zOwie Omega Discussion Forum

Subject: Drought Slows Venezuelan Clocks

Venezuela losing time --literally
Clocks lose 150 seconds a day due to power shortage
If you thought Venezuelas political crisis seemed to be dragging for an
impossibly long time --you were right. In a bizarre mass-malfunction,
Venezuelas clocks are ticking too slowly due to a power shortage weakening
the electric current nationwide. By the end of each day, the sluggish time
pieces still have another 150 seconds to tick before they catch up to
midnight.

The river powering a major hydroelectric plant in southeast Venezuela lost
force due to a severe drought in February 2001. To prevent blackouts, the
country slightly lowered the frequency of the current. For common quartz
clocks, the slight drop in frequency slows the vibration of the crystal
that regulates time keeping, he said, adding, "People must be going nuts."

COMPLETE STORY:
http://www.msnbc.com/news/878368.asp?0cv=TB10