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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?"

7 of 601 comments (clear)

  1. Why? by Shark · · Score: 0, Troll

    ... 'cause we've got the bomb!

    Disclaimer: This refering to a quote, don't 'troll' me because you don't know Denis Leary.

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    Mind the frickin' laser...
  2. Re:Leap Minute by slashjunkie · · Score: 0, Troll

    This reminds me of the space probe NASA lost due to confusion over metric/imperial measurements - http://www.space.com/news/orbiter_error_990930.htm l Do we really trust America to mess with standards?

  3. Re:now correct me if im wrong by L0C0loco · · Score: 0, Troll

    Logistically, it is a nightmare the way it is. Operation of space-based assets is a particular problem. Many of them need millisecond (if not microsecond) clock accuracy for pointing and position information. These usually feed data into custom software that can be quite old. In some cases the systems are old enough that the source code may not exist. Workarounds are a pain to implement. It should be pretty safe to assume that adding a leap hour 500 years from now won't have these problems.

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    -- Instant Karma's gonna get you! [320848 = 2*2*2*2*11*1823]
  4. No Problem by Ed+Almos · · Score: 0, Troll

    When I navigate using a compass (yes, some of us still do) I need to know the difference between magnetic north and true north. This figure is either subtracted or added to my compass bearing so that I get to my destination.

    All the astronomers need to do is know the difference between UTC and the true time then either add or subtract it. I'm sure that this could be done within the software that manages the positioning of the telescope.

    Ed Almos
    Budapest, Hungary

    --
    The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws. - Tacitus, 56-120 A.D.
  5. Lemme guess... by radtea · · Score: 0, Troll

    Hey, anyone remember the last bunch of people to mess with the calendar?

    Withouth bothering to follow the link, I'd guess that'd be the Committee for Public Safety, yes?

    What a nice, anti-terrorist sound that name has.

    --
    Blasphemy is a human right. Blasphemophobia kills.
  6. Year of the Stupid by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 0, Troll

    In other news, Bush thinks that "pi = 3" is "close enough for Jesus".

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    make install -not war

  7. Why do we care? by MrIcee · · Score: 0, Troll
    First, note, I *DO* work for one of the worlds largest telescopes... that said...

    My view on all this DST and Leap Second arguement is... let them, why the hell do we care?

    So what if the ignorant Bush Administration wants to change time - is there going to be a penalty if we ignore them? Let them have their own time standard - fine. Who the fuck cares. We'll simply go on using the RIGHT and PROPER time, not some stupid time made-up by politicians who are only swayed by lavish gifts from special intrest groups.

    What, are the FBI going to break down our doors and haul us off for using the wrong time?

    This is the thing I don't get... nobody is going to FORCE us to change the time of our computers or our telescopes. What, is there now going to be a little winding button on our atomic clocks so we can 'adjust' them to match BUSH TIME? I don't think so.