[time-nuts] UTC and leap seconds

[Poul-Henning Kamp]

In message <20100611102543.67641136087 at hamburg.alientech.net>, Mike S writes:
>At 06:03 AM 6/11/2010, Poul-Henning Kamp wrote...

>I assume you mean use a clock to measure the earth's rotation, using 
>quasars as a positional reference. That's circular logic.

Obviously, any measurement of earths rotation has to involve
circular logic :-)

If time changed rate fast enough to explain the observed changed
rate of earths rotation, we would long ago have measured drifts
in other fundamental natural constants which involve time.

For instance spectral emission lines from atoms in distant astronomical
objects.

If these other constants "magically" changed at the necessary
complimentary rate, then we are back at the old joke:

"If somebody took away all of reality last night, and replaced it
with an exact copy, how could you tell ?"

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