Extra second to be added to clocks

Scientists are going to add a "leap second" to 2005. The extra second will be added one second before 6 p.m. Central Standard Time on New Year's Eve.

Leap seconds are needed occasionally because modern atomic clocks measure time with great accuracy, while the rotation of the Earth can be inconsistent.

The rotation of the Earth has been gradually slowing down, so leap seconds keep the clocks and the Earth from getting out of synch with one another.

Most people weren't aware of the change, but a few had plans for the extra second.

"I'll be glad for an extra second on my life," said Diann Wilhelm of Scott City.

Not much can be done with one second, complained senior citizen Ronald Beasley of Cape Girardeau. "When you get my age a second doesn't mean a whole lot."

Amber Moyers of Cape Girardeau said she'll probably give her family a big group hug.

Some businesses depend on knowing precisely what time it is. But television station KFVS12 won't have to worry about resetting its clock, said Rich Meinke, an engineer at the station. KFVS operates on a master clock that runs off the GPS satellite system. "If there's an extra second added, it will do it automatically," Meinke said.

Steve Green, president of First Community Bank, said the change probably won't affect his business either, even its time-sensitive vaults and computers.

"With that small of a change I don't expect you will see any effect," Green said.

Anyone interested in having his watch correct to the second should consult the owner's manual for the watch or search for the owner's manual information on the Internet.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

ameyer@semissourian.com

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