Atomic Timekeeping Podcast Episode 09

It's time to talk about the Leap Second. Yes, there's a Leap Second in just a few hours from now (as I post this podcast). What's a Leap Second? Why do we have them? Do we really need them?

Download Episode 09 right here...
AtomicPodcast09.mp3
(Running time 21:15 with STEREO sound!)

Also, check out these links for a more nitty-gritty discussion of these issues.

Markus Kuhn's essay on the Leap Second

The NIST entry on Leap Years and Leap Seconds

Another summary of these issues from TimeandDate.com

The home page of the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service... the folks in charge of determining when Leap Seconds happen.

Yet Another Bonus Video for December 2008

Here's a second "bonus video" podcast for December 2008. This time you'll see three almost-identical Oregon Scientific "atomic" projection alarm clocks setting themselves to the correct time automatically. Can three clocks be perfectly synchronized? You be the judge.

Download the video here...
OregonProjectors.m4v

...or enjoy the widescreen YouTube version.

Another Podcast Bonus Video (December 2008)

Download this new video here...
MegaClocks.m4v

It's a concise demonstration of how two Junghans Mega Clocks set themselves to the right time using WWVB. Here's the YouTube version...

Atomic Timekeeping Podcast Episode 08

Download episode 8 right here.
AtomicPodcast08.mp3
(Running time 25:47, monophonic)

In this episode, I'll tell you about the Geochron and its official, digital version, the World Watch software for Windows systems. There are other versions of this, including something you can briefly view at www.time.gov. But I have the most experience with World Watch, so I spend a lot of time talking about this.

Also, I mention a little something about astronomy again. It's a term you may have heard and it's "Analemma." Here's a web site devoted to this astronomical phenomenon... http://www.analemma.com/Pages/framesPage.html

So sit back and enjoy a little "talking shop" when it comes to really nifty timepieces.