How an accelerating Earth led experts to adopt the leap hour
International delegates agree leap second no longer tenable, but first leap hour not likely to happen for thousands of years
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Read the original articlethe Guardian · theguardian.comOur verdict
Political lean
0 = center. The further from 0, the stronger the lean (max 10).
Reporting balance
How complete and even-handed the reporting is — separate from which side it leans.
This is a balanced and informative science report covering the international decision to replace the leap second with the leap hour. It explains the technical, logistical, and historical context for the change while maintaining an objective tone.
Key Findings
- 1The article clearly articulates the technical necessity for the change, citing experts such as Dr Setnam Shemar, who emphasized the risk to national infrastructure.
- 2The piece acknowledges dissent by stating, 'Historically, the UK has grumbled about canning leap seconds because of the link with Greenwich mean time. Russia has also opposed the move'.
Dimension Breakdown
The article quotes scientists from the National Physical Laboratory and the IERS Earth Orientation Centre, representing both the proposing side and the technical oversight perspective.
The language is professional, objective, and scientific, focusing on the technical reasons for the policy change.
The article explains the technical background of leap seconds and the justification for the transition to leap hours using clear data points.
It covers the motivations for the vote, the risks of the previous system, and acknowledges historical opposition from countries like the UK and Russia.
The headline accurately reflects the outcome of the conference and the core subject of the article.
Provides sufficient historical context regarding leap seconds and the mechanics of Earth's rotation to explain the decision.
Missing Perspectives
- While the article mentions Russian opposition, it does not detail the specific technical arguments behind that opposition beyond a brief mention of the Glonass system.
Key Facts
- Delegates from 69 countries voted to replace the leap second with the leap hour at a conference in France.
- The decision aims to prevent technical errors in computer systems that struggle to process 61-second or 59-second minutes.
- The new standard allows coordinated universal time (UTC) to drift by up to one hour before a correction is applied.
- 27 leap seconds have been added to UTC since 1972 to account for the Earth's rotation.
- Recent acceleration in Earth's rotation increased the probability of needing a negative leap second, which carries high risks for software systems.