Leap Seconds vs. Reality

[jmpet]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leap_seconds

"Originally, the second was defined as 1/86400 of a mean solar day (see solar time) as determined by the rotation of the Earth around its axis and around the Sun. By the middle of the 20th century, it was apparent that the rotation of the Earth did not provide a sufficiently uniform time standard and in 1956 the second was redefined in terms of the annual orbital revolution of the Earth around the Sun. In 1967 the second was redefined, once again..."

Leap seconds are proof you cannot quantify the measurement of one year because numbers on paper cannot define reality.

 

[Neverfly]

The purpose of science is to define the most accurate model of reality.


Also, look up the definition of "proof."

 

[Pete]

Leap seconds are proof you cannot quantify the measurement of one year because numbers on paper cannot define reality.

Leap seconds are proof that not all days have the same length. The length of each day is certainly quantifiable:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Deviation_of_day_length_from_SI_day_.svg

"The measurement of one year" is ambiguous, but still quantifiable within some margin of error. Specific definitions of a year (eg "the time taken by the Earth to orbit the Sun once with respect to the fixed stars, starting from 01/01/2009 00:00 UTC") are very tightly quantifiable.

 

[jmpet]

Ah, to wither upon the vine. So much information is lost...