Re: Leap seconds - UK opposes change

[Mike Cowham]

Dear Shadow Watchers,     I have been following recent correspondence on the list about the Leap Second issue.  If we put this into perspective it seems that we only insert one or two in any year and, if we abandon them we will not correct things until the error gets to one hour.  I make this something like 2000 years!  Why are WE worrying about the error?  They may have abandoned time completely by then or we could be using 'Intergalactic Time'.      I think that as far as we are concerned we should just go with the idea of no leap seconds and let future generations worry about the consequences.  It certainly will not be noticed on sundials for several generations.       I have just been reading John Smith's book 'Horological Disquisitions' of 1694, in which he advocates changing our clocks ten times over the course of the year (on specific dates) to keep them within 3m 45s of Solar Time.  This Leap Second thing is a similar situation.   Regards, Mike Cowham Cambridge UK.