Global timekeepers move to eliminate leap seconds from atomic clocks

For nearly five decades, scientists have periodically inserted leap seconds into the world's atomic clocks to account for subtle variations in Earth's rotation. However, international timekeeping authorities are now pushing to abandon this practice, arguing that the adjustments create more problems than they solve in an increasingly digital world.

Leap seconds have been added 27 times since coordinated universal time was established in 1972, with the most recent insertion occurring in June 2015. These one-second adjustments are necessary because Earth's rotation gradually slows over time due to tidal friction, causing atomic time—which remains perfectly constant—to gradually drift ahead of solar time based on Earth's actual position.

The effort to eliminate leap seconds stems from concerns about compatibility with modern technology. Digital systems, financial markets, telecommunications networks, and GPS navigation depend on synchronized timekeeping, and the sudden addition of a leap second can cause software glitches, data corruption, and operational disruptions. Tech companies including Google and Amazon have publicly expressed concerns about the complications leap seconds introduce.

International officials are expected to vote on discontinuing leap seconds within the coming years. If approved, atomic time would be allowed to drift further and further ahead of solar time over centuries, though proponents argue this gradual divergence poses minimal practical consequences for contemporary technology and daily life. The shift would represent a fundamental change to how the world has maintained synchronized timekeeping for generations.