[LEAPSECS] IERS Message No. 129: Plots of Earth Orientation Data (fwd)

[Rob Seaman]

Poul-Henning Kamp wrote:


> In message <98D91D01-1536-4EF2-A6BA-467F5AC0270A at noao.edu>, Rob  

> Seaman writes:

>

>> What clever chap was it who suggested ALWAYS having a leap second at

>> the end of each month - toggling positive and negative?  An actual

>> leap transition then becomes the omission of a (negative) leap.   

>> Since

>> systems would have to deal with the monthly cadence they would be

>> forced to work correctly.  (Evolution trumps design any day.)  And

>> since a leap would be the absence of an event, nothing would break.

>

> Provided you get the funding sorted out, I'm all for it.


What funding?  M. Gambis already has this authority as long as he  
stays within the +/- 0.9s window.

Having reached a consensus among diverse parties and resolved the  
funding question, all in favor?  :-)

Like I said, all these scheduling variations are permitted under the  
UTC standard that is currently in effect.  Your figure of merit is to  
maximize the look-ahead.  Mine is to minimize excursions beyond 0.5s.   
Early UTC scheduling was clearly biased toward issuing a leap second  
as early as possible (permitting slack later).  Recent UTC scheduling  
appears to be biased toward holding off on a leap second as long as  
possible (with the notion perhaps that each will be the last).


> Elephants are falling out of fashion here, along with pretty much

> any other Carlsberg product.  In the last couple of years Denmark

> has gone from 8 to several thousand (mostly micro-)breweries as a

> tasteful revolution against industrialized beer has taken hold.


This is the most hopeful sign for the future of our civilization that  
I've heard yet.


> But I'll promise you a good beer if you pop around here, no matter  

> what.


I may change planes in Munich on the way to Trieste in May.  That's  
about as close as I'm likely to pop :-(  You would think the home of  
Tycho would feature more prominently on the astronomical jet-set  
circuit.  My father developed a taste for Tuborg when he was doing  
business in Copenhagen in the 60's, but I gather that's owned by  
Carlsberg now, too.


> [1] For a quantification of this, see:

>    http://www.amazon.com/Best-Annals-Improbable-Research/dp/0716730944


I can also recommend:

	http://www.amazon.com/Being-Certain-Believing-Right-Youre/dp/0312359209


:-)


Rob