The finding is linked to the strange, time-bending effects of Albert Einstein's theories of relativity, which for the first time have been shown to affect earthbound distances and time frames.

(Related: "Einstein's Gravity Confirmed on a Cosmic Scale.")

Specifically, Einstein's special theory of relativity predicts that time does not flow at a steady rate, and it can be affected by acceleration. As a result, a clock speeding away from an observer will appear to tick slower than a stationary clock.

This theory is the basis of a famous thought experiment known as the twin paradox, in which a twin sibling who travels on a fast-moving rocket ship would return home younger than the other twin.

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