Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Vote To Eliminate Leap Seconds

Posted by kdawson on from the making-y2k-look-like-a-walk-in-the-park dept.

Mortimer.CA writes "As discussed on Slashdot previously, there is a proposal to remove leap seconds from UTC (nee 'Greenwich' time). It will be put to a vote to ITU member states during 2008, and if 70% agree, the leap second will be eliminated by 2013. There is some debate as to whether this change is a good or bad idea. The proposal calls for a 'leap-hour' in about 600 years, which nobody seems to believe is a good idea. One philosophical point opponents make is that the 'official' time on Earth should match the time of the sun and heavens."

4 of 531 comments (clear)

  1. They have to add a leap something, sometime by revengebomber · · Score: 1, Redundant

    I propose that we add another year every 5 million years. Or better yet, another decade every 50 million years.

    Or, why don't we just redefine the second to deal with all of this in the first place?

    --
    09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
    45 5F E1 04 22 CA 29 C4 93 3F 95 05 2B 79 2A B2
  2. Re:Metric time? by 1u3hr · · Score: 0, Redundant
    We used to have 120 pence to the pound in the UK. Much simpler when divvying up the bill at restaurants.

    No you didn't. And that you can't remember the correct number shows that it wasn't as simple as you fondly believe.

  3. Very bad idea. by Spc01 · · Score: 0, Redundant

    I think this is very bad idea since all the clocks will be inaccuare within 1 hour in next 600 years.. Inaccuracy will rise and rise..

  4. why not adjust... by OneSmartFellow · · Score: 0, Redundant

    the value of hours minutes and seconds, so that we don't have to have the leaps in the first place. Solve the problem: a day is not 24 hours.