Clocks may have to skip a second — called a “negative leap second” — around 2029, a study in the journal Nature said Wednesday.
“We are headed toward a negative leap second," said Dennis McCarthy, retired director of time for the U.S.
Without the effect of melting ice, Earth would need that negative leap second in 2026 instead of 2029, Agnew calculated.
In 2012, some computer systems mishandled the leap second, causing problems for Reddit, Linux, Qantas Airlines and others, experts said.
Then add in the “weird” effect of subtracting, not adding a leap second, Agnew said.
Persons:
”, Duncan Agnew, “ It’s, Agnew, Dennis McCarthy, Judah Levine, McCarthy, timekeepers, ” Levine, ” McCarthy, Levine, “, It’s, it’s, ___ Read, Seth Borenstein
Organizations:
Nature, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, U.S . Naval, National Institute of Standards, Technology, “, Linux, Qantas Airlines, Tech, Google, Amazon, Associated Press
Locations:
San Diego, AP.org