# If earth slowed down today. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 5, 2003, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-earth-slowed-down-today/152971 "2003-02-05T16:43:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![yme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/35a633/32.png) [@yme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yme)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-earth-slowed-down-today/152971/1 "2003-02-05T16:43:25Z")
If it did, I don’t think we’d all fall of or anything. But consider: If our earth suddenly did slow down to say a 35 hour day, would our bodies compensate for it? Would we still spend a 1/3 of our day sleeping? Or would we still sleep the average (8 +/-) hours? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-earth-slowed-down-today/152971/2 "2003-02-05T23:09:13Z")
Humans and all other animals on earth have evolved to adapt to the current 24-hour day over thousands or millions of generations. (The day was somewhat shorter in the past, and is still lengthening by tiny amounts all the time.) We could try to compensate, but we’re literally not built for it. New animals would have to evolve that would consider this normal. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-earth-slowed-down-today/152971/3 "2003-02-06T00:26:18Z")
I think one could test this pretty easily in a contained environment like a nuclear submarine. You add a few minutes a day to the light/dark cycle. My personal opinion is that people could adapt pretty well to this. I have absolutely no facts to back this up. ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-earth-slowed-down-today/152971/4 "2003-02-06T01:16:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by yojimboguy \* > \*\*I have absolutely no facts to back this up. \*\* _lol_ That is a great disclaimer, put so bluntly. I have to agree, though, that I doubt it would be a matter of not being able to cope with a longer day. I’d imagine the sheer quantities of stimulants we consume on a daily basis does more to throw our systems out of whack than a 25 hour day could. the real question, I’d imagine, would be climate. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-earth-slowed-down-today/152971/5 "2003-02-06T01:18:38Z")
Actually, this isn’t the forum for my opinion. I’m not sure there is a factual answer to this or not. Perhaps it would be better of in the IMHO forum. ---
**Author:** ![X\_Slayer\_ALE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bbe5ce/32.png) [@X\_Slayer\_ALE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X_Slayer_ALE)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-earth-slowed-down-today/152971/6 "2003-02-06T01:37:21Z")
Well this would certainly prove or disprove evolution. \*Those that can adapt will survive and continue their genetic superiority. Those that cant will die and leave more room for the superior species. Ergo: Evolution works. \*If Everything died because the day is out of whack, evolution is bunk. Please note that there are people in alaska that have 6 month days and 6 month nights. It doesnt seem to bother them any. Plants grow during dark periods and gather energy and food during the day. Their rate of growth is dependent on the length of time to grow and how much energy (and food) was stored. A shift in day length wont bother them either. ---
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-earth-slowed-down-today/152971/7 "2003-02-06T01:46:28Z")
I remember reading (sorry, no cite) about cavers that spend a long period of time underground where the length of the day is totally arbitrary. IIRC, they adapted in a fairly short time to a 25-26 hour day. ---
**Author:** ![flex727](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@flex727](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flex727)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-earth-slowed-down-today/152971/8 "2003-02-06T02:25:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by yojimboguy \* > \*\*Actually, this isn’t the forum for my opinion. I’m not sure there is a factual answer to this or not. Perhaps it would be better of in the IMHO forum. \*\* I think there really is a factual answer to this question. I recall, but have no cite, an experiment where a volunteer was placed in a room with no clues to external time and observed for a lengthy period of time. My recollection is that the person gradually shifted to a 28-30 hour day. There was some sense that we are naturally adapted to a near 30 hour day, but why that should be is not known. Personally, I would love a 30 hour day. I think it would be pleasant to have the work/play/sleep segments be 10 hours each instead of 8. ---
**Author:** ![CuriousCanuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@CuriousCanuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CuriousCanuck)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-earth-slowed-down-today/152971/9 "2003-02-06T03:25:45Z")
[hijack] > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SandyHook \* > \*\*I remember reading (sorry, no cite) about cavers that spend a long period of time underground where the length of the day is totally arbitrary. IIRC, they adapted in a fairly short time to a 25-26 hour day. \*\* I read that the first time and saw _I remember reading (sorry, no cite) about cadavers_ and thought you were being a smart ass… I need sleep. Though it was funny 🙂 [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-earth-slowed-down-today/152971/10 "2003-02-06T06:01:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by yme \* > **If it did, I don’t think we’d all fall of or anything.** We would not fall off, but we might have one hell of a backlash. It would be the same as traveling very fast and then slowing down considerably. I don’t have a clue as to how to figure it out. There might be considerable damage, then maybe not. It would be more than saying “Hey why hasn’t the sun gone down yet?” ---
**Author:** ![hammerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@hammerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammerbach)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-earth-slowed-down-today/152971/11 "2003-02-06T06:36:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by X~Slayer(ALE) \* > \*\*Well this would certainly prove or disprove evolution. > > \*Those that can adapt will survive and continue their genetic superiority. Those that cant will die and leave more room for the superior species. Ergo: Evolution works. > > \*If Everything died because the day is out of whack, evolution is bunk. … \*\* HUH? You ARE kidding, right?