科学｜うるう秒廃止、地球の自転が影響 / Science | Abolishment of Leap Seconds, Affected by Earth’s Rotation

Summary

In October 2023, the official decision was made to abolish leap seconds.

Leap seconds were introduced in 1972 to adjust the time between the Earth’s rotation and atomic clocks, and a total of 27 leap seconds have been added so far. However, in recent years, there has been an increasing demand to reconsider this practice to avoid computer malfunctions and disruptions in financial transactions. Moving forward, a system called “leap hours” will be implemented, allowing for time discrepancies of up to one hour, which is expected to eliminate the need for time adjustments for several hundred years.

Dialogue

This dialogue is fictional and based on the article.

Chako: What is a leap second? What does it mean that they’re going to abolish it?
Log: Leap seconds were used to synchronize the speed of the Earth’s rotation with atomic clocks. But lately, there have been more situations where that adjustment isn’t necessary anymore.
Chako: I see! So what will happen from now on?
Log: They’re introducing a new “leap hour,” which will allow for a deviation of up to one hour. This will help avoid confusion.
Navi: The abolition of leap seconds is believed to be a decision made with consideration for the effects on computers and financial systems. It’s a measure to prevent confusion.

Admin’s Note

The abolition of leap seconds is a significant event that will greatly impact our concept of time. I was particularly surprised by the choice made to address the new challenges brought about by technological advancements. Chako’s questions are straightforward and might serve as a catalyst for children to think about time. I would like to keep an eye on how “leap time” will be managed in the future and how its effects will manifest in our daily lives.