⏰UTC Vote: Leap Seconds May Be Axed, Earth's Time Could Diverge
Leap seconds could be history, Earth's time could diverge
TL;DR
The General Conference on Weights and Measures is voting on a proposal to remove leap seconds, potentially allowing UTC to diverge from Earth's rotation by up to an hour. This could impact critical infrastructure and computer systems.
The General Conference on Weights and Measures is set to vote on a proposal to remove leap seconds from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), potentially allowing UTC to diverge from Earth's rotation by up to an hour. This change could have significant implications for critical national infrastructure, including telecommunications, electricity grids, and satellite navigation systems, as many were designed assuming leap seconds would always be added. The proposal aims to eliminate the risks posed by leap seconds entirely for a very long time, with a vote scheduled for October. If passed, this could impact computer systems and workflows that rely on precise timekeeping.
Key Points
The General Conference on Weights and Measures is set to vote on a proposal to remove leap seconds from UTC in October.
Since 1972, 27 leap seconds have been added to UTC to keep it within 0.9 seconds of Earth's rotation.
Experts estimate a 30% probability that a negative leap second would be needed by 2035, a scenario never attempted before.
Many computer systems were designed assuming leap seconds would always be added, not removed, potentially causing disruptions.
The proposal would remove the need for further leap-second adjustments for many years, reducing risks to critical infrastructure.
Why It Matters
If the proposal passes, critical infrastructure like telecommunications and electricity grids could face disruptions due to the removal of leap seconds. Computer systems and workflows relying on precise timekeeping could also be affected, necessitating adjustments in how time is managed and synchronized.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this matter?
If the proposal passes, critical infrastructure like telecommunications and electricity grids could face disruptions due to the removal of leap seconds. Computer systems and workflows relying on precise timekeeping could also be affected, necessitating adjustments in how time is managed and synchronized.
What happened?
The General Conference on Weights and Measures is voting on a proposal to remove leap seconds, potentially allowing UTC to diverge from Earth's rotation by up to an hour. This could impact critical infrastructure and computer systems.
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