Re: [LEAPSECS] Risks of change to UTC

From: Rob Seaman <seaman_at_noao.edu>
Date: Sat, 21 Jan 2006 16:48:14 -0700

On Jan 21, 2006, at 10:11 AM, M. Warner Losh wrote:

> Over generations, the problems with noon drifting to 1pm can
> trivially be solved by moving the timezones that civilian time uses.

Neither trivial or a solution - quadratic disaster still looms.

> Keeping universal time synchronized to an arbitrary meridian is
> already arbitrary.

The prime meridian is "conventional". It is not arbitrary, rather
the choice was responsive to any number of political, social,
historical, etc. issues.

> Implementing leap seconds in software is hard to get pedantically
> right

"Pedantically right" is an interesting phrase. A software design is
either right or it isn't.

> Even many ntp servers on the net got the leap second wrong

And many got it right. The world did not end.

> astronomers and celestial navigators are being selfish

Pointing out pedantic facts of nature is unremarkable behavior for
either scientists or sailors. Whether we're also selfish is immaterial.

Rob Seaman
NOAO
Received on Sat Jan 21 2006 - 15:48:21 PST