[LEAPSECS] Consensus building?

[Warner Losh]

On 02/02/2011 06:47, Daniel R. Tobias wrote:

> On 2 Feb 2011 at 8:32, Gerard Ashton wrote:

>

>> - the SI second is part of a coherent system of units and redefinition

>> of the second would

>>     disturb the definition of most other units

> You could have multiple types of seconds, like you have troy and

> avoirdupois ounces, and U.S. and imperial gallons.


Looking over the past couple hundred years, we see a movement away from 
the different kinds of measurement and towards a standard system.  Even 
the US system is metric based, with an inch being defined as 2.54cm exactly.

Also, rubber seconds were tried for a little over a decade, and found to 
be unworkable in practice.  Having multiple types of seconds, some of 
which vary over time, is a huge opportunity for confusion.


> NASA is already using a Martian second, based on subdividing the

> solar day of Mars, that is a different length from the SI or Earth

> rotation seconds.


How extensively are they using this?  Is there chance for confusion 
between the martian seconds and the SI second?

Warner