Having thought about it intermittently for all of a day, I think that the
leap hour is an acceptable approach to civil time. The changes, taking
place over generations between leap hours, are slow enough so that the
people can adjust. The leap hour itself is no greater than Daylight Saving
Time changes in many regions. (There is no Daylight Saving Time in Hawaii
or Arizona, among other places; people living there will be in for a shock
when the leap hour occurs.)
I suggest that most sundials today are used for less than a century and
that the accumulated error of several minutes within that interval after
manufacture is acceptable to most casual users.
The dialing community would have the challenge of incorporating an offset
of up to plus or minus one-half hour in an interesting, convenient and
useful way so that dials can be accurate over many centuries. I have great
confidence that it can be done. Perhaps a sundial design contest would be
appropriate -- should the leap hour be adopted.
Looking back over the last millennium or two, I find it daunting to predict
sundial designs and timekeeping itself a millennium into the future. Anyone
care to try?
Both books on Daylight Saving Time listed below are interesting. I
recommend them to the list. "Seize the Daylight" gives a more global
perspective of the two, and it therefore may be of somewhat greater
interest to those on this list.
Gordon Uber
San Diego, California
Date: Tue, 12 Jul 2005 14:10:10 -0700
To: sundial@rrz.uni-koeln.de
From: Gordon Uber <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Save the Leap Second
Sundial List,
Having read two recent books on the tumultuous history of Daylight Saving
Time ("Seize the Daylight" and "Spring Forward"), I think that a one-hour
difference between zone time and sun time may be too large, even if it
will not occur in my lifetime. Of course, it may be considered to be plus
or minus one-half hour.
Clock setting is already becoming increasingly automatic with
radio-controlled and GPS clocks and time displays on mobile phones.
Therefore I don't see a major problem for the typical person with respect
to clock setting a millennium hence with either leap seconds or leap hours
for civil time. Either will be incorporated into the time distribution and
display systems. Missing the equivalent of a favorite TV program or an
hour of wages will be more contentious.
Gordon Uber
San Diego, California
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