EQUIPThe Verge · 1h ago
Time is a-changin’: say goodbye to the leap second
Executive Brief
The 30-second read
The International Bureau of Weights and Measures has voted to discontinue the use of leap seconds to synchronize atomic time with Earth's rotation. This shift aims to eliminate risks to global digital infrastructure and prevents technical failures similar to the Y2K bug.
- 01International authorities voted to scrap ad hoc leap second adjustments in global timekeeping standards.
- 02The change addresses potential synchronization failures across critical digital and financial infrastructure networks.
- 03Removal of the leap second ensures more consistent and predictable long-term time tracking for technology systems.
- 04Decision aims to prevent systemic disruptions previously caused by irregular manual time corrections.
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An important change will soon be made to global timekeeping that aims to prevent potential infrastructure failures akin to the Y2K bug scare. On Thursday, the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) voted to scrap the leap second, an ad hoc time adjustment that's occasionally added so tracked time standards mirror the Earth's real […]