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another leap second

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  another leap second jbaloun <yonatan62@yahoo.com> - 2012-01-18 12:15 -0800
    Re: another leap second docdwarf@panix.com () - 2012-01-19 02:34 +0000
    Re: another leap second PatH <phall@certcoinc.com> - 2012-01-19 05:50 -0800
    Re: another leap second Dr J R Stockton <reply1203@merlyn.demon.co.uk> - 2012-01-20 19:54 +0000
      Re: another leap second jbaloun <yonatan62@yahoo.com> - 2012-01-20 17:09 -0800
        Re: another leap second Dr J R Stockton <reply1203@merlyn.demon.co.uk> - 2012-01-22 19:58 +0000
          Re: another leap second docdwarf@panix.com () - 2012-01-23 14:11 +0000
            Re: another leap second jbaloun <yonatan62@yahoo.com> - 2012-01-23 21:47 -0800
              Re: another leap second docdwarf@panix.com () - 2012-01-24 13:28 +0000
              Re: another leap second Dr J R Stockton <reply1204@merlyn.demon.co.uk> - 2012-01-25 19:59 +0000
                Re: another leap second docdwarf@panix.com () - 2012-01-27 02:42 +0000
                Re: another leap second jbaloun <yonatan62@yahoo.com> - 2012-01-26 20:40 -0800
                  Re: another leap second docdwarf@panix.com () - 2012-01-27 17:31 +0000
                    Re: another leap second PatH <phall@certcoinc.com> - 2012-01-30 04:54 -0800

#28 — another leap second

/quote

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/01/18/time-may-be-up-for-leap-second/

Time may be up for the leap second
Published January 18, 2012
NewsCore
GENEVA –  Time could soon be up for the leap second -- that extra
moment added to universal time to keep it in sync with the earth's
movement -- as experts consider abolishing it later this week.

Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is based on about 400 atomic clocks
at laboratories around the world, occasionally corrected with a leap
second to align it with the earth's varying rotation.

The world's computer systems need to be adjusted accordingly, leaving
them open to error, and many countries including the United States and
France want to end the 40-year-old practice.

After years of debate, delegates with the International
Telecommunication Union will decide Thursday whether to abolish the
leap second.

"It's impossible to predict when we will need the leap second to be
inserted," said Vincent Meens, chairman of the ITU's study group on
the matter.

"The reason for this is due to the rotation of the earth and some
events like earthquakes that can slow the earth a bit more than
expected.

"All computer systems need to be adjusted with this leap second, and
that creates a problem because it needs to be done manually.

"There is always a risk of error, so we have to test them after the
introduction of the leap second. If we remove it, then we don't have
this problem anymore."

/end quote

What?! Computers would be prone to experience errors?! I don't believe
it.
We survived changing an entire millennium, we can surely survive
another leap-second.
Quick, programmers to the rescue!

JB

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#29

In article <63eb3aa7-08b6-4340-a1b1-6901419a6d65@o9g2000yqa.googlegroups.com>,
jbaloun  <yonatan62@yahoo.com> wrote:

[snip]

>Quick, programmers to the rescue!

When posting to comp.software.year-2000 please include a rate, or range of 
rates, associated with the position(s) offered; to do otherwise leads many 
to conclude that you are either trolling for resumes or running a blind at 
to determing rates.

DD

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#30

Rest assured all of the code I've written in the last 40 years that
uses the leap second has been changed to compensate for not using the
leap second.

PatH...my code is safe  re. the leap second  WHEW that's a relief


On Jan 18, 2:15 pm, jbaloun <yonata...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> /quote
>
> http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/01/18/time-may-be-up-for-leap-sec...
>
> Time may be up for the leap second
> Published January 18, 2012
> NewsCore
> GENEVA –  Time could soon be up for the leap second -- that extra
> moment added to universal time to keep it in sync with the earth's
> movement -- as experts consider abolishing it later this week.
>
> Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is based on about 400 atomic clocks
> at laboratories around the world, occasionally corrected with a leap
> second to align it with the earth's varying rotation.
>
> The world's computer systems need to be adjusted accordingly, leaving
> them open to error, and many countries including the United States and
> France want to end the 40-year-old practice.
>
> After years of debate, delegates with the International
> Telecommunication Union will decide Thursday whether to abolish the
> leap second.
>
> "It's impossible to predict when we will need the leap second to be
> inserted," said Vincent Meens, chairman of the ITU's study group on
> the matter.
>
> "The reason for this is due to the rotation of the earth and some
> events like earthquakes that can slow the earth a bit more than
> expected.
>
> "All computer systems need to be adjusted with this leap second, and
> that creates a problem because it needs to be done manually.
>
> "There is always a risk of error, so we have to test them after the
> introduction of the leap second. If we remove it, then we don't have
> this problem anymore."
>
> /end quote
>
> What?! Computers would be prone to experience errors?! I don't believe
> it.
> We survived changing an entire millennium, we can surely survive
> another leap-second.
> Quick, programmers to the rescue!
>
> JB

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#31

In comp.software.year-2000 message <63eb3aa7-08b6-4340-a1b1-6901419a6d65
@o9g2000yqa.googlegroups.com>, Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:15:15, jbaloun
<yonatan62@yahoo.com> posted:

>GENEVA –  Time could soon be up for the leap second -- that extra
>moment added to universal time to keep it in sync with the earth's
>movement -- as experts consider abolishing it later this week.

They are proposing to abolish the Leap Second.  That is OK, since the
Earth could do that for us by just deciding to spin at the correct rate.

But the apparent consequence is to de-couple civil time from solar time.
That is not a necessary consequence.

Disseminate, for science and technology, a scale of SI seconds numbered
from a safe Epoch, and defined by a convenient count at a convenient
date/time (March 1.0 GMT of a year divisible by 400, like 0, simplifies
calculation) [1].

Announce, in Bulletin C', the duration, in integer SI nanoseconds, to be
used for the civil second in the next half civil-year, chosen to give as
closely as can be predicted, 86400 seconds per standard civil day [2] up
to the end of that half-year, correcting for now-known previous
imperfection.  It is sufficiently easy for National custodians of local
time to generate local time signals from the Scale and the Bulletin, and
to cross-check with their friendly neighbours if any.



[1] 2^63 seconds is 292,277,024,626.9277 years Gregorian; 292 short-
billion years.  The age of the Universe is about 13.75 ± 0.13 short-
billion years, 0x605 8d1b e19e 4400 seconds in Hex.  So let one of the
GMT date/times 0000-03-01.0 / 2000-03-01.0 be by definition 2^60 seconds
after Epoch.  That puts Epoch well before the Big Bang, and allows
plenty of time before the Second-2^63 Problem gets near, all on 64-bit
signed but positive integers.

[2] Not counting seasonal clock changes.

-- 
 (c) John Stockton, nr London, UK.    ?@merlyn.demon.co.uk     Turnpike v6.05.
 Website  <http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/> - w. FAQish topics, links, acronyms
 PAS EXE etc. : <http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/programs/> - see in 00index.htm
 Dates - miscdate.htm estrdate.htm js-dates.htm pas-time.htm critdate.htm etc.

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#32

On Jan 20, 11:54 am, Dr J R Stockton <reply1...@merlyn.demon.co.uk>
wrote:

> So let one of the
> GMT date/times 0000-03-01.0 / 2000-03-01.0 be by definition 2^60 seconds
> after Epoch.  That puts Epoch well before the Big Bang, and allows
> plenty of time before the Second-2^63 Problem gets near, all on 64-bit
> signed but positive integers.
>
> [2] Not counting seasonal clock changes.
>
> --
>  (c) John Stockton, nr London, UK.    ?...@merlyn.demon.co.uk     Turnpike v6.05.
>  Website  <http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/> - w. FAQish topics, links, acronyms
>  PAS EXE etc. : <http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/programs/> - see in 00index.htm
>  Dates - miscdate.htm estrdate.htm js-dates.htm pas-time.htm critdate.htm etc.

A time standard independant of celestial bodies would solve some
problems. The general problem will be with us as human space travel
advances. However, choosing a reference point in time seems as
arbitrary as choosing a reference point in space; one is as good as
another. Mathematical convenience is as good a reason to choose a
reference as any other reason. Time is different at locations on this
planet, much less billions of years ago or in the future. Of what use
is GMT to a colony on Mars?

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#33

In comp.software.year-2000 message <10e79205-a6b9-454b-9c8e-391e1512a1a8
@l16g2000vbl.googlegroups.com>, Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:09:50, jbaloun
<yonatan62@yahoo.com> posted:

>On Jan 20, 11:54 am, Dr J R Stockton <reply1...@merlyn.demon.co.uk>
>wrote:
>
>> So let one of the
>> GMT date/times 0000-03-01.0 / 2000-03-01.0 be by definition 2^60 seconds
>> after Epoch.  That puts Epoch well before the Big Bang, and allows
>> plenty of time before the Second-2^63 Problem gets near, all on 64-bit
>> signed but positive integers.
>>
>> [2] Not counting seasonal clock changes.


>A time standard independant of celestial bodies would solve some
>problems. The general problem will be with us as human space travel
>advances. However, choosing a reference point in time seems as
>arbitrary as choosing a reference point in space; one is as good as
>another. Mathematical convenience is as good a reason to choose a
>reference as any other reason. Time is different at locations on this
>planet, much less billions of years ago or in the future. Of what use
>is GMT to a colony on Mars?


That reference point is merely a mathematical convenience.  If Humanity
were to write down all its terrestrial knowledge, including dates and
times, then all drop dead, aliens visiting later and reading what was
written could not, from the writing, understand where the time scale was
positioned.

The scale could be fairly accurately positioned by describing a solar
eclipse, for example the August 1999 one.  If the track and local solar
time is described with precision, no other eclipse within many millennia
will match, and the time of the centre of the total eclipse at a stated
point on the path sets the scale.  For a longer term, to find the range
within which the eclipse lies, state also the mean length of the lunar
month in mean solar days or years.  Etc.

Our present calendar has no such defined reference point; ISO 8601 used
the sate of the 1875 meeting, but that is not reproducible.  In effect,
in the past we just relied on the transport of calendars and the
counting of days and nights.


I expect everyone saw that the Epochs I mentioned put the ends of all
Februarys at the end of an interval.

-- 
 (c) John Stockton, nr London, UK.    ?@merlyn.demon.co.uk     Turnpike v6.05.
 Website  <http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/> - w. FAQish topics, links, acronyms
 PAS EXE etc. : <http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/programs/> - see in 00index.htm
 Dates - miscdate.htm estrdate.htm js-dates.htm pas-time.htm critdate.htm etc.

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#34

In article <gn$XAJOapGHPFw5n@invalid.uk.co.demon.merlyn.invalid>,
Dr J R Stockton  <reply1203@merlyn.demon.co.uk> wrote:

[snip]

>If Humanity
>were to write down all its terrestrial knowledge, including dates and
>times, then all drop dead, aliens visiting later and reading what was
>written could not, from the writing, understand where the time scale was
>positioned.

Of course, Dr Stockton... every time this has been attempted the result 
has been exactly as you've described...

... and I am the King of England.  God Save the Me!

DD

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#35

On Jan 23, 6:11 am, docdw...@panix.com () wrote:
> In article <gn$XAJOapGHPF...@invalid.uk.co.demon.merlyn.invalid>,
> Dr J R Stockton  <reply1...@merlyn.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
> [snip]
>
> >If Humanity
> >were to write down all its terrestrial knowledge, including dates and
> >times, then all drop dead, aliens visiting later and reading what was
> >written could not, from the writing, understand where the time scale was
> >positioned.
>
> Of course, Dr Stockton... every time this has been attempted the result
> has been exactly as you've described...
>
> ... and I am the King of England.  God Save the Me!
>
> DD

If Eric Burgess, Carl and Linda Sagan, and Frank Drake designed a
plaque which tried to encapsulate as a subset the essence of all human
knowledge, including dates and times, and launch it on a spacecraft
which is likely to outlast the inevitable nova of Sol and may someday
be found by some form of intelligent life they could not understand
where the time scale was positioned, since the planet would have long
ago been burned to a crisp.

Indeed sire, it is happening as we speak.

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#36

In article <c6bbfa5c-9b88-4014-acf9-7abc45a68b81@q7g2000pbg.googlegroups.com>,
jbaloun  <yonatan62@yahoo.com> wrote:
>On Jan 23, 6:11?am, docdw...@panix.com () wrote:
>> In article <gn$XAJOapGHPF...@invalid.uk.co.demon.merlyn.invalid>,
>> Dr J R Stockton ?<reply1...@merlyn.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>> [snip]
>>
>> >If Humanity
>> >were to write down all its terrestrial knowledge, including dates and
>> >times, then all drop dead, aliens visiting later and reading what was
>> >written could not, from the writing, understand where the time scale was
>> >positioned.
>>
>> Of course, Dr Stockton... every time this has been attempted the result
>> has been exactly as you've described...
>>
>> ... and I am the King of England. ?God Save the Me!
>
>If Eric Burgess, Carl and Linda Sagan, and Frank Drake designed a
>plaque which tried to encapsulate as a subset the essence of all human
>knowledge, including dates and times, and launch it on a spacecraft
>which is likely to outlast the inevitable nova of Sol and may someday
>be found by some form of intelligent life they could not understand
>where the time scale was positioned, since the planet would have long
>ago been burned to a crisp.
>
>Indeed sire, it is happening as we speak.

Most exquisite.  Our plans continue apace.

DD

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#37

In comp.software.year-2000 message <c6bbfa5c-9b88-4014-acf9-7abc45a68b81
@q7g2000pbg.googlegroups.com>, Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:47:39, jbaloun
<yonatan62@yahoo.com> posted:


> the inevitable nova of Sol

Sol's going nova is not inevitable; and it is only possible with
improbable assistance, not excluding a hachiroph shisp.

-- 
 (c) John Stockton, near London. *@merlyn.demon.co.uk/?.?.Stockton@physics.org
  Web  <http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/> - FAQish topics, acronyms, and links.
 Correct <= 4-line sig. separator as above, a line precisely "-- " (RFC5536/7)
 Do not Mail News to me.    Before a reply, quote with ">" or "> " (RFC5536/7)

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#38

In article <GFc+4FJo8FIPFwWQ@invalid.uk.co.demon.merlyn.invalid>,
Dr J R Stockton  <reply1204@merlyn.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>In comp.software.year-2000 message <c6bbfa5c-9b88-4014-acf9-7abc45a68b81
>@q7g2000pbg.googlegroups.com>, Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:47:39, jbaloun
><yonatan62@yahoo.com> posted:
>
>
>> the inevitable nova of Sol
>
>Sol's going nova is not inevitable; and it is only possible with
>improbable assistance, not excluding a hachiroph shisp.

Your reassurances, Dr Stockton, exude their usual miasma of cheeriness.

Belated Happy Year of the Dragon... Gung Hee Fat Choi!

DD

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#39

On Jan 25, 11:59 am, Dr J R Stockton <reply1...@merlyn.demon.co.uk>
wrote:
> In comp.software.year-2000 message <c6bbfa5c-9b88-4014-acf9-7abc45a68b81
> @q7g2000pbg.googlegroups.com>, Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:47:39, jbaloun
> <yonata...@yahoo.com> posted:
>
> > the inevitable nova of Sol
>
> Sol's going nova is not inevitable; and it is only possible with
> improbable assistance, not excluding a hachiroph shisp.
>
> --
>  (c) John Stockton, near London. *...@merlyn.demon.co.uk/?.?.Stock...@physics.org
>   Web  <http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/> - FAQish topics, acronyms, and links.
>  Correct <= 4-line sig. separator as above, a line precisely "-- " (RFC5536/7)
>  Do not Mail News to me.    Before a reply, quote with ">" or "> " (RFC5536/7)

Correction,
The inevitable evolution of the fusion process with associated violent
shedding of shells of gas resulting in a brown dwarf of Sol...

Hmmm there had to be a dwarf in there somewhere.
DD are you brown by chance?

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#40

In article <724ca093-52f8-4d63-919f-9401bc27be8d@ih8g2000pbc.googlegroups.com>,
jbaloun  <yonatan62@yahoo.com> wrote:
>On Jan 25, 11:59?am, Dr J R Stockton <reply1...@merlyn.demon.co.uk>
>wrote:
>> In comp.software.year-2000 message <c6bbfa5c-9b88-4014-acf9-7abc45a68b81
>> @q7g2000pbg.googlegroups.com>, Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:47:39, jbaloun
>> <yonata...@yahoo.com> posted:
>>
>> > the inevitable nova of Sol
>>
>> Sol's going nova is not inevitable; and it is only possible with
>> improbable assistance, not excluding a hachiroph shisp.
>>
>> --
>> ?(c) John Stockton, near London.
>*...@merlyn.demon.co.uk/?.?.Stock...@physics.org
>> ? Web ?<http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/> - FAQish topics, acronyms, and links.
>> ?Correct <= 4-line sig. separator as above, a line precisely "-- " (RFC5536/7)
>> ?Do not Mail News to me. ? ?Before a reply, quote with ">" or "> " (RFC5536/7)
>
>Correction,
>The inevitable evolution of the fusion process with associated violent
>shedding of shells of gas resulting in a brown dwarf of Sol...
>
>Hmmm there had to be a dwarf in there somewhere.
>DD are you brown by chance?

Any reader of what I've posted might readily concluded that a little 
knowledge is, truly, a Dangerous Thing.  Colors are associated with 
different moods, personality traits and other overtones and these change 
with times and places; consider how one can be 'green' with envy in one 
country while green is a color of a lush, verdant paradise in another.

So, given the day-length in this part of the world at this time of the 
year... I might have been a little blue, aye.

DD

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#41

On Jan 27, 11:31 am, docdw...@panix.com () wrote:
> In article <724ca093-52f8-4d63-919f-9401bc27b...@ih8g2000pbc.googlegroups.com>,
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> jbaloun  <yonata...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >On Jan 25, 11:59?am, Dr J R Stockton <reply1...@merlyn.demon.co.uk>
> >wrote:
> >> In comp.software.year-2000 message <c6bbfa5c-9b88-4014-acf9-7abc45a68b81
> >> @q7g2000pbg.googlegroups.com>, Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:47:39, jbaloun
> >> <yonata...@yahoo.com> posted:
>
> >> > the inevitable nova of Sol
>
> >> Sol's going nova is not inevitable; and it is only possible with
> >> improbable assistance, not excluding a hachiroph shisp.
>
> >> --
> >> ?(c) John Stockton, near London.
> >*...@merlyn.demon.co.uk/?.?.Stock...@physics.org
> >> ? Web ?<http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/> - FAQish topics, acronyms, and links.
> >> ?Correct <= 4-line sig. separator as above, a line precisely "-- " (RFC5536/7)
> >> ?Do not Mail News to me. ? ?Before a reply, quote with ">" or "> " (RFC5536/7)
>
> >Correction,
> >The inevitable evolution of the fusion process with associated violent
> >shedding of shells of gas resulting in a brown dwarf of Sol...
Cheer up Doc at least you don't have a contract in Alaska this time of
year.  That leap second might be more important up there.

PatH...days are short enough in Wisconsin


>
> >Hmmm there had to be a dwarf in there somewhere.
> >DD are you brown by chance?
>
> Any reader of what I've posted might readily concluded that a little
> knowledge is, truly, a Dangerous Thing.  Colors are associated with
> different moods, personality traits and other overtones and these change
> with times and places; consider how one can be 'green' with envy in one
> country while green is a color of a lush, verdant paradise in another.
>
> So, given the day-length in this part of the world at this time of the
> year... I might have been a little blue, aye.
>
> DD

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