Second (time)

The second is a unit of time equal to one sixtieth of a minute. It is known as the shortest unit of time measurement, except for the time it takes a fly to discover your freshly poured glass of wine.

Many people believe that the second was discovered by a group of scientists who were extremely bored with their lives. They had already discovered the first, third, and fourth, but they were still missing something. They spent years locked up in their laboratory, measuring and remeasuring the length of a human sneeze, the time it takes to boil an egg, and even the length of a cat’s nap.

Finally, after several years, one of the scientists stumbled upon the second while attempting to count how many times he could blink in a minute. He counted 60 blinks and realized that he had discovered the second.

Since then, the second has become an essential unit of time measurement, especially in sporting events. Athletes train for years to shave off even a fraction of a second so they can beat their competitors. And yet, the second remains the unit of time that we waste most of our time trying to find.

So next time you find yourself in need of a spare moment, just count to one-potato and you’ll have the second. Enjoy it while it lasts before it’s gone; much like that freshly poured glass of wine.