It is essentially impossible to functionally change the passing of time on Earth; despite this, NASA has announced that a man-made structure in China has done exactly that.

China's Three Gorges Dam has effectively changed Earth's axis by nearly an inch since it was built nearly 18 years ago, causing our days to lengthen ever so slightly. Construction on the massive dam began in 1994, and it took over a decade before the project was completed in 2006. It transformed the Yangtze River into a 10 trillion-gallon reservoir that generates an average of 0.54 TWh of electricity a day, enough to power 5.4 million households for one month.

While the dam is a marvel of engineering, it has also triggered surprising consequences on Earth’s spin, a feat most scientists had previously thought impossible.

The 10 trillion gallons of water the dam holds back add weight to Earth's crust above sea level, redistributing mass inside the planet and affecting the moment of inertia. Scientists at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center have confirmed that the added weight caused Earth’s rotation axis to shift approximately two centimeters, or about three-quarters of an inch.

While three-quarters of an inch may not seem like a lot compared to Earth's massive size, in terms of planetary physics, it is significant. Earth's rotation slows down slightly as more mass moves away from its axis.

This effect echoes natural events like the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which shifted the Earth's axis and shortened the day by a few microseconds due to tectonic movements. The Three Gorges Dam shows just how much human activity can affect Earth's rotation compared to natural disasters.

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The dam, a marvel of modern engineering, rivals the electrical outputs of some countries and reduces China's dependency on fossil fuels for electricity generation. It also plays a key role in flood control in the region. But it came at a horrible cost, as 1.2 million people were displaced as a result of the dam's construction. The flooded region stretches about 370 miles, submerging ecosystems that developed over centuries and dramatically altering the landscape.

Research, including a 2010 study published in Geophysical Research Letters, asserts that megaprojects such as the Three Gorges Dam can profoundly impact the subtle shifts in Earth's balance.

Many experts call for careful consideration of environmental and geophysical impacts before embarking on similar projects.