[LEAPSECS] LEAPSECS Digest, Vol 91, Issue 4 prime meridian and legalities

[Kevin Birth]

The prime meridian is, indeed, a historical construct, but it was also a
colonial construct and gained credence because of the weight of the major
colonial powers behind it.  The adjustment of national laws to global
standards is complicated and as likely to be guided by sentiments of
resistance as much as by technical reasoning.  The complicated dynamics of
postcolonialism add layers of memories and historically-informed
sentiments to how legal processes work.  There is a weariness in much of
the world related to adjusting to initiatives that originate in Europe and
North America.  Whether that weariness guides any responses to eliminating
leap seconds is hard to say--particularly when the weariness can pose as a
lack of commitment to any position.

It is also the case that there is frequently tension between
scientific/technical elites and local politicians.  The passage of an ITU
resolution will not necessarily translate into local political will to
adjust laws in response. This latter process might be harder than getting
the ITU-R to pass the resolution.

Cheers,

Kevin

Kevin K. Birth, Professor
Department of Anthropology
Queens College, City University of New York
65-30 Kissena Boulevard
Flushing, NY 11367
telephone: 718/997-5518

"We may live longer but we may be subject to peculiar contagion and
spiritual torpor or illiteracies of the imagination" --Wilson Harris

"Tempus est mundi instabilis motus, rerumque labentium cursus." --Hrabanus
Maurus





On 4/8/14 5:20 PM, "Matsakis, Demetrios"
<demetrios.matsakis at usno.navy.mil> wrote:


>Rob,

>

>I too am sorry I missed the AAS session.  You may have heard the story

>about my being "stranded in paradise".   I had reservations to return

>from the Caribbean on the Friday before the Sunday meeting.

>Unfortunately that particular Friday was one of the many days snow

>paralyzed the North American East coast last winter.  The next Jet Blue

>flight I could catch was four days later.

>

>Worse, I won't be able to help you much with your question.   The prime

>meridian is a historical construct, now noticeably offset from the stripe

>tourists like to straddle in Greenwich.   I don't see how it is related

>to time anymore.     As for legal issues, these are beyond my expertise

>and authority.   But we all know legal time is individually defined by

>the sovereign states, most of which are represented in the ITU.  Their

>representatives have been informed of the proposal.   In fact, I'm told

>it has gathered far more attention than the typical ITU resolutions.

>I've even head it described as sexy.   Although many people have noted

>that some technical scientific documentation would have to be rephrased,

>I'm personally unaware of any nation claiming an insurmountable adverse

>legal impact.  It would seem to me that the multiyear implementation

>delay would allow ample time for any nation to adjust is laws.

>

>Demetrios

>

>-----Original Message-----

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>   1. Re: Real April Fools' Joke: GMT Abolished (Rob Seaman)

>

>

>----------------------------------------------------------------------

>

>Message: 1

>Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2014 05:57:20 -0700

>From: Rob Seaman <seaman at noao.edu>

>Subject: Re: [LEAPSECS] Real April Fools' Joke: GMT Abolished

>To: "Matsakis, Demetrios" <demetrios.matsakis at usno.navy.mil>

>Cc: Leap Second Discussion List <leapsecs at leapsecond.com>

>Message-ID: <A05CCBC6-C4FF-487C-8EBE-736A101E95B1 at noao.edu>

>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

>

>Hi Demetrios,

>

>Sorry you couldn't make it to our session at the DC AAS meeting in

>January.  We were very glad to see so many others from USNO.

>

>On Apr 3, 2014, at 11:00 AM, Matsakis, Demetrios

><demetrios.matsakis at usno.navy.mil> wrote:

>

>> http://www.timeanddate.com/news/time/paris-meridian-gmt-obsolete.html

>

>The links to the previous years' efforts are pretty good, too.  (Though I

>would have thought the essence of an April Fool's joke was not to

>announce it as a joke ;-)

>

>Regarding the prime meridian, can you comment on how a similar issue

>would be avoided should leap seconds cease?  Presumably USNO, the ITU-R,

>or somebody has investigated the technical and legal implications? *

>

>It is generally not considered to be a good thing when a public policy

>proposal resembles a practical joke.  On the other hand, as one can see,

>even in jokes there is an assumed equivalence between civil timekeeping

>and mean solar time.  GMT and the concept of the prime meridian have been

>jointly tied together since the 19th century.  UTC is the modern

>realization of GMT.  If UTC is redefined, then what?

>

>Rob

>--

>

>* see 

>http://www.cacr.caltech.edu/futureofutc/2011/preprints/04_AAS_11-662_Seago

>.pdf

>

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