TechTECH WATCH

The leap second is being canceled for clocks

Timekeepers will stop adding the extra second that kept clocks in step with Earth's wobbling spin, and computers should be happier for a very long time.

On air: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on Best of BBN
Published 3:03 AM ET, Saturday, October 17, 2026

Photo: US Government / NIST · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

▶ As it aired · Tech

Watch it as it aired: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on this story, from Best of BBN at 3:03 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are The New York Times's, the jokes are ours.

Photo: US Government / NIST · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

Photo: Leap second — Photo: US Government / NIST · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

At a glance

First reported by The New York Times: “The Leap Second Has Been Canceled”.
Covered on BBN on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 3:03 AM ET on Best of BBN, by Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield.

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

The New York TimesThe Leap Second Has Been Canceled

What BBN said about it

Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentOvernight, the leap second got canceled.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentEarth's spin drifts a little, so for decades we added one extra second to the clocks to keep up, and now we won't, at least not for a very long time.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo the planet is just running late and the clocks are done covering for it?
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentRoughly, yes. The reason is practical, because those extra seconds crash servers and confuse phones, and engineers got tired of fixing it every time.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentWait, so my phone was glitching because of Earth? I've been blaming the wrong thing for years.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentNot your phone. Your phone has other problems.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentFine, but the drift keeps growing, so I'm officially late forever, and that's science now.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThat one goes on the list.

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