Leap second: Difference between revisions

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A number of objections to the proposal have been raised. P. Kenneth Seidelmann, editor of the Explanatory Supplement to the Astronomical Almanac, wrote a letter lamenting the lack of consistent public information about the proposal and adequate justification.<ref>{{cite mailing list |url=https://lists.igs.org/pipermail/igsmail/2005/006563.html |title=UTC redefinition or change |author=P. Kenneth Seidelmann |mailing-list=IGS Mail}}</ref> In an [[op-ed]] for ''[[Science News]]'', Steve Allen of the [[University of California, Santa Cruz]] said that the process has a large impact on astronomers.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Cowen |first=Ron |date=22 April 2006 |title=To Leap or Not to Leap: Scientists debate a timely issue |url=https://www.sciencenews.org/article/leap-or-not-leap |url-status=live |magazine=[[Science News]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526024544/https://www.sciencenews.org/article/leap-or-not-leap |archive-date=26 May 2023 |access-date=26 May 2023}}</ref>

At the 2014 General Assembly of the [[International Union of Radio Scientists]] (URSI), Demetrios Matsakis, the [[United States Naval Observatory]]'s Chief Scientist for Time Services, presented the reasoning in favor of the redefinition and rebuttals to the arguments made against it.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/papers/ts-2014/Matsakis-LeapSecondComments.URSI-2014.pdf |title=Comments on the Debate over the Proposal to Redefine UTC |author1=Demetrios Matsakis |date=18 August 2014 |access-date=31 October 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208050335/http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/papers/ts-2014/Matsakis-LeapSecondComments.URSI-2014.pdf |archive-date=8 February 2017}}</ref> He stressed the practical inability of software programmers to allow for the fact that leap seconds make time appear to go backwards, particularly when most of them do not even know that leap seconds exist. The possibility of leap seconds being a hazard to navigation was presented, as well as the observed effects on commerce.

The United States formulated its position on this matter based upon the advice of the [[National Telecommunications and Information Administration]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/ai_1.14_usa_proposal_2014-02-06_0.pdf|title=United States Proposals, Proposal for the Work of the Conference, Agenda Item 1.14|publisher=[[National Telecommunications and Information Administration]]}}</ref> and the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC), which solicited comments from the general public.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-14-88A1.pdf|title=FCC Seeks Comment On Recommendations Approved By The Advisory Committee For The 2015 World Radiocommunication Conference|publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]]|date=28 January 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729075437/https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-14-88A1.pdf|archive-date=29 July 2014}}</ref> This position is in favor of the redefinition.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/sitt-stit-357221-v1-citel_presentation_for_regional_meetings_on_wrc-15-r2.ppt|title=Preliminary Views and Proposals Regarding WRC-15 Agenda Items|publisher=[[Organization of American States]]|format=PPT|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729090447/http://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/sitt-stit-357221-v1-citel_presentation_for_regional_meetings_on_wrc-15-r2.ppt|archive-date=29 July 2014}}</ref>{{efn|The FCC has posted its received comments, which can be found using their search engine for proceeding 04–286 and limiting the "received period" to those between 27 January and 18 February 2014, inclusive.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/comment_search/execute?proceeding=04-286&applicant=&lawfirm=&author=&disseminated.minDate=&disseminated.maxDate=&received.minDate=1%2F27%2F14&received.maxDate=2%2F18%2F14&dateCommentPeriod.minDate=&dateCommentPeriod.maxDate=&dateReplyComment.minDate=&dateReplyComment.maxDate=&address.city=&address.state.stateCd=&address.zip=&daNumber=&fileNumber=&bureauIdentificationNumber=&reportNumber=&submissionTypeId=&__checkbox_exParte=true|title=Search for Filings Results|work=fcc.gov|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701090036/http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/comment_search/execute?proceeding=04-286&applicant=&lawfirm=&author=&disseminated.minDate=&disseminated.maxDate=&received.minDate=1%2F27%2F14&received.maxDate=2%2F18%2F14&dateCommentPeriod.minDate=&dateCommentPeriod.maxDate=&dateReplyComment.minDate=&dateReplyComment.maxDate=&address.city=&address.state.stateCd=&address.zip=&daNumber=&fileNumber=&bureauIdentificationNumber=&reportNumber=&submissionTypeId=&__checkbox_exParte=true|archive-date=1 July 2015}}</ref>}}

In 2011, Chunhao Han of the [[Beijing Global Information Center of Application and Exploration]] said China had not decided what its vote would be in January 2012, but some Chinese scholars consider it important to maintain a link between civil and astronomical time due to Chinese tradition. The 2012 vote was ultimately deferred.<ref name=merali2011>{{cite journal|last=Merali|first=Zeeya|date=8 November 2011|title=Time is running out for the leap second|journal=Nature|volume=479 |issue=7372 |page=158 |doi=10.1038/479158a |pmid=22071738 |bibcode=2011Natur.479..158M |s2cid=8220495 |doi-access=free }}</ref> At an ITU/BIPM-sponsored workshop on the leap second, Han expressed his personal view in favor of abolishing the leap second,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-r/oth/0a/0e/R0A0E0000960001PDFE.pdf|title=Conception, Definition and Realization of Time Scale in GNSS|last=Han|first=Chunhao|date=19 September 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140905221335/https://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-r/oth/0a/0e/R0A0E0000960001PDFE.pdf|archive-date=5 September 2014}}</ref> and similar support for the redefinition was again expressed by Han, along with other Chinese timekeeping scientists, at the URSI General Assembly in 2014.

At a special session of the [[Asia-Pacific Telecommunity]] meeting on 10 February 2015, Chunhao Han indicated China was now supporting the elimination of future leap seconds, as were all the other presenting national representatives (from Australia, Japan, and the Republic of Korea). At this meeting, Bruce Warrington (NMI, Australia) and Tsukasa Iwama (NICT, Japan) indicated particular concern for the financial markets due to the leap second occurring in the middle of a workday in their part of the world.{{efn|In addition to publishing the video of the special session,<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsyFp6G6iKo|title=Information Session on the WRC-15 agenda item 1.14 – Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)|date=15 April 2015|work=YouTube|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118220255/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsyFp6G6iKo|archive-date=18 November 2015}}</ref> the Australian Communications and Media Authority has a transcript of that session and a web page with draft content of the Conference Preparatory Meeting report and solutions for ITU-R WRC-15 Agenda Item 1.14.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.acma.gov.au/Industry/Spectrum/Spectrum-planning/International-planning-ITU-and-other-international-planning-bodies/wrc-15-agenda-item-114|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908184107/http://www.acma.gov.au/Industry/Spectrum/Spectrum-planning/International-planning-ITU-and-other-international-planning-bodies/wrc-15-agenda-item-114|archive-date= 8 September 2015|url-status=dead|title=WRC-15 Agenda item 1.14: Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)|work=acma.gov.au}}</ref>}} Subsequent to the CPM15-2 meeting in March/April 2015 the draft gives four methods which the WRC-15 might use to satisfy Resolution 653 from WRC-12.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-r/oth/0c/0a/R0C0A00000A0022PDFE.pdf|title=RESOLUTION 653 (WRC-12) Future of the Coordinated Universal Time time-scale|publisher=[[International Telecommunication Union]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702175848/http://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-r/oth/0c/0a/R0C0A00000A0022PDFE.pdf|archive-date=2 July 2015}}</ref>

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* In 2015, interruptions occurred with [[Twitter]], [[Instagram]], [[Pinterest]], [[Netflix]], [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]], and [[Apple Inc|Apple's]] music streaming series [[Beats 1]].<ref>{{cite news |author=Sarah Knapton |date=1 July 2015 |title=Leap Second confuses Twitter and Android |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/11710148/Leap-Second-confuses-Twitter-and-Android.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151006002636/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/11710148/Leap-Second-confuses-Twitter-and-Android.html |archive-date=6 October 2015}}</ref>

* Leap second software bugs in Linux reportedly affected the [[Amadeus Altéa]] airlines reservation system, used by Qantas and [[Virgin Australia]], in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Clarke |first=Gavin |date=8 August 2016 |title=Power cut crashes Delta's worldwide flight update systems |url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/08/08/computer_fault_takes_down_delta/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104002416/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/08/08/computer_fault_takes_down_delta/ |archive-date=4 January 2017 |access-date=3 January 2017 |website=[[The Register]]}}</ref>

* [[Cloudflare]] was affected by a leap second software bug. Its [[DNS]] resolver implementation incorrectly calculated a negative number when subtracting two timestamps obtained from the [[Go programming language]]'s <code>time.Now()</code>function, which then used only a [[real-time clock]] source.<ref>{{cite web |date=1 January 2017 |title=How and why the leap second affected Cloudflare DNS |url=https://blog.cloudflare.com/how-and-why-the-leap-second-affected-cloudflare-dns/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170102112428/https://blog.cloudflare.com/how-and-why-the-leap-second-affected-cloudflare-dns/ |archive-date=2 January 2017 |publisher=Cloudflare}}</ref> This could have been avoided by using a monotonic clock source, which has since been added to Go 1.9.<ref>{{cite web |title=#12914 runtime: time: expose monotonic clock source |url=https://github.com/golang/go/issues/12914 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320012113/https://github.com/golang/go/issues/12914 |archive-date=20 March 2017 |access-date=5 January 2017 |website=GitHub}}</ref>

* The [[Intercontinental Exchange]], parent body to 7 clearing houses and 11 stock exchanges including the [[New York Stock Exchange]], chose to cease operations for 61 minutes at the time of the 30 June 2015, leap second.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theice.com/leap-second|title=ICE Market Update – Leap Second Impact|publisher=[[Intercontinental Exchange]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150505061854/https://www.theice.com/leap-second|archive-date=5 May 2015}}</ref>