In 2004, the idea of swapping leap seconds for a leap hour in a few hundred years' time was proposed.

BBC: Changes to the world's time scale debated

Dr Arias said it was looking increasingly likely that leap seconds may be voted out in January, but that the meeting at the Royal Society could help to thrash out ideas that could offset any problems this loss could cause.

BBC: Changes to the world's time scale debated

The general feeling was that you could never implement a leap hour as they are much harder to do than the leap seconds, and if you can't cope with leap seconds, it would be much harder to cope with a leap hour.

BBC: Changes to the world's time scale debated

Kellner's ire was directed especially at a device called the Replay TV 4000, marketed in the US by a company called Sonic Blue, which incorporates a button allowing you to leap forward exactly 30 seconds.

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It wouldn't have taken much of a leap, in those thirty seconds when all was quiet and still, to see that darkness was settling upon the world as well.

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Audi says the A7 can make the leap to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds, which is impressive for what is a relatively small engine in such a large sedan.

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Felix Baumgartner plans to leap from 23 miles above Earth on Sunday, breaking the speed of sound within 40 seconds before free falling for another five minutes or so.

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