What percentage of US adults understand leap day?

[Golgatha]

I've often wondered why we don't just change the arbitrary amount of time a single second is. Just take the amount of time for a single revolution around the sun and divide by 31,536,000 (365days*24hours*60min*60sec) to get the time needed for 1 second to pass. Bam, no more need for leap years!

 

[vi edit]

Now can somebody please just end the madness of DST and not make me reset my f'n clocks twice a year?

 

[Ben90]

I don't get leap days. Can someone explain it to me?

 

[vi edit]

I don't get leap days. Can someone explain it to me?

Talk to your companies HR dept. It should have been included in the benefits package. 1 leap day for every 4 years of service.

 

[irishScott]

I used to understand it, then I stopped giving a shit.

 

[3chordcharlie]

I like this. I'm going to change my belief.

I've understood leap day for most of my life. In the 50 plus years I've been alive this knowledge has not ONCE been helpful in any way.

It's kind of true... the one time detailed knowledge could have made for a reasonable (lame) party trick, it was 2000, and so nothing was different.

In fact, it's likely that no one reading this thread will ever have a use for knowing about the 'centuries' rule.

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

What's it there to understand?

Every year, the calendar of 365 days round down some excess hours, that adds up to a whole day every 4th year, so we attach that on Feb. Was that so hard? Was that so cool for you to know to show off?

Some people don't even understand heliocentrism. How can you really understand a leap day if you don't get heliocentrism?

I've often wondered why we don't just change the arbitrary amount of time a single second is. Just take the amount of time for a single revolution around the sun and divide by 31,536,000 (365days*24hours*60min*60sec) to get the time needed for 1 second to pass. Bam, no more need for leap years!

 

[lxskllr]

Now can somebody please just end the madness of DST and not make me reset my f'n clocks twice a year?

I despise DST. My body's tuned to the solar cycle, and when the time changes, it dicks up my system. If the time were left alone, I wouldn't need a clock; at least not for most things. My internal sensor is good to about 15 minutes.

 

[dank69]

Better Question ? Do adults really understand why They went from a 13 month year to a twelve month year . Which removes 4 weekends from the workers . That relates to today . But in ancient times it also removed 4 Sabbath days. The ans lies in a deck of cards

I've often wondered why we don't just change the arbitrary amount of time a single second is. Just take the amount of time for a single revolution around the sun and divide by 31,536,000 (365days*24hours*60min*60sec) to get the time needed for 1 second to pass. Bam, no more need for leap years!

Ah ATOT, never ending source of lulz.

 

[JTsyo]

I've often wondered why we don't just change the arbitrary amount of time a single second is. Just take the amount of time for a single revolution around the sun and divide by 31,536,000 (365days*24hours*60min*60sec) to get the time needed for 1 second to pass. Bam, no more need for leap years!

That'll mess up the day.

A through explanation on leap year

Cliffs:

If the year is divisible by 4, then it’s a leap year, UNLESS

it’s also divisible by 100, then it’s not a leap year, UNLESS FURTHER

the year is divisible by 400, then it is a leap year.

 

[DrPizza]

I think I'll ask during lunch today and keep an informal tally.

I'm disappointed, though, I suppose, not surprised. And, reading through the rest of this thread, I have to wonder if a few people are just trying to pull our collective legs, or, well, at least I used to think the people in here were reasonably intelligent compared to the population as a whole.

 

[zinfamous]

Leap Day is merely a leftist conspiracy to introduce socialism into our country.

 

[TuxDave]

I'm disappointed, though, I suppose, not surprised. And, reading through the rest of this thread, I have to wonder if a few people are just trying to pull our collective legs, or, well, at least I used to think the people in here were reasonably intelligent compared to the population as a whole.

Do share your findings.

 

[zinfamous]

Now can somebody please just end the madness of DST and not make me reset my f'n clocks twice a year?

You know, you could just ignore the clock resets and tolerate them being on time 1/2 of every year.

 

[lxskllr]

You know, you could just ignore the clock resets and tolerate them being on time 1/2 of every year.

I do that, but it does nothing for the expectations of others. They use the fucked up time.

 

[Krynj]

I've understood the reason behind a leap day since I was in 4th or 5th grade.

 

[TuxDave]

There's going to be a leap second in June. If only 10% can explain leap days, I think we're looking at 0.1% for leap seconds.

Heh, the first time I heard of leap seconds was in graduate school and it was only after a student of mine asked me to help explain why it happened. Never really occured to me that, yeah, we'll eventually get tidally locked, but it makes sense.

 

[CZroe]

Feedin' the trolls. Feedin' the trolls. Fa- Fa- Feedin' the trolls...

that would be ten, thus even.

Tonto is what I call Toronto because the fucking place is ran by stupid people.

Racist.

why not make a year exactly 365 days? time is arbitrary anyways.

Because you can't "make" 365 days equal one trip around the Sun. You will eventually have winter in August.

I've often wondered why we don't just change the arbitrary amount of time a single second is. Just take the amount of time for a single revolution around the sun and divide by 31,536,000 (365days*24hours*60min*60sec) to get the time needed for 1 second to pass. Bam, no more need for leap years!

Because then we start getting sunsets at 6AM one year and 6PM on the same day a couple years later.

 

[3chordcharlie]

Because you can't "make" 365 days equal one trip around the Sun. You will eventually have winter in August.

Finally a decent idea!

It's too hot in August anyway.

 

[maniacalpha1-1]

How are scientists keeping track of the earth's orbit around the sun, tilting of the axis, etc such that they know it isn't changing? Or...even if it WERE changing, would we leave our calendar system exactly as it is?

 

[zinfamous]

I do that, but it does nothing for the expectations of others. They use the fucked up time.

I tend to do that with my car and microwave. Sometimes, others will get pissed about the clock in the car and spend the ride figuring out how to reset it themselves.

 

[ussfletcher]

oooh, I like this. Lifted from wikipedia

is_leap_year = ( year modulo 4 is 0 ) and ( ( year modulo 100 is not 0 ) or ( year modulo 400 is 0 ) )

I don't think that works in all cases (distant future).

 

[CZroe]

Finally a decent idea!

It's too hot in August anyway.

It would take about 730 years, but shifting a month per century is disruptive enough.

 

[Ichinisan]

I like this. I'm going to change my belief.

I've understood leap day for most of my life. In the 50 plus years I've been alive this knowledge has not ONCE been helpful in any way.

It's useful for consistency from generation to generation.

I don't want my great, great, great, great, great, great grandkids to read a 20th century book and think "February is WINTER?!"

 

[sdifox]

Feedin' the trolls. Feedin' the trolls. Fa- Fa- Feedin' the trolls...



Racist.



Because you can't "make" 365 days equal one trip around the Sun. You will eventually have winter in August.



Because then we start getting sunsets at 6AM one year and 6PM on the same day a couple years later.

that would be ten, thus even.

Tonto is what I call Toronto because the fucking place is ran by stupid people.

explain how my post is racist.