1. Re: EUPHORIA Digest - 20 Feb 2000 to 21 Feb 2000 (#2000-53)
On Tue, 22 Feb 2000 10:49:46 -0400, Steve Mosher <farq at KILN.ISN.NET> wrote:
>Personally I think it has more to do with extremely complicated,
>researched and highly convoluted advanced stages of mastery over
>arbitrarity. =)
>
>
>On Tue, 22 Feb 2000, j77 wrote:
>
>> 1600 was a leap year, as is 2000. but 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not leap
>> years...
>> i think it has something to do with extra seconds as the earth slows down in
>> its spin over the centuries...
>>
Yes, the earth slows down. No, the adjustment has little to do with that. It
happens that the solar year is 365 and a little less than a quarter of a day...
that is to say, the time that it takes for the earth to circuit the sun. The
difference accumulates, and every four years, we compensate...but the
there is a remainder in the calculation, and that accumulates...and that is
almost taken care of every hundred years...and the remainder there is
taken care of every 400 years...and I don't know how long the next correction
takes to accumulate. Probably, by then, the slowing of the earth will have
some effect on the calculation.
As for you, Mr. Mosher...try writing the word "solipsist" on your mirror and
then look it up. I think you'll find a friend in the mirror...or at least a
confirmation of your introspection.
Everett L.(Rett) Williams
rett at gvtc.com
