[LEAPSECS] final report of the UK leap seconds dialog

[Steffen Nurpmeso]

Rob Seaman <seaman at noao.edu> wrote:
 |Dr. Birth gave two excellent presentations at the 2013 Charlottesville \
 |colloquium, “Requirements for UTC and Civil Timekeeping on Earth”:
 |
 | http://futureofutc.org/preprints/files/30_AAS%2013-516_Birth.pdf *

  What these methods reveal is that the importance given to
  timescales among those debating UTC is absent from those with
  whom I have talked. They do not use the term timescale and are
  more concerned with knowing the right time for a religious
  action than whether or not that time is determined by
  a timescale. Yet, knowing the right time is often dependent on
  devices that represent time in terms of UTC. It is this
  mediating relationship of time-telling tools that constitutes
  the domain where any changes to UTC could become like the pea
  making the mattress uncomfortable.

  This means that religious timekeeping does not rely on a single
  way of knowing time that is a timescale, but there is evidence
  that it does rely on UTC to represent times derived from
  traditional ways of reckoning time. To understand the
  requirements of civil timekeeping for religious purposes, then,
  requires understanding multiple ways of knowing time and how
  these ways articulate, not just the use of UTC for religious
  purposes.

I think we will see further diversation into smaller and more
"naturally grown" tribe habitats, even if Scotland just recently
voted for "Better together".  That shouldn't relinquish the global
thinking engineer to regard cultural aspects even when facing
tremendous logical problems.  But instead, quite the opposite.
I'm sure for a stunning majority -- if you would describe that we,
you, myself human have understood and learned how to calculate the
effective length of day, and ask, in calm and drug- and drugs-free
surroundings, wether this should be cherished or be given up in
favour of simplicistic artificial protocols then the answer will
be -- and i think the more «the lower the grade of the part of the
world» where you ask --, that civil time shall be in sync with the
home planet.  I for one would not consider it a further «rise
above ape level» to drop this relationship, but.. quite the
opposite.

And i had the same impression about (forseeable trends of) the
British campaign back when it was mentioned on this list the first
time.  But for one i also hoped for it (:)), and then England
i think this year has 750 years of Democracy (now who believes in
..that..) and isn't it fantastic that *there was a campaign*!
Where, in home countries of people that read this list, is
a public campaign on such essential issues, or *whatever* issues,
with some niveau and context in the broader meaning of the word?
And that would be so important for Democracy, so isn't instead the
blank existence of such a campaign better than watching 24/7 Fox
News including advertisings.  A real countdown to knowledge.
On the other hand noone gives a s..t about timekeeping until it
hurts, so it's possible better to drive a campaign on leap seconds
than on weapon exports, health care system, education, personal
reflection or whatever else could be itemised.

--steffen