What Would You Do With An Extra Second?
By Geoff Bansen
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Have you ever been told by someone 'time is money'? What about 'cherish every second,' or perhaps to 'live the moment?'
Chances are you have.
As you may very well know, every fourth year is considered a Leap Year -- a year in which one extra day is inserted between the last day of March and April Fool's Day. The things one can accomplish given an extra 24 hours are endless; but what could you do if you had just an extra second ?
It's a question you may want to consider, as tomorrow will mark the 26th 'leap second' in history. Back in 1972, this correctional system was implemented to account for the Earth's slowing rotation, primarily caused by the moon's tug on our planet. Without it, atomic clocks would slowly become thrown off, ever so slightly. Although the leap second could theoretically be used to add or subtract one second, all have been of the 'positive' variety.
As purposeful as they are, leap seconds do have some repercussions. They can wreak havoc on technical devices, internet applications, and even the stock market. Some scientists have suggested abolishing leap seconds, despite the advocacy of others about their importance.
Regardless of any astronomical controversy, tomorrow's leap second is set to commence between 23:59:59 and 00:00:00. That's right, 23:59:60! That's six more kids that will have birthdays on June 30th, thousands of 'Likes' on Facebook, millions of emails that will meet monthly deadlines, and billions of breaths of air, just to name a few things. How will you spend it?