We covered the reasons for leap years on the lecture. In addition to the leap days every leap year, we also add leap seconds every now and then, but they are a different thing from the very algorithmic leap years. Make sure you understand where the leap seconds come from, how they differ from leap days, and think what possible effects ignoring them could cause -- in particular in your own field. (In some cases they have absolutely no effect, in others, they can lead to huge disruptions if not accounted for.) 

In the videos below, you'll first get a concise explanation of the phenomenon, and in the second video some more details. You can read further e.g. at Wikipedia, or engage in speculating with XKCD whether we can do something about the reason behind leap second.

"The Mysterious Leap Second"


"The Leap Second Explained"



Task: Be prepared to answer the question on the lecture: In your own field, do you need to be aware of leap days or leap seconds in some way? Have justifications ready.

Last modified: Friday, 18 December 2020, 12:26 PM