Tag

Leap Minute

All articles tagged with #leap minute

science-and-technology2 years ago

The Changing Definition of Time: Earth's Leap Minute and the Future of Seconds

A leading time scientist, Judah Levine, suggests introducing a leap minute to align the Earth's two official clocks, the Universal Time clock and the atomic clock, which currently require leap seconds to stay synchronized. Levine believes that allowing a slight deviation between the clocks could enable the addition of a leap minute every 50 years, providing a more manageable solution. However, industries relying on precise time, such as flight control and stock trading, may face challenges. Some tech companies have already developed their own methods to manage time variations, while a planned 100-year pause on the leap second in 2035 requires global agreement.

science-and-technology2 years ago

"Preparing for the Leap Second: Is Humanity Ready for the Next Big Step?"

Delegations from around the world will gather in Dubai to discuss the issue of reconciling two different ways of keeping time: Universal Time (UT1) based on Earth's rotation, and International Atomic Time (TAI) based on cesium atoms. The divergence between these two times has created a headache for technology companies and timekeepers, leading to the proposal of a new solution called the leap minute. This would involve syncing the clocks less frequently, allowing atomic time to diverge from astronomical time for 60 seconds or longer. The proposal will be discussed at the upcoming international conference, but consensus among all attending nations, including Russia, is required for any change to be implemented.