It’s time to leave the leap second in the past (engineering.fb.com)

Article summary

The article discusses the concept of leap seconds, which were introduced in 1972 to account for the Earth's rotation slowing down. However, with the increasing demand for clock precision across industries, the leap second is now causing more problems than it solves. Meta is supporting an industry effort to stop introducing new leap seconds and remain at the current level of 27. The article highlights the technical challenges and risks associated with leap seconds, including crashes, data corruption, and outages.

Main themes

• Leap seconds
• Timekeeping
• UTC vs TAI
• Digital applications
• Scientific precision
• Critical infrastructure
• Education and awareness
• Alternative time standards

What commenters say

• Some argue that the leap second is no longer necessary and that its removal would simplify timekeeping for digital applications.
• Others believe that the leap second is still necessary to account for the Earth's rotation and that its removal would cause more problems than it solves.
• The use of TAI instead of UTC is proposed as a solution to avoid leap second issues, but it is not widely adopted due to the need for interaction with the rest of the world.
• The removal of leap seconds is seen as a compromise between the needs of scientists and digital applications, but some argue that it is not a sufficient solution.
• It is suggested that the industry should focus on educating developers about the complexities of timekeeping rather than trying to simplify the problem.
• The impact of leap seconds on critical infrastructure and the potential for outages and disruptions is a major concern for some commenters.
• Others downplay the significance of leap second-related outages, citing examples of minor disruptions.
• The idea of redefining timekeeping systems, such as adopting a new calendar or time standard, is also discussed as a potential solution.