[LEAPSECS] WP7A status and Re: clinical evidence about time and sun

[John Cowan]

Rob Seaman scripsit:


> >Why should mumans on Mars or the Moon, care about the rotation of

> >a rock they are not on when they want to time events ?

> 

> Well, because they likely want to communicate with their families back  

> on Earth, I suppose, but again you are making my point.  What are you  

> asserting here?  That people living on Mars will clearly want to keep  

> Martian time?  I believe that completely.  Martian civil time will  

> clearly be mean solar time on Mars.


Ah, but will Lunar civil time be mean solar time on Luna?


> Ignore everything else we've ever discussed.  The central issue with  

> several of us is that the meaning of the UTC standard should not be  

> changed.  If a decision (ideally a calm, reasoned and publicly  

> transparent decision) is made to relayer civil timekeeping on a clock  

> without leap seconds, then don't call that clock "UTC".


As you know, I support that.


> How about calling it - say - GPS?  The public already knows GPS,  

> already owns devices that speak it, and already regards it as a brand  

> name denoting high precision/accuracy timekeeping.


I think the public associates GPS with location rather than time.


> This is a misuse of the multiple meanings of the word "universal".  My  

> TV receives a cable channel called "Universal HD".  Should I take them  

> to court for misrepresentation?  What about Universal Studios or a  

> universal remote control?


The World Series does seem an egregiously stupid name, though.

-- 
Even the best of friends cannot                 John Cowan
attend each others' funeral.                    cowan at ccil.org
        --Kehlog Albran, The Profit             http://www.ccil.org/~cowan