[LEAPSECS] Consensus building?
Warner Losh
imp at bsdimp.com
Thu Feb 3 15:24:36 EST 2011
On 02/03/2011 07:00, Clive D.W. Feather wrote:
> Warner Losh said:
>>> SI
>>> - the SI-second is a standardised unit of measurement
>>> - the SI-second is currently defined as a fixed number of transitions
>>> of a caesium atom
>>> - the current definition of the SI-second was ratified in 1967
>> Agreed. I'd also add
>> - the SI-second forms the basis for many other fundamental units of measure.
>>
>>> - an SI-based-minute is formed from exactly 60 SI-seconds
>>> - an SI-based-hour is formed from exactly 60 SI-based-minutes and thus
>>> exactly 3600 SI-seconds
>>> - an SI-based-day is formed from exactly 24 SI-based-hours and thus
>>> exactly 86400 SI-seconds
>>>
>> These are true only most of the time. On leap second day, they are all
>> false and off by 1, typically one low. It all depends on the timescale
>> that you use, and thus there can't be a universal definition here.
> Actually, Stephen is right and you're wrong. The BIPM defines an SI minute,
> hour, and day in exactly this form. See table 6, page 32, of:
> http://www.bipm.org/utils/common/pdf/si_brochure_8_en.pdf
>
> This, of course, implies that "SI-based-" is the same as "TAI-"
In my defense I'll note that they used to be non-SI units that were
recently added to SI due to their widespread use....
I wonder if the BIPM is aware of this inconsistency or not...
Warner
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