Dante Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 New Year 'delayed' by leap second Scientists are delaying the start of the new year by adding the first "leap second" in seven years. The Paris Observatory said an extra second would be added to clocks worldwide at the stroke of midnight on 31 December. Leap seconds are required every so often to keep our clocks in sync with solar time used by astronomers. "Enjoy New Year's Eve a second longer," said the researchers at the US National Institute of Standards and Technology. Tidal friction The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service, based at the Paris Observatory, tells the world every six months whether to add or subtract a second from atomic clocks, the standard for everyday timekeeping. A leap second is added to Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC) to keep it in step with solar time - based on the Earth's rotation on itself - to within a second. Tidal friction causes the Earth's rotation to slow down, which means that solar time tends to drift out of sync with atomic clocks. If this disparity was not corrected, the error could increase to several seconds within a few decades; and would very quickly make software and possibly hardware used by astronomers obsolete. There have been 22 leap seconds added - and no subtractions - since the first one on 30 June, 1972. The new leap second will be inserted at the end of the final minute of 2005, giving the familiar "six pip" BBC radio time signal an extra pip before the long pip marking the hour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shino Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 OMG!!! NOT AGAIN!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SupaFry Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 Man I really need that extra second. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arragaun Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 That extra second can help me fulfill my life's dream...To spend one extra second in 2005. Aaaah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meroigo Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 God bless the scientists! What would we do without them? I'm so happy right now...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gorrit Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 Mwahahaha! That one extra second was just what I needed to conquer the world! ehm... Nothing. I said nothing at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Konfucius Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 If 22 seconds were added over the years that means that our world is slowing down - won't take long until it fully stops, you'll see Hehe I'll sit in front of that clock I have which always recieves the exact time to see how it displays that extra second (two times 59 or 59 and 60 or 00 and 00... the possibilities are endless) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The3rdChildren Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 I personally think that's pretty interesting. Good find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViPeR Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 I probably be to pissed to remember when the time comes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshMat Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 What the hell? Ok thats an extra second of 2005 carling.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soag Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 What the hell? Ok thats an extra second of 2005 carling.. No carling for you kid sorry, but you can have Sprite or something As for the extra secong... .... aghhhhhhhhhh its the end of the world as we know it we're doomed, DOOMED I TELL YEA!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KKOB Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 bring on the extra second of deborched behaviour! woooooooohh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshMat Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 No carling for you kid sorry, but you can have Sprite or something Are you just doing this to take the piss now? Im allowed the odd can of cold carling jees Sprite on new years? how dull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dabookerman Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 Are you just doing this to take the piss now? Im allowed the odd can of cold carling jees Sprite on new years? how dull my nephews are older than you, give them a sprite and they go sailing the 7 seas. i think some ribena is more than enough for you son Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshMat Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 why don't we jsut talk about this extra second again shall we? I've had enough of people discussing my age! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarka Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 I am 14 and I drink ribena at New Year! Gets my high as a kite. Also, most beers are disgusting in my view adn the only alchoholic drink I drink is Smirmoff.... mmmm. Also, yay for the extra second! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raining_again Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 All alcohol is disgusting but the taste wears off when youve had a couple I had enough on christmas eve! i dont think i wanna suffer like i did on christmas day But its like hangover syndrome...say never again but you crack open the beer the next week Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soag Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 Are you just doing this to take the piss now? Im allowed the odd can of cold carling jees Sprite on new years? how dull I think youd find the law states that your NOT allowed the odd can of carling . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raining_again Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 Aren't you allowed one alcoholic drink with a full meal when you turn 15? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackfox Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 The licensing laws are a mess. There are many a loophole in them. For instance, its 18 to buy alcohol. 3 to drink alcohol at home with parental consent. 15 to drink alcohol in a pub with a meal. (I think). So many odd rules concerning it.. Anyway, as for that extra second..cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshMat Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 The licensing laws are a mess. There are many a loophole in them. For instance, its 18 to buy alcohol. 3 to drink alcohol at home with parental consent. 15 to drink alcohol in a pub with a meal. (I think). So many odd rules concerning it.. Anyway, as for that extra second..cool. do you mean 3 or 13 there? so you can be 13, and it is legal to drink alchohol at home? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackfox Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 do you mean 3 or 13 there? so you can be 13, and it is legal to drink alchohol at home? Im pretty sure its 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raining_again Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 its 3? i thought it was 4 definately not 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshMat Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 Where are you getting this info because i've jsut done a 10-minute google and couldnt find what you've just said blackfox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raining_again Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 http://www.drinkingandyou.com/site/uk/child.htm have a look at the bit where it says about the law. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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