Leap seconds to stay
On Thursday, January 19, France and the USA failed in their attempt to break our traditional link with astronomical time.
The world currently uses solar based Universal Time (UT) which is tied to the natural rotation of the Earth. Abolishing leap seconds would result in a growing discrepency between our clocks and nature's time.
Sundials, used by humankind for 5500 years, would be rendered useless and we could eventually see midday occuring in darkness.
David Willetts, Minister of State for Universities and Science, told the BBC: "The UK position is that we should stick to the current system used throughout the world. Without leap seconds we will eventually lose the link between time and people's everyday experience of day and night."
The ITU Radio Assembly meeting in Geneva was unable to reach a consensus on the matter, so the discussion was deferred to a meeting in 2015.
BBC News - Leap second decision 'postponed'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16625614
Leap Second Debate video
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/january2012/
leap_second_debate_video.htm
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