Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

U.S. Moves to Kill Leap Seconds

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the time-to-kill dept.

blacklite001 writes "Not content with merely extending Daylight Savings Time, the U.S. government now also proposes to eliminate leap seconds, according to a Wall Street Journal story. Their proposal, 'made secretly to a United Nations body,' includes adding 'a "leap hour" every 500 to 600 years.' Hey, anyone remember the last bunch of people to mess with the calendar?"

3 of 601 comments (clear)

  1. More info by interiot · · Score: 5, Informative
    More info here, with geeky charts and stuff.
    over the past 30 years (coincidentally since the inception of leap seconds) the rotation of the earth's crust has accelerated. This acceleration is apparently due to changes of fluid circulation in the outer core of the earth. Historical investigations of earth rotation indicate that such accelerations are not unprecedented, and it should not be possible for the acceleration to continue for very many more years.
  2. Re:now correct me if im wrong by Daverd · · Score: 5, Informative

    Have they thought about redefining the length of a second

    The second is one of the fundamental units in the metric system. Many other units and constants are based on the second. For example, the speedometer in your car shows miles per hour, the speed of light is given in meters per second, etc. If we changed the value of the second, then either:
    a. We'd be forcing the world scientific community to relearn an entire set of new constants, or, more likely,
    b. There would be two definitions of the 'second', the US definition and the scientific definition.

    I don't think either of these is really what we want.

  3. Re:Hmm... by TykeClone · · Score: 5, Informative
    Powers granted to the Congress of the States:

    Section 8, Clause 5: To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures

    Time is a measure, therefore they actually do thave the authority to regulate it.

    --
    A fine is a tax you pay for doing wrong and a tax is a fine you pay for doing all right.