Time lords prepare to kick leap seconds into the next millennium
The future of timekeeping could hinge on a bold move: ending leap seconds. A draft proposal to be voted on next month would make UTC continuous from May 20, 2027, allowing a potential divergence from Earth’s rotation of up to an hour. That’s a big shift from the 0.9-second limit that has kept UTC in line with UT1 since 1972. Experts warn many systems assume leap seconds are added, not removed, so a negative leap second could cause widespread disruption. Yet supporters argue the change would ultimately reduce risk to critical infrastructure and vast, ongoing maintenance. If approved, UTC could drift for centuries, minimizing leap-second tinkering—and, some say, steering us toward safer, steadier timekeeping.