Re: [LEAPSECS] BBC radio Crowd Science

[John Sauter]

On Sat, 2017-01-28 at 20:56 +, Michael.Deckers. via LEAPSECS wrote:
> 
> On 2017-01-28 17:33, Steve Allen wrote:
> > BBC radio Crowd Science took a listener question about
> > What is the Real Time?
> > and produced a half hour tour that included three atomic Time Lords
> > Whibberley, Matsakis, and Arias.
> > http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04q778b
> > and concluded pretty much saying that we have a choice.
> 
> Thanks for that link!
> 
> I find it remarkable that Arias in effect stated
> that the discontinuities of the difference TAI - UTC
> happen at the beginning of leap seconds, so that
> positive leap seconds are labeled as the second
> 59th seconds of a minute. Neither the ITU definition
> of UTC nor the IERS bulletins about leap seconds
> specify that detail, unfortunately.

She prefers to label the leap second as a second 23:59:59, but the UTC
definition calls it 23:59:60.

> She is also stated to call leap seconds a
> "dangerous thing" -- as soon as this is
> substantiated (such as by a loss of health
> connected with a computer misinterpretation
> of leap seconds) it will be a powerful argument
> for their abolition.
> 
> Michael Deckers.

I would not blame leap seconds but the programmer who did not properly
test for leap seconds when developing his software.  Leap seconds have
been around for over 30 years, so it isn't like they are a new
requirement.
John Sauter (john_sau...@systemeyescomputerstore.com)

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Re: [LEAPSECS] BBC radio Crowd Science

[Michael.Deckers. via LEAPSECS]

   On 2017-01-28 17:33, Steve Allen wrote:

BBC radio Crowd Science took a listener question about
What is the Real Time?
and produced a half hour tour that included three atomic Time Lords
Whibberley, Matsakis, and Arias.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04q778b
and concluded pretty much saying that we have a choice.


   Thanks for that link!

   I find it remarkable that Arias in effect stated
   that the discontinuities of the difference TAI - UTC
   happen at the beginning of leap seconds, so that
   positive leap seconds are labeled as the second
   59th seconds of a minute. Neither the ITU definition
   of UTC nor the IERS bulletins about leap seconds
   specify that detail, unfortunately.

   She is also stated to call leap seconds a
   "dangerous thing" -- as soon as this is
   substantiated (such as by a loss of health
   connected with a computer misinterpretation
   of leap seconds) it will be a powerful argument
   for their abolition.

   Michael Deckers.

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[LEAPSECS] BBC radio Crowd Science

[Steve Allen]

BBC radio Crowd Science took a listener question about 
What is the Real Time?
and produced a half hour tour that included three atomic Time Lords
Whibberley, Matsakis, and Arias.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04q778b
and concluded pretty much saying that we have a choice.

--
Steve Allen     WGS-84 (GPS)
UCO/Lick Observatory  Natural Sciences II, Room 165  Lat  +36.99855
University of California  Voice: +1 831 459 3046 Lng -122.06015
Santa Cruz, CA 95064  http://www.ucolick.org/~sla/   Hgt +250 m

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