[LEAPSECS] What's the point?

[Tony Finch]

On Tue, 15 Feb 2011, Mark Calabretta wrote:

>

> The quadratic calamity is one of the few concrete arguments given by

> the proponents of dropping leap seconds (viz the GPS World article).


I had another look at the article, and it doesn't use the quadratic
increase DUT1 as an argument against UTC. They discuss it, but they only
look ahead about a century, which is far too little for the rate
difference to cause serious difficulties. Their arguments are that more
frequent leap seconds will increase the amount of irritation they cause
(which is the main reason they dislike leap seconds) but on the other hand
people might get used to accommodating them; and if the tolerance on DUT1
is increased or leap seconds are abolished entirely then time signals
will have to be modified to cope.

They conclude that the best options are probably an increased bound on
DUT1 and/or periodic leap seconds.

(for reference: http://gauss.gge.unb.ca/papers.pdf/gpsworld.november99.pdf)


> I have been saying that, as a reason for changing UTC today, it is

> a specious argument that should be rejected.


Yes. It's also a bogus argument for keeping leap seconds.

Tony.
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