Leap seconds to be abolished starting May 20, 2027

New Scientist reports that representatives from 69 countries voted on October 15 to abolish leap seconds starting May 20, 2027. Officials have added 27 since 1972 to keep universal time aligned with Earth’s rotation, but the corrections can disrupt technological systems. Under the replacement, universal time can drift up to an hour from astronomical time before correction; an expert says a leap hour may not be needed for many hundreds or even thousands of years.