#533 | The Science of Leap Years

<p><strong> </strong></p><br><p>Leap years help keep our calendars in sync with Earth's orbit, but have you ever wondered why we need them? </p> <br> <p>In this episode, we explore the history of leap years, covering early human calendars, Julius Caesar's reforms, and the adjustments introduced by Pope Gregory XIII.</p> <br> <ul> <li>Why do we need leap years? </li> <li>Earth's orbit and the solar year explained </li> <li>How the first calendars were created </li> <li>Egyptian and Roman calendar systems </li> <li>The Julian calendar's introduction of leap years </li> <li>Inaccuracies in Caesar's calendar calculations </li> <li>The Gregorian calendar and its leap-year rule </li> <li>Challenges in adopting the Gregorian calendar </li> <li>Alternative calendar systems proposed over time </li> <li>The impossibility of changing Earth's orbit for an exact year</li> </ul> <br> Full interactive transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: <a href="https://www.l...