Leap Second: It's Time is Up

Environmental & Science Education, STEM, Nature of Science, History of Science

Ed Hessler

Keeping two measurements in sync - atomic time and the Earth's rotation - has included adding a second of time to one of them. They are called leap seconds.

A decision has been made that from 2035, adding the second "will be put on hold." Elizabeth Gibney writing for the journal Nature tells us about the decision, the implications of the added second, Russian technical issues with a satellite-navigation system, the possibility of having to remove a second from the "clock," how the plans might be stymied, and possible different solutions.

Getting these two times in sync with one another is complicated because the earth's rotation varies, "although in the long term Earth's rotation shows due to the pull of Moon (and) a speed-up has also made the issue more pressing.

Interesting article on the nature and history of science. Take a look.