Although it takes longer to say, “Do we really need a leap second?” than to allow one to come and go, the ongoing wrangle over these troublesome if fleeting moments has spanned a decade now. Most of the debate has occurred off the clock, at least as far as everyday living goes. Alarms continue to wake us, Thanksgiving turkeys get cooked, and trains run on time. Who’s going to miss a second, leaping or otherwise, and why does it matter?

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