The Leap Second Dilemma

The arrival of 2006 was delayed this year due to the addition of a so-called leap second, necessary in order to keep atomic clocks synchronized with time given by Earth's (slowing) rotation. However, since Earth's rotation is slowing down nearly exponentially, leap seconds will need to be added more and more frequently in the future. A nice article from National Geographic describes the problems associated with the addition of leap seconds.