How many seconds in a minute?

Very simple question how many seconds are there in a minute?

Wait a minute (<- LOL) now. The question didn't specify WHICH minute. :/

I think the answer is... it depends!

Quote: charliepatrick

Very simple question how many seconds are there in a minute?

Show Spoiler

There will be a leap second added during the last minute of June 2015 UTC. The 60th second (23:59:59) will have a 61st second after it (23:59:60) before a second later the day ends at midnight (24:00:00)=(0:00:00).

Now you all knew that, so clicked 60 and 61.

But did you know that technically they can also subtract seconds - although with the world slowing down that is very unlikely to happen.

So full marks for all three answers.

Not enough?

Quote: TwoFeathersATL

Quote: charliepatrick

Very simple question how many seconds are there in a minute?

Show Spoiler

There will be a leap second added during the last minute of June 2015 UTC. The 60th second (23:59:59) will have a 61st second after it (23:59:60) before a second later the day ends at midnight (24:00:00)=(0:00:00).

Now you all knew that, so clicked 60 and 61.

But did you know that technically they can also subtract seconds - although with the world slowing down that is very unlikely to happen.

So full marks for all three answers.

Not enough?

Don't know why that posted twice, perhaps I have contracted Axelitus?

Time... The Chambers Brothers...... (1968?)

According to Wikipedia: "Between their adoption in 1972 and June 2012, 25 leap seconds have been scheduled, all positive; this will become 26 leap seconds at 23:59:60 UTC on June 30, 2015."

So, in 43 years, from January 1, 1972 to today, there have been 15,886 days. This gives a total of about 22875840 minutes. Of those minutes, all but 26 have had 60 seconds, and 26 minutes had 61 seconds. It follows that the average minute has about 60.0000011366 seconds in it, a choice that is not in your poll.

Quote: teliot

According to Wikipedia: "Between their adoption in 1972 and June 2012, 25 leap seconds have been scheduled, all positive; this will become 26 leap seconds at 23:59:60 UTC on June 30, 2015."

I know the rule used to be - and, for all I know, still is - that "positive" leap seconds (i.e. 61-second minutes) can happen only on June 30 and December 31, and "negative" leap seconds (i.e. 59-second minutes) can happen only on March 31 and September 30.

Just found an interesting article http://qz.com/432787/the-origin-of-leap-seconds-and-why-they-should-be-abolished/ which explains that the second was based on time in 1895/1900 and how average days have varied.