Re: The future of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the leap second (Forwarded)



Dear George Dishman:

"George Dishman" <george@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:dlnni2$std$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> "N:dlzc D:aol T:com (dlzc)" <N: dlzc1 D:cox T:net@xxxxxxxxxx>
> wrote in message news:9dJff.5107$xu.1305@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> To the Group:
>>
>> ... I wonder why they just don't add a few atomic clock
>> counts to every second?
>
> Because if you redefine the second, it would
> change the value of many physical constants.

Setterfield has documented many such unintentional
"redefinitions". Yes, I hadn't thought the consequences through.
You'd have to giggle c ever so slightly, and (probably) any other
constant that was established to 9 sig figs... atomic masses?

> Since the rotation is not constant, the constants
> wouldn't be constant either!

One second in ~7 years, and they are going to worry about it when
an hour is accumulated... 25,200 years is not too much of a
hardship. Islam will have to have their own atomic clock(s), and
it will be disjoint from the rest of the world...

David A. Smith


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