[LEAPSECS] Cost: getting rid of GMT & discontinuing leap seconds

[Warner Losh]

From: Rob Seaman <seaman at noao.edu>
Subject: Re: [LEAPSECS] Cost: getting rid of GMT & discontinuing leap seconds
Date: Sun, 24 Oct 2010 11:27:25 -0700


> On Oct 24, 2010, at 11:12 AM, Poul-Henning Kamp wrote:

> 

> > The CASIMO Flight Control software is a typical example:  Every time

> > a leap second happens, the flight controllers are instructed to attain

> > a situation that does not require their existance around the leap second

> > and sit back and watch the fireworks.

> > 

> > Medicine production is another case:  In continuous production

> > setups, all materials have to be traceable to with second granualirity

> > (FDA, EU and other regulations), which basically means that either

> > nothing happens over the leap second (ie: maintenance shutdown) or

> > everything in the factory has to cope correctly with leap seconds.

> 

> And do either of these use cases have any connection to Earth

> orientation?  What coherent system design process led the engineers

> to select UTC in spite of the existence of leap seconds?


UTC is the only game in town.  It is the legal time everywhere, for
all practical purposes[*].  It is the obvious choice because it is the
only choice.  GPS time is weird, as is TAI time.  Some weird time
scale nobody else know about would also be a non-starter.

UTC is the only game in town.  It has leap seconds.  Everybody, even
those folks that don't GAS[**] about earth orientation are stuck with
all its warts, whether they want it or not.

Don't tell me, after 10 years of discussing this, that these things
come as a surprise to you... :)

Warner

[*] Insert usual disclaimers about law, as written, and law as
interpreted here.
[**] Give A Shucks