Friday, June 29, 2012

Leap Second this Saturday

Following on from a previous story about phasing out the leap second, this Saturday scientists have decreed a leap second will be added at 23:59:59 GMT in order to realign the inaccuracies of the universe with hyper accurate man made technology.

World Clock - Man versus Nature
For one second, the atomic clock in Greenwich, London will read 23:59:60 while the rare leap second is added. The extra second will needed to be added to every atomic clock around the globe in order to ensure the synchronicity of global networks.

Any system that utilises a GPS system will need to be adjusted to ensure accuracy, most importantly Air Traffic Control and satellite communications otherwise we could see plane crashes and reality TV interruptions.

Because of globalization, we don't have the luxury of adding a second onvernight like the people in Greenwich. For people in the continental US, the addition will occur between 4pm and 7pm depending on their time zone, and some Australians will get an extra second in the morning, extending their workday.

How will you be spending your extra second this weekend?

1 comment :

Bashful said...

I used my leap second to pick my nose while stopped at a red light on the way home from work

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