3.8 centimeters a year is a tiny retreat, yet you should not mistake it for trivia. The Moon is inching outward because tides do not merely slosh water; tidal friction turns some of Earth's rotational energy into heat. That drag transfers angular momentum to the lunar orbit. Slow. Measurable. Relentless.This is less a cosmic breakup than an accounting transfer. You can see the ledger in lunar lase...More