Thread  RSS Convinced Leap Day occurs every four years? Think again - WTVM



# 12896 9 years ago on Mon, Feb 29 2016 at 7:03 am

How about this?!

Boston.com

Convinced Leap Day occurs every four years? Think again

WTVM

(RNN) - Monday is Feb. 29, which is known as Leap Day. MOREAdditional LinksPoll. Several traditions and superstitions surround Leap Day, which occurs due to the Earth's orbit around the sun. Leap Day may seem like a simple concept, but there's some ...

Why do we have a leap year anyway?CNN

This Leap Year baby is feeling his agePhilly.com

The 'Splainer: Pope Gregory makes the leap to leap yearReligion News Service

Boston.com -Asbury Park Press -Madison.com

all 316 news articles »

Here's the rest of the story. user link on news.google.com

Certainly noteworthy, I guess.

"The more you can dream the more you can do."

-- Michael Korda

# 12900 9 years ago on Mon, Feb 29 2016 at 12:16 pm

Leap year babbies live theoretically four times as long as most people! They only age one year for every four years. Wish I was a leap year babby (or wait, no, 'cause then I'd still be in grade school!)

You cannot comprehend me.

# 12905 9 years ago on Mon, Feb 29 2016 at 3:55 pm

Yeah; I kind of knew that the rules for how leap years are determined were a little more complex than "every four years".

I just wonder how long it's going to take before we switch over to a date and time system based on an estimated number of seconds since the big bang, based on measurements from the cosmic microwave background. Just kidding, of course, since that wouldn't be a very certain number.

73's, KD8FUD

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# 12908 9 years ago on Mon, Feb 29 2016 at 5:46 pm

The logic is kind of arbitrary. All they really needed to do was spread out the leap days evenly enough. We stick with this method for historical reasons but it would be better to actually spread the time offset more evenly. Nitpicking, I know. Not like it makes that much difference within a single four year span, anyway.

For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring. -- Carl Sagan

# 12929 9 years ago on Tue, Mar 1 2016 at 8:39 pm

On Monday, February 29th, 2016 at 8:55 pm, Nitrocosm said:

I just wonder how long it's going to take before we switch over to a date and time system based on an estimated number of seconds since the big bang, based on measurements from the cosmic microwave background.

Eh, can't see that happening. Measuring time based on Earth's rotation and orbit seems much more intuitive, anyway. Though it would be amusing if someone actually came up with a system based on the big bang.

"Dangerous toys are fun, but you could get hurt!"


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