On 09/21/11 16:09, Richard B. Gilbert wrote: > On 9/21/2011 2:59 PM, John Hasler wrote: >> Richard B. Gilbert writes: >>> It's unfortunate that the earth DOES NOT rotate exactly 360 degrees in >>> exactly 24.000000000000 hours. This bit of poor design causes all >>> sorts of problems. Leap seconds are just one of the symptoms! >> >> Leapseconds are localization, like time zones, daylight saving, and >> leapyears. It's unfortunate that they are considered part of the >> timestream. > > Too bad that the movements of of the planets, moons, etc. are not better > behaved. Lacking the powers of the divine we must work around the fact > that the earth does not rotate exactly once in each twenty-four hours, > and the fact that its revolution around the Sun is similarly messy, > taking 365 days, six hours, and a few odd minutes and seconds which we > account for (mostly) by declaring a "leap year" every four years. Those > "odd minutes and seconds" also add up and must be accounted for every > hundred years or so.
It's that pesky 2nd law of thermodynamics again. Somebody should get it repealed. -- blu Always code as if the guy who ends up maintaining your code will be a violent psychopath who knows where you live. - Martin Golding -----------------------------------------------------------------------| Brian Utterback - Solaris RPE, Oracle Corporation. Ph:603-262-3916, Em:[email protected] _______________________________________________ questions mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ntp.org/listinfo/questions
