# The leap second might go **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 14, 2026, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leap-second-might-go/1033820 "2026-10-14T08:05:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2026, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leap-second-might-go/1033820/21 "2026-10-15T15:21:20Z")
And the motion to abolish the leap second was successful; it was decided today to increase the maximum permissible difference between UTC and GMT to one hour. We don’t know what will happen when this occurs (presumably a leap hour), but it will take millennia to happen. > **[Scientists just voted to redefine how the world keeps time](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/scientists-vote-to-end-leap-seconds-redefining-how-the-world-keeps-time/)** > > A new system, called the “leap hour,” will allow Earth’s rotation and official time to fall out of alignment by a full hour ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2026, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leap-second-might-go/1033820/22 "2026-10-15T15:23:40Z")
No! Now all my solstice celebrations could be many seconds off. /sarcasm ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2026, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leap-second-might-go/1033820/23 "2026-10-15T16:12:10Z")
> [@Schnitte](#): > > it will take millennia to happen. That is something to look forward to. Should be a nice party. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2026, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leap-second-might-go/1033820/24 "2026-10-15T16:56:40Z")
Good thing all computer systems (that have to deal with time zones) have that table installed. Check e.g. `/usr/share/zoneinfo/leapseconds` I still smell a rat with the attention paid to this whole thing, and would like to know who are the corporate sponsors… (the relevant resolutions have nothing to do with _science_) ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2026, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leap-second-might-go/1033820/25 "2026-10-15T17:25:17Z")
All of the 27 leap seconds have been positive, but there is some discussion that we might get some future negative leap seconds. With any luck the whole thing will cancel out. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leap-second-might-go/1033820/26 "2026-10-16T01:57:50Z")
We’ll need future Pope Gregory XXX to declare an extra hour on some New Years Eve to put things back in order. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leap-second-might-go/1033820/27 "2026-10-16T12:51:08Z")
Getting tired of fighting ignorance I think that I am going to enjoy it for a while instead, let’s see how long I can cope. @Schnitte sure knows the Bild Zeitung, for the rest, here is their short and snappy but highly scientific take on the leap second debate: [![](https://i.ibb.co/v6TjmKmm/20261016-122044.jpg) ](https://i.ibb.co/v6TjmKmm/20261016-122044.jpg) **_Our_ Earth is _suddenly_ rotating faster and faster!** **Will it have consequences for satellites and telecommunication _now_?** OMG, we are all going to die! Seen today on the streets of Berlin. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leap-second-might-go/1033820/28 "2026-10-16T13:13:03Z")
I am just pissed off that the Catholic Church, the world government trillionaires, and the AIs have usurped the very heavens in order to turn us all into docile slaves and the tabloids are not making more of an effort to inform everyone all about it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leap-second-might-go/1033820.md?page=1)