New Book Discusses Implications of Decoupling Civil Timekeeping from the Earth's Rotation (Forwarded)

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Joanne Welsh, Public Relations Manager
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Jan. 5, 2012

New Book Discusses Implications of Decoupling Civil Timekeeping from the
Earth's Rotation

Exton, PA -- The American Astronautical Society has just published
"Decoupling Civil Timekeeping from Earth Rotation," a book on the future of
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the foundation for almost all clocks
around the world. The book details the proceedings of a colloquium held at
AGI in October 2011.

Prominent specialists and authorities on timekeeping met at the aerospace
and defense software company to discuss the implications of redefining UTC
-- in essence, doing away with periodic adjustments known as leap seconds
that keep clocks in sync with the Earth's rotation. An assembly of the
International Telecommunication Union will vote on the issue in mid-January.
There was broad agreement at the AGI colloquium that there is a lack of
documentation supporting the need for a change and a delay in any official
decision is advisable until impacts and mitigations can be identified and
planned for.

The book, which is Volume 113 of the Science and Technology Series, was
edited by AGI's John H. Seago, as well as Robert L. Seaman, National Optical
Astronomy Observatory and Steven L. Allen, UCO/Lick Observatory.
Contributors included Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson of the Hayden Planetarium, Dr.
George H. Kaplan of the International Astronomical Union, Dr. Daniel Gambis
of the International Earth Orientation Center in Paris, Danny Hillis of the
Long Now Foundation and Applied Minds, LLC, and experts from the Vatican
Observatory, NASA and astrophysical observatories worldwide. "Decoupling
Civil Timekeeping From Earth Rotation," can be purchased from Univelt.
Preprints of the articles, transcribed discussions and original
presentations are available at
http://futureofutc.org

For more information on this topic, visit
http://blogs.agi.com

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