Scientists have determined that Earth's rotation is gradually slowing, primarily due to gravitational interactions with the Moon. Currently, a day lasts about 23 hours and 56 minutes, but this could extend to 25 hours in approximately 200 million years. The slowing is attributed to the friction caused by tidal forces, which also causes the Moon to drift away from Earth by about 3.8 cm annually. Although the increase in day length is just 2.3 milliseconds per century, it accumulates over time, potentially resulting in a significant time discrepancy by the end of the millennium. Factors such as climate change and the redistribution of Earth's mass also contribute to this slowing. NASA's Surendra Adhikari notes that human-induced climate changes have begun to affect the planet's rotational dynamics, marking a notable shift since 2000. This highlights the interconnectedness of Earth's systems and the long-term consequences of climate change.