and nearby farms rush by.

Luckily, there are objects so magnificently bright that they outshine entire galaxies. These are quasars, and they are visible across the universe from billions of light years away.

Quasars are supermassive blackholes up to billions of times the mass of our Sun, which emit between 100 and 10,000 times more light than our entire galaxy, the Milky Way. Quasars are detectable from billions of light years across the universe, where things are essentially stationary, so they act as cosmic beacons.

Radio telescopes measure our position relative to these, yielding values of Earth’s true rotation period to sub-millisecond accuracy.

Those ultra‑precise observations are also the starting point for computer models which include movements of the atmosphere, oceans, celestial motions and more to predict the length of day. This is how we know, in advance, when a day is shorter, and how to correct GPS as a result.

Winds in Earth’s atmosphere are the biggest influence on the length of each day as a result of their collisions with the land surface, particularly when they hit mountain ranges. Incredible as it may sound, wind actually slows the spin of the Earth this way.

Earth’s prevailing winds are fastest in the northern hemisphere winter, but slowest from June to August, so the summer months always bring the shortest days of the year (even though we tend to say these are the “longest” days in the northern hemisphere, because of their greater daylight duration).

These daily and seasonal changes are just short‑lived blips atop broader slowdowns. Over decades, the melting of the polar ice caps has been slowing the Earth’s rotation. To understand why, consider a spinning ballerina retracting their outstretched arms – they begin to spin much faster. A spinning ball, like Earth, is no different.

Earth is oblate, meaning the surface at the equator is 21.5 km farther from the centre of the planet than the surface at the poles. As climate change melts the polar ice caps, meltwater moves from the poles to the equator via the ocean. Rising sea levels mean water is farther from the surface, and just like the ballerina moving their arms back out, it aids Earth’s slowdown. Redistribution of Earth’s mass changes our rotation in similar ways, including by earthquakes.

The Moon, while beautiful, can be a huge drag over billions of years. Earth’s oceans are raised by the Moon’s gravity, but as the Earth rotates, the raised oceans are carried slightly ahead of the Moon in its orbit. But the Moon continues pulling on those oceans, dragging them backwards against the Earth’s anticlockwise rotation, which slows us down.

Earth’s rotational energy isn’t lost, it’s transferred to the Moon, which gains orbital speed and causes it to escape Earth’s gravity a little better – this is why it’s moving away from us at 3.8 cm a year. Our length of day has increased from 17 hours 2.5 billion years ago largely due to the Moon sapping Earth’s angular momentum over the eons.

Earth’s rotation has slowed every year from 1973 to 2020 (where precise measurements exist), with each year accumulating hundreds of milliseconds of lag, which has already been accounted for by adding 27 leap seconds. Things changed from 2020 – the Earth started spinning faster instead of slower every year, probably the result of angular momentum exchange between the Earth’s core and mantle, but modulated by the numerous other motions we’ve explored.

July 5, July 22 and August 5 were singled out as some of this year’s fastest days far in advance, because on top of the Earth’s internal motions and seasonal quirks in atmospheric winds, the Moon’s position in orbit also slows the Earth twice per orbit (every two weeks). This is because when the Moon is directly above the equator, all of its tidal drag acts east to west, but on these dates, it is positioned farthest north and south, weakening that effect.

You won’t notice the sunrise arrive 1.33 milliseconds sooner, but to precision atomic clocks, quasar‐referenced astronomical measurements, it will be obvious.

James O’Donoghue receives funding from the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).

– ref. Why on Earth is the planet’s day getting shorter? – https://theconversation.com/why-on-earth-is-the-planets-day-getting-shorter-260946

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sabrina Fitzsimons, Co-Director of DCU CREATE (Centre for Collaborative Research Across Teacher Education), Lecturer in Education, Dublin City University

Tense, overworked employees everywhere will recognise the features of burnout: exhaustion, depersonalisation (feeling detached from others or yourself in the workplace) and a reduced sense of personal accomplishment. It happens when chronic workplace stress isn’t managed appropriately.

At the other end of the stress spectrum is rustout. You may well have experienced it. This is when employees become bored, apathetic and unmotivated, often doing the minimum necessary work. This can result in them procrastinating, browsing social media or looking for something more stimulating elsewhere.

Rustout is mental and emotional decline caused by repetitive, mundane tasks and ongoing professional stagnation. Unlike burnout, which results from work overload, rustout arises from underutilisation and a lack of stimulating work.

It can be amplified when a workplace values efficiency and meeting specific outcomes over professional engagement, leaving people feeling invisible or replaceable. In other words, it occurs when people are not challenged enough.

It may sound like a strange complaint to those who would love to think about work a little bit less. But in the long run, it has the potential to lead to career dissatisfaction and may have an impact on mental health.

Yet, within many occupations, rustout remains an unspoken issue. Perhaps this is due to an unofficial expectation that work is supposed to be boring.

Our research explored rustout in a particular profession: teacher educators. These are university lecturers who teach trainee teachers. We surveyed 154 teacher educators and carried out follow-up interviews with 14 of them.

While most described enjoying their work and its variety, we found an undercurrent of symptoms and experiences indicative of rustout. We believe our findings may have resonance with other occupational settings.

Rustout may sound a bit like the social media trend of quiet quitting. However, the teacher educators we spoke to were not deliberately stepping back from their duties or plotting their exit. In fact, they remained highly committed to their students – making their situation even more frustrating.

They often saw it as a vocation and took pride in guiding new teachers into the profession. Many spoke of the joy it was possible to find in their work and the many brilliant, inspiring young people they had helped to nurture. However, some had lost this enthusiasm.

Ever-growing piles of paperwork forced their focus away from what they enjoyed. Crucially, there was a sense that it was no longer the job they had signed up for.

Focus on teacher educators

Teacher educators in higher education balance multiple responsibilities: teaching, supervising their students’ teaching placements, mentoring, and extensive administrative work. These demands leave little space for engagement with research, which is increasingly valued in metrics-driven universities.

We found that the bureaucratisation of higher education in Ireland and the UK has led to excessive paperwork, compliance tasks, and constant system changes. One teacher educator told us: “A good 70% of my workload now is almost just admin, which is very depressing.”

Combined, these can leave little time for the more creative or professionally enriching aspects of the role, such as curriculum design, teaching or research. “I often feel I have produced nothing at the end of the week, and there is no sense of development,” one said.

Rustout can also occur when there is a misalignment between professional aspirations and job demands. For example, in our study, some highly qualified teacher educators with significant experience in research, leadership and teaching felt dragged down by repetitive, low-value tasks rather than work that aligned with their expertise.

As one said: “People can be pigeon-holed into a role, and they are left in that comfort zone rather than being challenged or invited to try something that might stimulate or get the creative juices flowing.” Some may be happy to sit with rustout for some time, but being stuck in this situation can lead to professional dissatisfaction.

Restricted professional growth can lead to feelings of rustout. This includes limited opportunities for career mobility, rigid structures, and a lack of workplace career support.

If employees are seen as a “safe pair of hands” who can keep the operation moving, their professional satisfaction is not addressed. “The conversation doesn’t happen; it’s just ‘Did you get the job done’,” one teacher educator said. “It’s not about work satisfaction; you are lucky to have your job.”

Hidden costs of rustout

Rustout has both personal and institutional consequences. On an individual level, it leads to disengagement, apathy and reduced motivation. One said they were “functioning without thriving,” with repetitive tasks eroding their sense of purpose.

Many teacher educators said they were unable to discuss dissatisfaction due to workplace culture and performance expectations. “Rustout exists in teacher education. Absolutely. However, I have no experience of ever having a conversation with anyone around it,” one said.

This may be because it suits everyone not to talk about it. Nothing is being rocked when staff are working and doing their jobs. This silence benefits institutions in the short term, since it maintains stability and delays difficult conversations. However, in the long term, it can contribute to retention issues, a negative workplace culture and possibly reduced innovation.

We believe rustout should be put on the mental health agenda in workplaces, just as burnout is. Employers must acknowledge that the wellbeing of their employees is integral to overall success.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Feeling unstimulated and apathetic at work? You might be experiencing rustout – https://theconversation.com/feeling-unstimulated-and-apathetic-at-work-you-might-be-experiencing-rustout-260837

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Kim Sherwood, Lecturer in Creative Writing, University of Edinburgh

Our hero is on his way to confront danger, feign love and give away a little of his soul. As he takes a long plane journey over Europe into enemy territory, he reflects on what his younger self would make of him now: “Would he recognise himself beneath the surface of this man who was tarnished with years of treachery and ruthlessness and fear?”

You would be forgiven for imagining these as the thoughts of Thomas Shelby, screenwriter Steven Knight’s war hero-turned-Peaky Blinders gang leader. Or the meditations of Viggo Mortensen’s Russian mobster with a heart of gold in Knight’s 2007 film, Eastern Promises.

In fact, this is a passage from Ian Fleming’s fifth James Bond novel, From Russia With Love (1957) – a favourite read of another conflicted, powerful man, John F. Kennedy.

Like Bond, Knight’s protagonists are intelligent, charming, witty, courageous, withdrawn and ruthless – scarred by violence with a seam of cold anger. It is this crosscurrent that makes Knight such a strong pick as the scribe for Bond’s next cinematic incarnation, expected to be released in 2028.

If you’ve not read Fleming before, you might be surprised by Bond’s self-reflection and melancholy here – a strand throughout the books which we saw manifest most significantly on screen during Daniel Craig’s tenure. It’s something I am confident Knight will bring to the screen with crackling intensity, and which I have explored in my own Double O trilogy.

As a lifelong Bond fan, it was a dream come true when the Ian Fleming Estate commissioned me to write a trilogy of novels expanding the world of 007. My mission was to introduce new “Double O” agents.

In Double or Nothing (2022), Bond has gone missing and Moneypenny – now chief of the Double O Section, in the world’s most overdue promotion – doesn’t know if he’s been captured or even killed. In the sequel A Spy Like Me (2024), a rogue Johanna Harwood (003) infiltrates the lion’s den to rescue 007. In the final novel, Hurricane Room, out in May 2026, Bond returns as the Double O agents make their last stand.

The Hurricane Room title comes from the same chapter of From Russia With Love, as Bond’s plane experiences turbulence. As “lighting flung its hands across the windows”, Bond draws on the image of the hurricane room:

In the centre of Bond was a hurricane room, the kind of citadel found in old-fashioned houses in the tropics … To this cell the owner and his family retire if the storm threatens to destroy the house, and they stay there until the danger is past. Bond went to his hurricane room only when the situation was beyond his control, and no other possible action could be taken.

I read From Russia With Love aged 12. It was my first Bond novel and I fell in love with this hero whose inner resources keep him from ever giving up. This is also a quality that Knight unpacks beautifully with the dangerous but soulful Tommy Shelby – probably the only gangster to get a Rambert dance treatment (the series has been adapted into a ballet by the British dance company).

Creating icons

An icon is recognisable by eye. We know Bond by a series of images – the tuxedo, the martini, his Walther PPK pistol – just as we know Shelby by his extreme fade, club collar and peak lapels.

But if a character is as flat as a religious icon, they can’t grow or evolve. That’s not the case with Shelby, who we’ve seen grow with Cillian Murphy over a decade, or Bond, who has evolved with us for seven decades and as many actors. Knight can give us a Bond who is both iconic and human.

Another shared strand between Fleming and Knight is the deliberate use of national myth. Fleming set Bond up as a symbol of Britain. When the villains of From Russia With Love want a scandal that will destroy Britain, they look for a symbol: “Of course, most of their strength lies in myth – in the myth of Scotland Yard, of Sherlock Holmes, of the Secret Service… Myths are built on heroic deeds and heroic people. Have they no such men?” And the reply: “There is a man called Bond.”

Fleming then spends the book destroying him. But Bond’s power as a symbol has endured, exemplified in the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony as Daniel Craig, using all the magic of the movies, parachuted in with the Queen.

In Peaky Blinders, Knight takes totemic images from our national consciousness, such as the trenches in the first world war, the Houses of Parliament and Birmingham’s industrial past. But he also gives us the wider picture, from working-class veterans with PTSD to Italian, Jewish and Black families, and women struggling for independence. It’s this refreshing look at our identity that promises Knight’s take on Bond as a symbol will be just as fascinating as Fleming’s.

When Fleming first sat down to write Bond, he told a friend: “I am going to write the spy story to end all spy stories.” He certainly revolutionised the genre, but it wasn’t the end, only the beginning.

It’s been my honour to write in this universe, and I can’t wait to see where Knight takes it next. James Bond Will Return.

This article features references to books that have been included for editorial reasons, and may contain links to bookshop.org. If you click on one of the links and go on to buy something from bookshop.org The Conversation UK may earn a commission.

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Kim Sherwood does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. I write James Bond novels – here’s why Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight will bring a crackling new intensity to 007 – https://theconversation.com/i-write-james-bond-novels-heres-why-peaky-blinders-creator-steven-knight-will-bring-a-crackling-new-intensity-to-007-262547

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dan Baumgardt, Senior Lecturer, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol

Does anyone else think we’ve all become a bit too protein-obsessed? Once upon a time, we got our protein from meat, fish, dairy and pulses. Now it seems like every consumable product comes loaded with it — from energy bars to protein-packed cereals and baked goods.

I’m surprised no one’s thought of stirring it into their tea for a boost. Oh wait, they have.

That’s not to say I’m anti-protein. Far from it. Protein plays an essential role in body functions such as growth, immunity and digestion. It’s important that we get enough of it each day.

But the million-dollar questions we should be asking are: how much do we actually need? When is it too much, or too little? And where should we be getting it from?

Protein is one of the three macronutrients we need in the largest amounts – the others being carbohydrates and fats. Micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals are important too, but they’re needed in much smaller quantities — typically milligrams, or even micrograms.

Protein is involved in a huge range of physiological processes. It’s of course crucial for muscle growth and repair. Bodybuilders looking for an Adonis (or Amazonian) physique often consume large amounts alongside strength training. But protein isn’t just about muscles – it’s a core structural material for bone, skin, hair and nails too.

It also plays vital roles inside the body. It allows muscles to contract, makes up digestive and metabolic enzymes, and is a key component of haemoglobin (which carries oxygen), ferritin (which stores iron) and antibodies (which fight infection).

But remember: protein doesn’t work in isolation. Our bodies also rely on carbohydrates and fats — providing short and long-term energy sources that are just as important.

Carbohydrates provide four calories of energy per gram, and fats proide nine calories per gram. While protein can also be used as an energy source – also producing four calories per gram – carbs are more accessible for tissues to use rapidly. And crucially, building muscle also requires fuel. So, if your diet is too low in carbohydrates, your muscle gains may stall and you may find yourself depleted of energy.

In general, protein is filling and can help reduce snacking. And too little protein can be harmful. Protein deficiency can occur due to inadequate diet, eating disorders, or conditions such as cancer, Crohn’s, or liver disease. Symptoms include fatigue, muscle wasting and a weakened immune system.

Because protein also helps regulate fluid balance in the body, a deficiency can lead to swelling or oedema. In severe cases, as seen in some developing countries, the condition kwashiorkor — marked by a swollen belly — can result from inadequate protein intake.

How much?

It can sometimes be difficult to work out how much protein you should be eating each day, especially when different sources give variable advice.

A good starting point is to consider your overall energy requirements. Government recommendations suggest that up to 35% of your daily calories should come from fat, and up to 50% from carbohydrates. That leaves a minimum of 15% for protein — which for someone on a 2,500-calorie diet works out to about 95g of protein per day.

Another calculation accounts for your body size too, giving a value more specific to the individual. Around 0.8g protein per kilogram of body weight for a sedentary adult is advised.

For athletes and bodybuilders – who often aim for around 2g per kilogram — this can mean as much as 200g of protein a day. And that’s hard to achieve through regular food alone. For context, 30 eggs contain 200g of protein, as does 2.5kg of cooked beans. Certain foods have more protein (like the go-to chicken breast), though the overall volume of food required can still be high.

That’s where protein powder often comes in — usually offering 20g–30g of protein per scoop – as supplementation. It’s absolutely fine to incorporate some powder or shakes into a healthy diet alongside wholefoods, which are the best protein sources. But it’s important to set limits – and avoid the temptation to go overboard.

Too much

Is it possible to be taking on too much protein? The answer is yes, if you’re regularly consuming more than your body needs.

Excess protein is broken down and excreted through the kidneys, which may cause dehydration and place additional strain on renal function. Unused protein can also be converted into fat, potentially leading to weight gain. High-protein diets are sometimes associated with gastrointestinal side effects such as bloating, diarrhoea and bad breath.

And while many high-protein foods are healthier, others (such as red or processed meats) may also be high in saturated fat, which can increase the risk of serious conditions like heart disease.

So yes — protein is essential, but balance is key. Your daily needs depend on your body size, activity levels and general health. Consider your goals: are you aiming to maintain a certain weight, or looking to lose fat or gain muscle? Some starting points are:

• aim for at least 0.8g protein per kilogram of body mass daily
• balance it with adequate carbs and fats
• prioritise wholefood sources over protein supplements where possible
• increase your intake responsibly if you’re training hard or trying to gain muscle
• but be cautious with too high, sustained intakes — these may do more harm than good.

As someone who could do with a wee bit more in his own diet, I’m off to try that protein-in-my-tea trick. Wish me luck.

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Dan Baumgardt does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. How much protein do you really need? Too much or too little can be harmful – https://theconversation.com/how-much-protein-do-you-really-need-too-much-or-too-little-can-be-harmful-261211