Wikiversity
enwikiversity
https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Wikiversity:Main_Page
MediaWiki 1.47.0-wmf.13
first-letter
Media
Special
Talk
User
User talk
Wikiversity
Wikiversity talk
File
File talk
MediaWiki
MediaWiki talk
Template
Template talk
Help
Help talk
Category
Category talk
School
School talk
Portal
Portal talk
Topic
Topic talk
Collection
Collection talk
Draft
Draft talk
TimedText
TimedText talk
Module
Module talk
Event
Event talk
The periodic table/Noble gases
0
90296
2820543
2620230
2026-08-04T05:46:41Z
Koavf
147
2820543
wikitext
text/x-wiki
{{chemistry}}
{{ready}}
[[File:Glowing_noble_gases.jpg|thumb|500px|All glowing noble gases]]
'''[[w:Noble Gases|Noble Gases]]:'''
* [[../Helium|Helium]]
* [[../Neon|Neon]]
* [[../Argon|Argon]]
* [[../Krypton|Krypton]]
* [[../Xenon|Xenon]]
* [[../Radon|Radon]]
* [[../Oganesson|Oganesson]]
[[Category:Noble gases| ]]
l8c3sb5sipo6ecu5115tjfyekldfa95
The necessities in Numerical Methods
0
119778
2820556
2820383
2026-08-04T10:21:11Z
Young1lim
21186
/* Non-linear Equations */
2820556
wikitext
text/x-wiki
== Calculus ==
=== Numerical Differentiation ===
* Background on Differentiation ([[Media:NM.Diff.1Background.20240625.pdf |pdf]])
* Continuous Function Differentiation ([[Media:NM.Diff.1ContDiff.20241021.pdf |pdf]])
* Discrete Function Differentiation ([[Media:NM.Diff.1Discrete.20241116.pdf |pdf]])
* Forward, Backward, Central Divided Difference
* High Accuracy Differentiation
* Richardson Extrapolation
* Unequal Spaced Data Differentiation
* Numerical Differentiation with Octave
</br>
=== Non-linear Equations ===
* Bisection Method ([[Media:NM.NLE.1Bisection.20241130.pdf |pdf]])
* Newton-Raphson Method ([[Media:NM.NLE.2Newton.20260803.pdf |pdf]])
* Secant Method
* False-Position Method
</br>
=== Numerical Integration ===
* Trapezoidal Rule
* Simpson's 1/3 Rule
* Romberg Rule
* Gauss-Quadrature Rule
* Adaptive Quadrature
</br>
=== Roots of a Nonlinear Equation ===
</br>
=== Optimization ===
</br>
</br>
== Matrix Algebra ==
=== Simultaneous Linear Equations ===
* A system of linear equations ([[Media:SystemLinearEq.20240521.pdf |pdf]])
</br>
=== Gaussian Elimination ===
</br>
=== LU Decomposition ===
</br>
=== Cholesky Decomposition ===
</br>
=== LDL Decomposition ===
</br>
=== Gauss-Seidel method ===
</br>
=== Adequacy of Solutions ===
</br>
=== Eigenvalue and Singular Value ===
</br>
=== QRD ===
</br>
=== SVD ===
</br>
=== Iterative methods ===
</br>
</br>
== Regression ==
=== Linear Regression ===
</br>
=== Non-linear Regression ===
</br>
=== Linear Least Squares ===
</br>
</br>
== Interpolation ==
=== Polynomial Interpolation ===
</br>
=== Linear Splines ===
</br>
=== Piecewise Interpolation ===
</br>
</br>
== Ordinary Differential Equation ==
</br>
== Partial Differential Equation ==
</br>
== FEM (Finite Element Method) ==
</br>
</br>
</br>
== Using Symbolic Package in Octave ==
* Visit http://octave.sourceforge.net/index.html
* Download symbolic-1.0.9.tar.gz
* In Ubuntu, using the Ubuntu Software Center, I installed GiNac and CLN related software and symbolic package for Octave. But it did not properly installed.
* After extracting files from symbolic-1.0.9.tar.gz, I followed the following steps.
./configure
./make
./make INSTALL_PATH=/usr/share/octave/packages/3.2/symbolic-1.0.9
* While doing this, I got an error message related to mkoctfile. So, I used the following command: sudo apt-get install ocatve3.2-headers. Then I was able to install the symbolic packages in the Ubuntu.
== Read some tutorials about symbolic computation ==
* Symbolic Mathematics in Matlab/GNU Octave (http://faraday.elec.uow.edu.au/subjects/annual/ECTE313/Symbolic_Maths.pdf)
* Symbolic Computations (http://www.math.ohiou.edu/courses/math344/lecture7.pdf)
[[Category:Numerical methods]]
== Using SymPy ( a Python library for symbolic mathematics) ==
</br>
</br>
go to [ [[Electrical_%26_Computer_Engineering_Studies]] ]
rtxf8l8e2sl6n1xcdyapgic3yd1uma2
2820558
2820556
2026-08-04T10:22:06Z
Young1lim
21186
/* Non-linear Equations */
2820558
wikitext
text/x-wiki
== Calculus ==
=== Numerical Differentiation ===
* Background on Differentiation ([[Media:NM.Diff.1Background.20240625.pdf |pdf]])
* Continuous Function Differentiation ([[Media:NM.Diff.1ContDiff.20241021.pdf |pdf]])
* Discrete Function Differentiation ([[Media:NM.Diff.1Discrete.20241116.pdf |pdf]])
* Forward, Backward, Central Divided Difference
* High Accuracy Differentiation
* Richardson Extrapolation
* Unequal Spaced Data Differentiation
* Numerical Differentiation with Octave
</br>
=== Non-linear Equations ===
* Bisection Method ([[Media:NM.NLE.1Bisection.20241130.pdf |pdf]])
* Newton-Raphson Method ([[Media:NM.NLE.2Newton.20260804.pdf |pdf]])
* Secant Method
* False-Position Method
</br>
=== Numerical Integration ===
* Trapezoidal Rule
* Simpson's 1/3 Rule
* Romberg Rule
* Gauss-Quadrature Rule
* Adaptive Quadrature
</br>
=== Roots of a Nonlinear Equation ===
</br>
=== Optimization ===
</br>
</br>
== Matrix Algebra ==
=== Simultaneous Linear Equations ===
* A system of linear equations ([[Media:SystemLinearEq.20240521.pdf |pdf]])
</br>
=== Gaussian Elimination ===
</br>
=== LU Decomposition ===
</br>
=== Cholesky Decomposition ===
</br>
=== LDL Decomposition ===
</br>
=== Gauss-Seidel method ===
</br>
=== Adequacy of Solutions ===
</br>
=== Eigenvalue and Singular Value ===
</br>
=== QRD ===
</br>
=== SVD ===
</br>
=== Iterative methods ===
</br>
</br>
== Regression ==
=== Linear Regression ===
</br>
=== Non-linear Regression ===
</br>
=== Linear Least Squares ===
</br>
</br>
== Interpolation ==
=== Polynomial Interpolation ===
</br>
=== Linear Splines ===
</br>
=== Piecewise Interpolation ===
</br>
</br>
== Ordinary Differential Equation ==
</br>
== Partial Differential Equation ==
</br>
== FEM (Finite Element Method) ==
</br>
</br>
</br>
== Using Symbolic Package in Octave ==
* Visit http://octave.sourceforge.net/index.html
* Download symbolic-1.0.9.tar.gz
* In Ubuntu, using the Ubuntu Software Center, I installed GiNac and CLN related software and symbolic package for Octave. But it did not properly installed.
* After extracting files from symbolic-1.0.9.tar.gz, I followed the following steps.
./configure
./make
./make INSTALL_PATH=/usr/share/octave/packages/3.2/symbolic-1.0.9
* While doing this, I got an error message related to mkoctfile. So, I used the following command: sudo apt-get install ocatve3.2-headers. Then I was able to install the symbolic packages in the Ubuntu.
== Read some tutorials about symbolic computation ==
* Symbolic Mathematics in Matlab/GNU Octave (http://faraday.elec.uow.edu.au/subjects/annual/ECTE313/Symbolic_Maths.pdf)
* Symbolic Computations (http://www.math.ohiou.edu/courses/math344/lecture7.pdf)
[[Category:Numerical methods]]
== Using SymPy ( a Python library for symbolic mathematics) ==
</br>
</br>
go to [ [[Electrical_%26_Computer_Engineering_Studies]] ]
2qoiifz6mmjempgushrrcs4s6avn1ut
VHDL programming in plain view
0
121359
2820552
2820377
2026-08-04T09:53:58Z
Young1lim
21186
/* Data */
2820552
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<!---------------------------------------------------------------------->
== Flip Flop and Latch ==
* FFLatch.Overview.1.A ([[Media:FFLatch.Overview.1.A.20111103.pdf|pdf]])
* Counter.74LS193.1.A ([[Media:Counter.74LS193.1.A.20111108.pdf|pdf]])
* Clock.Overview.1.A ([[Media:Clock.Overview.1.A.20111108.pdf|pdf]])
* Function.Overview.1.A ([[Media:Function.Overview.1.A.20111201.pdf|pdf]])
<br>
== Versions of VHDL ==
* VHDL Versions ([[Media:VHDL.1.A.Versions.20120619.pdf|pdf]])
* VHDL Libraries ([[Media:VHDL.1.A.Libraries.20140219.pdf|pdf]])
<br>
== Basic Features of VHDL ==
==== Data ====
* Data Objects ([[Media:Data.Object.1A.20260803.pdf|A]], [[Media:Data.Object.1B.20260602.pdf|B]])
* Data Types ([[Media:Data.Type.2A.20260602.pdf|A]], [[Media:Data.Type.2B.20260602.pdf|B]])
* Packages ([[Media:Data.Package.3A.20251206.pdf|pdf]])
* Signal Types ([[Media:Signal.Type.1A.20250614.pdf|pdf]])
* Attributes ([[Media:Data.4.A.Attribute.20251021.pdf|pdf]])
<br>
==== Signals & Variables ====
* Signals & Variables ([[Media:Signal.1A.SigVar.20250614.pdf|pdf]])
* Sequential Signal Assignments ([[Media:Signal.4A.Sequential.20250612.pdf|pdf]])
* Concurrent & Sequential Signal Assignments ([[Media:Signal.1.A.ConSeq.20120611.pdf|pdf]])
* Inertial & Transport Delay Models ([[Media:Signal.2.A.InertTrans.20120704.pdf|pdf]])
* Simulation & Synthesis ([[Media:Signal.3.A.SimSyn.20120504.pdf|pdf]])
<br>
==== Structure ====
* Component ([[Media:Struct.1.A.Component.20120804.pdf|pdf]])
* Configuration ([[Media:Struct.1.A.Configuration.20121003.pdf|pdf]])
* Generic ([[Media:Struct.1.A.Generic.20120802.pdf|pdf]])
</br>
==== Entity and Architecture ====
<br>
==== Block Statement ====
<br>
==== Process Statement ====
<br>
==== Operators ====
<br>
==== Assignment Statement ====
<br>
==== Concurrent Statement ====
<br>
==== Sequential Control Statement ====
<br>
==== Function ====
* Function.1.A Usage ([[Media:Function.1.A.Usage.20120611.pdf|pdf]])
* Function.2.A Conversion Function ([[Media:Function.2.A.Conversion.pdf|pdf]])
* Function.3.A Resolution Function ([[Media:Function.3.A.Resolution.pdf|pdf]])
<br>
==== Procedure ====
<br>
==== Package ====
</br>
go to [ [[Electrical_%26_Computer_Engineering_Studies]] ]
[[Category:VHDL]]
[[Category:FPGA]]
ojmo28en5prto4mtygyeplpwiuczjiw
2820554
2820552
2026-08-04T09:55:29Z
Young1lim
21186
/* Data */
2820554
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<!---------------------------------------------------------------------->
== Flip Flop and Latch ==
* FFLatch.Overview.1.A ([[Media:FFLatch.Overview.1.A.20111103.pdf|pdf]])
* Counter.74LS193.1.A ([[Media:Counter.74LS193.1.A.20111108.pdf|pdf]])
* Clock.Overview.1.A ([[Media:Clock.Overview.1.A.20111108.pdf|pdf]])
* Function.Overview.1.A ([[Media:Function.Overview.1.A.20111201.pdf|pdf]])
<br>
== Versions of VHDL ==
* VHDL Versions ([[Media:VHDL.1.A.Versions.20120619.pdf|pdf]])
* VHDL Libraries ([[Media:VHDL.1.A.Libraries.20140219.pdf|pdf]])
<br>
== Basic Features of VHDL ==
==== Data ====
* Data Objects ([[Media:Data.Object.1A.20260804.pdf|A]], [[Media:Data.Object.1B.20260602.pdf|B]])
* Data Types ([[Media:Data.Type.2A.20260602.pdf|A]], [[Media:Data.Type.2B.20260602.pdf|B]])
* Packages ([[Media:Data.Package.3A.20251206.pdf|pdf]])
* Signal Types ([[Media:Signal.Type.1A.20250614.pdf|pdf]])
* Attributes ([[Media:Data.4.A.Attribute.20251021.pdf|pdf]])
<br>
==== Signals & Variables ====
* Signals & Variables ([[Media:Signal.1A.SigVar.20250614.pdf|pdf]])
* Sequential Signal Assignments ([[Media:Signal.4A.Sequential.20250612.pdf|pdf]])
* Concurrent & Sequential Signal Assignments ([[Media:Signal.1.A.ConSeq.20120611.pdf|pdf]])
* Inertial & Transport Delay Models ([[Media:Signal.2.A.InertTrans.20120704.pdf|pdf]])
* Simulation & Synthesis ([[Media:Signal.3.A.SimSyn.20120504.pdf|pdf]])
<br>
==== Structure ====
* Component ([[Media:Struct.1.A.Component.20120804.pdf|pdf]])
* Configuration ([[Media:Struct.1.A.Configuration.20121003.pdf|pdf]])
* Generic ([[Media:Struct.1.A.Generic.20120802.pdf|pdf]])
</br>
==== Entity and Architecture ====
<br>
==== Block Statement ====
<br>
==== Process Statement ====
<br>
==== Operators ====
<br>
==== Assignment Statement ====
<br>
==== Concurrent Statement ====
<br>
==== Sequential Control Statement ====
<br>
==== Function ====
* Function.1.A Usage ([[Media:Function.1.A.Usage.20120611.pdf|pdf]])
* Function.2.A Conversion Function ([[Media:Function.2.A.Conversion.pdf|pdf]])
* Function.3.A Resolution Function ([[Media:Function.3.A.Resolution.pdf|pdf]])
<br>
==== Procedure ====
<br>
==== Package ====
</br>
go to [ [[Electrical_%26_Computer_Engineering_Studies]] ]
[[Category:VHDL]]
[[Category:FPGA]]
9l5qvxyadpisienwagwriqkqvsjnw12
Wikiversity:Newsletters/Tech News
4
162205
2820455
2819600
2026-08-03T19:46:44Z
MediaWiki message delivery
983498
/* Tech News: 2026-32 */ new section
2820455
wikitext
text/x-wiki
{{Archive box|[[/2014/]] · [[/2015/]] · [[/2016/]] · [[/2017/]] · [[/2018/]] · [[/2019/]] · [[/2020/]] · [[/2021/]] · [[/2022/]] · [[/2023/]] · [[/2024/]] · [[/2025/]]}}
__TOC__
{{Clear}}
== Tech News: 2026-09 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W09"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/09|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Edit check/Reference Check|Reference Check]] has been deployed to English Wikipedia, completing its rollout across all Wikipedias. The feature prompts newcomers to add a citation before publishing new content, helping reduce common citation-related reverts and improve verifiability. In A/B testing, the impact was substantial: newcomers shown Reference Check were approximately 2.2 times more likely to include a reference on desktop and about 17.5 times more likely on mobile web. [https://analytics.wikimedia.org/published/reports/editing/reference_check_ab_test_report_final_2025.html]
'''Updates for editors'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:InterwikiSorting|InterwikiSorting extension]], which allowed for the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Interwiki sorting order|sorting of interwiki links]], has been undeployed from Wikipedia. As a result, editors who had enabled interwiki link sorting in non-compact mode (full list format) will now see links reordered. The links moving forward will be listed in the alphabetical order of language code. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T253764]
* Later this week, people who are editing a page-section using the mobile visual editor, will notice a new "Edit full page" button. When tapped, you will be able to edit the entire article. This helps when the change you want to make is outside the section you initially opened. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T387175][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T409112]
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Experience|The Reader Experience team]] is inviting editors to assess whether dark mode should still be considered "beta" on their wiki, based on their experience of how well it functions on desktop and mobile. If the feature is deemed mature, editors can update the interface messages in <code dir=ltr>MediaWiki:skin-theme-description</code> and <code dir=ltr>MediaWiki:Vector-night-mode-beta-tag</code> to indicate that dark mode is ready and no longer considered beta.
* The improved [[mw:Wikimedia_Apps/Team/iOS/Activity_Tab|Activity tab]] which displays user-insights is now available to all users of the Wikipedia iOS app (version 7.9.0 and later). Following earlier A/B testing that showed higher account creation among users with access to the feature, it has been rolled out to 100% of users along with some updates. The Activity tab now shows your edited articles in the timeline, offers editing impact insights like contribution counts and article view trends, and customization options to improve in-app experience for users.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:21}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:21|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, a bug that prevented [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:DiscussionTools|DiscussionTools]] from working on mobile has now been fixed, restoring full functionality. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T415303]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* The [[m:Special:GlobalWatchlist|Global Watchlist]] lets you view your watchlists from multiple wikis on one page. The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:GlobalWatchlist|extension]] that makes this possible continues to improve. The latest upgrade is the inclusion of a [[mw:Extension:GlobalWatchlist#hook|new hook]], <code dir=ltr>ext.globalwatchlist.rebuild</code>, which fires after each watchlist rebuild. This allows you to run gadgets and user scripts for the Special page. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T275159]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.17|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/09|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W09"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 19:03, 23 February 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30119102 -->
== Tech News: 2026-10 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W10"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/10|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* Wikipedia 25 [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikipedia 25/Easter egg experiments|Birthday mode]] is now live on Betawi, Breton, Chinese, Czech, Dutch, English, French, Gorontalo, Indonesian, Italian, Luxembourgish, Madurese, Sicilian, Spanish, Thai, and Vietnamese Wikipedias! This limited-time campaign feature celebrates 25 years of Wikipedia with a birthday mascot, Baby Globe. When turned on, Baby Globe is shown on [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikipedia 25/Easter egg experiments/article configuration|~2,500 articles]], waiting to be discovered by readers. Communities can choose to turn Birthday mode on by getting consensus from their community and asking an admin to enable the feature and customize it via [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikipedia 25/Easter egg experiments#Community Configuration Demo|community configuration]] on the local wiki.
'''Updates for editors'''
* [[:m:Special:MyLanguage/WMDE Technical Wishes/Sub-referencing|Sub-referencing]], a new feature to re-use references with different details has been released to Swedish Wikipedia, Polish Wikipedia and [[:phab:T418209|a couple of other wikis]]. You can [[:m:Special:MyLanguage/WMDE Technical Wishes/Sub-referencing#test|try the feature]] on these projects or on testwiki and [https://en.wikipedia.beta.wmcloud.org/wiki/Sub-referencing betawiki]. Learnings from the first pilot wiki German Wikipedia have been [[:m:Special:MyLanguage/WMDE Technical Wishes/Sub-referencing/Learnings|published in a report]]. Reach out to the Wikimedia Deutschland team if you are [[:m:Talk:WMDE Technical Wishes/Sub-referencing#Pilot wikis|interested in becoming a pilot wiki]].
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Edit check#Paste check|Paste Check]] will become available at all Wikipedias this week. The feature prompts newcomers who are pasting text they are not likely to have written into VisualEditor to consider whether doing so risks a copyright violation. Paste Check [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Edit check/Tags|tags]] all edits where it is shown for potential review. Local administrators can configure various aspects of the feature via [[{{#special:EditChecks}}]]. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Edit check/Paste Check#A/B Experiment|Research]] across 22 wikis found that Paste Check resulted in an 18% decrease in relative reverted-edits compared to the control group. Translators can [https://translatewiki.net/w/i.php?title=Special%3ATranslate&group=ext-visualeditor-ve-mw-editcheck&filter=&optional=1&action=translate help to localize] this and related features.
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Experience|Reader Experience team]] will be standardizing the user menu in the top right for all mobile users so that it is closer to the desktop experience. Currently this user menu is only visible to users with Advanced Mobile Controls (AMC) turned on. The only change is that a couple buttons previously in the left-side menu will move to the top right for users who do not have AMC turned on. This change is expected to go out March 9 and seeks to improve the user interface. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T413912]
* Starting in the week of March 2, the emails sent out when an email address was added, removed, or changed for an account will switch to a substantially nicer and clearer HTML email from the prior plaintext one. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T410807]
* Notifications are currently limited to 2,000 historic entries per user, and extend back to 2013 when the feature was released. This is going to be changed to only store Notifications from the last 5 years, but up to 10,000 of them. This will help with long-term infrastructure health and help to prevent more recent notifications from disappearing too soon. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T383948]
* The [[m:Special:GlobalWatchlist|Global Watchlist]] which lets you view your watchlists from multiple wikis on a single page continues to see improvements. The latest update improves label usage experience. The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:GlobalWatchlist|extension]] now allows activating the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Language#Fallback languages|language fallback system]] for Wikidata items without labels in the viewed language, and showing those labels in the user’s preferred Wikidata language if no <code dir=ltr>uselang=</code> URL parameter is provided. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T373686][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T416111]
* The Wikipedia Android team has started a beta test of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Information Retrieval/Phase 1|hybrid search]] on Greek Wikipedia. Hybrid search capabilities can handle both semantic and keyword queries enabling readers to find what they’re looking for directly on Wikipedia more easily.
* For security reasons, members of certain user groups are [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Mandatory two-factor authentication for users with some extended rights|required to have two-factor authentication]] (2FA) enabled. Currently, 2FA is required to use the group, but not to be a member of it. Given that this model still has some vulnerabilities, the situation will [[phab:T418580|gradually change in March]]. Members of these groups will be unable to disable last 2FA method on their account, and it will be impossible to add users without 2FA to these groups. Users will still be able to add new authentication methods or remove them, as long as at least one method is continuously enabled. In the second half of March, users without 2FA will be removed from these groups. This applies to: CentralNotice administrators, checkusers, interface administrators, suppressors, Wikidata staff, Wikifunctions staff, WMF Office IT and WMF Trust & Safety. Nothing will change for other users. See the linked task for deployment schedule. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T418580]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:27}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:27|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the issue preventing users from creating an instance in [https://www.wikibase.cloud/ Wikibase.cloud] has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T416807]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* To help ensure [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/MediaWiki Product Insights/Responsible Reuse|fair use of infrastructure]], over the next month the Wikimedia Foundation will implement global API rate limits across our APIs. In early March, stricter limits will be applied to unidentified requests from outside Toolforge/WMCS and API requests that are made from web browsers. In April, higher limits will be applied to identified traffic. These limits are intentionally set as high as possible to minimise impact on the community. Bots running in Toolforge/WMCS or with the bot user right on any wiki should not be affected for now. However, all developers are advised to follow updated best practices. For more information, see [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia APIs/Rate limits|Wikimedia APIs/Rate limits]].
* The Wikidata Query Service Linked Data Fragment (LDF) endpoint will be decommissioned in February. This endpoint served limited traffic, which was successfully migrated to other data access methods that were better suited to support existing use cases. The hardware used to support the LDF endpoint will be reallocated to support the ongoing backend migration efforts. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T415696]
* The new Parsoid parser [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Parsoid/Parser Unification/Updates|continues to be deployed to additional wikis]], improving platform sustainability and making it easier to introduce new reading and editing features. Parsoid is now the default parser on 488 WMF wikis (268 Wikipedias), now covering more than 10% of all Wikipedia page views.
* The process and criteria for [[Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Enterprise#Access|requesting exceptional access]] to the high volume feed of the ''Wikimedia Enterprise'' APIs (at no cost for mission-aligned usecases), [[m:Talk:Wikimedia Enterprise#Exceptional access criteria|have now been published]]. This is to provide more thorough and clearer documentation for users.
* [https://techblog.wikimedia.org/ Tech Blog], the blog dedicated to the Wikimedia technical community [https://techblog.wikimedia.org/2026/02/24/a-tech-blog-diff/ will be migrating] to [[diffblog:|Diff]], the community news and event blog. The migration should be complete in April 2026, after which new posts will be accepted for publishing. Readers will be able to access posts – old and new – on the landing page at https://diff.wikimedia.org/techblog.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.18|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/10|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W10"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 17:51, 2 March 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30137798 -->
== Tech News: 2026-11 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W11"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/11|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/Server switch|All wikis will be read-only]] for a few minutes on Wednesday, 25 March 2026 at [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1774450800 15:00 UTC]. This is for the datacenter server switchover backup tests, [[wikitech:Deployments/Yearly calendar|which happen twice a year]]. During the switchover, all Wikimedia website traffic is shifted from one primary data center to the backup data center to test availability and prevent service disruption even in emergencies.
* Last week, all wikis had 2 hours of read-only time, and extended unavailability for user-scripts and gadgets. This was due to a security incident which has since been resolved. Work is ongoing to prevent re-occurrences. For current information please see the [[m:Steward's noticeboard#Statement on Meta about today's user script security incident|post on the Stewards' noticeboard]] ([[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation/Product and Technology/Product Safety and Integrity/March 2026 User Script Incident|translations]]).
'''Updates for editors'''
* Users facing multiple blocks on mobile will now see the reasons for each block separately, instead of a generic message. This helps them understand why they are blocked and what steps they can take to resolve the issue. For example, users affected for using common VPNs (such as [[Special:MyLanguage/Apple iCloud Private Relay|iCloud Private Relay]]) will receive clearer guidance on what they need to do to start editing again. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T357118]
* Later this week, [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/VisualEditor/Suggestion Mode|Suggestion Mode]] will become available as a beta feature within the visual editor at all Wikipedias. This feature proactively suggests various types of actions that people can consider taking to improve Wikipedia articles, and learn about related guidelines. The feature is locally configurable, and can also be locally expanded with custom Suggestions. Current settings can be seen at [[Special:EditChecks]] and there are [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Suggestion mode#For administrators %E2%80%93 local customization|instructions for how administrators can customize]] the links to point to local guidelines. The feature is connected to [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Edit check|Edit check]] which suggests improvements while someone is writing new content. In the future, the Editing team plans to evaluate the feature's impact with newcomers through a controlled experiment. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T404600]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:23}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:23|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the issue where the cursor became misaligned during the use of CodeMirror’s syntax highlighting, which makes wikitext and code easier to read, has now been fixed. This problem specifically affected users who defined a font rule in a custom stylesheet while creating a new topic with DiscussionTools. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T418793]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* API rate limiting update: To help ensure [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/MediaWiki Product Insights/Responsible Reuse|fair use of infrastructure]], global API rate limits will be applied this week to requests without a compliant User-Agent that originate from outside Toolforge/WMCS and to unauthenticated requests made from web browsers. Higher limits will be applied to identified traffic in April. Bots running in Toolforge/WMCS or with the bot user right on any wiki should not be affected for now. However, all developers are advised to follow updated best practices. For more information, see [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia APIs/Rate limits|Wikimedia APIs/Rate limits]].
* The new GraphQL API has been released. The API was developed as a flexible alternative to select features of the Wikidata Query Service (WDQS), to improve developer experience and foster adaptability, and efficient data access. Try it out and [[d:Wikidata:Wikibase GraphQL#Feedback and development|give feedback]]. You can also [https://greatquestion.co/wikimediadeutschland/GraphQLAPI/apply sign up for usability tests].
* The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Product and Technology Advisory Council/Unsupported Tools Working Group|PTAC Unsupported Tools Working Group]] continued improvements to [[commons:Special:MyLanguage/Commons:Video2commons#|Video2Commons]] in February, with fixes addressing authentication errors, large-file handling, task queue visibility, and clearer upload behavior. Work is still ongoing in some areas, including changes related to deprecated server-side uploads. Read [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Product and Technology Advisory Council/Unsupported Tools Working Group#February 2026|this update]] to learn more.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.19|MediaWiki]]
'''In depth'''
* The Article Guidance team invites experienced Wikipedia editors from selected [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Article guidance/Pilot wikis and collaborators#Collaborators|pilot wikis]] and interested contributors from other Wikipedias to fill out this questionnaire which is available in [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfmLeVWnxmsCbPoI_UF2jyRcn73WRGWCVPHzerXb4Cz97X_Ag/viewform English], [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd6rzr4XXQw8r4024fE3geTPFe13M_6w7Mitj-YJi0sOlWTAw/viewform?usp=header Arabic], [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdok3-RfB18lcugYTUMGkpwmqG_8p760Wv4dCXitOXOszjUDw/viewform?usp=header Bengali], [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfjTfYp4jEo0akA4B1e-Nfg3QZPCudUjhJzHzzDi6AHyAaMGA/viewform?usp=header Japanese], [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScteVoI29Aue4xc72dekk-6RYtvmMgQxzMI900UOawrFrSTWg/viewform?usp=header Portuguese], [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSetdxnYwL3ub2vqA7awCg5hJZPMIYcDPaiTe12rY9h0GYnVlw/viewform?usp=header Persian], and [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScNvfJF-Ot-4pzA4qAN771_0QDJ4Li19YcUsaTgSKW8Nc7U_Q/viewform?usp=header Turkish]. Your answers will help the team customize guidance for less experienced editors and help them learn community policies and practices while creating an article. Learn more [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Article guidance|on the project page]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/11|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W11"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 18:53, 9 March 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30213008 -->
== Tech News: 2026-12 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W12"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/12|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror|{{int:codemirror-beta-feature-title}}]] beta feature, also known as [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CodeMirror|CodeMirror 6]], has been used for wikitext syntax highlighting since November 2024. It will be promoted out of beta by May 2026 in order to bring improvements and new [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror#Features|features]] to all editors who use the standard syntax highlighter. If you have any questions or concerns about promoting the feature out of beta, [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help talk:Extension:CodeMirror|please share]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T259059]
* Some changes to local user groups are performed by stewards on Meta-Wiki and logged there only. Now, interwiki rights changes will be logged both on Meta-Wiki and the wiki of the target user to make it easier to access a full record of user's rights changes on a local wiki. Past log entries for such changes will be backfilled in the coming weeks. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T6055]
* On wikis using [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Flagged Revisions|Flagged Revisions]], the number of pending changes shown on [[{{#Special:PendingChanges}}]] previously counted pages which were no longer pending review, because they have been removed from the system without being reviewed, e.g. due to being deleted, moved to a different namespace, or due to wiki configuration changes. The count will be correct now. On some wikis the number shown will be much smaller than before. There should be no change to the list of pages itself. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T413016]
* Wikifunctions composition language has been rewritten, resulting in a new version of the language. This change aims to increase service stability by reducing the orchestrator's memory consumption. This rewrite also enables substantial latency reduction, code simplification, and better abstractions, which will open the door to later feature additions. Read more about [[f:Special:MyLanguage/Wikifunctions:Status updates/2026-03-11|the changes]].
* Users can now sort search results alphabetically by page title. The update gives an additional option to finding pages more easily and quickly. Previously, results could be sorted by Edit date, Creation date, or Relevance. To use the new option, open 'Advanced Search' on the search results page and select 'Alphabetically' under 'Sorting Order'. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T403775]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:28}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:28|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the bug that prevented UploadWizard on Wikimedia Commons from importing files from Flickr has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T419263]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* A new special page, [[{{#special:LintTemplateErrors}}]], has been created to list transcluded pages that are flagged as containing lint errors to help users discover them easily. The list is sorted by the number of transclusions with errors. For example: [[{{#special:LintTemplateErrors}}/night-mode-unaware-background-color]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T170874]
* Users of the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror|{{int:codemirror-beta-feature-title}}]] beta feature have been using [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CodeMirror|CodeMirror]] instead of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CodeEditor|CodeEditor]] for syntax highlighting when editing JavaScript, CSS, JSON, Vue and Lua content pages, for some time now. Along with promoting CodeMirror 6 out of beta, the plan is to replace CodeEditor as the standard editor for these content models by May 2026. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help talk:Extension:CodeMirror|Feedback or concerns are welcome]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T419332]
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CodeMirror|CodeMirror]] JavaScript modules will soon be upgraded to CodeMirror 6. Leading up to the upgrade, loading the <code dir=ltr>ext.CodeMirror</code> or <code dir=ltr>ext.CodeMirror.lib</code> modules from gadgets and user scripts was deprecated in July 2025. The use of the <code dir=ltr>ext.CodeMirror.switch</code> hook was also deprecated in March 2025. Contributors can now make their scripts or gadgets compatible with CodeMirror 6. See the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CodeMirror#Gadgets and user scripts|migration guide]] for more information. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T373720]
* The MediaWiki Interfaces team is expanding coverage of REST API module definitions to include [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/API:REST API/Extensions|extension APIs]]. REST API modules are groups of related endpoints that can be independently managed and versioned. Modules now exist for [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T414470 GrowthExperiments] and [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T419053 Wikifunctions] APIs. As we migrate extension APIs to this structure, documentation will move out of the main MediaWiki OpenAPI spec and REST Sandbox view, and will instead be accessible via module-specific options in the dropdown on the [https://test.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:RestSandbox REST Sandbox] (i.e., [[{{#Special:RestSandbox}}]], available on all wiki projects).
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Scribunto|Scribunto]] extension provides different pieces of information about the wiki where the module is being used via the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Scribunto/Lua reference manual|mw.site]] library. Starting last week, the library also provides a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Scribunto/Lua reference manual#mw.site.wikiId|way]] of accessing the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Wiki ID|wiki ID]] that can be used to facilitate cross-wiki module maintenance. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T146616]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.20|MediaWiki]]
'''In depth'''
* The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Coolest Tool Award|2026 Coolest Tool Award]] celebrating outstanding community tools, is now open for nominations! Nominate your favorite tool using the [https://wikimediafoundation.limesurvey.net/435684?lang=en nomination survey] form by 23 March 2026. For more information on privacy and data handling, please see the [[foundation:Special:MyLanguage/Legal:Coolest_Tool_Award_2026_Survey_Privacy_Statement|survey privacy statement]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/12|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W12"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 19:35, 16 March 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30260505 -->
== Tech News: 2026-13 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W13"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/13|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* Wikimedia site users can now log in without a password using passkeys. This is a secure method supported by fingerprint, facial recognition, or PIN. With this change, all users who opt for passwordless login will find it easier, faster, and more secure to log in to their accounts using any device. The new passkey login option currently appears as an autofill suggestion in the username field. An additional [[phab:T417120|"Log in with passkey" button]] will soon be available for users who have already registered a passkey. This update will improve security and user experience. The [[c:File:Passwordless_login_screencast.webm|screen recording]] demonstrates the passwordless login process step by step.
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/Server switch|All wikis will be read-only]] for a few minutes on Wednesday, 25 March 2026 at [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1774450800 15:00 UTC]. This is for the datacenter server switchover backup tests, [[wikitech:Deployments/Yearly calendar|which happen twice a year]]. During the switchover, all Wikimedia website traffic is shifted from one primary data center to the backup data center to test availability and prevent service disruption even in emergencies.
'''Updates for editors'''
* Wikimedia site users can now export their notifications older than 5 years using a [[toolforge:echo-chamber|new Toolforge tool]]. This will ensure that users retain their important notifications and avoid them being lost based on the planned change to delete notifications older than 5 years, as previously announced. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T383948]
* Wikipedia editors in Indonesian, Thai, Turkish, and Simple English now have access to Special:PersonalDashboard. This is an [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Moderator Tools/Dashboard|early version of an experience]] that introduces newer editors to patrolling workflows, making it easier for them to move from making edits to participating in more advanced moderation work on their project. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T402647]
* The [[Special:Block]] now has two minor interface changes. Administrators can now easily perform indefinite blocks through a dedicated radio button in the expiry section. Also, choosing an indefinite expiry provides a different set of common reasons to select from, which can be changed at: [[MediaWiki:Ipbreason-indef-dropdown]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T401823]
* Mobile editors [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Contributors/Account Creation Experiments#Logged-out|at several wikis]] can now see an improved logged-out edit warning, thanks to the recent updates from the Growth team. These changes released last week are part of ongoing efforts and tests to enhance [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Contributors/Account Creation Experiments|account creation experience on mobile]] and then increase participation. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T408484]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:36}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:36|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the bug that prevented mobile web users from seeing the block information when affected by multiple blocks has been fixed. They can now see messages of all the blocks currently affecting them when they access Wikipedia.
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* Images built using Toolforge will soon get the upgraded buildpacks version, bringing support for newer language versions and other upstream improvements and fixes. If you use Toolforge Build Service, review the recent [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/cloud-announce@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/EMYTA32EV2V5SQ2JIEOD2CL66YFIZEKV/ cloud-announce email] and update your build configuration as necessary to ensure your tools are compatible. [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Help:Toolforge/Building_container_images&oldid=2392097#Buildpack_environment_upgrade_process][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T380127]
* The [https://api.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page API Portal] documentation wiki will shut down in June 2026. API keys created on the API Portal will continue to work normally. api.wikimedia.org endpoints will be deprecated gradually starting in July 2026. Documentation on the API Portal is moving to [[mw:Wikimedia APIs|mediawiki.org]]. Learn more on the [[wikitech:API Portal/Deprecation|project page]].
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.21|MediaWiki]]
'''In depth'''
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/WMDE Technical Wishes|WMDE Technical Wishes]] is considering improvements to [[m:WMDE Technical Wishes/References/VisualEditor automatic reference names|automatically generated reference names in VisualEditor]]. Please check out the [[m:WMDE Technical Wishes/References/VisualEditor automatic reference names#Proposed solutions|proposed solutions]] and participate in the [[m:Talk:WMDE Technical Wishes/References/VisualEditor automatic reference names#Request for comment|request for comment]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/13|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W13"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 16:51, 23 March 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30268305 -->
== Tech News: 2026-14 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W14"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/14|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* The Beta version of [[abstract:|Abstract Wikipedia]] a new Wikimedia project which is language-independent, was launched last week. The project allows communities to build Wikipedia articles in their native language, which can be readily accessed by other users in their own languages. The wiki is powered by instructions from Wikifunctions and also based on structured content from Wikidata. [[:f:Special:MyLanguage/Wikifunctions:Status updates/2026-03-26|Read more]].
'''Updates for editors'''
* The Growth team is running an A/B test to evaluate a clearer, more user-friendly message that promotes account creation on wikis. Currently when logged-out mobile users begin editing, they see a jarring warning message that can feel abrupt and discouraging. This also presents temporary account editing as the default rather than encouraging account creation. The test is running on ten Wikipedias, including Arabic, French, Spanish and German. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Contributors/Account Creation Experiments#2. Improve logged-out warning message (T415160)|Read more]].
* The Wikimedia Apps team is inviting feedback on [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/Future of Editing on the Mobile Apps|how editing should work on the Wikipedia mobile apps]]. The discussion focuses on improving how users access editing tools when they tap "Edit". This is part of a broader effort to convert readers who develop an interest in editing, to access a more user-friendly pathway to start contributing.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:45}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:45|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, an issue where citation fetching from the large newspaper archive [https://www.newspapers.com Newspapers.com] was no longer working, due to a block in [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Citoid|Citoid]] requests, has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T419903]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.22|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/14|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W14"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 19:25, 30 March 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30329462 -->
== Tech News: 2026-15 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W15"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/15|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CampaignEvents|CampaignEvents extension]] now includes a new group goal-setting feature, enabling organizers to set and track event goals such as the number of articles created and participating contributors in real time. Similarly, participants can work toward shared targets and see their collective impact as the event unfolds. The feature is now available on all Wikimedia wikis. Learn more in [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CampaignEvents/Registration/Collaborative contributions#Goal setting|the documentation]].
* [[File:Maki-gift-15.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Wishlist item]] The new [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Watchlist labels|watchlist labels]] feature (announced in [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/07|Tech News 2026-07]]) is now available via VisualEditor, the source editor, and the 'watchstar' (or watch link, for skins that don't have a star icon). Previously it was only possible to assign labels via [[Special:EditWatchlist|EditWatchlist]]. In all three places it is a new field following the expiry field.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:23}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:23|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the issue where talk pages on mobile with Parsoid are unusable after empty section headers, has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T419171]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/WMDE Technical Wishes/Sub-referencing|sub-referencing feature]], which lets editors add details to an existing reference without duplicating it, will be gradually rolled out to [[phab:T414094|more wikis]] later this year. Wikis using the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reference Tooltips|Reference Tooltips]] gadget are encouraged to update their version (typically at [[m:MediaWiki:Gadget-ReferenceTooltips.js|MediaWiki:Gadget-ReferenceTooltips.js]] as shown [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?diff=1344408362 here]) to ensure compatibility. Other reference-related gadgets may also be affected. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T416304]
* All Wikinews editions will be closed and switched to read-only mode on 4 May 2026. Content will remain accessible, but no new edits or articles can be added. This closure was approved by the Board of Trustees of the Wikimedia Foundation following extended discussions. [[m:Wikimedia Foundation Board noticeboard#Board of Trustees Approves Closure of Wikinews|Read more]].
* The [[:mw:Special:MyLanguage/API:Action API|Action API]] has had several formats for requested output. One of them, <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>format=php</nowiki></code></bdi>, is being removed soon. Please ensure your scripts or bots use the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/API:Data formats#Output|JSON format]]. This removal should affect very few scripts and bots. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T118538]
* The [[Special:NamespaceInfo|Special:NamespaceInfo]] page now includes namespace aliases. For example "WP" for the "Project" ("Wikipedia") namespace on the German Wikipedia. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T381455]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.23|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/15|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W15"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 16:19, 6 April 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30362761 -->
== Tech News: 2026-16 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W16"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/16|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* Experienced editors are invited to [https://b24e11a4f1.catalyst.wmcloud.org/wiki/Main_Page test] the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Article guidance|Article guidance]] feature, designed to help less-experienced editors create well-structured, policy-compliant Wikipedia articles. Testing instructions are [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Article guidance/Test feature guide|available]]. Also, after reviewing [https://b24e11a4f1.catalyst.wmcloud.org/wiki/Category:Pages_using_article_guidance the outlines], please provide feedback on the [[mw:Talk:Article guidance|project talk page]]. Based on your input, the feature will be refined and transferred to the pilot Wikipedias to translate and adapt. Check out [[c:File:Article Guidance workflow demo - April 2026.webm|the video]] explaining the feature.
'''Updates for editors'''
* On most wikis, all autoconfirmed users can now use [[Special:ChangeContentModel|Special:ChangeContentModel]] page to [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:ChangeContentModel|create new pages with custom content models]], such as mass message lists, making custom page formats more accessible. Check [[Special:ListGroupRights|Special:ListGroupRights]] for the status of your wiki. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T248294]
* The Growth team has launched an [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Contributors/Account_Creation_Experiments|account creation experiment]] to evaluate whether adding an account creation button to the mobile web header increases new account registrations and encourages more mobile users to contribute to the wikis. The experiment is currently live on Hindi, Indonesian, Bengali, Thai, and Hebrew Wikipedia, and targets 10% of logged-out mobile web users.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:30}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:30|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, an issue where VisualEditor could get stuck loading on Windows devices with animations turned off, has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T382856]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* Starting later this week, {{int:group-abusefilter}} who have the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror|{{int:codemirror-beta-feature-title}}]] beta feature enabled will have [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CodeMirror|CodeMirror]] instead of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CodeEditor|CodeEditor]] as the editor at [[Special:AbuseFilter|Special:AbuseFilter]]. This is part of the broader effort to make the user experience more consistent across all editors. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T399673][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T419332]
* Tools and bots that access the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Notifications/API|Notifications API]] (<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>action=query&meta=notifications</nowiki></code></bdi>) will need to update their OAuth or BotPassword grants to also include access to private notifications. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T421991]
* Due to a library upgrade, listings on category pages may be displayed out of order starting on Monday, 20th April. A migration script will be run to correct this, and will take hours to days depending on the size of the wiki (up to a week for English Wikipedia). [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T422544]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.24|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/16|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W16"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 15:19, 13 April 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30380527 -->
== Tech News: 2026-17 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W17"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/17|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* After two years of development, [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror|{{int:codemirror-beta-feature-title}}]], also known as [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CodeMirror|CodeMirror 6]], is to be promoted out of beta on Tuesday, April 21. It brings better code and wikitext readability, reduction in typing errors, and other [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror|benefits]] to all users of the standard syntax highlighter. A huge thank you to volunteer [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/p/Bhsd/ Bhsd] who developed many of the new features, including [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror#Code folding|code folding]], [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror#Autocompletion|autocompletion]], and [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror#Linting|linting]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T259059]
* A major update to the Wikipedia app for iOS is now rolling out, redesigning the interface to align with Apple's latest "Liquid Glass" visual design. [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wikipedia/id324715238 Download the latest version] and explore the update.
'''Updates for editors'''
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Experience/WE3.3.4 Reading lists|Reading lists]] is a feature which allows readers to save articles to a list for reading later. This feature is now in beta on Arabic, French, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and Chinese Wikipedias and by default for all new accounts on all Wikipedias.
* An experiment which explores extending [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Growth/Mobile page previews|Page Previews to mobile web]] will be launched in the week of April 20 on Arabic, English, French, Italian, Polish, and Vietnamese Wikipedias. Page Previews are pop-ups that display a thumbnail, lead paragraph, and a link to open the full article of a blue link, thereby improving content discovery. The feature is already available on desktop and in the apps. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/List of experiments in Product and Technology#Template|Read more about this experiment and others]].
* On several wikis, logged-in editors who haven't [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Email confirmation|confirmed their email addresses]] can now see a banner encouraging them to do so. Having the email address confirmed allows a user to restore access to the account if they lose it. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Product Safety and Integrity/Account Security#Encouraging users to confirm their email addresses|Learn more]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T421366]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:15}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:15|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, an issue where editing very large wiki pages in the 2017 wikitext editor caused slow loading, preview and scrolling lag, and performance issues when selecting, cutting, or pasting content, has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T184857]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* As part of the promotion of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror|CodeMirror]] from a beta feature, all users will use [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CodeMirror|CodeMirror]] instead of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CodeEditor|CodeEditor]] for syntax highlighting when editing JavaScript, CSS, JSON, Vue and Lua content pages. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T419332]
* The <code>mirrors.wikimedia.org</code> service for Debian and Ubuntu users will sunset and stop working on May 15. The resources for the service will be replaced with new and better options. Some users may need to switch to a different server which should take about a minute. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/LJYRIS4WB66HIRCAO4GIDTXCMDVZRBMA/ You can read more]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T416707]
* The <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>image</nowiki></code></bdi> and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>oldimage</nowiki></code></bdi> table will be removed from [[wikitech:Help:Wiki Replicas|wikireplicas]]. If your tools or queries access <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>image</nowiki></code></bdi> or <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>oldimage</nowiki></code></bdi> directly, please update them to use the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>file</nowiki></code></bdi> and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>filerevision</nowiki></code></bdi> table before 28 May. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T28741]
* Following the recent implementation of global API rate limits on unidentified traffic, the Wikimedia Foundation will continue efforts to ensure [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/MediaWiki Product Insights/Responsible Reuse|fair use of infrastructure]] by applying global limits to identified API traffic beginning the last week of April. These limits are intentionally set as high as possible to minimise impact on the community. Bots running in Toolforge/WMCS or with the bot user right on any wiki should not be affected for now. However, all developers are advised to follow updated best practices. For more information, see [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia APIs/Rate limits|Wikimedia APIs/Rate limits]] and [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia APIs/Rate limits/FAQ|Frequently Asked Questions]].
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Attribution API|Attribution API]] is now available as a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia APIs/Stability policy|beta]]. The API fetches information for crediting Wikimedia articles and media files wherever they are used. Reference documentation is available through the REST Sandbox special page available on all Wikimedia wikis (such as the [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?api=attribution.v0-beta&title=Special%3ARestSandbox REST sandbox on English Wikipedia]). Share your feedback on the [[mw:Talk:Attribution API|project talk page]].
* There is no new MediaWiki version this week.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/17|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W17"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 15:00, 20 April 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30432763 -->
== Tech News: 2026-18 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W18"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/18|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* There is a change in how new users are autoconfirmed that will improve anti-vandalism protection. Currently, users who have had an account for a few days and made a few edits are automatically added to the [[{{int:grouppage-autoconfirmed/{{CONTENTLANGUAGE}}}}|{{int:group-autoconfirmed}}]] group. This configuration tends to be exploited by some vandals, who create accounts and start to use them only after some time. To mitigate this, the configuration will be updated next week so that – for the purpose of becoming autoconfirmed – the account age will be counted from their first edit, instead of registration date. The numeric value of the age threshold will remain the same. This change will be deployed only to wikis which require at least one edit as part of the autoconfirmation conditions. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T418484]
* All Wikipedia users with new accounts and those who activated the "automatically enable most beta features" option in their preference can now use the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Experience/WE3.3.4 Reading lists|reading lists]] beta feature to save articles for later reading. This helps organize reading interests in one place for convenient access.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:30}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:30|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the issue where infobox images have huge padding in Firefox, has been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T423676]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* As a reminder, the global API rate limits will be applied this week to identified API traffic. This is to help ensure [[mw:MediaWiki Product Insights/Responsible Reuse|fair use of infrastructure]]. Bots running in Toolforge/WMCS or with the bot user right on any wiki should not be affected for now. However, all developers are advised to follow updated best practices. For more information, including the actual rate limits, see [[mw:Wikimedia APIs/Rate limits|Wikimedia APIs/Rate limits]] and [[mw:Wikimedia APIs/Rate limits/FAQ|Frequently Asked Questions]].
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.26|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/18|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W18"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 18:06, 27 April 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30458046 -->
== Tech News: 2026-19 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W19"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/19|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Article guidance|Article guidance]] team invites experienced editors of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Article guidance/Pilot wikis and collaborators|pilot Wikipedias]]—Arabic, Bangla, Japanese, Portuguese, Persian, Turkish, Simple English, Spanish, and French—to help translate and adapt [https://b24e11a4f1.catalyst.wmcloud.org/wiki/Category:Pages_using_article_guidance sample outlines]. These outlines will guide editors in creating clear, well-structured, and policy-compliant articles when using [https://b24e11a4f1.catalyst.wmcloud.org/wiki/Special:NewArticle the feature] once it is launched in May 2026. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Article guidance#Adapting a sample outline in a Wikipedia|Simple instructions]] on how to translate and adapt the outlines are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* The [[:m:Special:MyLanguage/Product and Technology Advisory Council|Product and Technology Advisory Council]] has published [[:m:Special:MyLanguage/Product and Technology Advisory Council/May 2026 draft PTAC recommendation for feedback|draft recommendations]] on a model that affiliates can follow when contributing to the technical space. Community members are invited to provide feedback on the recommendation until May 8th [[:m:Talk:Product and Technology Advisory Council/May 2026 draft PTAC recommendation for feedback|on the talk page]].
* The number of available thumbnail size preferences in MediaWiki is being reduced to three standardized options—Small (180px), Regular (250px), and Large (400px), as part of ongoing efforts to improve performance and reduce strain on thumbnail services. As a result, existing preferences will be mapped to the nearest new size (for example, smaller selections like 120px or 150px will render at 180px, while larger ones like 300px or 360px will render at 400px). The preferences interface will soon be updated to reflect these changes, and users who wish to opt out or provide feedback can do so. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T424909]
* From now on, even when a permission expires automatically, users will receive an Echo notification similar to the standard notification for permission changes. There is a difference between this and [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Global reminder bot|Global reminder bot]] in that the latter reminds users a week ''before'' the rights are due to expire, so that they can renew the rights.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:32}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:32|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the problem where the ULS language selector in [[m:Special:Translate|Special:Translate]] would scroll vertically when it shouldn't, has been resolved. Previously, when users opened the "Translate to English" dropdown and typed certain inputs, the dialog would scroll vertically by a few pixels even when there was enough space to display all results. The dropdown no longer shifts unnecessarily when filtering languages. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T358864]
* The [[m:Special:GlobalWatchlist|Global Watchlist]], which lets you view your watchlists from multiple wikis on a single page, continues to improve. For example, watchlists for Wikibase sites such as [[:d:|Wikidata]] now support [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:EntitySchema|EntitySchema]] elements for better tracking. The Live Updates mode now refreshes the special page every 60 seconds to comply with the updated [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia APIs/Rate limits|global API rate limits]] for improved real-time responsiveness. Additionally, a directionality bug that displayed links as "changes 3" instead of "3 changes" in mixed-direction lists has been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T415450][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T424422][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T418091]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* The second phase of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia APIs/Rate limits|global API rate limits]] has been rolled out to reduce the [[diffblog:2026/03/26/quo-vadis-crawlers-progress-and-whats-next-on-safeguarding-our-infrastructure/|impact of AI crawlers]] and ensure fair, sustainable access to Wikimedia resources, prioritising human and mission-aligned traffic. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia APIs/Rate limits#Limits|Limits]] have been shifted from per-hour to per-minute, producing smoother traffic patterns and more predictable API load. Community users are not expected to be affected, and no action is required. Early indications show some User-Agent-based requestors are adjusting behaviour, and around 64% of automated API traffic has been identified. Monitoring continues, and Wikimedia Enterprise remains available for commercial support.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.27|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/19|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W19"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 20:43, 4 May 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30498077 -->
== Tech News: 2026-20 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W20"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/20|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* Community Tech has published [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist/How to write a good wish|new guidance]] explaining how wishes on Community Wishlist are triaged and prioritized. The documentation is intended to help contributors write stronger proposals by clarifying the factors that influence prioritization decisions. Beyond vote counts, the guidance highlights considerations such as potential impact on the community when determining which wishes move forward.
'''Updates for editors'''
* The Reader Growth team is launching an experiment to test a new [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader_Growth/Share_Card|Share Card feature]] that allows readers to create visually engaging cards from Wikipedia articles or selected article sections and share them online, with each card linking back to the original article to help expand readership and article discovery. The mobile-only A/B test will be available to a portion of readers on Arabic, Chinese, French, Vietnamese, and English Wikipedia to better understand reading and sharing habits, and is scheduled to begin the week of May 18 and run for four weeks.
* The Android and iOS Wikipedia apps recently released the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Apps/Team/25th_Birthday_Reading_Challenge|25-day reading challenge]] into Beta, as part of efforts to drive reader engagement by encouraging users to complete reading milestones. To track their reading streak during the challenge, App users can add a widget featuring Baby Globe to their home screen. The challenge officially begins May 11.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:17}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:17|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, an issue where the global preference for enabling syntax highlighting in wikitext could unexpectedly disable itself after being turned on, has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T425286]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The ResourceLoader module <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>mediawiki.ui.input</nowiki></code></bdi>, deprecated since [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/39|September 2023]], will be removed this week. There is a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Codex/Migrating_from_MediaWiki_UI|guide for migrating from MediaWiki UI to Codex]] for any tools that use it. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T420125]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.47/wmf.2|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/20|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W20"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 19:20, 11 May 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30524429 -->
== Tech News: 2026-21 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W21"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/21|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* The Abstract Wikipedia team has identified five potential pilot wikis to assess their interest in adopting abstract articles on their wikis. The pilots are Malayalam, Bengali, Dagbani, Arabic, and Indonesian Wikipedia. The feedback period will be open until May 22. If your community is interested in becoming a pilot, [[m:Talk:Abstract Wikipedia|let us know on Meta]].
'''Updates for editors'''
* An experiment to show [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Experience/Reading lists|Reading Lists]] to logged-out readers on mobile web will launch on May 18 across German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Dutch, Turkish, and Urdu Wikipedias, and will run for one month. The effort supports broader goals of helping readers save and organize articles for later reading, while encouraging habits that could lead to future Wikipedia contributions.
* To support a bookmark button in the Reading List beta feature, the "Tools > Action" menu has been updated to display icons, including the watch star indicator that helps editors identify temporarily watched articles. The icons now also match those used on mobile, improving consistency across platforms. The change is currently limited to the actions menu and mainly affects editors with privileged user rights. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T426008]
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/VisualEditor/Suggestion Mode|Suggestion Mode]] was released as an [[w:en:A/B test|A/B test]] for newcomer editors on the mobile website at [[phab:T421189|~15 Wikipedias]]. The experiment will measure the impact that Suggestion Mode has on the proportion of newcomer mobile web edit sessions that result in constructive (un-reverted) article edits. The experiment will also evaluate the feature's impact on editor retention, and monitor changes in revert and block rates.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:27}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:27|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, an issue in the Wikipedia Android app where images could sometimes fail to load after opening a recommended reading list notification, has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T418231]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikidata Platform|Wikidata Platform team]] has published its [[d:Special:MyLanguage/Wikidata:SPARQL query service/WDQS backend update/Backend Replacement|backend replacement recommendation]] and accompanying [[wikitech:Wikidata Query Service/WDQS Architecture re-design|technical architecture]] for the migration of the Wikidata Query Service (WDQS) away from Blazegraph. Feedback is invited until May 25th 2026, especially on potential gaps and impacts on advanced use cases. Wikidata community members and WDQS users are also encouraged to help identify high-impact tools and workflows that may need attention on [[d:Wikidata:SPARQL query service/WDQS backend update/High-Impact Use Cases|this page]]. Feedback can be shared on the [[d:Wikidata talk:SPARQL query service/WDQS backend update|Migration talk page]] or during the [[d:Special:MyLanguage/Wikidata:Blazegraph Migration Office Hours|next office hour]]. See the [[d:Special:MyLanguage/Wikidata:Wikidata Platform team/Newsletter|WDP team newsletter]] for more details.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.47/wmf.3|MediaWiki]]
'''In depth'''
* On English, French, Japanese, and a few other Wikipedias, there was a [[diffblog:2025/09/02/better-detecting-bots-and-replacing-our-captcha/|trial of hCaptcha]], a third-party bot detection service. The trial showed that hCaptcha effectively detects and deters some bad-faith automated activity, on its own and by giving [[w:en:Wikipedia:Village pump (technical)/Archive 225#Introducing SuggestedInvestigations|checkusers and stewards]] signals to look into. Because the results were positive, hCaptcha will be rolled out across all wikis over the next few weeks. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Product Safety and Integrity/Anti-abuse signals/hCaptcha|See the hCaptcha project page]] for technical information about the implementation and privacy protections. [[diffblog:2026/05/04/better-detecting-bots-and-replacing-our-captcha-part-2/|Learn more]].
* The latest Community Tech update is now available, with progress across several Community Wishlist initiatives, including Reading Lists expansion from the mobile app to the website, new language support for "Who Wrote That" and the Personal Dashboard, improvements to 3D rendering and Charts, and upcoming work on talk page sorting, audio playback, and editing workflows. The update also shares current priorities, wishlist status trends, and opportunities for community feedback on future focus areas and the Wikimedia Foundation’s 2026–2027 Annual Plan. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist/Updates#May 13, 2026: Latest updates from the Community Tech team|Read the full newsletter for details]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/21|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W21"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 20:21, 18 May 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30539262 -->
== Tech News: 2026-22 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W22"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/22|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* Following a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Contributors/Account Creation Experiments#LOWM|successful account creation experiment]], an improved logged-out edit warning message will be deployed to all Wikimedia wikis in the first week of June. The change will only affect logged-out users on mobile web who open an editing session. The updated experience is designed to encourage account creation more clearly, while still allowing users to edit with temporary accounts. Results from the experiment showed a significant increase in account creation, with a 27% relative lift among users shown the updated message. As expected, as more people funnel into account creation, temporary accounts decreased by a relative 16%. The experiment did not show any significant changes in constructive edit rates or other monitored contributor metrics. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T424595]
'''Updates for editors'''
* For security reasons, members of certain user groups are [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Mandatory two-factor authentication for users with some extended rights|required to have two-factor authentication]] (2FA) enabled. Members of these groups will be unable to disable the last 2FA method on their account, and it will be impossible to add users without 2FA to these groups. Users will still be able to add new authentication methods or remove them, as long as at least one method is continuously enabled. In the next few weeks, users without 2FA will be removed from these groups. Notably, this applies to bureaucrats. See the linked tasks for deployment schedules. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T423119][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T423120]
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/WMDE Technical Wishes|WMDE Technical Wishes]] will run an [[w:en:A/B testing|A/B test]] on [[:phab:T415904|10 wikis]], testing [[m:WMDE Technical Wishes/References/Reference Previews|potential improvements for Reference Previews]]. The experiment will run for ~2 weeks at the end of May / beginning of June and will affect 10% of desktop readers on the participating wikis.
* After two successful experiments, the Reader Growth team is rolling out an [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Growth/Image Browsing|Image Browsing]] beta feature for all Wikipedias on mobile on May 25. This means that anyone who has all beta features on by default will start to see this feature, and others can check the box to turn it on in their preferences. The beta feature will include a carousel of all an article's images at the top of the article, with controls for editors to [[mw:Readers/Reader_Growth/Image_Browsing#Phase_2.1_beta_feature|exclude images from the article's carousel or to exclude an article from the feature entirely]].
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:30}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:30|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, three dimensional STL files were being rendered incorrectly by the media viewer 3D extension which is now fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T416723]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* The legacy CSS classes <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>tleft</nowiki></code></bdi> and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>tright</nowiki></code></bdi> have been replaced with <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>floatleft</nowiki></code></bdi> and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>floatright</nowiki></code></bdi> as the former do not work consistently across all MediaWiki platforms, notably mobile web and mobile apps. Projects relying on these classes are encouraged to review related usage and plan for migration. Please note that <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>floatleft</nowiki></code></bdi> and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>floatright</nowiki></code></bdi> may also be deprecated in future, although there are currently no plans to do so. [[phab:T426452|Read more]].
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.47/wmf.4|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/22|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W22"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 21:52, 25 May 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30584502 -->
== Tech News: 2026-23 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W23"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/23|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Experience|Reader Experience team]] is conducting an experiment to show the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Experience/Reading lists|reading lists]] feature, which is still in development, to logged-out mobile readers to test whether it encourages account creation at a higher rate compared to the watchstar button. The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Experience/Reading lists#Experiment timeline|experiment]] was launched on May 18th on German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Dutch, Turkish, and Urdu wikis, and it will run for a month.
* The Wikimedia Apps team released [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/Explore Feed Refresh/Phase 1|Phase 1]] of the redesigned Home Feed to the Android Beta app. The new Home Feed includes a refreshed "Community" tab and a personalized "For You" tab featuring daily updated reading recommendations. The redesign is part of a broader effort to improve content discovery and create more engaging learning experiences in the Wikipedia apps.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:18}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:18|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, an issue where images could fail to load for some suggested edits on [[w:Special:Homepage|Special:Homepage]], leaving the thumbnail stuck in a loading state, has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T424048]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.47/wmf.5|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/23|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W23"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 21:08, 1 June 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30613639 -->
== Tech News: 2026-24 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W24"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/24|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* Wikimedia Enterprise has increased the free usage limits for its API offerings. The monthly request limit for the On-demand API has increased from 5,000 to 50,000 requests, while the Snapshot API limit has increased from 15 to 30 requests per month. In addition, Structured Contents snapshots are now available for free accounts. These changes expand access to Wikimedia Enterprise data for developers, researchers, and organizations using Wikimedia content. [https://enterprise.wikimedia.com/blog/enhanced-free-api]
'''Updates for editors'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Apps/Team/Explore Feed Refresh/Phase 1|refreshed Explore Feed]], now called the Home Feed, is rolling out to 50% of users of the Wikipedia Android app. The Home Feed helps readers discover relevant content through two new tabs: ''Community'' and ''For You''. The Community tab provides a scrollable feed of curated content and updates from the broader Wikimedia community and movement, while the ''For You'' tab offers a full-screen, swipeable experience that shows content tailored to a user's interests. The redesign is part of a broader effort to improve discovery and enhance the learning experience in the Wikipedia app.
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/iOS/"Which came first?" Game|Which came first?]] daily trivia game is now available in the beta version of the Wikipedia iOS app in English, German, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and Turkish. The game uses historical events from Wikipedia's "On This Day" content and challenges readers to guess which of two events happened first. The game was previously released on Android. Communities interested in making the game available in their languages can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Apps/Team/Games#Game availability by language|read the instructions and requirements]].
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/WMDE Technical Wishes/Sub-referencing|Sub-referencing]], a new MediaWiki feature that allows editors to reuse references with different details, will begin rolling out to Wikimedia wikis following a successful pilot phase. Deployment will start on 8 June for most [[wikitech:Deployments/Train#Wednesday|Group 1 wikis]] and French Wikipedia, with additional Wikipedia language editions receiving the feature over the coming months. Communities are encouraged to prepare by checking for [https://translatewiki.net/w/i.php?title=Special%3ATranslate&group=ext-cite&language=en&action_source=search&filter=%21translated&optional=1&action=translate untranslated Cite extension messages] in their language and reviewing any use of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reference Tooltips|Reference Tooltips]], which may require [[:phab:T416304#11668731|updates]] to support the new functionality. Wikis using [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Reference Previews|Reference Previews]] do not need to take any action. Communities may also wish to create the ''cite-tracking-category-ref-details'' [[Special:TrackingCategories|tracking category]] as a hidden category using <code><nowiki>__HIDDENCAT__</nowiki></code> (or a dedicated template), and connect it to the corresponding Wikidata item [[d:Q129764848]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T425662]
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Growth/Mobile page previews#Experimentation|Page Previews experiment]] on mobile web has concluded. The team decided not to roll out the feature after the results showed no statistically significant impact on reader retention, as the primary success metric was retention improvement. Page Previews, which are already available on desktop and in the apps, display a thumbnail, lead paragraph, and link to the full article when readers tap a blue link. The experiment tested this experience on mobile web across six Wikipedias.
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Codex/Design/Icons|user interface icon library]] will be [[phab:T399175|updated later this week or next week]]. Most of the ~300 icons have been slightly refined and ~30 new icons have been added. These changes improve the icons to make them more consistent and comprehensible, and provide more visual balance when they are used in groups.
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Universal Language Selector|Universal Language Selector]] (ULS) interface in MediaWiki, which helps users select content in other languages, has been updated. The new version improves speed and accessibility, and users of Wikimedia projects can now pin languages for quicker language switching. The deployment to Wikimedia sites will happen gradually in the coming weeks. You can test it now as a beta feature by selecting [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures|beta features]] in your profile preferences and share your feedback on [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Universal Language Selector/New ULS|the project page]].
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:21}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:21|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, an issue where the Pageviews Analysis dashboard on pageviews.wmcloud.org stopped updating graph data in May 2026, affecting all users, has been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T427171]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* The function signature for <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>mw.util.addPortletLink()</nowiki></code></bdi> has been simplified. Developers can now pass a configuration object instead of a list of positional parameters when creating portlet links. The previous function signature remains supported for backwards compatibility. For example, instead of: <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>mw.util.addPortletLink('p-cactions', '#', 'Stub', 'ca-stubtag', 'Add a stub tag to this page');</nowiki></code></bdi> use <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>mw.util.addPortletLink('p-cactions', { href: '#', text: 'Stub', id: 'ca-stubtag', tooltip: 'Add a stub tag to this page' });</nowiki></code></bdi>. Script maintainers are encouraged to review existing uses of <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>addPortletLink()</nowiki></code></bdi> and update them where appropriate. This change will be available on all wikis from 11 June. Thanks to community volunteer Gerges for contributing this improvement. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T427945]
* '''Community Wishlist discussion''': Product & Technology [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist/Updates#May 20, 2026: Community Tech becomes a program|introduced changes]] meant to increase the number and complexity of wishes fulfilled, including the disbanding of the Community Tech team. They are [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist/Updates|engaging in discussions]] about a [[m:Talk:Community Wishlist#Proposed direction for Wishlist|proposed direction for the wishlist]] from community members. Includes ways to structure annual voting, better tracking of wishes, removing focus areas, and [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist/Updates|staffing updates]].
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.47/wmf.6|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/24|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W24"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 21:30, 8 June 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30650573 -->
== Tech News: 2026-25 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W25"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/25|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Growth|Reader Growth team]] has launched an [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Growth/Image Browsing|Image Browsing]] beta feature on the mobile web version of all Wikipedias. The feature shows an image carousel at the top of articles with 3 or more images. Editors can configure this feature with the following controls: to hide a specific image from a page, either use <code>class=notpageimage</code> excluding it from thumbnail previews, or <code>class=noviewer</code> excluding it from MediaViewer. The carousel can also be disabled from a page entirely, with the magic word <code><nowiki>__NOMEDIAVIEWERCAROUSEL__</nowiki></code>. To submit feedback or flag bugs, please visit the [[mw:Talk:Readers/Reader Growth/Image Browsing|project page]].
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Tables#class="wikitable"|Wikitables]] can now be [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Sortable tables#Forcing the initial sort direction|sorted in descending order]] on the first click by adding <code dir=ltr>data-sort-order="desc"</code> to the header cell. Previously, by default, clicking a column header for the first time sorts it in ascending order. This addition to a Wikitable gives it more control and flexibility, while the default behavior for subsequent clicks remains unchanged. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T398416]
'''Updates for editors'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Article guidance|Article guidance]] feature is currently being tested with some editors creating new articles on the Simple English, French, and Turkish Wikipedias. The experiment will soon begin on the Arabic and Bangla Wikipedias as well. [[w:simple:Special:NewArticle|This feature]] gives editors community-curated guidance to help them create articles that follow community standards. Experienced editors can continue creating or adapting outlines for specific article types that are commonly created by less experienced contributors. The outlines guide less experienced editors in creating high-quality articles. A quick guide to markups used in outlines can be found on [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Article guidance/Test feature guide#Markups in outlines|this page]]. [[w:simple:Wikipedia:Article Guidance|Example outlines]] that can be adapted and instructions for how to adapt them are on [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Article guidance#Adapting a sample outline in a Wikipedia|this section]] of the project page.
* Wikis that wish to replace the "indefinitely" button in Special:Block for temporary accounts (for example, wikis that block temporary users only until account expiration) will be able to do so by creating [[MediaWiki:ipb-indefinite-expiry-temporary-account]] with the block duration they want. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T427125]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:41}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:41|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* By the end of June, a valid user-agent string will be required for automated dumps downloads from the dumps.wikimedia.org website. Automated requests that provide a generic or empty user-agent will be blocked. This [[phab:T400119|extends enforcement]] of the long standing [[foundation:Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Wikimedia Foundation User-Agent Policy|user-agent policy]]. Access to dumps through Wikimedia Cloud Services will not change.
* The roll out of global [[mw:Wikimedia APIs/Rate limits|API rate limits]] is now complete, with limits enforced across all APIs and at the documented levels for all groups. Bots running in Toolforge/WMCS or with the bot user right on any wiki remain exempt. All bots should continue to follow the documented best practices to avoid being rate limited.
* The [https://api.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page API Portal wiki] will be read only starting this week (June 15-18). The following week (June 22-25), all API Portal wiki URLs will redirect to [[mw:Wikimedia APIs|Wikimedia APIs on mediawiki.org]]. Learn more on the [[wikitech:API Portal/Deprecation|project page]].
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.47/wmf.7|MediaWiki]]
'''Meetings and events'''
* On June 17th at 6pm UTC the WMF will be holding Discord call focused on a code review. We've heard through the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Developer Satisfaction Survey/2026|Developer Satisfaction Survey]] that volunteers are struggling with code review and we'd like to discuss these experiences with the goal of surfacing workable solutions. You can join the call [https://discord.gg/wikipedia?event=1514727511102062664 via the Wikimedia Community Discord server].
* The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Conferencia Wikimedia de América Latina 2026|Latin American Wikimedia Conference]] will host a regional hackathon that will bring together the Wikimedia movement’s technical community including developers, system administrators, data scientists, and users with extended rights. Interested technical contributors can [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf4osJzTHBJjQbYJk7TMVEJjTEQv7IgtsUDfP-o-qTgeRQQxw/viewform apply for a scholarship] to participate until June 21 at midnight (Bolivia time, UTC-4).
* Sign up for Wikimania Team Challenges to join this special event. The Team challenges will take place online and in person from July 21 to 22, before Wikimania conference. Everyone is welcome, regardless of skills or Wikimania registration. Teams will work on 10 important challenges supporting the Wikimedia community. For details, visit [[wmania:Special:MyLanguage/2026:Team challenges|the Team Challenges page]] and [https://wikimedia.eventyay.com/wm/teamchallenges/ register there]. Registration closes on June 20th at 11pm UTC.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/25|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W25"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 16:48, 15 June 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30689604 -->
== Tech News: 2026-26 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W26"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/26|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Feature summary|Growth features]] are [[phab:T418115|now available at Wikidata]]. This update enables access to Mentorship ([[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Growth/Mentorship|if configured]]), Impact module, the Help Panel, and a simplified Newcomer Homepage (without Suggested Edits). Wikidata administrators are still configuring the features through Community Configuration.
'''Updates for editors'''
* The special page [[{{#special:RangeCalculator}}]] has been created. It allows users to find an IP range without needing to rely on external tools. Until now, this tool was only available to CheckUsers. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T268429]
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/WMDE Technical Wishes/Sub-referencing|Sub-referencing]] is a new MediaWiki feature that allows editors to reuse references with different details. It will be deployed to most small and medium-sized Wikipedia language versions on June 23. The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/WMDE Technical Wishes/Sub-referencing#deployment|FAQ]] lists possible actions to take on your wiki to support the deployment. Check the [[:phab:T414094|rollout plan]] for the next deployment steps. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T428902]
* Starting next week, users will get a notification when they are blocked or unblocked from editing, or if this block changes. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T100974]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:32}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:32|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* Starting next week, abuse filters that are set to "require CAPTCHA verification" will begin to also affect users with the <code>skipcaptcha</code> right, which includes most autoconfirmed users. Bots are exempted. This change only affects edits that trigger an abuse filter. The <code>skipcaptcha</code> right will continue to exempt users from having to solve CAPTCHAs in the ordinary course of using the wikis. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T402595]
* Reference documentation for the [[wikitech:Machine_Learning/LiftWing/API|Lift Wing API]] has moved from the API Portal to the interactive [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?api=lift-wing&title=Special%3ARestSandbox REST Sandbox].
* The API Portal wiki is now closed. For API documentation, see [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_APIs|Wikimedia APIs on mediawiki.org]]. All API Portal wiki URLs (https://api.wikimedia.org/wiki/) will redirect to the mediawiki.org page starting June 22. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T427537]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.47/wmf.8|MediaWiki]]
'''Meetings and events'''
* Join an online call on 25 June at 2:30pm UTC to meet the current Wikimedia interns for [[mw:Google_Summer_of_Code/2026|Google Summer of Code]] and [[mw:Outreachy/Round_32|Outreachy]]. Interns will provide an overview of their projects and a brief demo of their work so far. Attendees are encouraged to [[mw:event:Google_Summer_of_Code/Summer_2026_June_Internship_open_session|share ideas and connections in their community]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/26|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W26"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 13:05, 23 June 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Trizek (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30722494 -->
== Tech News: 2026-27 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W27"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/27|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* As part of the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Contributors/Account Creation Experiments|Account Creation Experiments]], the Growth team tested adding a user account icon in the mobile web header for logged-out users, providing direct access to "Create account" and "Log in" actions. The experiment increased account creation by about 20% without negatively affecting edit quality or constructive edit rates. The feature will now be rolled out to all Wikimedia Foundation wikis on mobile web in the first week of July. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T428220]
* After a [[phab:T426248|successful experiment]], logged-in users who did not [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Email_confirmation|confirm their email address]] when their account was created see a new banner asking them to complete that process. This helps reduce the risk that users get locked out of their account, and makes account email addresses overall more reliable. This is part of the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Product Safety and Integrity/Account Security|Account Security]] project. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T428292]
* An update to [[Special:Search|Search]] is refining how the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>-prefix:</nowiki></code></bdi> behaves when used to exclude results. Previously, using <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>-prefix:</nowiki></code></bdi> with negation could unintentionally broaden search results by adding the namespaces included in the search scope, leading to confusing behavior for users expecting a straightforward exclusion filter. With the update, <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>-prefix:</nowiki></code></bdi> will now strictly exclude matching page titles as intended and may display a warning if the relevant namespace has not been explicitly selected. The behavior of <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>prefix:</nowiki></code></bdi> without negation however remains unchanged. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T427443]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:33}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:33|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, an issue where reviewers using the Page Curation toolbar were not automatically subscribed to talk page discussions they started has now been fixed. Reviewers will now receive notifications when someone replies to those discussions. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T329346]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* Starting June 29th, automated downloads from the dumps.wikimedia.org website will be subject to the [[Foundation:Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Wikimedia Foundation User-Agent Policy|user-agent policy]]. Automated requests that provide a generic or empty user-agent will be blocked. Access to dumps through Wikimedia Cloud Services remains unaffected. This is a follow up to the announcement made in the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/25|2026/25 issue of Tech News]].
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.47/wmf.9|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/27|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W27"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 11:48, 29 June 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30744833 -->
== Tech News: 2026-28 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W28"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/28|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:34}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:34|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, an issue where the search bar results on Wikidata, showed English results instead of using the correct language fallback for users of language variants, has now been fixed. Search suggestions will now follow the expected language fallback chain. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T429769]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* In preparation for [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Event:Celebrate Women|Celebrate Women campaign]] planned for March 2027, the Wikimedia Foundation’s [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation/Advancement/Community Growth/Content Enablement|Content Enablement team]] has launched a 22-question survey to better understand technical contributions by women+ (anyone who identifies as a woman) across Wikimedia projects. The survey takes approximately 15–20 minutes to complete and will remain open until 20 July 2026. The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Celebrate Women/Technical contributions survey|questions]] are also available on-wiki for review in advance.
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Score|Score extension]] now supports rendering music scores as SVG images in addition to PNG, addressing a long-standing [[:phab:T49578|feature request]] and resolving historical image quality issues. Both formats are now provided to clients, with PNG in the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>src</nowiki></code></bdi> attribute and SVG in the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>srcset</nowiki></code></bdi> attribute.
* The new [[wikitech:Parsoid|Parsoid]] parser [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Parsoid/Parser_Unification/Updates|continues to be deployed to additional wikis]], making it easier to introduce new reading and editing features. It was enabled on French Wikipedia, bringing total progress to covering 78.9% of Wikipedia page views. Rollout to English Wikipedia desktop will progress through this week.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.47/wmf.10|MediaWiki]]
'''In depth'''
* The Wikimedia Hackathon 2026 [[diffblog:2026/06/29/wikimedia-hackathon-2026-building-collaborating-and-shaping-the-future-together/|recap blog post]] is now live. It highlights the projects, sessions, and social activities from this year’s event, and shares initial plans for the 2027 Wikimedia Hackathon.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/28|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W28"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 13:57, 6 July 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30773578 -->
== Tech News: 2026-29 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W29"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/29|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Revise_Tone|Revise Tone]] helps newcomers identify passages in Wikipedia articles that may contain non-encyclopedic language and encourages them to consider revising the tone. The feature was [[w:en:A/B_testing|A/B tested]] on the Arabic, English, French, and Portuguese Wikipedias, where newcomer task completion rates [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Revise_Tone#Experiment_Results|increased by 38.7%]] compared to the default Copyedit task, with no decrease in edit quality. The test ended on July 9, and the feature is now available for everyone on these wikis, configurable via Community Configuration. [[phab:T426364|The plan]] is to release Revise Tone to more wikis.
* The community configuration that allows [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Growth/Mentorship#Automated mentor list cleanup|automatic removal of inactive mentors]] based on configurable criteria will be enabled on Thursday 16, [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Deployment|on some wikis]] to keep mentor lists up to date. Mentors are experienced contributors who opt in to help new users on-wiki through the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Feature summary|Growth Features]]. Administrators can now prepare the settings via [[w:Special:CommunityConfiguration/Mentorship|Special:CommunityConfiguration/Mentorship]]; they will take effect starting Thursday.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:38}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:38|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, an issue where some users of the Wikipedia Android app were logged out immediately after signing in, preventing them from staying logged in and editing pages, has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T316916]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* Editing a page via user scripts or gadgets was causing watchlist labels that the user had assigned to that page to reset. This has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T423778]
* To work around a Safari bug (see [[phab:T425211]]), on Parsoid-enabled wikis, wikilink hrefs now use absolute urls instead of protocol-relative urls. REST API output remains unchanged and continue to use protocol-relative urls. Gadgets, user scripts, bots, and CSS might need to be adapted if they relied on the presence of protocol-relative urls in wikilink hrefs. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T431358]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.47/wmf.11|MediaWiki]]
'''In depth'''
* The Wikimedia Foundation’s Experiment Platform Team has published a blog post reflecting on its first year of structured experimentation. It highlights successful experiments such as Paste Check, Reference Check, and Tone Check, which improved editing outcomes and have been rolled out to more users, as well as experiments that did not lead to product changes. [[diffblog:2026/07/07/moving-the-needle-how-we-test-new-ideas-across-wikimedia-projects|Read more]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/29|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W29"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 16:11, 13 July 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30804401 -->
== Tech News: 2026-30 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W30"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/30|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reader/Reader Experience|Reader Experience team]] has incorporated community feedback around the placement of watchstar and watchlist buttons for the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Experience/WE3.3.4 Reading lists|Reading Lists beta feature]], which would allow for saving articles for later reading – a [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist/W102|wishlist item]] to bring the functionality to web. Editors are invited to enable the beta feature to test it out and [[phab:T426453|share their thoughts]].
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/VisualEditor/Suggestion Mode|Suggestion Mode]] offers edit suggestions within the VisualEditor for improving Wikipedia articles. [[Special:EditChecks|All suggestions]] are [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Suggestion mode#For administrators – local customization|community-configurable]]. The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Edit check/TextMatch|TextMatch]] feature is a way for volunteers to create custom local suggestions. The feature searches in articles for strings of text, and now includes support for regular expressions. This gives volunteers greater precision and flexibility over the kinds of local suggestions they can create. Note: Suggestions [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Edit check/Configuration#:~:text=maximumEditcount|can be targeted]] based on the edit count of the person editing as well as other aspects of the page. You can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Suggestion mode#Create custom local types of Suggestions|find examples from other communities]] for inspiration, including TextMatches that detect: typos, grammar-errors, potential advertisements, clichés, incorrect dash or hyphen usage, non-specific time keywords, outdated names, and more. Any [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Talk:VisualEditor/Suggestion Mode|feedback]] is appreciated.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:27}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:27|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, an issue where the SVG Translate tool could use an outdated version of a file, causing existing translations to be overwritten when new ones were uploaded, has now [[phab:T430577|been fixed]]. Overall, in the last quarter from April – June 2026 about 337 community tasks were resolved by the Wikimedia Foundation.
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* On Parsoid-enabled wikis, Parsoid now renders a maximum of 1,250 images per page. A new tracking category, "media-limit-reached", will be soon made available to identify pages where this limit is reached, making it easier to find content whose media output may have been restricted during rendering. See [[phab:T430854]] for more information and to provide feedback.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.47/wmf.12|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/30|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W30"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 05:46, 21 July 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30836091 -->
== Tech News: 2026-31 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W31"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/31|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* [[File:Maki-gift-15.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Wishlist item]] [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/ContentTranslation|Content Translation]] now supports dark mode, fulfilling a [[m:Community Wishlist/W544|Community Wishlist request]]. This brings the tool in line with the accessibility features available in the Vector 2022 and Minerva skins, helping reduce visual fatigue for users translating content. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T367077]
* DiscussionTools' source mode and the 2017 wikitext editor will now offer autocomplete for links (<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>[[</nowiki></code></bdi>), templates (<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>{{</nowiki></code></bdi>), HTML and parser tags (<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki><</nowiki></code></bdi>), and magic words (<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>__</nowiki></code></bdi>), making it quicker and easier to insert links, templates, and other wiki markup while editing. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T432400]
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Growth/Mobile page previews|Readers Growth team]] has concluded its experiment with mobile page previews and will not roll out the feature. Page Previews are a pop-up bottom sheet that appears when readers tap a blue link, showing a thumbnail, lead paragraph, and an option to open the article. The experiment showed flat retention and negative indicator metrics, suggesting that mobile web readers preferred navigating directly to linked articles rather than using page previews.
* The Reader Experience team has seen encouraging early results from the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Experience/Reading lists|Reading Lists feature]], with 93% of participating users reporting that it was useful. Reading Lists help active readers save articles for future reading and support their learning goals on Wikimedia projects. The team plans further improvements before expanding the feature to more users.
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/Explore Feed Refresh|Explore Feed Refresh]] initiative was tested with new and casual Wikipedia app readers. The refreshed feed helps readers discover new and relevant content. After a 10.5% increase in engagement with the feed, Wikimedia Apps team has decided to scale the Home Feed redesign to iOS with the learnings from the Android release applied.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:23}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:23|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, an issue where subject names in the Article Guidance feature were displayed with incorrect capitalization on French Wikipedia, has now been fixed. Subject names will now follow the correct capitalization rules for the language. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T427201]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* After running several [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Contributors/Account Creation Experiments|Account Creation Experiments]] to improve registration completion rates, a new version of the username field on [[Special:CreateAccount|Create Account]] has been rolled out. It includes [[:c:File:Create account - July 2026 updates.png|a popover summarizing the username policy]] to provide clearer guidance during account creation. As part of this change, the messages <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>createacct-helpusername</nowiki></code></bdi> and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>createacct-username-help</nowiki></code></bdi> that several communities have configured will no longer be used. If communities want to customize the guidance shown in the new popover, they can instead edit the following messages: <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>createacct-username-policy-popover-bullet1</nowiki></code></bdi>, <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>createacct-username-policy-popover-bullet2</nowiki></code></bdi>, and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>createacct-username-policy-popover-bullet3</nowiki></code></bdi>. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T430604]
* Later this week, the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror|CodeMirror syntax highlighter]] will offer [[w:en:Theme (computing)|themes]]. The themes can be picked from a dropdown menu in the full [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror#CodeMirror preferences|CodeMirror preferences]] dialog. For wikitext, available themes are default, colorblind-friendly (previously the colorblind preference option on [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-editing]]) and no-highlighting. For code languages (i.e., CSS/JavaScript/JSON/Vue/Lua), there are several themes available. These same themes will eventually be available for wikitext, too. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T163533]
* From now on, wikis can restrict editing in the "User" namespace to only the page owner and certain user groups. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:$wgRestrictUserPageEditing|Read the configuration documentation]] to learn more.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.47/wmf.14|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/31|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W31"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 18:49, 27 July 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30856308 -->
== Tech News: 2026-32 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W32"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/32|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Experience|Reader Experience team]] has developed a [https://82db7c8d4b.catalyst.wmcloud.org/w/index.php?title=Regent%27s_Park&uselang=de patch demo] that wraps the page toolbar onto two lines when there is not enough horizontal space for all the buttons. This aims to reduce crowding in the Vector 2022 toolbar, which can occur on some language Wikipedias at certain screen widths. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T429518]
* The Reader Experience team is planning to launch [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Experience/Reading lists|Reading Lists]], a [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist Survey 2021/Mobile and apps/Have Apps reading lists available on Destop/Mobile|Community Wishlist item]], which is currently available to try in beta, as a full feature in September. Before then, volunteer translator help is needed for [https://translatewiki.net/w/i.php?title=Special%3ATranslate&group=ext-readinglists&filter=&action=translate string translations] into a number of languages. The feature supports reading and learning goals on Wikipedia.
* Next week, the table of contents on Wikimedia Commons file pages will be improved by consolidating the file page table of contents with the page table of contents. This will make it easier to understand a file page’s structure, navigate to specific sections, and share links to individual sections. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T332644]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:24}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:24|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, an issue where some [[w:TIFF|TIFF]] images failed to load after clicking their thumbnail, causing a broken image to be displayed instead of the full-size image, has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T429326]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* The variable and function selector in AbuseFilter has been updated to support search and autocomplete. It will allow filter maintainers to find the desired variable or function more quickly. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T323698]
* The MJPEG and VP8 formats are removed from the video player. The MP4 format (MPEG-4 Part 2) is added instead, which provides higher quality videos to older iPhone devices. It may take a few weeks to retroactively update all existing videos. The default format for modern devices stays the same (VP9/WebM). [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T358266]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.47/wmf.15|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/32|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W32"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 19:46, 3 August 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30872536 -->
c80xc420ispd8b7xa6xmaj2bylsij5t
Haskell programming in plain view
0
203942
2820548
2820379
2026-08-04T09:40:05Z
Young1lim
21186
/* Lambda Calculus */
2820548
wikitext
text/x-wiki
==Introduction==
* Overview I ([[Media:HSKL.Overview.1.A.20160806.pdf |pdf]])
* Overview II ([[Media:HSKL.Overview.2.A.20160926.pdf |pdf]])
* Overview III ([[Media:HSKL.Overview.3.A.20161011.pdf |pdf]])
* Overview IV ([[Media:HSKL.Overview.4.A.20161104.pdf |pdf]])
* Overview V ([[Media:HSKL.Overview.5.A.20161108.pdf |pdf]])
</br>
==Applications==
* Sudoku Background ([[Media:Sudoku.Background.0.A.20161108.pdf |pdf]])
* Bird's Implementation
:- Specification ([[Media:Sudoku.1Bird.1.A.Spec.20170425.pdf |pdf]])
:- Rules ([[Media:Sudoku.1Bird.2.A.Rule.20170201.pdf |pdf]])
:- Pruning ([[Media:Sudoku.1Bird.3.A.Pruning.20170211.pdf |pdf]])
:- Expanding ([[Media:Sudoku.1Bird.4.A.Expand.20170506.pdf |pdf]])
</br>
==Using GHCi==
* Getting started ([[Media:GHCi.Start.1.A.20170605.pdf |pdf]])
</br>
==Using Libraries==
* Library ([[Media:Library.1.A.20170605.pdf |pdf]])
</br>
</br>
==Types==
* Constructors ([[Media:Background.1.A.Constructor.20180904.pdf |pdf]])
* TypeClasses ([[Media:Background.1.B.TypeClass.20180904.pdf |pdf]])
* Types ([[Media:MP3.1A.Mut.Type.20200721.pdf |pdf]])
* Primitive Types ([[Media:MP3.1B.Mut.PrimType.20200611.pdf |pdf]])
* Polymorphic Types ([[Media:MP3.1C.Mut.Polymorphic.20201212.pdf |pdf]])
==Functions==
* Functions ([[Media:Background.1.C.Function.20180712.pdf |pdf]])
* Operators ([[Media:Background.1.E.Operator.20180707.pdf |pdf]])
* Continuation Passing Style ([[Media:MP3.1D.Mut.Continuation.20220110.pdf |pdf]])
==Expressions==
* Expressions I ([[Media:Background.1.D.Expression.20180707.pdf |pdf]])
* Expressions II ([[Media:MP3.1E.Mut.Expression.20220628.pdf |pdf]])
* Non-terminating Expressions ([[Media:MP3.1F.Mut.Non-terminating.20220616.pdf |pdf]])
</br>
</br>
==Lambda Calculus==
* Lambda Calculus - informal description ([[Media:LCal.1A.informal.20220831.pdf |pdf]])
* Lambda Calculus - Formal definition ([[Media:LCal.2A.formal.20221015.pdf |pdf]])
* Expression Reduction ([[Media:LCal.3A.reduction.20220920.pdf |pdf]])
* Normal Forms ([[Media:LCal.4A.Normal.20220903.pdf |pdf]])
* Encoding Datatypes
:- Church Numerals ([[Media:LCal.5A.Numeral.20230627.pdf |pdf]])
:- Church Booleans ([[Media:LCal.6A.Boolean.20230815.pdf |pdf]])
:- Functions ([[Media:LCal.7A.Function.20231230.pdf |pdf]])
:- Combinators ([[Media:LCal.8A.Combinator.20241202.pdf |pdf]])
:- Recursions ([[Media:LCal.9A.Recursion.20260803.pdf |A]], [[Media:LCal.9B.Recursion.20260330.pdf |B]])
</br>
</br>
==Function Oriented Typeclasses==
=== Functors ===
* Functor Overview ([[Media:Functor.1.A.Overview.20180802.pdf |pdf]])
* Function Functor ([[Media:Functor.2.A.Function.20180804.pdf |pdf]])
* Functor Lifting ([[Media:Functor.2.B.Lifting.20180721.pdf |pdf]])
=== Applicatives ===
* Applicatives Overview ([[Media:Applicative.3.A.Overview.20180606.pdf |pdf]])
* Applicatives Methods ([[Media:Applicative.3.B.Method.20180519.pdf |pdf]])
* Function Applicative ([[Media:Applicative.3.A.Function.20180804.pdf |pdf]])
* Applicatives Sequencing ([[Media:Applicative.3.C.Sequencing.20180606.pdf |pdf]])
=== Monads I : Background ===
* Side Effects ([[Media:Monad.P1.1A.SideEffect.20190316.pdf |pdf]])
* Monad Overview ([[Media:Monad.P1.2A.Overview.20190308.pdf |pdf]])
* Monadic Operations ([[Media:Monad.P1.3A.Operations.20190308.pdf |pdf]])
* Maybe Monad ([[Media:Monad.P1.4A.Maybe.201900606.pdf |pdf]])
* IO Actions ([[Media:Monad.P1.5A.IOAction.20190606.pdf |pdf]])
* Several Monad Types ([[Media:Monad.P1.6A.Types.20191016.pdf |pdf]])
=== Monads II : State Transformer Monads ===
* State Transformer
: - State Transformer Basics ([[Media:MP2.1A.STrans.Basic.20191002.pdf |pdf]])
: - State Transformer Generic Monad ([[Media:MP2.1B.STrans.Generic.20191002.pdf |pdf]])
: - State Transformer Monads ([[Media:MP2.1C.STrans.Monad.20191022.pdf |pdf]])
* State Monad
: - State Monad Basics ([[Media:MP2.2A.State.Basic.20190706.pdf |pdf]])
: - State Monad Methods ([[Media:MP2.2B.State.Method.20190706.pdf |pdf]])
: - State Monad Examples ([[Media:MP2.2C.State.Example.20190706.pdf |pdf]])
=== Monads III : Mutable State Monads ===
* Mutability Background
: - Inhabitedness ([[Media:MP3.1F.Mut.Inhabited.20220319.pdf |pdf]])
: - Existential Types ([[Media:MP3.1E.Mut.Existential.20220128.pdf |pdf]])
: - forall Keyword ([[Media:MP3.1E.Mut.forall.20210316.pdf |pdf]])
: - Mutability and Strictness ([[Media:MP3.1C.Mut.Strictness.20200613.pdf |pdf]])
: - Strict and Lazy Packages ([[Media:MP3.1D.Mut.Package.20200620.pdf |pdf]])
* Mutable Objects
: - Mutable Variables ([[Media:MP3.1B.Mut.Variable.20200224.pdf |pdf]])
: - Mutable Data Structures ([[Media:MP3.1D.Mut.DataStruct.20191226.pdf |pdf]])
* IO Monad
: - IO Monad Basics ([[Media:MP3.2A.IO.Basic.20191019.pdf |pdf]])
: - IO Monad Methods ([[Media:MP3.2B.IO.Method.20191022.pdf |pdf]])
: - IORef Mutable Variable ([[Media:MP3.2C.IO.IORef.20191019.pdf |pdf]])
* ST Monad
: - ST Monad Basics ([[Media:MP3.3A.ST.Basic.20191031.pdf |pdf]])
: - ST Monad Methods ([[Media:MP3.3B.ST.Method.20191023.pdf |pdf]])
: - STRef Mutable Variable ([[Media:MP3.3C.ST.STRef.20191023.pdf |pdf]])
=== Monads IV : Reader and Writer Monads ===
* Function Monad ([[Media:Monad.10.A.Function.20180806.pdf |pdf]])
* Monad Transformer ([[Media:Monad.3.I.Transformer.20180727.pdf |pdf]])
* MonadState Class
:: - State & StateT Monads ([[Media:Monad.9.A.MonadState.Monad.20180920.pdf |pdf]])
:: - MonadReader Class ([[Media:Monad.9.B.MonadState.Class.20180920.pdf |pdf]])
* MonadReader Class
:: - Reader & ReaderT Monads ([[Media:Monad.11.A.Reader.20180821.pdf |pdf]])
:: - MonadReader Class ([[Media:Monad.12.A.MonadReader.20180821.pdf |pdf]])
* Control Monad ([[Media:Monad.9.A.Control.20180908.pdf |pdf]])
=== Monoid ===
* Monoids ([[Media:Monoid.4.A.20180508.pdf |pdf]])
=== Arrow ===
* Arrows ([[Media:Arrow.1.A.20190504.pdf |pdf]])
</br>
==Polymorphism==
* Polymorphism Overview ([[Media:Poly.1.A.20180220.pdf |pdf]])
</br>
==Concurrent Haskell ==
</br>
go to [ [[Electrical_%26_Computer_Engineering_Studies]] ]
==External links==
* [http://learnyouahaskell.com/introduction Learn you Haskell]
* [http://book.realworldhaskell.org/read/ Real World Haskell]
* [http://www.scs.stanford.edu/14sp-cs240h/slides/ Standford Class Material]
[[Category:Haskell|programming in plain view]]
fvtwhx2t40a8x1750jctjo2fzftdl6z
2820550
2820548
2026-08-04T09:41:53Z
Young1lim
21186
/* Lambda Calculus */
2820550
wikitext
text/x-wiki
==Introduction==
* Overview I ([[Media:HSKL.Overview.1.A.20160806.pdf |pdf]])
* Overview II ([[Media:HSKL.Overview.2.A.20160926.pdf |pdf]])
* Overview III ([[Media:HSKL.Overview.3.A.20161011.pdf |pdf]])
* Overview IV ([[Media:HSKL.Overview.4.A.20161104.pdf |pdf]])
* Overview V ([[Media:HSKL.Overview.5.A.20161108.pdf |pdf]])
</br>
==Applications==
* Sudoku Background ([[Media:Sudoku.Background.0.A.20161108.pdf |pdf]])
* Bird's Implementation
:- Specification ([[Media:Sudoku.1Bird.1.A.Spec.20170425.pdf |pdf]])
:- Rules ([[Media:Sudoku.1Bird.2.A.Rule.20170201.pdf |pdf]])
:- Pruning ([[Media:Sudoku.1Bird.3.A.Pruning.20170211.pdf |pdf]])
:- Expanding ([[Media:Sudoku.1Bird.4.A.Expand.20170506.pdf |pdf]])
</br>
==Using GHCi==
* Getting started ([[Media:GHCi.Start.1.A.20170605.pdf |pdf]])
</br>
==Using Libraries==
* Library ([[Media:Library.1.A.20170605.pdf |pdf]])
</br>
</br>
==Types==
* Constructors ([[Media:Background.1.A.Constructor.20180904.pdf |pdf]])
* TypeClasses ([[Media:Background.1.B.TypeClass.20180904.pdf |pdf]])
* Types ([[Media:MP3.1A.Mut.Type.20200721.pdf |pdf]])
* Primitive Types ([[Media:MP3.1B.Mut.PrimType.20200611.pdf |pdf]])
* Polymorphic Types ([[Media:MP3.1C.Mut.Polymorphic.20201212.pdf |pdf]])
==Functions==
* Functions ([[Media:Background.1.C.Function.20180712.pdf |pdf]])
* Operators ([[Media:Background.1.E.Operator.20180707.pdf |pdf]])
* Continuation Passing Style ([[Media:MP3.1D.Mut.Continuation.20220110.pdf |pdf]])
==Expressions==
* Expressions I ([[Media:Background.1.D.Expression.20180707.pdf |pdf]])
* Expressions II ([[Media:MP3.1E.Mut.Expression.20220628.pdf |pdf]])
* Non-terminating Expressions ([[Media:MP3.1F.Mut.Non-terminating.20220616.pdf |pdf]])
</br>
</br>
==Lambda Calculus==
* Lambda Calculus - informal description ([[Media:LCal.1A.informal.20220831.pdf |pdf]])
* Lambda Calculus - Formal definition ([[Media:LCal.2A.formal.20221015.pdf |pdf]])
* Expression Reduction ([[Media:LCal.3A.reduction.20220920.pdf |pdf]])
* Normal Forms ([[Media:LCal.4A.Normal.20220903.pdf |pdf]])
* Encoding Datatypes
:- Church Numerals ([[Media:LCal.5A.Numeral.20230627.pdf |pdf]])
:- Church Booleans ([[Media:LCal.6A.Boolean.20230815.pdf |pdf]])
:- Functions ([[Media:LCal.7A.Function.20231230.pdf |pdf]])
:- Combinators ([[Media:LCal.8A.Combinator.20241202.pdf |pdf]])
:- Recursions ([[Media:LCal.9A.Recursion.20260804.pdf |A]], [[Media:LCal.9B.Recursion.20260330.pdf |B]])
</br>
</br>
==Function Oriented Typeclasses==
=== Functors ===
* Functor Overview ([[Media:Functor.1.A.Overview.20180802.pdf |pdf]])
* Function Functor ([[Media:Functor.2.A.Function.20180804.pdf |pdf]])
* Functor Lifting ([[Media:Functor.2.B.Lifting.20180721.pdf |pdf]])
=== Applicatives ===
* Applicatives Overview ([[Media:Applicative.3.A.Overview.20180606.pdf |pdf]])
* Applicatives Methods ([[Media:Applicative.3.B.Method.20180519.pdf |pdf]])
* Function Applicative ([[Media:Applicative.3.A.Function.20180804.pdf |pdf]])
* Applicatives Sequencing ([[Media:Applicative.3.C.Sequencing.20180606.pdf |pdf]])
=== Monads I : Background ===
* Side Effects ([[Media:Monad.P1.1A.SideEffect.20190316.pdf |pdf]])
* Monad Overview ([[Media:Monad.P1.2A.Overview.20190308.pdf |pdf]])
* Monadic Operations ([[Media:Monad.P1.3A.Operations.20190308.pdf |pdf]])
* Maybe Monad ([[Media:Monad.P1.4A.Maybe.201900606.pdf |pdf]])
* IO Actions ([[Media:Monad.P1.5A.IOAction.20190606.pdf |pdf]])
* Several Monad Types ([[Media:Monad.P1.6A.Types.20191016.pdf |pdf]])
=== Monads II : State Transformer Monads ===
* State Transformer
: - State Transformer Basics ([[Media:MP2.1A.STrans.Basic.20191002.pdf |pdf]])
: - State Transformer Generic Monad ([[Media:MP2.1B.STrans.Generic.20191002.pdf |pdf]])
: - State Transformer Monads ([[Media:MP2.1C.STrans.Monad.20191022.pdf |pdf]])
* State Monad
: - State Monad Basics ([[Media:MP2.2A.State.Basic.20190706.pdf |pdf]])
: - State Monad Methods ([[Media:MP2.2B.State.Method.20190706.pdf |pdf]])
: - State Monad Examples ([[Media:MP2.2C.State.Example.20190706.pdf |pdf]])
=== Monads III : Mutable State Monads ===
* Mutability Background
: - Inhabitedness ([[Media:MP3.1F.Mut.Inhabited.20220319.pdf |pdf]])
: - Existential Types ([[Media:MP3.1E.Mut.Existential.20220128.pdf |pdf]])
: - forall Keyword ([[Media:MP3.1E.Mut.forall.20210316.pdf |pdf]])
: - Mutability and Strictness ([[Media:MP3.1C.Mut.Strictness.20200613.pdf |pdf]])
: - Strict and Lazy Packages ([[Media:MP3.1D.Mut.Package.20200620.pdf |pdf]])
* Mutable Objects
: - Mutable Variables ([[Media:MP3.1B.Mut.Variable.20200224.pdf |pdf]])
: - Mutable Data Structures ([[Media:MP3.1D.Mut.DataStruct.20191226.pdf |pdf]])
* IO Monad
: - IO Monad Basics ([[Media:MP3.2A.IO.Basic.20191019.pdf |pdf]])
: - IO Monad Methods ([[Media:MP3.2B.IO.Method.20191022.pdf |pdf]])
: - IORef Mutable Variable ([[Media:MP3.2C.IO.IORef.20191019.pdf |pdf]])
* ST Monad
: - ST Monad Basics ([[Media:MP3.3A.ST.Basic.20191031.pdf |pdf]])
: - ST Monad Methods ([[Media:MP3.3B.ST.Method.20191023.pdf |pdf]])
: - STRef Mutable Variable ([[Media:MP3.3C.ST.STRef.20191023.pdf |pdf]])
=== Monads IV : Reader and Writer Monads ===
* Function Monad ([[Media:Monad.10.A.Function.20180806.pdf |pdf]])
* Monad Transformer ([[Media:Monad.3.I.Transformer.20180727.pdf |pdf]])
* MonadState Class
:: - State & StateT Monads ([[Media:Monad.9.A.MonadState.Monad.20180920.pdf |pdf]])
:: - MonadReader Class ([[Media:Monad.9.B.MonadState.Class.20180920.pdf |pdf]])
* MonadReader Class
:: - Reader & ReaderT Monads ([[Media:Monad.11.A.Reader.20180821.pdf |pdf]])
:: - MonadReader Class ([[Media:Monad.12.A.MonadReader.20180821.pdf |pdf]])
* Control Monad ([[Media:Monad.9.A.Control.20180908.pdf |pdf]])
=== Monoid ===
* Monoids ([[Media:Monoid.4.A.20180508.pdf |pdf]])
=== Arrow ===
* Arrows ([[Media:Arrow.1.A.20190504.pdf |pdf]])
</br>
==Polymorphism==
* Polymorphism Overview ([[Media:Poly.1.A.20180220.pdf |pdf]])
</br>
==Concurrent Haskell ==
</br>
go to [ [[Electrical_%26_Computer_Engineering_Studies]] ]
==External links==
* [http://learnyouahaskell.com/introduction Learn you Haskell]
* [http://book.realworldhaskell.org/read/ Real World Haskell]
* [http://www.scs.stanford.edu/14sp-cs240h/slides/ Standford Class Material]
[[Category:Haskell|programming in plain view]]
jr0uyow2i90si644f0obmk67bcthv4e
Python programming in plain view
0
212733
2820561
2820393
2026-08-04T11:43:55Z
Young1lim
21186
/* Using Libraries */
2820561
wikitext
text/x-wiki
==''' Part I '''==
<!---------------------------------------------------------------------->
=== Introduction ===
* Overview
* Memory
* Number
<!---------------------------------------------------------------------->
=== Python for C programmers ===
* Hello, World! ([[Media:CProg.Hello.1A.20230406.pdf |pdf]])
* Statement Level ([[Media:CProg.Statement.1A.20230509.pdf |pdf]])
* Output with print
* Formatted output
* File IO
<!---------------------------------------------------------------------->
=== Using Libraries ===
* Scripts ([[Media:Python.Work2.Script.1A.20231129.pdf |pdf]])
* Modules ([[Media:Python.Work2.Module.1A.20231216.pdf |pdf]])
* Packages ([[Media:Python.Work2.Package.1A.20241207.pdf |pdf]])
* Libraries ([[Media:Python.Work2.Library.1A.20260803.pdf |A]], [[Media:Python.Work2.Library.1B.20260720.pdf |B]])
* Namespaces ([[Media:Python.Work2.Scope.1A.20231021.pdf |pdf]])
<!---------------------------------------------------------------------->
=== Handling Repetition ===
* Control ([[Media:Python.Repeat1.Control.1.A.20230314.pdf |pdf]])
* Loop ([[Media:Repeat2.Loop.1A.20230401.pdf |pdf]])
<!---------------------------------------------------------------------->
=== Handling a Big Work ===
* Functions ([[Media:Python.Work1.Function.1A.20230529.pdf |pdf]])
* Lambda ([[Media:Python.Work2.Lambda.1A.20230705.pdf |pdf]])
* Type Annotations ([[Media:Python.Work2.AtypeAnnot.1A.20230817.pdf |pdf]])
<!---------------------------------------------------------------------->
=== Handling Series of Data ===
* Arrays ([[Media:Python.Series1.Array.1A.pdf |pdf]])
* Tuples ([[Media:Python.Series2.Tuple.1A.pdf |pdf]])
* Lists ([[Media:Python.Series3.List.1A.pdf |pdf]])
* Tuples ([[Media:Python.Series4.Tuple.1A.pdf |pdf]])
* Sets ([[Media:Python.Series5.Set.1A.pdf |pdf]])
* Dictionary ([[Media:Python.Series6.Dictionary.1A.pdf |pdf]])
<!---------------------------------------------------------------------->
=== Handling Various Kinds of Data ===
* Types
* Operators ([[Media:Python.Data3.Operators.1.A.pdf |pdf]])
* Files ([[Media:Python.Data4.File.1.A.pdf |pdf]])
<!---------------------------------------------------------------------->
=== Class and Objects ===
* Classes & Objects ([[Media:Python.Work2.Class.1A.20230906.pdf |pdf]])
* Inheritance
<!---------------------------------------------------------------------->
</br>
== Python in Numerical Analysis ==
</br>
</br>
go to [ [[Electrical_%26_Computer_Engineering_Studies]] ]
==External links==
* [http://www.southampton.ac.uk/~fangohr/training/python/pdfs/Python-for-Computational-Science-and-Engineering.pdf Python and Computational Science and Engineering]
3i9dyz6qpb7ogjw45xrppowiny4xls5
2820563
2820561
2026-08-04T11:45:12Z
Young1lim
21186
/* Using Libraries */
2820563
wikitext
text/x-wiki
==''' Part I '''==
<!---------------------------------------------------------------------->
=== Introduction ===
* Overview
* Memory
* Number
<!---------------------------------------------------------------------->
=== Python for C programmers ===
* Hello, World! ([[Media:CProg.Hello.1A.20230406.pdf |pdf]])
* Statement Level ([[Media:CProg.Statement.1A.20230509.pdf |pdf]])
* Output with print
* Formatted output
* File IO
<!---------------------------------------------------------------------->
=== Using Libraries ===
* Scripts ([[Media:Python.Work2.Script.1A.20231129.pdf |pdf]])
* Modules ([[Media:Python.Work2.Module.1A.20231216.pdf |pdf]])
* Packages ([[Media:Python.Work2.Package.1A.20241207.pdf |pdf]])
* Libraries ([[Media:Python.Work2.Library.1A.20260804.pdf |A]], [[Media:Python.Work2.Library.1B.20260720.pdf |B]])
* Namespaces ([[Media:Python.Work2.Scope.1A.20231021.pdf |pdf]])
<!---------------------------------------------------------------------->
=== Handling Repetition ===
* Control ([[Media:Python.Repeat1.Control.1.A.20230314.pdf |pdf]])
* Loop ([[Media:Repeat2.Loop.1A.20230401.pdf |pdf]])
<!---------------------------------------------------------------------->
=== Handling a Big Work ===
* Functions ([[Media:Python.Work1.Function.1A.20230529.pdf |pdf]])
* Lambda ([[Media:Python.Work2.Lambda.1A.20230705.pdf |pdf]])
* Type Annotations ([[Media:Python.Work2.AtypeAnnot.1A.20230817.pdf |pdf]])
<!---------------------------------------------------------------------->
=== Handling Series of Data ===
* Arrays ([[Media:Python.Series1.Array.1A.pdf |pdf]])
* Tuples ([[Media:Python.Series2.Tuple.1A.pdf |pdf]])
* Lists ([[Media:Python.Series3.List.1A.pdf |pdf]])
* Tuples ([[Media:Python.Series4.Tuple.1A.pdf |pdf]])
* Sets ([[Media:Python.Series5.Set.1A.pdf |pdf]])
* Dictionary ([[Media:Python.Series6.Dictionary.1A.pdf |pdf]])
<!---------------------------------------------------------------------->
=== Handling Various Kinds of Data ===
* Types
* Operators ([[Media:Python.Data3.Operators.1.A.pdf |pdf]])
* Files ([[Media:Python.Data4.File.1.A.pdf |pdf]])
<!---------------------------------------------------------------------->
=== Class and Objects ===
* Classes & Objects ([[Media:Python.Work2.Class.1A.20230906.pdf |pdf]])
* Inheritance
<!---------------------------------------------------------------------->
</br>
== Python in Numerical Analysis ==
</br>
</br>
go to [ [[Electrical_%26_Computer_Engineering_Studies]] ]
==External links==
* [http://www.southampton.ac.uk/~fangohr/training/python/pdfs/Python-for-Computational-Science-and-Engineering.pdf Python and Computational Science and Engineering]
ku6ev2yhcydu2zo717d5i9dqooa4avp
User talk:Bnhassin
3
250786
2820456
2819601
2026-08-03T19:46:44Z
MediaWiki message delivery
983498
/* Tech News: 2026-32 */ new section
2820456
wikitext
text/x-wiki
== First Message Posting ==
Update Talk on Wikiversity [[User:Bnhassin|Bnhassin]] ([[User talk:Bnhassin|discuss]] • [[Special:Contributions/Bnhassin|contribs]]) 21:04, 29 June 2019 (UTC)
== Update Sandbox User ==
== Posting to sandbox ==
Update Sandbox on Wikiversity [[User:Bnhassin/sandbox]] ([[User talk:Bnhassin|discuss]] • [[Special:Contributions/Bnhassin|contribs]])[[User:Bnhassin|Bnhassin]] ([[User talk:Bnhassin|discuss]] • [[Special:Contributions/Bnhassin|contribs]]) 11:04, 25 October 2020 (UTC)
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2020/50|Tech News: 2020-50]] ==
<section begin="technews-2020-W50"/><div class="plainlinks mw-content-ltr" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2020/50|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* You can now put pages on your watchlist for a limited period of time. Some wikis already had this function. [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Community_Tech/Watchlist_Expiry][https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Watchlist_expiry]
'''Changes later this week'''
* Information from Wikidata that is used on a wiki page can be shown in recent changes and watchlists on a Wikimedia wiki. To see this you need to turn on showing Wikidata edits in your watchlist in the preferences. Changes to the Wikidata description in the language of a Wikimedia wiki will then be shown in recent changes and watchlists. This will not show edits to languages that are not relevant to your wiki. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikidata/2020-November/014402.html][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T191831]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/wmf.21|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2020-12-08|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2020-12-09|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2020-12-10|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
* You can vote on proposals in the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist Survey 2021|Community Wishlist Survey]] between 8 December and 21 December. The survey decides what the [[m:Community Tech|Community Tech team]] will work on.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2020/50|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div></div> <section end="technews-2020-W50"/> 16:15, 7 December 2020 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=20754641 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2020/51|Tech News: 2020-51]] ==
<section begin="technews-2020-W51"/><div class="plainlinks mw-content-ltr" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2020/51|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* There is a [[mw:Wikipedia for KaiOS|Wikipedia app]] for [[:w:en:KaiOS|KaiOS]] phones. It was released in India in September. It can now be downloaded in other countries too. [https://diff.wikimedia.org/2020/12/10/growing-wikipedias-reach-with-an-app-for-kaios-feature-phones/]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/wmf.22|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2020-12-15|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2020-12-16|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2020-12-17|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2020/51|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div></div> <section end="technews-2020-W51"/> 21:34, 14 December 2020 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=20803489 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2020/52|Tech News: 2020-52]] ==
<section begin="technews-2020-W52"/><div class="plainlinks mw-content-ltr" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2020/52|Translations]] are available.
'''Tech News'''
* Because of the [[w:en:Christmas and holiday season|holidays]] the next issue of Tech News will be sent out on 11 January 2021.
'''Recent changes'''
* The <code><nowiki>{{citation needed}}</nowiki></code> template shows when a statement in a Wikipedia article needs a source. If you click on it when you edit with the visual editor there is a popup that explains this. Now it can also show the reason and when it was added. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T270107]
'''Changes later this week'''
* There is no new MediaWiki version this week or next week.
'''Future changes'''
* You can [[m:WMDE Technical Wishes/Geoinformation/Ideas|propose and discuss]] what technical improvements should be done for geographic information. This could be coordinates, maps or other related things.
* Some wikis use [[mw:Writing systems/LanguageConverter|LanguageConverter]] to switch between writing systems or variants of a language. This can only be done for the entire page. There will be a <code><nowiki><langconvert></nowiki></code> tag that can convert a piece of text on a page. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T263082]
* Oversighters and stewards can hide entries in [[Special:AbuseLog|Special:AbuseLog]]. They can soon hide multiple entries at once using checkboxes. This works like hiding normal edits. It will happen in early January. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T260904]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2020/52|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div></div> <section end="technews-2020-W52"/> 20:54, 21 December 2020 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=20833836 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/02|Tech News: 2021-02]] ==
<section begin="technews-2021-W02"/><div class="plainlinks mw-content-ltr" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/02|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* You can choose to be reminded when you have not added an edit summary. This can be done in your preferences. This could conflict with the [[:w:en:CAPTCHA|CAPTCHA]]. This has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T12729]
* You can link to specific log entries. You can get these links for example by clicking the timestamps in the log. Until now, such links to private log entries showed no entry even if you had permission to view private log entries. The links now show the entry. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T269761]
* Admins can use the [[:mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:AbuseFilter|abuse filter tool]] to automatically prevent bad edits. Three changes happened last week:
** The filter editing interface now shows syntax errors while you type. This is similar to JavaScript pages. It also shows a warning for regular expressions that match the empty string. New warnings will be added later. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T187686]
** [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Meta:Oversighters|Oversighters]] can now hide multiple filter log entries at once using checkboxes on [[Special:AbuseLog]]. This is how the usual revision deletion works. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T260904]
** When a filter matches too many actions after it has been changed it is "throttled". The most powerful actions are disabled. This is to avoid many editors getting blocked when an administrator made a mistake. The administrator will now get a notification about this "throttle".
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] There is a new tool to [https://skins.wmflabs.org/?#/add build new skins]. You can also [https://skins.wmflabs.org/?#/ see] existing [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Skins|skins]]. You can [[mw:User talk:Jdlrobson|give feedback]]. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikitech-l/2020-December/094130.html]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] Bots using the API no longer watch pages automatically based on account preferences. Setting the <code>watchlist</code> to <code>watch</code> will still work. This is to reduce the size of the watchlist data in the database. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T258108]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Scribunto|Scribunto's]] [[:mw:Extension:Scribunto/Lua reference manual#File metadata|file metadata]] now includes length. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T209679]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] [[:w:en:CSS|CSS]] and [[:w:en:JavaScript|JavaScript]] code pages now have link anchors to [https://patchdemo.wmflabs.org/wikis/40e4795d4448b55a6d8c46ff414bcf78/w/index.php/MediaWiki:En.js#L-125 line numbers]. You can use wikilinks like [[:w:en:MediaWiki:Common.js#L-50]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T29531]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] There was a [[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/wmf.25|new version]] of MediaWiki last week. You can read [[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/wmf.25/Changelog|a detailed log]] of all 763 changes. Most of them are very small and will not affect you.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/wmf.26|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-01-12|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-01-13|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-01-14|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/02|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div></div> <section end="technews-2021-W02"/> 15:42, 11 January 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=20950047 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/03|Tech News: 2021-03]] ==
<section begin="technews-2021-W03"/><div class="plainlinks mw-content-ltr" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/03|Translations]] are available.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/wmf.27|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-01-19|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-01-20|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-01-21|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth|Growth team]] plans to add features to [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Personalized first day/Newcomer tasks/Experiment analysis, November 2020|get more visitors to edit]] to more Wikipedias. You can help [https://translatewiki.net/w/i.php?title=Special:Translate&group=ext-growthexperiments&language=&filter=&action=translate translating the interface].
* You will be able to read but not to edit Wikimedia Commons for a short time on [https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?iso=20210126T07 {{#time:j xg|2021-01-26|en}} at 07:00 (UTC)]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T271791]
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/MassMessage|MassMessage]] posts could be automatically timestamped in the future. This is because MassMessage senders can now send pages using MassMessage. Pages are more difficult to sign. If there are times when a MassMessage post should not be timestamped you can [[phab:T270435|let the developers know]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/03|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div></div> <section end="technews-2021-W03"/> 16:10, 18 January 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=20974628 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/04|Tech News: 2021-04]] ==
<section begin="technews-2021-W04"/><div class="plainlinks mw-content-ltr" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/04|Translations]] are available.
'''Problems'''
* You will be able to read but not to edit Wikimedia Commons for a short time on [https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?iso=20210126T07 {{#time:j xg|2021-01-26|en}} at 07:00 (UTC)]. You will not be able to read or edit [[:wikitech:Main Page|Wikitech]] for a short time on [https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?iso=20210128T09 {{#time:j xg|2021-01-28|en}} at 09:00 (UTC)]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T271791][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T272388]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[m:WMDE Technical Wishes/Bracket Matching|Bracket matching]] will be added to the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CodeMirror|CodeMirror]] syntax highlighter on the first wikis. The first wikis are German and Catalan Wikipedia and maybe other Wikimedia wikis. This will happen on 27 January. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T270238]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/wmf.28|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-01-26|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-01-27|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-01-28|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/04|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div></div> <section end="technews-2021-W04"/> 18:31, 25 January 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21007423 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/05|Tech News: 2021-05]] ==
<section begin="technews-2021-W05"/><div class="plainlinks mw-content-ltr" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/05|Translations]] are available.
'''Problems'''
* [[:w:en:IPv6|IPv6 addresses]] were written in lowercase letters in diffs. This caused dead links since [[Special:Contributions|Special:Contributions]] only accepted uppercase letters for the IPs. This has been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T272225]
'''Changes later this week'''
* You can soon use Wikidata to link to pages on the multilingual Wikisource. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T138332]
* Often editors use a "non-breaking space" to make a gap between two items when reading but still show them together. This can be used to avoid a line break. You will now be able to add new ones via the special character tool in the 2010, 2017, and visual editors. The character will be shown in the visual editor as a space with a grey background. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T70429][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T96666]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=| Advanced item]] Wikis use [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:AbuseFilter|abuse filters]] to stop bad edits being made. Filter maintainers can now use syntax like <code>1.2.3.4 - 1.2.3.55</code> as well as the <code>1.2.3.4/27</code> syntax for IP ranges. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T218074]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/wmf.29|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-02-02|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-02-03|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-02-04|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
* [[mw:Skin:Minerva Neue|Minerva]] is the skin Wikimedia wikis use for mobile traffic. When a page is protected and you can't edit it you can normally read the source wikicode. This doesn't work on Minerva on mobile devices. This is being fixed. Some text might overlap. This is because your community needs to update [[MediaWiki:Protectedpagetext|MediaWiki:Protectedpagetext]] to work on mobile. You can [[phab:T208827|read more]]. [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Recommendations_for_mobile_friendly_articles_on_Wikimedia_wikis#Inline_styles_should_not_use_properties_that_impact_sizing_and_positioning][https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Recommendations_for_mobile_friendly_articles_on_Wikimedia_wikis#Avoid_tables_for_anything_except_data]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] [[:wikitech:Portal:Cloud VPS|Cloud VPS]] and [[:wikitech:Portal:Toolforge|Toolforge]] will change the IP address they use to contact the wikis. The new IP address will be <code>185.15.56.1</code>. This will happen on February 8. You can [[:wikitech:News/CloudVPS NAT wikis|read more]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/05|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div></div> <section end="technews-2021-W05"/> 22:38, 1 February 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21033195 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/06|Tech News: 2021-06]] ==
<section begin="technews-2021-W06"/><div class="plainlinks mw-content-ltr" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/06|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps|Wikipedia app]] for Android now has watchlists and talk pages in the app. [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.wikipedia]
'''Changes later this week'''
* You can see edits to chosen pages on [[Special:Watchlist|Special:Watchlist]]. You can add pages to your watchlist on every wiki you like. The [[:mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:GlobalWatchlist|GlobalWatchlist]] extension will come to Meta on 11 February. There you can see entries on watched pages on different wikis on the same page. The new watchlist will be found on [[m:Special:GlobalWatchlist|Special:GlobalWatchlist]] on Meta. You can choose which wikis to watch and other preferences on [[m:Special:GlobalWatchlistSettings|Special:GlobalWatchlistSettings]] on Meta. You can watch up to five wikis. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T260862]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/wmf.30|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-02-09|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-02-10|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-02-11|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
* When admins [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Protecting and unprotecting pages|protect]] pages the form will use the [[mw:UX standardization|OOUI look]]. [[Special:Import|Special:Import]] will also get the new look. This will make them easier to use on mobile phones. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T235424][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T108792]
* Some services will not work for a short period of time from 07:00 UTC on 17 February. There might be problems with new [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia URL Shortener|short links]], new translations, new notifications, adding new items to your [[mw:Reading/Reading Lists|reading lists]] or recording [[:w:en:Email#Tracking of sent mail|email bounces]]. This is because of database maintenance. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T273758]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] [[m:Tech/News/2021/05|Last week]] Tech News reported that the IP address [[:wikitech:Portal:Cloud VPS|Cloud VPS]] and [[:wikitech:Portal:Toolforge|Toolforge]] use to contact the wikis will change on 8 February. This is delayed. It will happen later instead. [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/News/CloudVPS_NAT_wikis]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/06|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div></div> <section end="technews-2021-W06"/> 17:42, 8 February 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21082948 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/07|Tech News: 2021-07]] ==
<section begin="technews-2021-W07"/><div class="plainlinks mw-content-ltr" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/07|Translations]] are available.
'''Problems'''
* There were problems with recent versions of MediaWiki. Because the updates caused problems the developers rolled back to an earlier version. Some updates and new functions will come later than planned. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikitech-l/2021-February/094255.html][https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikitech-l/2021-February/094271.html]
* Some services will not work for a short period of time from 07:00 UTC on 17 February. There might be problems with new [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia URL Shortener|short links]], new translations, new notifications, adding new items to your [[mw:Reading/Reading Lists|reading lists]] or recording [[:w:en:Email#Tracking of sent mail|email bounces]]. This is because of database maintenance. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T273758]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/wmf.31|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-02-16|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-02-17|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-02-18|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/07|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div></div> <section end="technews-2021-W07"/> 17:56, 15 February 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21105437 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/08|Tech News: 2021-08]] ==
<div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/08|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The visual editor will now use [[:c:Commons:Structured data/Media search|MediaSearch]] to find images. You can search for images on Commons in the visual editor when you are looking for illustrations. This is to help editors find better images. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T259896]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:SyntaxHighlight|syntax highlighter]] now works with more languages: [[:w:en:Futhark (programming language)|Futhark]], [[:w:en:Graphviz|Graphviz]]/[[:w:en:DOT (graph description language)|DOT]], CDDL and AMDGPU. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T274741]
'''Problems'''
* Editing a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:EasyTimeline|timeline]] might have removed all text from it. This was because of a bug and has been fixed. You might need to edit the timeline again for it to show properly. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T274822]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/wmf.32|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-02-23|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-02-24|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-02-25|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] There is a [[:m:Wikimedia Rust developers user group|user group]] for developers and users interested in working on Wikimedia wikis with the [[:w:en:Rust (programming language)|Rust programming language]]. You can join or tell others who want to make your wiki better in the future.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/08|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div>
----
00:17, 23 February 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21134058 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/09|Tech News: 2021-09]] ==
<div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/09|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* Wikis using the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Feature summary|Growth team tools]] can now show the name of a newcomer's mentor anywhere [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Growth/Mentorship/Integrating_mentorship|through a magic word]]. This can be used for welcome messages or userboxes.
* A new version of the [[c:Special:MyLanguage/Commons:VideoCutTool|VideoCutTool]] is now available. It enables cropping, trimming, audio disabling, and rotating video content. It is being created as part of the developer outreach programs.
'''Problems'''
* There was a problem with the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Job queue|job queue]]. This meant some functions did not save changes and mass messages were delayed. This did not affect wiki edits. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T275437]
* Some editors may not be logged in to their accounts automatically in the latest versions of Firefox and Safari. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T226797]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/wmf.33|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-03-02|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-03-03|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-03-04|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/09|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div>
----
19:08, 1 March 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Trizek (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21161722 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/10|Tech News: 2021-10]] ==
<section begin="technews-2021-W10"/><div class="plainlinks mw-content-ltr" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/10|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Content translation/Section translation|Section translation]] now works on Bengali Wikipedia. It helps mobile editors translate sections of articles. It will come to more wikis later. The first focus is active wikis with a smaller number of articles. You can [https://sx.wmflabs.org/index.php/Main_Page test it] and [[mw:Talk:Content translation/Section translation|leave feedback]].
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:FlaggedRevs|Flagged revisions]] now give admins the review right. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T275293]
* When someone links to a Wikipedia article on Twitter this will now show a preview of the article. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T276185]
'''Problems'''
* Many graphs have [[:w:en:JavaScript|JavaScript]] errors. Graph editors can check their graphs in their browser's developer console after editing. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T275833]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/wmf.34|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-03-09|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-03-10|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-03-11|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* The [[mw:Talk pages project/New discussion|New Discussion]] tool will soon be a new [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:DiscussionTools|discussion tools]] beta feature for on most Wikipedias. The goal is to make it easier to start new discussions. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T275257]
'''Future changes'''
* There will be a number of changes to make it easier to work with templates. Some will come to the first wikis in March. Other changes will come to the first wikis in June. This is both for those who use templates and those who create or maintain them. You can [[:m:WMDE Technical Wishes/Templates|read more]].
* [[m:WMDE Technical Wishes/ReferencePreviews|Reference Previews]] will become a default feature on some wikis on 17 March. They will share a setting with [[mw:Page Previews|Page Previews]]. If you prefer the Reference Tooltips or Navigation-Popups gadget you can keep using them. If so Reference Previews won't be shown. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T271206][https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:WMDE_Technical_Wishes/ReferencePreviews]
* New JavaScript-based functions will not work in [[:w:en:Internet Explorer 11|Internet Explorer 11]]. This is because Internet Explorer is an old browser that doesn't work with how JavaScript is written today. Everything that works in Internet Explorer 11 today will continue working in Internet Explorer for now. You can [[mw:Compatibility/IE11|read more]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/10|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div></div> <section end="technews-2021-W10"/> 17:51, 8 March 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21175593 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/11|Tech News: 2021-11]] ==
<section begin="technews-2021-W11"/><div class="plainlinks mw-content-ltr" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/11|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* Wikis that are part of the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements|desktop improvements]] project can now use a new [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements/Features/Search|search function]]. The desktop improvements and the new search will come to more wikis later. You can also [[mw:Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements#Deployment plan and timeline|test it early]].
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] Editors who put up banners or change site-wide [[:w:en:JavaScript|JavaScript]] code should use the [https://grafana.wikimedia.org/d/000000566/overview?viewPanel=16&orgId=1 client error graph] to see that their changes has not caused problems. You can [https://diff.wikimedia.org/2021/03/08/sailing-steady%e2%80%8a-%e2%80%8ahow-you-can-help-keep-wikimedia-sites-error-free read more]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T276296]
'''Problems'''
* Due to [[phab:T276968|database issues]] the [https://meta.wikimedia.beta.wmflabs.org Wikimedia Beta Cluster] was read-only for over a day.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/wmf.34|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-03-16|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-03-17|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-03-18|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
* You can add a [[:w:en:Newline|newline]] or [[:w:en:Carriage return|carriage return]] character to a custom signature if you use a template. There is a proposal to not allow them in the future. This is because they can cause formatting problems. [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/New_requirements_for_user_signatures#Additional_proposal_(2021)][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T272322]
* You will be able to read but not edit [[phab:T276899|12 wikis]] for a short period of time on [https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?iso=20210323T06 {{#time:j xg|2021-03-23|en}} at 06:00 (UTC)]. This could take 30 minutes but will probably be much faster.
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] You can use [https://quarry.wmflabs.org/ Quarry] for [[:w:en:SQL|SQL]] queries to the [[wikitech:Wiki replicas|Wiki Replicas]]. Cross-database <code>JOINS</code> will no longer work from 23 March. There will be a new field to specify the database to connect to. If you think this affects you and you need help you can [[phab:T268498|post on Phabricator]] or on [[wikitech:Talk:News/Wiki Replicas 2020 Redesign|Wikitech]]. [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/PAWS PAWS] and other ways to do [[:w:en:SQL|SQL]] queries to the Wiki Replicas will be affected later. [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/News/Wiki_Replicas_2020_Redesign]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/11|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div></div> <section end="technews-2021-W11"/> 23:22, 15 March 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21226057 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/12|Tech News: 2021-12]] ==
<section begin="technews-2021-W12"/><div class="plainlinks mw-content-ltr" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/12|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* There is a [[mw:Wikipedia for KaiOS|Wikipedia app]] for [[:w:en:KaiOS|KaiOS]] phones. They don't have a touch screen so readers navigate with the phone keys. There is now a [https://wikimedia.github.io/wikipedia-kaios/sim.html simulator] so you can see what it looks like.
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Talk pages project/Replying|reply tool]] and [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Talk pages project/New discussion|new discussion tool]] are now available as the "{{int:discussiontools-preference-label}}" [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures|beta feature]] in almost all wikis except German Wikipedia.
'''Problems'''
* You will be able to read but not edit [[phab:T276899|twelve wikis]] for a short period of time on [https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?iso=20210323T06 {{#time:j xg|2021-03-23|{{PAGELANGUAGE}}}} at 06:00 (UTC)]. This can also affect password changes, logging in to new wikis, global renames and changing or confirming emails. This could take 30 minutes but will probably be much faster.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/wmf.36|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-03-23|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-03-24|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-03-25|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* [[:w:en:Syntax highlighting|Syntax highlighting]] colours will change to be easier to read. This will soon come to the [[phab:T276346|first wikis]]. [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WMDE_Technical_Wishes/Improved_Color_Scheme_of_Syntax_Highlighting]
'''Future changes'''
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:FlaggedRevs|Flagged revisions]] will no longer have multiple tags like "tone" or "depth". It will also only have one tier. This was changed because very few wikis used these features and they make the tool difficult to maintain. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T185664][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T277883]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] Gadgets and user scripts can access variables about the current page in JavaScript. In 2015 this was moved from <code dir=ltr>wg*</code> to <code dir=ltr>mw.config</code>. <code dir=ltr>wg*</code> will soon no longer work. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T72470]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/12|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div></div> <section end="technews-2021-W12"/> 16:53, 22 March 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21244806 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/13|Tech News: 2021-13]] ==
<section begin="tech-newsletter-content"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/13|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* Some very old [[:w:en:Web browser|web browsers]] [[:mw:Special:MyLanguage/Compatibility|don’t work]] well with the Wikimedia wikis. Some old code for browsers that used to be supported is being removed. This could cause issues in those browsers. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T277803]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] [[:m:IRC/Channels#Raw_feeds|IRC recent changes feeds]] have been moved to a new server. Make sure all tools automatically reconnect to <code>irc.wikimedia.org</code> and not to the name of any specific server. Users should also consider switching to the more modern [[:wikitech:Event Platform/EventStreams|EventStreams]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T224579]
'''Problems'''
* When you move a page that many editors have on their watchlist the history can be split. It might also not be possible to move it again for a while. This is because of a [[:w:en:Job queue|job queue]] problem. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T278350]
* Some translatable pages on Meta could not be edited. This was because of a bug in the translation tool. The new MediaWiki version was delayed because of problems like this. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T278429][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T274940]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/wmf.37|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-03-30|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-03-31|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-04-01|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/13|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="tech-newsletter-content"/>
17:30, 29 March 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21267131 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/14|Tech News: 2021-14]] ==
<section begin="tech-newsletter-content"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/14|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* Editors can collapse part of an article so you have to click on it to see it. When you click a link to a section inside collapsed content it will now expand to show the section. The browser will scroll down to the section. Previously such links didn't work unless you manually expanded the content first. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T276741]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Citoid|citoid]] [[:w:en:API|API]] will use for example <code>2010-12-XX</code> instead of <code>2010-12</code> for dates with a month but no days. This is because <code>2010-12</code> could be confused with <code>2010-2012</code> instead of <code>December 2010</code>. This is called level 1 instead of level 0 in the [https://www.loc.gov/standards/datetime/ Extended Date/Time Format]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T132308]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/wmf.38|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-04-06|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-04-07|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-04-08|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.36/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] [[:wikitech:PAWS|PAWS]] can now connect to the new [[:wikitech:Wiki Replicas|Wiki Replicas]]. Cross-database <code>JOINS</code> will no longer work from 28 April. There is [[:wikitech:News/Wiki Replicas 2020 Redesign#How should I connect to databases in PAWS?|a new way to connect]] to the databases. Until 28 April both ways to connect to the databases will work. If you think this affects you and you need help you can post [[phab:T268498|on Phabricator]] or on [[wikitech:Talk:News/Wiki Replicas 2020 Redesign|Wikitech]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/14|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="tech-newsletter-content"/>
19:41, 5 April 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21287348 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/16|Tech News: 2021-16]] ==
<section begin="tech-newsletter-content"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/16|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* Email to the Wikimedia wikis are handled by groups of Wikimedia editors. These volunteer response teams now use [https://github.com/znuny/Znuny Znuny] instead of [[m:Special:MyLanguage/OTRS|OTRS]]. The functions and interface remain the same. The volunteer administrators will give more details about the next steps soon. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T279303][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T275294]
* If you use [[Mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CodeMirror|syntax highlighting]], you can see line numbers in the 2010 and 2017 wikitext editors when editing templates. This is to make it easier to see line breaks or talk about specific lines. Line numbers will soon come to all namespaces. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T267911][https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WMDE_Technical_Wishes/Line_Numbering][https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:WMDE_Technical_Wishes/Line_Numbering]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] Because of a technical change there could be problems with gadgets and scripts that have an edit summary area that looks [https://phab.wmfusercontent.org/file/data/llvdqqnb5zpsfzylbqcg/PHID-FILE-25vs4qowibmtysl7cbml/Screen_Shot_2021-04-06_at_2.34.04_PM.png similar to this one]. If they look strange they should use <code>mw.loader.using('mediawiki.action.edit.styles')</code> to go back to how they looked before. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T278898]
* The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/wmf.1|latest version]] of MediaWiki came to the Wikimedia wikis last week. There was no Tech News issue last week.
'''Changes later this week'''
* There is no new MediaWiki version this week.
'''Future changes'''
* The user group <code>oversight</code> will be renamed <code>suppress</code>. This is for [[phab:T109327|technical reasons]]. This is the technical name. It doesn't affect what you call the editors with this user right on your wiki. This is planned to happen in two weeks. You can comment [[phab:T112147|in Phabricator]] if you have objections.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/16|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="tech-newsletter-content"/>
16:48, 19 April 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21356080 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/17|Tech News: 2021-17]] ==
<section begin="tech-newsletter-content"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/17|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* Templates have parameters that can have specific values. It is possible to suggest values for editors with [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:TemplateData|TemplateData]]. You can soon see them as a drop-down list in the visual editor. This is to help template users find the right values faster. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T273857][https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/WMDE_Technical_Wishes/Suggested_values_for_template_parameters][https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:WMDE_Technical_Wishes/Suggested_values_for_template_parameters]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/wmf.3|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-04-27|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-04-28|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-04-29|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/17|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="tech-newsletter-content"/>
21:24, 26 April 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21391118 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/18|Tech News: 2021-18]] ==
<section begin="tech-newsletter-content"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/18|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[w:en:Wikipedia:Twinkle|Twinkle]] is a gadget on English Wikipedia. It can help with maintenance and patrolling. It can [[m:Grants:Project/Rapid/SD0001/Twinkle localisation/Report|now be used on other wikis]]. You can get Twinkle on your wiki using the [https://github.com/wikimedia-gadgets/twinkle-starter twinkle-starter] GitHub repository.
'''Problems'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Content translation|content translation tool]] did not work for many articles for a little while. This was because of a bug. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T281346]
* Some things will not work for about a minute on 5 May. This will happen [https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?iso=20210505T0600 around 06:00 UTC]. This will affect the content translation tool and notifications among other things. This is because of an upgrade to avoid crashes. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T281212]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Reference Previews|Reference Previews]] will become a default feature on a number of wikis on 5 May. This is later than planned because of some changes. You can use it without using [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Page Previews|Page Previews]] if you want to. The earlier plan was to have the preference to use both or none. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T271206][https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:WMDE_Technical_Wishes/ReferencePreviews]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/wmf.4|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-05-04|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-05-05|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-05-06|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] The [[:w:en:CSS|CSS]] classes <code dir=ltr>.error</code>, <code dir=ltr>.warning</code> and <code dir=ltr>.success</code> do not work for mobile readers if they have not been specifically defined on your wiki. From June they will not work for desktop readers. This can affect gadgets and templates. The classes can be defined in [[MediaWiki:Common.css]] or template styles instead. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T280766]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/18|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="tech-newsletter-content"/>
15:43, 3 May 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21418010 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/19|Tech News: 2021-19]] ==
<section begin="tech-newsletter-content"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/19|Translations]] are available.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/wmf.5|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-05-11|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-05-12|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-05-13|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
* You can see what participants plan to work on at the online [[mw:Wikimedia Hackathon 2021|Wikimedia hackathon]] 22–23 May.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/19|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="tech-newsletter-content"/>
15:10, 10 May 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21428676 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/20|Tech News: 2021-20]] ==
<section begin="tech-newsletter-content"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/20|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* There is a new toolbar in [[mw:Talk pages project/Replying|the Reply tool]]. It works in the wikitext source mode. You can enable it in [[Special:Preferences#mw-htmlform-discussion|your preferences]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T276608] [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Talk_pages_project/Replying#13_May_2021] [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Talk_pages_project/New_discussion#13_May_2021]
* Wikimedia [https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo mailing lists] are being moved to [[:w:en:GNU Mailman|Mailman 3]]. This is a newer version. For the [[:w:en:Character encoding|character encoding]] to work it will change from <code>[[:w:en:UTF-8|UTF-8]]</code> to <code>utf8mb3</code>. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/IEYQ2HS3LZF2P3DAYMNZYQDGHWPVMTPY/][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T282621]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] An [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/14|earlier issue]] of Tech News said that the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Citoid|citoid]] [[:w:en:API|API]] would handle dates with a month but no days in a new way. This has been reverted for now. There needs to be more discussion of how it affects different wikis first. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T132308]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] <code>MediaWiki:Pageimages-blacklist</code> will be renamed <code>MediaWiki:Pageimages-denylist</code>. The list can be copied to the new name. It will happen on 19 May for some wikis and 20 May for some wikis. Most wikis don't use it. It lists images that should never be used as thumbnails for articles. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T282626]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/wmf.6|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-05-18|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-05-19|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-05-20|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/20|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="tech-newsletter-content"/>
13:49, 17 May 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Trizek (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21464279 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/21|Tech News: 2021-21]] ==
<section begin="tech-newsletter-content"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/21|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The Wikimedia movement has been using [[:m:Special:MyLanguage/IRC|IRC]] on a network called [[:w:en:Freenode|Freenode]]. There have been changes around who is in control of the network. The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/IRC/Group_Contacts|Wikimedia IRC Group Contacts]] have [[m:Special:Diff/21476411|decided]] to move to the new [[:w:en:Libera Chat|Libera Chat]] network instead. This is not a formal decision for the movement to move all channels but most Wikimedia IRC channels will probably leave Freenode. There is a [[:m:IRC/Migrating_to_Libera_Chat|migration guide]] and ongoing Wikimedia [[m:Wikimedia Forum#Freenode (IRC)|discussions about this]].
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/wmf.7|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-05-25|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-05-26|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-05-27|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/21|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="tech-newsletter-content"/>
17:07, 24 May 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21477606 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/22|Tech News: 2021-22]] ==
<section begin="tech-newsletter-content"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/22|Translations]] are available.
'''Problems'''
* There was an issue on the Vector skin with the text size of categories and notices under the page title. It was fixed last Monday. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T283206]
'''Changes later this week'''
* There is no new MediaWiki version this week.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/22|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="tech-newsletter-content"/>
17:05, 31 May 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21516076 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/23|Tech News: 2021-23]] ==
<section begin="tech-newsletter-content"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/23|Translations]] are available.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/wmf.9|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-06-08|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-06-09|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-06-10|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
* The Wikimedia movement uses [[:mw:Special:MyLanguage/Phabricator|Phabricator]] for technical tasks. This is where we collect technical suggestions, bugs and what developers are working on. The company behind Phabricator will stop working on it. This will not change anything for the Wikimedia movement now. It could lead to changes in the future. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/YAXOD46INJLAODYYIJUVQWOZFIV54VUI/][https://admin.phacility.com/phame/post/view/11/phacility_is_winding_down_operations/][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T283980]
* Searching on Wikipedia will find more results in some languages. This is mainly true for when those who search do not use the correct [[:w:en:Diacritic|diacritics]] because they are not seen as necessary in that language. For example searching for <code>Bedusz</code> doesn't find <code>Będusz</code> on German Wikipedia. The character <code>ę</code> isn't used in German so many would write <code>e</code> instead. This will work better in the future in some languages. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T219550]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] The [[:w:en:Cross-site request forgery|CSRF token parameters]] in the [[:mw:Special:MyLanguage/API:Main page|action API]] were changed in 2014. The old parameters from before 2014 will stop working soon. This can affect bots, gadgets and user scripts that still use the old parameters. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/IMP43BNCI32C524O5YCUWMQYP4WVBQ2B/][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T280806]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/23|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="tech-newsletter-content"/>
20:02, 7 June 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21551759 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/24|Tech News: 2021-24]] ==
<section begin="tech-newsletter-content"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/24|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* Logged-in users on the mobile web can choose to use the [[:mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Advanced mobile contributions|advanced mobile mode]]. They now see categories in a similar way as users on desktop do. This means that some gadgets that have just been for desktop users could work for users of the mobile site too. If your wiki has such gadgets you could decide to turn them on for the mobile site too. Some gadgets probably need to be fixed to look good on mobile. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T284763]
* Language links on Wikidata now works for [[:oldwikisource:Main Page|multilingual Wikisource]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T275958]
'''Changes later this week'''
* There is no new MediaWiki version this week.
'''Future changes'''
* In the future we [[m:Special:MyLanguage/IP Editing: Privacy Enhancement and Abuse Mitigation|can't show the IP]] of unregistered editors to everyone. This is because privacy regulations and norms have changed. There is now a rough draft of how [[m:IP Editing: Privacy Enhancement and Abuse Mitigation#Updates|showing the IP to those who need to see it]] could work.
* German Wikipedia, English Wikivoyage and 29 smaller wikis will be read-only for a few minutes on 22 June. This is planned between 5:00 and 5:30 UTC. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T284530]
* All wikis will be read-only for a few minutes in the week of 28 June. More information will be published in Tech News later. It will also be posted on individual wikis in the coming weeks. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T281515][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T281209]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/24|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="tech-newsletter-content"/>
20:26, 14 June 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21587625 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/25|Tech News: 2021-25]] ==
<section begin="tech-newsletter-content"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/25|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] The <code>otrs-member</code> group name is now <code>vrt-permissions</code>. This could affect abuse filters. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T280615]
'''Problems'''
* You will be able to read but not edit German Wikipedia, English Wikivoyage and 29 smaller wikis for a few minutes on 22 June. This is planned between [https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?iso=20210623T0500 5:00 and 5:30 UTC]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T284530]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/wmf.11|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-06-22|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-06-23|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-06-24|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/25|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="tech-newsletter-content"/>
15:49, 21 June 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21593987 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/26|Tech News: 2021-26]] ==
<section begin="tech-newsletter-content"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/26|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* Wikis with the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth|Growth features]] now can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Community configuration|configure Growth features directly on their wiki]]. This uses the new special page <code>Special:EditGrowthConfig</code>. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T285423]
* Wikisources have a new [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Tech/OCR Improvements|OCR tool]]. If you don't want to see the "extract text" button on Wikisource you can add <code>.ext-wikisource-ExtractTextWidget { display: none; }</code> to your [[Special:MyPage/common.css|common.css page]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T285311]
'''Problems'''
*You will be able to read but not edit the Wikimedia wikis for a few minutes on 29 June. This is planned at [https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?iso=20210629T1400 14:00 UTC]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T281515][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T281209]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/wmf.12|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-06-29|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-06-30|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-07-01|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
* <code>Threshold for stub link formatting</code>, <code>thumbnail size</code> and <code>auto-number headings</code> can be set in preferences. They are expensive to maintain and few editors use them. The developers are planning to remove them. Removing them will make pages load faster. You can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/User:SKim (WMF)/Performance Dependent User Preferences|read more and give feedback]].
* A toolbar will be added to the [[mw:Talk pages project/Replying|Reply tool]]'s wikitext source mode. This will make it easier to link to pages and to ping other users. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T276609][https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Talk_pages_project/Replying#Status_updates]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/26|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="tech-newsletter-content"/>
16:32, 28 June 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21653312 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/27|Tech News: 2021-27]] ==
<section begin="tech-newsletter-content"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/27|Translations]] are available.
'''Tech News'''
* The next issue of Tech News will be sent out on 19 July.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[:wikidata:Q4063270|AutoWikiBrowser]] is a tool to make repetitive tasks easier. It now uses [[:w:en:JSON|JSON]]. <code>Wikipedia:AutoWikiBrowser/CheckPage</code> has moved to <code>Wikipedia:AutoWikiBrowser/CheckPageJSON</code> and <code>Wikipedia:AutoWikiBrowser/Config</code>. <code>Wikipedia:AutoWikiBrowser/CheckPage/Version</code> has moved to <code>Wikipedia:AutoWikiBrowser/CheckPage/VersionJSON</code>. The tool will eventually be configured on the wiki so that you don't have to wait until the new version to add templates or regular expression fixes. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T241196]
'''Problems'''
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/InternetArchiveBot|InternetArchiveBot]] helps saving online sources on some wikis. It adds them to [[:w:en:Wayback Machine|Wayback Machine]] and links to them there. This is so they don't disappear if the page that was linked to is removed. It currently has a problem with linking to the wrong date when it moves pages from <code>archive.is</code> to <code>web.archive.org</code>. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T283432]
'''Changes later this week'''
* The tool to [[m:WMDE Technical Wishes/Finding and inserting templates|find, add and remove templates]] will be updated. This is to make it easier to find and use the right templates. It will come to the first wikis on 7 July. It will come to more wikis later this year. [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WMDE_Technical_Wishes/Removing_a_template_from_a_page_using_the_VisualEditor][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T284553]
* There is no new MediaWiki version this week.
'''Future changes'''
* Some Wikimedia wikis use [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Flagged Revisions|Flagged Revisions]] or pending changes. It hides edits from new and unregistered accounts for readers until they have been patrolled. The auto review action in Flagged Revisions will no longer be logged. All old logs of auto-review will be removed. This is because it creates a lot of logs that are not very useful. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T285608]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/27|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="tech-newsletter-content"/>
17:33, 5 July 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21694636 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/29|Tech News: 2021-29]] ==
<section begin="tech-newsletter-content"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/29|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The tool to [[m:WMDE Technical Wishes/Finding and inserting templates|find, add and remove templates]] was updated. This is to make it easier to find and use the right templates. It was supposed to come to the first wikis on 7 July. It was delayed to 12 July instead. It will come to more wikis later this year. [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WMDE_Technical_Wishes/Removing_a_template_from_a_page_using_the_VisualEditor][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T284553]
* [[Special:UnconnectedPages|Special:UnconnectedPages]] lists pages that are not connected to Wikidata. This helps you find pages that can be connected to Wikidata items. Some pages should not be connected to Wikidata. You can use the magic word <code><nowiki>__EXPECTED_UNCONNECTED_PAGE__</nowiki></code> on pages that should not be listed on the special page. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T97577]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/wmf.15|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-07-20|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-07-21|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-07-22|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] How media is structured in the [[:w:en:Parsing|parser's]] HTML output will soon change. This can affect bots, gadgets, user scripts and extensions. You can [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/L2UQJRHTFK5YG3IOZEC7JSLH2ZQNZRVU/ read more]. You can test it on [[:testwiki:Main Page|Testwiki]] or [[:test2wiki:Main Page|Testwiki 2]].
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] The parameters for how you obtain [[mw:API:Tokens|tokens]] in the MediaWiki API were changed in 2014. The old way will no longer work from 1 September. Scripts, bots and tools that use the parameters from before the 2014 change need to be updated. You can [[phab:T280806#7215377|read more]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/29|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="tech-newsletter-content"/>
15:31, 19 July 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21755027 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/30|Tech News: 2021-30]] ==
<section begin="tech-newsletter-content"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/30|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* A [[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/wmf.14|new version]] of MediaWiki came to the Wikimedia wikis the week before last week. This was not in Tech News because there was no newsletter that week.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/wmf.16|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-07-27|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-07-28|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-07-29|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
* If you use the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Skin:MonoBook|Monobook skin]] you can choose to switch off [[:w:en:Responsive web design|responsive design]] on mobile. This will now work for more skins. If <code>{{int:monobook-responsive-label}}</code> is unticked you need to also untick the new [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-rendering|preference]] <code>{{int:prefs-skin-responsive}}</code>. Otherwise it will stop working. Interface admins can automate this process on your wiki. You can [[phab:T285991|read more]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/30|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="tech-newsletter-content"/>
21:11, 26 July 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21771634 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/31|Tech News: 2021-31]] ==
<section begin="tech-newsletter-content"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/31|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] If your wiki uses markup like <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki><div class="mw-content-ltr"></nowiki></code></bdi> or <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki><div class="mw-content-rtl"></nowiki></code></bdi> without the required <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>dir</code></bdi> attribute, then these will no longer work in 2 weeks. There is a short-term fix that can be added to your local wiki's Common.css page, which is explained at [[phab:T287701|T287701]]. From now on, all usages should include the full attributes, for example: <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki><div class="mw-content-ltr" dir="ltr" lang="en"></nowiki></code></bdi> or <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki><div class="mw-content-rtl" dir="rtl" lang="he"></nowiki></code></bdi>. This also applies to some other HTML tags, such as <code>span</code> or <code>code</code>. You can find existing examples on your wiki that need to be updated, using the instructions at [[phab:T287701|T287701]].
* Reminder: Wikimedia has [[m:Special:MyLanguage/IRC/Migrating to Libera Chat|migrated to the Libera Chat IRC network]], from the old Freenode network. Local documentation should be updated.
'''Problems'''
* Last week, all wikis had slow access or no access for 30 minutes. There was a problem with generating dynamic lists of articles on the Russian Wikinews, due to the bulk import of 200,000+ new articles over 3 days, which led to database problems. The problematic feature has been disabled on that wiki and developers are discussing if it can be fixed properly. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T287380][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Incident_documentation/2021-07-26_ruwikinews_DynamicPageList]
'''Changes later this week'''
* When adding links to a page using [[mw:VisualEditor|VisualEditor]] or the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/2017 wikitext editor|2017 wikitext editor]], [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Disambiguator|disambiguation pages]] will now only appear at the bottom of search results. This is because users do not often want to link to disambiguation pages. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T285510]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/wmf.17|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-08-03|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-08-04|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-08-05|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
* The [[mw:Wikimedia Apps/Team/Android|team of the Wikipedia app for Android]] is working on communication in the app. The developers are working on how to talk to other editors and get notifications. You can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/Android/Communication|read more]]. They are looking for users who want to [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/Android/Communication/UsertestingJuly2021|test the plans]]. Any editor who has an Android phone and is willing to download the app can do this.
* The [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures|Beta Feature]] for {{int:discussiontools-preference-label}} will be updated in the coming weeks. You will be able to [[mw:Talk pages project/Notifications|subscribe to individual sections]] on a talk page at more wikis. You can test this now by adding <code>?dtenable=1</code> to the end of the talk page's URL ([https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Meta_talk:Sandbox?dtenable=1 example]).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/31|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="tech-newsletter-content"/>
20:47, 2 August 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21818289 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/32|Tech News: 2021-32]] ==
<section begin="tech-newsletter-content"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/32|Translations]] are available.
'''Problems'''
* You can read but not edit 17 wikis for a few minutes on 10 August. This is planned at [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1628571650 05:00 UTC]. This is because of work on the database. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T287449]
'''Changes later this week'''
* The [[wmania:Special:MyLanguage/2021:Hackathon|Wikimania Hackathon]] will take place remotely on 13 August, starting at 5:00 UTC, for 24 hours. You can participate in many ways. You can still propose projects and sessions.
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/wmf.18|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-08-10|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-08-11|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-08-12|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] The old CSS <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki><div class="visualClear"></div></nowiki></code></bdi> will not be supported after 12 August. Instead, templates and pages should use <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki><div style="clear:both;"></div></nowiki></code></bdi>. Please help to replace any existing uses on your wiki. There are global-search links available at [[phab:T287962|T287962]].
'''Future changes'''
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/The Wikipedia Library|The Wikipedia Library]] is a place for Wikipedia editors to get access to sources. There is an [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:TheWikipediaLibrary|extension]] which has a new function to tell users when they can take part in it. It will use notifications. It will start pinging the first users in September. It will ping more users later. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T288070]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] [[w:en:Vue.js|Vue.js]] will be the [[w:en:JavaScript|JavaScript]] framework for MediaWiki in the future. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/SOZREBYR36PUNFZXMIUBVAIOQI4N7PDU/]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/32|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="tech-newsletter-content"/>
16:21, 9 August 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21856726 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/33|Tech News: 2021-33]] ==
<section begin="tech-newsletter-content"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/33|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* You can add language links in the sidebar in the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements|new Vector skin]] again. You do this by connecting the page to a Wikidata item. The new Vector skin has moved the language links but the new language selector cannot add language links yet. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T287206]
'''Problems'''
* There was a problem on wikis which use the Translate extension. Translations were not updated or were replaced with the English text. The problems have been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T288700][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T288683][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T288719]
'''Changes later this week'''
* A [[mw:Help:Tags|revision tag]] will soon be added to edits that add links to [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Disambiguator|disambiguation pages]]. This is because these links are usually added by accident. The tag will allow editors to easily find the broken links and fix them. If your wiki does not like this feature, it can be [[mw:Help:Tags#Deleting a tag added by the software|hidden]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T287549]
*Would you like to help improve the information about tools? Would you like to attend or help organize a small virtual meetup for your community to discuss the list of tools? Please get in touch on the [[m:Toolhub/The Quality Signal Sessions|Toolhub Quality Signal Sessions]] talk page. We are also looking for feedback [[m:Talk:Toolhub/The Quality Signal Sessions#Discussion topic for "Quality Signal Sessions: The Tool Maintainers edition"|from tool maintainers]] on some specific questions.
* In the past, edits to any page in your user talk space ignored your [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Notifications#mute|mute list]], e.g. sub-pages. Starting this week, this is only true for edits to your talk page. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T288112]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/wmf.19|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-08-17|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-08-18|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-08-19|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/33|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="tech-newsletter-content"/>
19:27, 16 August 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21889213 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/34|Tech News: 2021-34]] ==
<section begin="tech-newsletter-content"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/34|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Score|Score]] extension (<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki><score></nowiki></code></bdi> notation) has been re-enabled on public wikis and upgraded to a newer version. Some musical score functionality may no longer work because the extension is only enabled in "safe mode". The security issue has been fixed and an [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Score/2021 security advisory|advisory published]].
'''Problems'''
* You will be able to read but not edit [[phab:T289130|some wikis]] for a few minutes on {{#time:j xg|2021-08-25|en}}. This will happen around [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1629871217 06:00 UTC]. This is for database maintenance. During this time, operations on the CentralAuth will also not be possible.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/wmf.20|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-08-24|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-08-25|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-08-26|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/34|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="tech-newsletter-content"/>
21:58, 23 August 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21923254 -->
== Read-only reminder ==
<section begin="MassMessage"/>
A maintenance operation will be performed on [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1629871231 {{#time: l F d H:i e|2021-08-25T06:00|en}}]. It should only last for a few minutes.
This will affect your wiki as well as 11 other wikis. During this time, publishing edits will not be possible.
Also during this time, operations on the CentralAuth will not be possible (GlobalRenames, changing/confirming e-mail addresses, logging into new wikis, password changes).
For more details about the operation and on all impacted services, please check [[phab:T289130|on Phabricator]].
A banner will be displayed 30 minutes before the operation.
Please help your community to be aware of this maintenance operation. {{Int:Feedback-thanks-title}}<section end="MassMessage"/>
20:35, 24 August 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21927201 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/35|Tech News: 2021-35]] ==
<section begin="tech-newsletter-content"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/35|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* Some musical score syntax no longer works and may needed to be updated, you can check [[:Category:{{MediaWiki:score-error-category}}]] on your wiki for a list of pages with errors.
'''Problems'''
* Musical scores were unable to render lyrics in some languages because of missing fonts. This has been fixed now. If your language would prefer a different font, please file a request in Phabricator. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T289554]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] The parameters for how you obtain [[mw:API:Tokens|tokens]] in the MediaWiki API were changed in 2014. The old way will no longer work from 1 September. Scripts, bots and tools that use the parameters from before the 2014 change need to be updated. You can [[phab:T280806#7215377|read more]] about this.
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/wmf.21|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-08-31|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-09-01|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-09-02|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
* You will be able to read but not edit [[phab:T289660|Commons]] for a few minutes on {{#time:j xg|2021-09-06|en}}. This will happen around [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1630818058 05:00 UTC]. This is for database maintenance.
* All wikis will be read-only for a few minutes in the week of 13 September. More information will be published in Tech News later. It will also be posted on individual wikis in the coming weeks. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T287539]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/35|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="tech-newsletter-content"/>
16:01, 30 August 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Trizek (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21954810 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/36|Tech News: 2021-36]] ==
<section begin="tech-newsletter-content"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/36|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The wikis that have [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Feature_summary|Growth features]] deployed have been part of A/B testing since deployment, in which some newcomers did not receive the new features. Now, all of the newcomers on 21 of the smallest of those wikis will be receiving the features. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T289786]
'''Changes later this week'''
* There is no new MediaWiki version this week.
'''Future changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] In 2017, the provided jQuery library was upgraded from version 1 to 3, with a compatibility layer. The migration will soon finish, to make the site load faster for everyone. If you maintain a gadget or user script, check if you have any JQMIGRATE errors and fix them, or they will break. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T280944][https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/6Z2BVLOBBEC2QP4VV4KOOVQVE52P3HOP/]
* Last year, the Portuguese Wikipedia community embarked on an experiment to make log-in compulsory for editing. The [[m:IP Editing: Privacy Enhancement and Abuse Mitigation/Impact report for Login Required Experiment on Portuguese Wikipedia|impact report of this trial]] is ready. Moving forward, the Anti-Harassment Tools team is looking for projects that are willing to experiment with restricting IP editing on their wiki for a short-term experiment. [[m:IP Editing: Privacy Enhancement and Abuse Mitigation/Login Required Experiment|Learn more]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/36|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="tech-newsletter-content"/>
15:20, 6 September 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Trizek (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=21981010 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/37|Tech News: 2021-37]] ==
<section begin="tech-newsletter-content"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/37|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* 45 new Wikipedias now have access to the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Feature summary|Growth features]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T289680]
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Deployment table|A majority of Wikipedias]] now have access to the Growth features. The Growth team [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/FAQ|has published an FAQ page]] about the features. This translatable FAQ covers the description of the features, how to use them, how to change the configuration, and more.
'''Problems'''
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/Server switch|All wikis will be read-only]] for a few minutes on 14 September. This is planned at [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1631628002 14:00 UTC]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T287539]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/wmf.23|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-09-14|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-09-15|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-09-16|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.37/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* Starting this week, Wikipedia in Italian will receive weekly software updates on Wednesdays. It used to receive the updates on Thursdays. Due to this change, bugs will be noticed and fixed sooner. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T286664]
* You can add language links in the sidebar in [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements|the new Vector skin]] again. You do this by connecting the page to a Wikidata item. The new Vector skin has moved the language links but the new language selector cannot add language links yet. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T287206]
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:SyntaxHighlight|syntax highlight]] tool marks up code with different colours. It now can highlight 23 new code languages. Additionally, <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>golang</code></bdi> can now be used as an alias for the [[d:Q37227|Go programming language]], and a special <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>output</code></bdi> mode has been added to show a program's output. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T280117][https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/c/mediawiki/extensions/SyntaxHighlight_GeSHi/+/715277/]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/37|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="tech-newsletter-content"/>
15:35, 13 September 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Trizek (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=22009517 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/38|Tech News: 2021-38]] ==
<section begin="tech-newsletter-content"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/38|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* Growth features are now deployed to almost all Wikipedias. [[phab:T290582|For the majority of small Wikipedias]], the features are only available for experienced users, to [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/FAQ#enable|test the features]] and [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/FAQ#config|configure them]]. Features will be available for newcomers starting on 20 September 2021.
* MediaWiki had a feature that would highlight local links to short articles in a different style. Each user could pick the size at which "stubs" would be highlighted. This feature was very bad for performance, and following a consultation, has been removed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T284917]
* A technical change was made to the MonoBook skin to allow for easier maintenance and upkeep. This has resulted in some minor changes to HTML that make MonoBook's HTML consistent with other skins. Efforts have been made to minimize the impact on editors, but please ping [[m:User:Jon (WMF)|Jon (WMF)]] on wiki or in [[phab:T290888|phabricator]] if any problems are reported.
'''Problems'''
* There was a problem with search last week. Many search requests did not work for 2 hours because of an accidental restart of the search servers. [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Incident_documentation/2021-09-13_cirrussearch_restart]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/wmf.1|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-09-21|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-09-22|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-09-23|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] The [[s:Special:ApiHelp/query+proofreadinfo|meta=proofreadpage API]] has changed. The <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>piprop</nowiki></code></bdi> parameter has been renamed to <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>prpiprop</nowiki></code></bdi>. API users should update their code to avoid unrecognized parameter warnings. Pywikibot users should upgrade to 6.6.0. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T290585]
'''Future changes'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:DiscussionTools#Replying|Reply tool]] will be deployed to the remaining wikis in the coming weeks. It is currently part of "{{int:discussiontools-preference-label}}" in [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures|Beta features]] at most wikis. You will be able to turn it off in [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-editing-discussion|Editing Preferences]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T262331]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki_1.37/Deprecation_of_legacy_API_token_parameters|previously announced]] change to how you obtain tokens from the API has been delayed to September 21 because of an incompatibility with Pywikibot. Bot operators using Pywikibot can follow [[phab:T291202|T291202]] for progress on a fix, and should plan to upgrade to 6.6.1 when it is released.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/38|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="tech-newsletter-content"/>
18:32, 20 September 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=22043415 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/39|Tech News: 2021-39]] ==
<section begin="technews-2021-W39"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/39|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[w:en:IOS|iOS 15]] has a new function called [https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212614 Private Relay] (Apple website). This can hide the user's IP when they use [[w:en:Safari (software)|Safari]] browser. This is like using a [[w:en:Virtual private network|VPN]] in that we see another IP address instead. It is opt-in and only for those who pay extra for [[w:en:ICloud|iCloud]]. It will come to Safari users on [[:w:en:OSX|OSX]] later. There is a [[phab:T289795|technical discussion]] about what this means for the Wikimedia wikis.
'''Problems'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] Some gadgets and user-scripts add items to the [[m:Customization:Explaining_skins#Portlets|portlets]] (article tools) part of the skin. A recent change to the HTML may have made those links a different font-size. This can be fixed by adding the CSS class <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>.vector-menu-dropdown-noicon</code></bdi>. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T291438]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/wmf.2|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-09-28|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-09-29|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-09-30|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Onboarding_new_Wikipedians#New_experience|GettingStarted extension]] was built in 2013, and provides an onboarding process for new account holders in a few versions of Wikipedia. However, the recently developed [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Feature_summary|Growth features]] provide a better onboarding experience. Since the vast majority of Wikipedias now have access to the Growth features, GettingStarted will be deactivated starting on 4 October. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T235752]
* A small number of users will not be able to connect to the Wikimedia wikis after 30 September. This is because an old [[:w:en:root certificate|root certificate]] will no longer work. They will also have problems with many other websites. Users who have updated their software in the last five years are unlikely to have problems. Users in Europe, Africa and Asia are less likely to have immediate problems even if their software is too old. You can [[m:Special:MyLanguage/HTTPS/2021 Let's Encrypt root expiry|read more]].
* You can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Notifications|receive notifications]] when someone leaves a comment on user talk page or mentions you in a talk page comment. Clicking the notification link will now bring you to the comment and highlight it. Previously, doing so brought you to the top of the section that contained the comment. You can find [[phab:T282029|more information in T282029.]]
'''Future changes'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:DiscussionTools#Replying|Reply tool]] will be deployed to the remaining wikis in the coming weeks. It is currently part of "{{int:discussiontools-preference-label}}" in [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures|Beta features]] at most wikis. You will be able to turn it off in [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-editing-discussion|Editing Preferences]]. [[phab:T288485|See the list of wikis.]] [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T262331]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/39|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2021-W39"/>
22:23, 27 September 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=22077885 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/40|Tech News: 2021-40]] ==
<section begin="tech-newsletter-content"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/40|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* A more efficient way of sending changes from Wikidata to Wikimedia wikis that show them has been enabled for the following 10 wikis: mediawiki.org, the Italian, Catalan, Hebrew and Vietnamese Wikipedias, French Wikisource, and English Wikivoygage, Wikibooks, Wiktionary and Wikinews. If you notice anything strange about how changes from Wikidata appear in recent changes or your watchlist on those wikis you can [[phab:T48643|let the developers know]].
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/wmf.3|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-10-05|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-10-06|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-10-07|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] Some gadgets and bots that use the API to read the AbuseFilter log might break. The <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>hidden</code></bdi> property will no longer say an entry is <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>implicit</code></bdi> for unsuppressed log entries about suppressed edits. If your bot needs to know this, do a separate revision query. Additionally, the property will have the value <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>false</code></bdi> for visible entries; previously, it wasn't included in the response. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T291718]
* A more efficient way of sending changes from Wikidata to Wikimedia wikis that show them will be enabled for ''all production wikis''. If you notice anything strange about how changes from Wikidata appear in recent changes or your watchlist you can [[phab:T48643|let the developers know]].
'''Future changes'''
* You can soon get cross-wiki notifications in the [[mw:Wikimedia Apps/Team/iOS|iOS Wikipedia app]]. You can also get notifications as push notifications. More notification updates will follow in later versions. [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Apps/Team/iOS/Notifications#September_2021_update]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] The JavaScript variables <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>wgExtraSignatureNamespaces</code></bdi>, <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>wgLegalTitleChars</code></bdi>, and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>wgIllegalFileChars</code></bdi> will soon be removed from <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Interface/JavaScript#mw.config|mw.config]]</code></bdi>. These are not part of the "stable" variables available for use in wiki JavaScript. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T292011]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] The JavaScript variables <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>wgCookiePrefix</code></bdi>, <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>wgCookieDomain</code></bdi>, <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>wgCookiePath</code></bdi>, and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>wgCookieExpiration</code></bdi> will soon be removed from mw.config. Scripts should instead use <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>mw.cookie</code></bdi> from the "<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr">[[mw:ResourceLoader/Core_modules#mediawiki.cookie|mediawiki.cookie]]</bdi>" module. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T291760]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/40|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="tech-newsletter-content"/>
16:32, 4 October 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=22101208 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/41|Tech News: 2021-41]] ==
<section begin="technews-2021-W41"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/41|Translations]] are available.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/wmf.4|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-10-12|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-10-13|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-10-14|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* The [[mw:Manual:Table_of_contents#Auto-numbering|"auto-number headings" preference]] is being removed. You can read [[phab:T284921]] for the reasons and discussion. This change was [[m:Tech/News/2021/26|previously]] announced. [[mw:Snippets/Auto-number_headings|A JavaScript snippet]] is available which can be used to create a Gadget on wikis that still want to support auto-numbering.
'''Meetings'''
* You can join a meeting about the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements|Desktop Improvements]]. A demonstration version of the [[mw:Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements/Features/Sticky Header|newest feature]] will be shown. The event will take place on Tuesday, 12 October at 16:00 UTC. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements/Updates/Talk to Web/12-10-2021|See how to join]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/41|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2021-W41"/>
15:30, 11 October 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Trizek (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=22152137 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/42|Tech News: 2021-42]] ==
<section begin="technews-2021-W42"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/42|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
*[[m:Toolhub|Toolhub]] is a catalogue to make it easier to find software tools that can be used for working on the Wikimedia projects. You can [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/LF4SSR4QRCKV6NPRFGUAQWUFQISVIPTS/ read more].
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/wmf.5|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-10-19|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-10-20|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-10-21|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
* The developers of the [[mw:Wikimedia Apps/Team/Android|Wikipedia Android app]] are working on [[mw:Wikimedia Apps/Team/Android/Communication|communication in the app]]. You can now answer questions in [[mw:Wikimedia Apps/Team/Android/Communication/UsertestingOctober2021|survey]] to help the development.
* 3–5% of editors may be blocked in the next few months. This is because of a new service in Safari, which is similar to a [[w:en:Proxy server|proxy]] or a [[w:en:VPN|VPN]]. It is called iCloud Private Relay. There is a [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Apple iCloud Private Relay|discussion about this]] on Meta. The goal is to learn what iCloud Private Relay could mean for the communities.
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Enterprise|Wikimedia Enterprise]] is a new [[w:en:API|API]] for those who use a lot of information from the Wikimedia projects on other sites. It is a way to get big commercial users to pay for the data. There will soon be a copy of the Wikimedia Enterprise dataset. You can [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-ambassadors@lists.wikimedia.org/message/B2AX6PWH5MBKB4L63NFZY3ADBQG7MSBA/ read more]. You can also ask the team questions [https://wikimedia.zoom.us/j/88994018553 on Zoom] on [https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?hour=15&min=00&sec=0&day=22&month=10&year=2021 22 October 15:00 UTC].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/42|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2021-W42"/>
20:53, 18 October 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=22176877 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/43|Tech News: 2021-43]] ==
<section begin="technews-2021-W43"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/43|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Coolest_Tool_Award|Coolest Tool Award 2021]] is looking for nominations. You can recommend tools until 27 October.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/wmf.6|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-10-26|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-10-27|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-10-28|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
*[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Diff|Diff pages]] will have an improved copy and pasting experience. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist Survey 2021/Copy paste diffs|The changes]] will allow the text in the diff for before and after to be treated as separate columns and will remove any unwanted syntax. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T192526]
* The version of the [[w:en:Liberation fonts|Liberation fonts]] used in SVG files will be upgraded. Only new thumbnails will be affected. Liberation Sans Narrow will not change. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T253600]
'''Meetings'''
* You can join a meeting about the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist Survey|Community Wishlist Survey]]. News about the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist Survey 2021/Warn when linking to disambiguation pages|disambiguation]] and the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist Survey 2021/Real Time Preview for Wikitext|real-time preview]] wishes will be shown. The event will take place on Wednesday, 27 October at 14:30 UTC. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist Survey/Updates/Talk to Us|See how to join]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/43|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2021-W43"/>
20:08, 25 October 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=22232718 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/44|Tech News: 2021-44]] ==
<section begin="technews-2021-W44"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/44|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* There is a limit on the amount of emails a user can send each day. This limit is now global instead of per-wiki. This change is to prevent abuse. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T293866]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/wmf.7|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-11-02|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-11-03|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-11-04|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/44|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2021-W44"/>
20:28, 1 November 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=22269406 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/45|Tech News: 2021-45]] ==
<section begin="technews-2021-W45"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/45|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* Mobile IP editors are now able to receive warning notices indicating they have a talk page message on the mobile website (similar to the orange banners available on desktop). These notices will be displayed on every page outside of the main namespace and every time the user attempts to edit. The notice on desktop now has a slightly different colour. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T284642][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T278105]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[phab:T294321|Wikidata will be read-only]] for a few minutes on 11 November. This will happen around [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1636610400 06:00 UTC]. This is for database maintenance. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T294321]
* There is no new MediaWiki version this week.
'''Future changes'''
* In the future, unregistered editors will be given an identity that is not their [[:w:en:IP address|IP address]]. This is for legal reasons. A new user right will let editors who need to know the IPs of unregistered accounts to fight vandalism, spam, and harassment, see the IP. You can read the [[m:IP Editing: Privacy Enhancement and Abuse Mitigation#IP Masking Implementation Approaches (FAQ)|suggestions for how that identity could work]] and [[m:Talk:IP Editing: Privacy Enhancement and Abuse Mitigation|discuss on the talk page]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/45|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2021-W45"/>
20:36, 8 November 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=22311003 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/46|Tech News: 2021-46]] ==
<section begin="technews-2021-W46"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/46|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* Most [[c:Special:MyLanguage/Commons:Maximum_file_size#MAXTHUMB|large file uploads]] errors that had messages like "<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>stashfailed</code></bdi>" or "<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>DBQueryError</code></bdi>" have now been fixed. An [[wikitech:Incident documentation/2021-11-04 large file upload timeouts|incident report]] is available.
'''Problems'''
* Sometimes, edits made on iOS using the visual editor save groups of numbers as telephone number links, because of a feature in the operating system. This problem is under investigation. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T116525]
* There was a problem with search last week. Many search requests did not work for 2 hours because of a configuration error. [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Incident_documentation/2021-11-10_cirrussearch_commonsfile_outage]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/wmf.9|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-11-16|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-11-17|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-11-18|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/46|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2021-W46"/>
22:06, 15 November 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=22338097 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/47|Tech News: 2021-47]] ==
<section begin="technews-2021-W47"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/47|Translations]] are available.
'''Changes later this week'''
* There is no new MediaWiki version this week.
*The template dialog in VisualEditor and in the [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures|new wikitext mode]] Beta feature will be [[m:WMDE Technical Wishes/VisualEditor template dialog improvements|heavily improved]] on [[phab:T286992|a few wikis]]. Your [[m:Talk:WMDE Technical Wishes/VisualEditor template dialog improvements|feedback is welcome]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/47|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2021-W47"/>
20:02, 22 November 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=22366010 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/48|Tech News: 2021-48]] ==
<section begin="technews-2021-W48"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/48|Translations]] are available.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/wmf.11|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-11-30|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-12-01|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-12-02|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/48|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2021-W48"/>
21:15, 29 November 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=22375666 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/49|Tech News: 2021-49]] ==
<section begin="technews-2021-W49"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/49|Translations]] are available.
'''Problems'''
* MediaWiki 1.38-wmf.11 was scheduled to be deployed on some wikis last week. The deployment was delayed because of unexpected problems.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/wmf.12|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-12-07|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-12-08|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-12-09|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* At all Wikipedias, a Mentor Dashboard is now available at <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>Special:MentorDashboard</nowiki></code></bdi>. It allows registered mentors, who take care of newcomers' first steps, to monitor their assigned newcomers' activity. It is part of the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Feature summary|Growth features]]. You can learn more about [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Communities/How_to_configure_the_mentors%27_list|activating the mentor list]] on your wiki and about [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Mentor dashboard|the mentor dashboard project]].
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] The predecessor to the current [[mw:API|MediaWiki Action API]] (which was created in 2008), <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>action=ajax</nowiki></code></bdi>, will be removed this week. Any scripts or bots using it will need to switch to the corresponding API module. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T42786]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] An old ResourceLoader module, <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>jquery.jStorage</nowiki></code></bdi>, which was deprecated in 2016, will be removed this week. Any scripts or bots using it will need to switch to <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>mediawiki.storage</nowiki></code></bdi> instead. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T143034]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/49|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2021-W49"/>
21:59, 6 December 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=22413926 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/50|Tech News: 2021-50]] ==
<section begin="technews-2021-W50"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/50|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* There are now default [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Namespace#Other_namespace_aliases|short aliases]] for the "Project:" namespace on most wikis. E.g. On Wikibooks wikis, <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>[[WB:]]</nowiki></code></bdi> will go to the local language default for the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>[[Project:]]</nowiki></code></bdi> namespace. This change is intended to help the smaller communities have easy access to this feature. Additional local aliases can still be requested via [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Requesting wiki configuration changes|the usual process]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T293839]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/wmf.13|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2021-12-14|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2021-12-15|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2021-12-16|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/50|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2021-W50"/>
22:27, 13 December 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=22441074 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/51|Tech News: 2021-51]] ==
<section begin="technews-2021-W51"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/51|Translations]] are available.
'''Tech News'''
* Because of the [[w:en:Christmas and holiday season|holidays]] the next issue of Tech News will be sent out on 10 January 2022.
'''Recent changes'''
* Queries made by the DynamicPageList extension (<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki><DynamicPageList></nowiki></code></bdi>) are now only allowed to run for 10 seconds and error if they take longer. This is in response to multiple outages where long-running queries caused an outage on all wikis. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T287380#7575719]
'''Changes later this week'''
* There is no new MediaWiki version this week or next week.
'''Future changes'''
* The developers of the Wikipedia iOS app are looking for testers who edit in multiple languages. You can [[mw:Wikimedia Apps/Team/iOS/202112 testing|read more and let them know if you are interested]].
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] The Wikimedia [[wikitech:Portal:Cloud VPS|Cloud VPS]] hosts technical projects for the Wikimedia movement. Developers need to [[wikitech:News/Cloud VPS 2021 Purge|claim projects]] they use. This is because old and unused projects are removed once a year. Unclaimed projects can be shut down from February. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/2B7KYL5VLQNHGQQHMYLW7KTUKXKAYY3T/]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/51|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2021-W51"/>
22:05, 20 December 2021 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=22465395 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/02|Tech News: 2022-02]] ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W02"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/02|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] A <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>oauth_consumer</code></bdi> variable has been added to the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/AbuseFilter|AbuseFilter]] to enable identifying changes made by specific tools. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T298281]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] Gadgets are [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/ResourceLoader/Migration_guide_(users)#Package_Gadgets|now able to directly include JSON pages]]. This means some gadgets can now be configured by administrators without needing the interface administrator permission, such as with the Geonotice gadget. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T198758]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] Gadgets [[mw:Extension:Gadgets#Options|can now specify page actions]] on which they are available. For example, <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>|actions=edit,history</code></bdi> will load a gadget only while editing and on history pages. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T63007]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] Gadgets can now be loaded on demand with the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>withgadget</code></bdi> URL parameter. This can be used to replace [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Snippets/Load JS and CSS by URL|an earlier snippet]] that typically looks like <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>withJS</code></bdi> or <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>withCSS</code></bdi>. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T29766]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] At wikis where [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Communities/How to configure the mentors' list|the Mentorship system is configured]], you can now use the Action API to get a list of a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Mentor_dashboard|mentor's]] mentees. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T291966]
* The heading on the main page can now be configured using <span class="mw-content-ltr" lang="en" dir="ltr">[[MediaWiki:Mainpage-title-loggedin]]</span> for logged-in users and <span class="mw-content-ltr" lang="en" dir="ltr">[[MediaWiki:Mainpage-title]]</span> for logged-out users. Any CSS that was previously used to hide the heading should be removed. [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Small_wiki_toolkits/Starter_kit/Main_page_customization#hide-heading] [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T298715]
* Four special pages (and their API counterparts) now have a maximum database query execution time of 30 seconds. These special pages are: RecentChanges, Watchlist, Contributions, and Log. This change will help with site performance and stability. You can read [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/IPJNO75HYAQWIGTHI5LJHTDVLVOC4LJP/ more details about this change] including some possible solutions if this affects your workflows. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T297708]
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements/Features/Sticky Header|sticky header]] has been deployed for 50% of logged-in users on [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements/Frequently asked questions#pilot-wikis|more than 10 wikis]]. This is part of the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements|Desktop Improvements]]. See [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements/Participate|how to take part in the project]].
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/wmf.17|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-01-11|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-01-12|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-01-13|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Events'''
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist Survey 2022|Community Wishlist Survey 2022]] begins. All contributors to the Wikimedia projects can propose for tools and platform improvements. The proposal phase takes place from {{#time:j xg|2022-01-10|en}} 18:00 UTC to {{#time:j xg|2022-01-23|en}} 18:00 UTC. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community_Wishlist_Survey/FAQ|Learn more]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/02|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W02"/>
01:23, 11 January 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=22562156 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/03|Tech News: 2022-03]] ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W03"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/03|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* When using [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:WikiEditor|WikiEditor]] (also known as the 2010 wikitext editor), people will now see a warning if they link to disambiguation pages. If you click "{{int:Disambiguator-review-link}}" in the warning, it will ask you to correct the link to a more specific term. You can [[m:Community Wishlist Survey 2021/Warn when linking to disambiguation pages#Jan 12, 2021: Turning on the changes for all Wikis|read more information]] about this completed 2021 Community Wishlist item.
* You can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:DiscussionTools#subscribe|automatically subscribe to all of the talk page discussions]] that you start or comment in using [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Talk pages project/Feature summary|DiscussionTools]]. You will receive [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Notifications|notifications]] when another editor replies. This is available at most wikis. Go to your [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-editing-discussion|Preferences]] and turn on "{{int:discussiontools-preference-autotopicsub}}". [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T263819]
* When asked to create a new page or talk page section, input fields can be [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Creating_pages_with_preloaded_text|"preloaded" with some text]]. This feature is now limited to wikitext pages. This is so users can't be tricked into making malicious edits. There is a discussion about [[phab:T297725|if this feature should be re-enabled]] for some content types.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/wmf.18|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-01-18|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-01-19|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-01-20|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Events'''
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist Survey 2022|Community Wishlist Survey 2022]] continues. All contributors to the Wikimedia projects can propose for tools and platform improvements. The proposal phase takes place from {{#time:j xg|2022-01-10|en}} 18:00 UTC to {{#time:j xg|2022-01-23|en}} 18:00 UTC. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community_Wishlist_Survey/FAQ|Learn more]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/03|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W03"/>
19:55, 17 January 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=22620285 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/04|Tech News: 2022-04]] ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W04"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/04|Translations]] are available.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/wmf.19|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-01-25|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-01-26|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-01-27|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* The following languages can now be used with [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:SyntaxHighlight|syntax highlighting]]: BDD, Elpi, LilyPond, Maxima, Rita, Savi, Sed, Sophia, Spice, .SRCINFO.
* You can now access your watchlist from outside of the user menu in the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements|new Vector skin]]. The watchlist link appears next to the notification icons if you are at the top of the page. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T289619]
'''Events'''
* You can see the results of the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Coolest Tool Award|Coolest Tool Award 2021]] and learn more about 14 tools which were selected this year.
* You can [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community_Wishlist_Survey/Help_us|translate, promote]], or comment on [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist Survey 2022/Proposals|the proposals]] in the Community Wishlist Survey. Voting will begin on {{#time:j xg|2022-01-28|en}}.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/04|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W04"/>
21:38, 24 January 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=22644148 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/05|Tech News: 2022-05]] ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W05"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/05|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] If a gadget should support the new <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>?withgadget</code></bdi> URL parameter that was [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/02|announced]] 3 weeks ago, then it must now also specify <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>supportsUrlLoad</code></bdi> in the gadget definition ([[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Gadgets#supportsUrlLoad|documentation]]). [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T29766]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/wmf.20|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-02-01|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-02-02|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-02-03|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
* A change that was [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2021/16|announced]] last year was delayed. It is now ready to move ahead:
** The user group <code>oversight</code> will be renamed <code>suppress</code>. This is for [[phab:T109327|technical reasons]]. This is the technical name. It doesn't affect what you call the editors with this user right on your wiki. This is planned to happen in three weeks. You can comment [[phab:T112147|in Phabricator]] if you have objections. As usual, these labels can be translated on translatewiki ([[phab:T112147|direct links are available]]) or by administrators on your wiki.
'''Events'''
* You can vote on proposals in the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist Survey 2022|Community Wishlist Survey]] between 28 January and 11 February. The survey decides what the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Tech|Community Tech team]] will work on.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/05|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W05"/>
17:42, 31 January 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=22721804 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/06|Tech News: 2022-06]] ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W06"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/06|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* English Wikipedia recently set up a gadget for dark mode. You can enable it there, or request help from an [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Interface administrators|interface administrator]] to set it up on your wiki ([[w:en:Wikipedia:Dark mode (gadget)|instructions and screenshot]]).
* Category counts are sometimes wrong. They will now be completely recounted at the beginning of every month. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T299823]
'''Problems'''
* A code-change last week to fix a bug with [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Live preview|Live Preview]] may have caused problems with some local gadgets and user-scripts. Any code with skin-specific behaviour for <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>vector</code></bdi> should be updated to also check for <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>vector-2022</code></bdi>. [[phab:T300987|A code-snippet, global search, and example are available]].
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/wmf.21|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-02-08|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-02-09|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-02-10|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/06|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W06"/>
21:15, 7 February 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=22765948 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/07|Tech News: 2022-07]] ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W07"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/07|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Purge|Purging]] a category page with fewer than 5,000 members will now recount it completely. This will allow editors to fix incorrect counts when it is wrong. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T85696]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/wmf.22|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-02-15|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-02-16|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-02-17|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] In the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:AbuseFilter|AbuseFilter]] extension, the <code dir=ltr>rmspecials()</code> function has been updated so that it does not remove the "space" character. Wikis are advised to wrap all the uses of <code dir=ltr>rmspecials()</code> with <code dir=ltr>rmwhitespace()</code> wherever necessary to keep filters' behavior unchanged. You can use the search function on [[Special:AbuseFilter]] to locate its usage. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T263024]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/07|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W07"/>
19:18, 14 February 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=22821788 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/08|Tech News: 2022-08]] ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W08"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/08|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[Special:Nuke|Special:Nuke]] will now provide the standard deletion reasons (editable at <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[MediaWiki:Deletereason-dropdown]]</bdi>) to use when mass-deleting pages. This was [[m:Community Wishlist Survey 2022/Admins and patrollers/Mass-delete to offer drop-down of standard reasons, or templated reasons.|a request in the 2022 Community Wishlist Survey]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T25020]
* At Wikipedias, all new accounts now get the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Feature_summary|Growth features]] by default when creating an account. Communities are encouraged to [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Growth/Tools/Account_creation|update their help resources]]. Previously, only 80% of new accounts would get the Growth features. A few Wikipedias remain unaffected by this change. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T301820]
* You can now prevent specific images that are used in a page from appearing in other locations, such as within PagePreviews or Search results. This is done with the markup <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>class=notpageimage</nowiki></code></bdi>. For example, <code><nowiki>[[File:Example.png|class=notpageimage]]</nowiki></code>. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T301588]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] There has been a change to the HTML of Special:Contributions, Special:MergeHistory, and History pages, to support the grouping of changes by date in [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Skin:Minerva_Neue|the mobile skin]]. While unlikely, this may affect gadgets and user scripts. A [[phab:T298638|list of all the HTML changes]] is on Phabricator.
'''Events'''
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist Survey 2022/Results|Community Wishlist Survey results]] have been published. The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist Survey/Updates/2022 results#leaderboard|ranking of prioritized proposals]] is also available.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/wmf.23|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-02-22|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-02-23|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-02-24|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
* The software to play videos and audio files on pages will change soon on all wikis. The old player will be removed. Some audio players will become wider after this change. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:TimedMediaHandler/VideoJS_Player|The new player]] has been a beta feature for over four years. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T100106][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T248418]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Toolforge's underlying operating system is being updated. If you maintain any tools there, there are two options for migrating your tools into the new system. There are [[wikitech:News/Toolforge Stretch deprecation|details, deadlines, and instructions]] on Wikitech. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/cloud-announce@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/EPJFISC52T7OOEFH5YYMZNL57O4VGSPR/]
* Administrators will soon have [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist Survey 2021/(Un)delete associated talk page|the option to delete/undelete]] the associated "talk" page when they are deleting a given page. An API endpoint with this option will also be available. This was [[m:Community Wishlist Survey 2021/Admins and patrollers/(Un)delete associated talk page|a request from the 2021 Wishlist Survey]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/08|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W08"/>
19:12, 21 February 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Trizek (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=22847768 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/09|Tech News: 2022-09]] ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W09"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/09|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* When searching for edits by [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Tags|change tags]], e.g. in page history or user contributions, there is now a dropdown list of possible tags. This was [[m:Community Wishlist Survey 2022/Miscellaneous/Improve plain-text change tag selector|a request in the 2022 Community Wishlist Survey]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T27909]
* Mentors using the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Mentor_dashboard|Growth Mentor dashboard]] will now see newcomers assigned to them who have made at least one edit, up to 200 edits. Previously, all newcomers assigned to the mentor were visible on the dashboard, even ones without any edit or ones who made hundred of edits. Mentors can still change these values using the filters on their dashboard. Also, the last choice of filters will now be saved. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T301268][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T294460]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The user group <code>oversight</code> was renamed <code>suppress</code>. This is for [[phab:T109327|technical reasons]]. You may need to update any local references to the old name, e.g. gadgets, links to Special:Listusers, or uses of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Magic_words|NUMBERINGROUP]].
'''Problems'''
* The recent change to the HTML of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Tracking changes|tracking changes]] pages caused some problems for screenreaders. This is being fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T298638]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/wmf.24|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-03-01|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-03-02|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-03-03|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
* Working with templates will become easier. [[m:WMDE_Technical_Wishes/Templates|Several improvements]] are planned for March 9 on most wikis and on March 16 on English Wikipedia. The improvements include: Bracket matching, syntax highlighting colors, finding and inserting templates, and related visual editor features.
* If you are a template developer or an interface administrator, and you are intentionally overriding or using the default CSS styles of user feedback boxes (the classes: <code dir=ltr>successbox, messagebox, errorbox, warningbox</code>), please note that these classes and associated CSS will soon be removed from MediaWiki core. This is to prevent problems when the same class-names are also used on a wiki. Please let us know by commenting at [[phab:T300314]] if you think you might be affected.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/09|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W09"/>
22:59, 28 February 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=22902593 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/10|Tech News: 2022-10]] ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W10"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/10|Translations]] are available.
'''Problems'''
* There was a problem with some interface labels last week. It will be fixed this week. This change was part of ongoing work to simplify the support for skins which do not have active maintainers. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T301203]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/wmf.25|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-03-08|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-03-09|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-03-10|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/10|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W10"/>
21:16, 7 March 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=22958074 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/11|Tech News: 2022-11]] ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W11"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/11|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* In the Wikipedia Android app [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Apps/Team/Android/Communication#Updates|it is now possible]] to change the toolbar at the bottom so the tools you use more often are easier to click on. The app now also has a focused reading mode. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T296753][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T254771]
'''Problems'''
* There was a problem with the collection of some page-view data from June 2021 to January 2022 on all wikis. This means the statistics are incomplete. To help calculate which projects and regions were most affected, relevant datasets are being retained for 30 extra days. You can [[m:Talk:Data_retention_guidelines#Added_exception_for_page_views_investigation|read more on Meta-wiki]].
* There was a problem with the databases on March 10. All wikis were unreachable for logged-in users for 12 minutes. Logged-out users could read pages but could not edit or access uncached content then. [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Incident_documentation/2022-03-10_MediaWiki_availability]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/wmf.26|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-03-15|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-03-16|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-03-17|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.38/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* When [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:System_message#Finding_messages_and_documentation|using <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>uselang=qqx</code></bdi> to find localisation messages]], it will now show all possible message keys for navigation tabs such as "{{int:vector-view-history}}". [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T300069]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Access to [[{{#special:RevisionDelete}}]] has been expanded to include users who have <code dir=ltr>deletelogentry</code> and <code dir=ltr>deletedhistory</code> rights through their group memberships. Before, only those with the <code dir=ltr>deleterevision</code> right could access this special page. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T301928]
* On the [[{{#special:Undelete}}]] pages for diffs and revisions, there will be a link back to the main Undelete page with the list of revisions. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T284114]
'''Future changes'''
* The Wikimedia Foundation has announced the IP Masking implementation strategy and next steps. The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/IP Editing: Privacy Enhancement and Abuse Mitigation#feb25|announcement can be read here]].
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Android FAQ|Wikipedia Android app]] developers are working on [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/Android/Communication|new functions]] for user talk pages and article talk pages. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T297617]
'''Events'''
* The [[mw:Wikimedia Hackathon 2022|Wikimedia Hackathon 2022]] will take place as a hybrid event on 20-22 May 2022. The Hackathon will be held online and there are grants available to support local in-person meetups around the world. Grants can be requested until 20 March.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/11|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W11"/>
22:07, 14 March 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=22993074 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/12|Tech News: 2022-12]] ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W12"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/12|Translations]] are available.
'''New code release schedule for this week'''
* There will be four MediaWiki releases this week, instead of just one. This is an experiment which should lead to fewer problems and to faster feature updates. The releases will be on all wikis, at different times, on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. You can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Release Engineering Team/Trainsperiment week|read more about this project]].
'''Recent changes'''
* You can now set how many search results to show by default in [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-searchoptions|your Preferences]]. This was the 12th most popular wish in the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist Survey 2022/Results|Community Wishlist Survey 2022]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T215716]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The Jupyter notebooks tool [[wikitech:PAWS|PAWS]] has been updated to a new interface. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T295043]
'''Future changes'''
* Interactive maps via [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:Kartographer|Kartographer]] will soon work on wikis using the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:FlaggedRevs|FlaggedRevisions]] extension. [https://wikimedia.sslsurvey.de/Kartographer-Workflows-EN/ Please tell us] which improvements you want to see in Kartographer. You can take this survey in simple English. [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WMDE_Technical_Wishes/Geoinformation]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/12|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W12"/>
16:01, 21 March 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Trizek (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23034693 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/13|Tech News: 2022-13]] ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W13"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/13|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* There is a simple new Wikimedia Commons upload tool available for macOS users, [[c:Commons:Sunflower|Sunflower]].
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/wmf.5|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-03-29|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-03-30|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-03-31|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* Some wikis will be in read-only for a few minutes because of regular database maintenance. It will be performed on {{#time:j xg|2022-03-29|en}} at 7:00 UTC ([https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s3.dblist targeted wikis]) and on {{#time:j xg|2022-03-31|en}} at 7:00 UTC ([https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s5.dblist targeted wikis]). [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T301850][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T303798]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/13|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W13"/>
19:54, 28 March 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23073711 -->
== [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/14|Tech News: 2022-14]] ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W14"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/14|Translations]] are available.
'''Problems'''
* For a few days last week, edits that were suggested to newcomers were not tagged in the [[{{#special:recentchanges}}]] feed. This bug has been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T304747]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/wmf.6|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-04-05|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-04-06|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-04-07|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* Some wikis will be in read-only for a few minutes because of a switch of their main database. It will be performed on {{#time:j xg|2022-04-07|en}} at 7:00 UTC ([https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s4.dblist targeted wikis]).
'''Future changes'''
* Starting next week, Tech News' title will be translatable. When the newsletter is distributed, its title may not be <code dir=ltr>Tech News: 2022-14</code> anymore. It may affect some filters that have been set up by some communities. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T302920]
* Over the next few months, the "[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Growth/Tools/Add a link|Add a link]]" Growth feature [[phab:T304110|will become available to more Wikipedias]]. Each week, a few wikis will get the feature. You can test this tool at [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth#deploymentstable|a few wikis where "Link recommendation" is already available]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/14|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W14"/>
21:01, 4 April 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23097604 -->
== Tech News: 2022-15 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W15"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/15|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* There is a new public status page at <span class="mw-content-ltr" lang="en" dir="ltr">[https://www.wikimediastatus.net/ www.wikimediastatus.net]</span>. This site shows five automated high-level metrics where you can see the overall health and performance of our wikis' technical environment. It also contains manually-written updates for widespread incidents, which are written as quickly as the engineers are able to do so while also fixing the actual problem. The site is separated from our production infrastructure and hosted by an external service, so that it can be accessed even if the wikis are briefly unavailable. You can [https://diff.wikimedia.org/2022/03/31/announcing-www-wikimediastatus-net/ read more about this project].
* On Wiktionary wikis, the software to play videos and audio files on pages has now changed. The old player has been removed. Some audio players will become wider after this change. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:TimedMediaHandler/VideoJS_Player|The new player]] has been a beta feature for over four years. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T100106][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T248418]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/wmf.7|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-04-12|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-04-13|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-04-14|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/15|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W15"/>
19:44, 11 April 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23124108 -->
== Tech News: 2022-16 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W16"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/16|Translations]] are available.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/wmf.8|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-04-19|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-04-20|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-04-21|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] Some wikis will be in read-only for a few minutes because of a switch of their main database. It will be performed on {{#time:j xg|2022-04-19|en}} at 07:00 UTC ([https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s7.dblist targeted wikis]) and on {{#time:j xg|2022-04-21|en}} at 7:00 UTC ([https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s8.dblist targeted wikis]).
* Administrators will now have [[m:Community Wishlist Survey 2021/(Un)delete associated talk page|the option to delete/undelete the associated "Talk" page]] when they are deleting a given page. An API endpoint with this option is also available. This concludes the [[m:Community Wishlist Survey 2021/Admins and patrollers/(Un)delete associated talk page|11th wish of the 2021 Community Wishlist Survey]].
* On [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop_Improvements#test-wikis|selected wikis]], 50% of logged-in users will see the new [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements/Features/Table of contents|table of contents]]. When scrolling up and down the page, the table of contents will stay in the same place on the screen. This is part of the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements|Desktop Improvements]] project. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T304169]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Message boxes produced by MediaWiki code will no longer have these CSS classes: <code dir=ltr>successbox</code>, <code dir=ltr>errorbox</code>, <code dir=ltr>warningbox</code>. The styles for those classes and <code dir=ltr>messagebox</code> will be removed from MediaWiki core. This only affects wikis that use these classes in wikitext, or change their appearance within site-wide CSS. Please review any local usage and definitions for these classes you may have. This was previously announced in the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/09|28 February issue of Tech News]].
'''Future changes'''
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Kartographer|Kartographer]] will become compatible with [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:FlaggedRevs|FlaggedRevisions page stabilization]]. Kartographer maps will also work on pages with [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Pending changes|pending changes]]. [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WMDE_Technical_Wishes/Geoinformation#Project_descriptions] The Kartographer documentation has been thoroughly updated. [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:Kartographer/Getting_started] [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Help:VisualEditor/Maps] [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:Kartographer]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/16|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W16"/>
23:11, 18 April 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23167004 -->
== Tech News: 2022-17 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W17"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/17|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* On [https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/dblists/group1.dblist many wikis] (group 1), the software to play videos and audio files on pages has now changed. The old player has been removed. Some audio players will become wider after this change. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:TimedMediaHandler/VideoJS_Player|The new player]] has been a beta feature for over four years. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T100106][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T248418]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/wmf.9|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-04-26|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-04-27|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-04-28|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] Some wikis will be in read-only for a few minutes because of a switch of their main database. It will be performed on {{#time:j xg|2022-04-26|en}} at 07:00 UTC ([https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s2.dblist targeted wikis]).
* Some very old browsers and operating systems are no longer supported. Some things on the wikis might look weird or not work in very old browsers like Internet Explorer 9 or 10, Android 4, or Firefox 38 or older. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T306486]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/17|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W17"/>
22:56, 25 April 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23187115 -->
== Tech News: 2022-18 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W18"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/18|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* On [https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/dblists/group2.dblist all remaining wikis] (group 2), the software to play videos and audio files on pages has now changed. The old player has been removed. Some audio players will become wider after this change. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:TimedMediaHandler/VideoJS_Player|The new player]] has been a beta feature for over four years. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T100106][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T248418]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/wmf.10|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-05-03|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-05-04|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-05-05|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
* The developers are working on talk pages in the [[mw:Wikimedia Apps/Team/iOS|Wikipedia app for iOS]]. You can [https://wikimedia.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9GBcHczQGLbQWTY give feedback]. You can take the survey in English, German, Hebrew or Chinese.
* [[m:WMDE_Technical_Wishes/VisualEditor_template_dialog_improvements#Status_and_next_steps|Most wikis]] will receive an [[m:WMDE_Technical_Wishes/VisualEditor_template_dialog_improvements|improved template dialog]] in VisualEditor and New Wikitext mode. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T296759] [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T306967]
* If you use syntax highlighting while editing wikitext, you can soon activate a [[m:WMDE_Technical_Wishes/Improved_Color_Scheme_of_Syntax_Highlighting#Color-blind_mode|colorblind-friendly color scheme]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T306867]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Several CSS IDs related to MediaWiki interface messages will be removed. Technical editors should please [[phab:T304363|review the list of IDs and links to their existing uses]]. These include <code dir=ltr>#mw-anon-edit-warning</code>, <code dir=ltr>#mw-undelete-revision</code> and 3 others.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/18|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W18"/>
19:33, 2 May 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23232924 -->
== Tech News: 2022-19 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W19"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/19|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* You can now see categories in the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/Android|Wikipedia app for Android]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T73966]
'''Problems'''
* Last week, there was a problem with Wikidata's search autocomplete. This has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T307586]
* Last week, all wikis had slow access or no access for 20 minutes, for logged-in users and non-cached pages. This was caused by a problem with a database change. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T307647]
'''Changes later this week'''
* There is no new MediaWiki version this week. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T305217#7894966]
* [[m:WMDE Technical Wishes/Geoinformation#Current issues|Incompatibility issues]] with [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:Kartographer|Kartographer]] and the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:FlaggedRevs|FlaggedRevs extension]] will be fixed: Deployment is planned for May 10 on all wikis. Kartographer will then be enabled on the [[phab:T307348|five wikis which have not yet enabled the extension]] on May 24.
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements|Vector (2022)]] skin will be set as the default on several more wikis, including Arabic and Catalan Wikipedias. Logged-in users will be able to switch back to the old Vector (2010). See the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements/Updates/2022-04 for the largest wikis|latest update]] about Vector (2022).
'''Future meetings'''
* The next [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements/Updates/Talk to Web|open meeting with the Web team]] about Vector (2022) will take place on 17 May. The following meetings are currently planned for: 7 June, 21 June, 5 July, 19 July.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/19|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W19"/>
15:22, 9 May 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Trizek (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23256717 -->
== Tech News: 2022-20 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W20"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/20|Translations]] are available.
'''Changes later this week'''
* Some wikis can soon use the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Growth/Tools/Add a link|add a link]] feature. This will start on Wednesday. The wikis are {{int:project-localized-name-cawiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-hewiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-hiwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-kowiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-nowiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-ptwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-simplewiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-svwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-ukwiki/en}}. This is part of the [[phab:T304110|progressive deployment of this tool to more Wikipedias]]. The communities can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Community configuration|configure how this feature works locally]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T304542]
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Hackathon 2022|Wikimedia Hackathon 2022]] will take place online on May 20–22. It will be in English. There are also local [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Hackathon 2022/Meetups|hackathon meetups]] in Germany, Ghana, Greece, India, Nigeria and the United States. Technically interested Wikimedians can work on software projects and learn new skills. You can also host a session or post a project you want to work on.
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/wmf.12|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-05-17|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-05-18|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-05-19|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
* You can soon edit translatable pages in the visual editor. Translatable pages exist on for examples Meta and Commons. [https://diff.wikimedia.org/2022/05/12/mediawiki-1-38-brings-support-for-editing-translatable-pages-with-the-visual-editor/]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/20|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W20"/>
18:58, 16 May 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23291515 -->
== Tech News: 2022-21 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W21"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/21|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* Administrators using the mobile web interface can now access Special:Block directly from user pages. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T307341]
* The <span class="mw-content-ltr" lang="en" dir="ltr">[https://www.wiktionary.org/ www.wiktionary.org]</span> portal page now uses an automated update system. Other [[m:Project_portals|project portals]] will be updated over the next few months. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T304629]
'''Problems'''
* The Growth team maintains a mentorship program for newcomers. Previously, newcomers weren't able to opt out from the program. Starting May 19, 2022, newcomers are able to fully opt out from Growth mentorship, in case they do not wish to have any mentor at all. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T287915]
* Some editors cannot access the content translation tool if they load it by clicking from the contributions menu. This problem is being worked on. It should still work properly if accessed directly via Special:ContentTranslation. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T308802]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/wmf.13|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-05-24|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-05-25|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-05-26|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Gadget and user scripts developers are invited to give feedback on a [[mw:User:Jdlrobson/Extension:Gadget/Policy|proposed technical policy]] aiming to improve support from MediaWiki developers. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T308686]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/21|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W21"/>
00:21, 24 May 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23317250 -->
== Tech News: 2022-22 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W22"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/22|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] In the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:AbuseFilter|AbuseFilter]] extension, an <code dir=ltr>ip_in_ranges()</code> function has been introduced to check if an IP is in any of the ranges. Wikis are advised to combine multiple <code dir=ltr>ip_in_range()</code> expressions joined by <code>|</code> into a single expression for better performance. You can use the search function on [[Special:AbuseFilter|Special:AbuseFilter]] to locate its usage. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T305017]
* The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/IP Editing: Privacy Enhancement and Abuse Mitigation/IP Info feature|IP Info feature]] which helps abuse fighters access information about IPs, [[m:Special:MyLanguage/IP Editing: Privacy Enhancement and Abuse Mitigation/IP Info feature#May 24, 2022|has been deployed]] to all wikis as a beta feature. This comes after weeks of beta testing on test.wikipedia.org.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/wmf.14|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-05-31|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-06-01|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-06-02|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] Some wikis will be in read-only for a few minutes because of a switch of their main database. It will be performed on {{#time:j xg|2022-05-31|en}} at 07:00 UTC ([https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s5.dblist targeted wikis]).
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:DiscussionTools#New topic tool|New Topic Tool]] will be deployed for all editors at most wikis soon. You will be able to opt out from within the tool and in [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-editing-discussion|Preferences]]. [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Talk_pages_project/New_discussion][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T287804]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|Advanced item]] The [[:mw:Special:ApiHelp/query+usercontribs|list=usercontribs API]] will support fetching contributions from an [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Range blocks#Non-technical explanation|IP range]] soon. API users can set the <code>uciprange</code> parameter to get contributions from any IP range within [[:mw:Manual:$wgRangeContributionsCIDRLimit|the limit]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T177150]
* A new parser function will be introduced: <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>{{=}}</nowiki></code></bdi>. It will replace existing templates named "=". It will insert an [[w:en:Equals sign|equal sign]]. This can be used to escape the equal sign in the parameter values of templates. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T91154]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/22|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W22"/>
20:28, 30 May 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Trizek (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23340178 -->
== Tech News: 2022-23 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W23"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/23|Translations]] are available.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/wmf.15|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-06-07|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-06-08|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-06-09|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] A new <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>str_replace_regexp()</code></bdi> function can be used in [[Special:AbuseFilter|abuse filters]] to replace parts of text using a [[w:en:Regular expression|regular expression]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T285468]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/23|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W23"/>
02:46, 7 June 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23366979 -->
== Tech News: 2022-24 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W24"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/24|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* All wikis can now use [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Kartographer|Kartographer]] maps. Kartographer maps now also work on pages with [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Pending changes|pending changes]]. [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WMDE_Technical_Wishes/Geoinformation#Project_descriptions][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T307348]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/wmf.16|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-06-14|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-06-15|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-06-16|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] Some wikis will be in read-only for a few minutes because of a switch of their main database. It will be performed on {{#time:j xg|2022-06-14|en}} at 06:00 UTC ([https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s6.dblist targeted wikis]). [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T300471]
* Starting on Wednesday, a new set of Wikipedias will get "[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Growth/Tools/Add a link|Add a link]]" ({{int:project-localized-name-abwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-acewiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-adywiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-afwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-akwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-alswiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-amwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-anwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-angwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-arcwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-arzwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-astwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-atjwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-avwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-aywiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-azwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-azbwiki/en}}). This is part of the [[phab:T304110|progressive deployment of this tool to more Wikipedias]]. The communities can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Community configuration|configure how this feature works locally]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T304548]
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:DiscussionTools#New topic tool|New Topic Tool]] will be deployed for all editors at Commons, Wikidata, and some other wikis soon. You will be able to opt out from within the tool and in [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-editing-discussion|Preferences]]. [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Talk_pages_project/New_discussion][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T287804]
'''Future meetings'''
* The next [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements/Updates/Talk to Web|open meeting with the Web team]] about Vector (2022) will take place today (13 June). The following meetings will take place on: 28 June, 12 July, 26 July.
'''Future changes'''
* By the end of July, the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements|Vector 2022]] skin should be ready to become the default across all wikis. Discussions on how to adjust it to the communities' needs will begin in the next weeks. It will always be possible to revert to the previous version on an individual basis. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements/Updates/2022-04 for the largest wikis|Learn more]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/24|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W24"/>
16:58, 13 June 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23389956 -->
== Tech News: 2022-25 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W25"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/25|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/Android|Wikipedia App for Android]] now has an option for editing the whole page at once, located in the overflow menu (three-dots menu [[File:Ic more vert 36px.svg|15px|link=|alt=]]). [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T103622]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Some recent database changes may affect queries using the [[m:Research:Quarry|Quarry tool]]. Queries for <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>site_stats</code></bdi> at English Wikipedia, Commons, and Wikidata will need to be updated. [[phab:T306589|Read more]].
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] A new <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>user_global_editcount</code></bdi> variable can be used in [[Special:AbuseFilter|abuse filters]] to avoid affecting globally active users. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T130439]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/wmf.17|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-06-21|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-06-22|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-06-23|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* Users of non-responsive skins (e.g. MonoBook or Vector) on mobile devices may notice a slight change in the default zoom level. This is intended to optimize zooming and ensure all interface elements are present on the page (for example the table of contents on Vector 2022). In the unlikely event this causes any problems with how you use the site, we'd love to understand better, please ping <span class="mw-content-ltr" lang="en" dir="ltr">[[m:User:Jon (WMF)|Jon (WMF)]]</span> to any on-wiki conversations. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T306910]
'''Future changes'''
* The Beta Feature for [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:DiscussionTools|DiscussionTools]] will be updated throughout July. Discussions will look different. You can see [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Talk pages project/Usability/Prototype|some of the proposed changes]].
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Parsoid's HTML output will soon stop annotating file links with different <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>typeof</code></bdi> attribute values, and instead use <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>mw:File</code></bdi> for all types. Tool authors should adjust any code that expects: <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>mw:Image</code></bdi>, <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>mw:Audio</code></bdi>, or <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>mw:Video</code></bdi>. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T273505]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/25|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W25"/>
20:18, 20 June 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23425855 -->
== Tech News: 2022-26 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W26"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/26|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Enterprise|Wikimedia Enterprise]] API service now has self-service accounts with free on-demand requests and monthly snapshots ([https://enterprise.wikimedia.com/docs/ API documentation]). Community access [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Enterprise/FAQ#community-access|via database dumps & Wikimedia Cloud Services]] continues.
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] [[d:Special:MyLanguage/Wikidata:Wiktionary#lua|All Wikimedia wikis can now use Wikidata Lexemes in Lua]] after creating local modules and templates. Discussions are welcome [[d:Wikidata_talk:Lexicographical_data#You_can_now_reuse_Wikidata_Lexemes_on_all_wikis|on the project talk page]].
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/wmf.18|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-06-28|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-06-29|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-06-30|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] Some wikis will be in read-only for a few minutes because of a switch of their main database. It will be performed on {{#time:j xg|2022-06-28|en}} at 06:00 UTC ([https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s7.dblist targeted wikis]). [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T311033]
* Some global and cross-wiki services will be in read-only for a few minutes because of a switch of their main database. It will be performed on {{#time:j xg|2022-06-30|en}} at 06:00 UTC. This will impact ContentTranslation, Echo, StructuredDiscussions, Growth experiments and a few more services. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T300472]
* Users will be able to sort columns within sortable tables in the mobile skin. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T233340]
'''Future meetings'''
* The next [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements/Updates/Talk to Web|open meeting with the Web team]] about Vector (2022) will take place tomorrow (28 June). The following meetings will take place on 12 July and 26 July.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/26|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W26"/>
20:02, 27 June 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23453785 -->
== Tech News: 2022-27 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W27"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/27|Translations]] are available.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/wmf.19|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-07-05|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-07-06|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-07-07|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] Some wikis will be in read-only for a few minutes because of a switch of their main database. It will be performed on {{#time:j xg|2022-07-05|en}} at 07:00 UTC ([https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s6.dblist targeted wikis]) and on {{#time:j xg|2022-07-07|en}} at 7:00 UTC ([https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s4.dblist targeted wikis]).
* The Beta Feature for [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:DiscussionTools|DiscussionTools]] will be updated throughout July. Discussions will look different. You can see [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Talk pages project/Usability/Prototype|some of the proposed changes]].
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=| Advanced item]] This change only affects pages in the main namespace in Wikisource. The Javascript config variable <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>proofreadpage_source_href</code></bdi> will be removed from <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Interface/JavaScript#mw.config|mw.config]]</code></bdi> and be replaced with the variable <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>prpSourceIndexPage</code></bdi>. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T309490]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/27|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W27"/>
19:32, 4 July 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23466250 -->
== Tech News: 2022-28 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W28"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/28|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* In the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements|Vector 2022 skin]], the page title is now displayed above the tabs such as Discussion, Read, Edit, View history, or More. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements/Updates#Page title/tabs switch|Learn more]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T303549]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] It is now possible to easily view most of the configuration settings that apply to just one wiki, and to compare settings between two wikis if those settings are different. For example: [https://noc.wikimedia.org/wiki.php?wiki=jawiktionary Japanese Wiktionary settings], or [https://noc.wikimedia.org/wiki.php?wiki=eswiki&compare=eowiki settings that are different between the Spanish and Esperanto Wikipedias]. Local communities may want to [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Requesting_wiki_configuration_changes|discuss and propose changes]] to their local settings. Details about each of the named settings can be found by [[mw:Special:Search|searching MediaWiki.org]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T308932]
*The Anti-Harassment Tools team [[m:Special:MyLanguage/IP Editing: Privacy Enhancement and Abuse Mitigation/IP Info feature#May|recently deployed]] the IP Info Feature as a [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures|Beta Feature at all wikis]]. This feature allows abuse fighters to access information about IP addresses. Please check our update on [[m:Special:MyLanguage/IP Editing: Privacy Enhancement and Abuse Mitigation/IP Info feature#April|how to find and use the tool]]. Please share your feedback using a link you will be given within the tool itself.
'''Changes later this week'''
* There is no new MediaWiki version this week.
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] Some wikis will be in read-only for a few minutes because of a switch of their main database. It will be performed on {{#time:j xg|2022-07-12|en}} at 07:00 UTC ([https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s3.dblist targeted wikis]).
'''Future changes'''
* The Beta Feature for [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:DiscussionTools|DiscussionTools]] will be updated throughout July. Discussions will look different. You can see [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Talk pages project/Usability/Prototype|some of the proposed changes]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/28|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W28"/>
19:24, 11 July 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23502519 -->
== Tech News: 2022-29 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W29"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/29|Translations]] are available.
'''Problems'''
* The feature on mobile web for [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:NearbyPages|Nearby Pages]] was missing last week. It will be fixed this week. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T312864]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/wmf.21|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-07-19|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-07-20|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-07-21|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
* The [[mw:Technical_decision_making/Forum|Technical Decision Forum]] is seeking [[mw:Technical_decision_making/Community_representation|community representatives]]. You can apply on wiki or by emailing <span class="mw-content-ltr" lang="en" dir="ltr">TDFSupport@wikimedia.org</span> before 12 August.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/29|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W29"/>
22:59, 18 July 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23517957 -->
== Tech News: 2022-30 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W30"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/30|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The <span class="mw-content-ltr" lang="en" dir="ltr">[https://www.wikibooks.org/ www.wikibooks.org]</span> and <span class="mw-content-ltr" lang="en" dir="ltr">[https://www.wikiquote.org/ www.wikiquote.org]</span> portal pages now use an automated update system. Other [[m:Project_portals|project portals]] will be updated over the next few months. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T273179]
'''Problems'''
* Last week, some wikis were in read-only mode for a few minutes because of an emergency switch of their main database ([https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s7.dblist targeted wikis]). [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T313383]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/wmf.22|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-07-26|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-07-27|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-07-28|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* The external link icon will change slightly in the skins Vector legacy and Vector 2022. The new icon uses simpler shapes to be more recognizable on low-fidelity screens. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T261391]
* Administrators will now see buttons on user pages for "{{int:changeblockip}}" and "{{int:unblockip}}" instead of just "{{int:blockip}}" if the user is already blocked. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T308570]
'''Future meetings'''
* The next [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements/Updates/Talk to Web|open meeting with the Web team]] about Vector (2022) will take place tomorrow (26 July).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/30|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W30"/>
19:27, 25 July 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23545370 -->
== Tech News: 2022-31 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W31"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/31|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* Improved [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Displaying_a_formula#Phantom|LaTeX capabilities for math rendering]] are now available in the wikis thanks to supporting <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>Phantom</code></bdi> tags. This completes part of [[m:Community_Wishlist_Survey_2022/Editing/Missing_LaTeX_capabilities_for_math_rendering|the #59 wish]] of the 2022 Community Wishlist Survey.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/wmf.23|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-08-02|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-08-03|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-08-04|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:WikiEditor/Realtime_Preview|Realtime Preview]] will be available as a Beta Feature on wikis in [https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists%2Fgroup0.dblist Group 0]. This feature was built in order to fulfill [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community_Wishlist_Survey_2021/Real_Time_Preview_for_Wikitext|one of the Community Wishlist Survey proposals]].
'''Future changes'''
* The Beta Feature for [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:DiscussionTools|DiscussionTools]] will be updated throughout August. Discussions will look different. You can see [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Talk pages project/Usability/Prototype|some of the proposed changes]].
'''Future meetings'''
* This week, three meetings about [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements|Vector (2022)]] with live interpretation will take place. On Tuesday, interpretation in Russian will be provided. On Thursday, meetings for Arabic and Spanish speakers will take place. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements/Updates/Talk to Web|See how to join]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/31|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W31"/>
21:21, 1 August 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23615613 -->
== Tech News: 2022-32 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W32"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/32|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[:m:Special:MyLanguage/Meta:GUS2Wiki/Script|GUS2Wiki]] copies the information from [[{{#special:GadgetUsage}}]] to an on-wiki page so you can review its history. If your project isn't already listed on the [[d:Q113143828|Wikidata entry for Project:GUS2Wiki]] you can either run GUS2Wiki yourself or [[:m:Special:MyLanguage/Meta:GUS2Wiki/Script#Opting|make a request to receive updates]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T121049]
'''Changes later this week'''
* There is no new MediaWiki version this week.
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] Some wikis will be in read-only for a few minutes because of a switch of their main database. It will be performed on {{#time:j xg|2022-08-09|en}} at 07:00 UTC ([https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s5.dblist targeted wikis]) and on {{#time:j xg|2022-08-11|en}} at 7:00 UTC ([https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s2.dblist targeted wikis]).
'''Future meetings'''
* The [[wmania:Special:MyLanguage/Hackathon|Wikimania Hackathon]] will take place online from August 12–14. Don't miss [[wmania:Special:MyLanguage/Hackathon/Schedule|the pre-hacking showcase]] to learn about projects and find collaborators. Anyone can [[phab:/project/board/6030/|propose a project]] or [[wmania:Special:MyLanguage/Hackathon/Schedule|host a session]]. [[wmania:Special:MyLanguage/Hackathon/Newcomers|Newcomers are welcome]]!
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/32|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W32"/>
19:50, 8 August 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23627807 -->
== Tech News: 2022-33 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W33"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/33|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The Persian (Farsi) Wikipedia community decided to block IP editing from October 2021 to April 2022. The Wikimedia Foundation's Product Analytics team tracked the impact of this change. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/IP Editing: Privacy Enhancement and Abuse Mitigation/IP Editing Restriction Study/Farsi Wikipedia|An impact report]] is now available.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/wmf.25|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-08-16|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-08-17|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-08-18|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] Some wikis will be in read-only for a few minutes because of a switch of their main database. It will be performed on {{#time:j xg|2022-08-16|en}} at 07:00 UTC ([https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s1.dblist targeted wikis]) and on {{#time:j xg|2022-08-18|en}} at 7:00 UTC ([https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s8.dblist targeted wikis]).
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:WikiEditor/Realtime_Preview|Realtime Preview]] will be available as a Beta Feature on wikis in [https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists%2Fgroup1.dblist Group 1]. This feature was built in order to fulfill [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community_Wishlist_Survey_2021/Real_Time_Preview_for_Wikitext|one of the Community Wishlist Survey proposals]].
'''Future changes'''
* The Beta Feature for [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:DiscussionTools|DiscussionTools]] will be updated throughout August. Discussions will look different. You can see [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Talk pages project/Usability/Prototype|some of the proposed changes]]. [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Talk_pages_project/Usability#4_August_2022][https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Talk_pages_project/Usability#Phase_1:_Topic_containers][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T312672]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/33|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W33"/>
21:08, 15 August 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23658001 -->
== Tech News: 2022-34 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W34"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/34|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* Two problems with [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:Kartographer|Kartographer]] maps have been fixed. Maps are no longer shown as empty when a geoline was created via VisualEditor. Geolines consisting of points with QIDs (e.g., subway lines) are no longer shown with pushpins. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T292613][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T308560]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/wmf.26|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-08-23|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-08-24|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-08-25|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] Some wikis will be in read-only for a few minutes because of a switch of their main database. It will be performed on {{#time:j xg|2022-08-25|en}} at 7:00 UTC ([https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s4.dblist targeted wikis]).
* The colours of links and visited links will change. This is to make the difference between links and other text more clear. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T213778]
'''Future changes'''
* The new [{{int:discussiontools-topicsubscription-button-subscribe}}] button [[mw:Talk pages project/Notifications#12 August 2022|helps newcomers get answers]]. The Editing team is enabling this tool everywhere. You can turn it off in [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-editing-discussion|your preferences]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T284489]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/34|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W34"/>
00:12, 23 August 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23675501 -->
== Tech News: 2022-35 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W35"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/35|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:WikiEditor/Realtime_Preview|Realtime Preview]] is available as a Beta Feature on wikis in [https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists%2Fgroup2.dblist Group 2]. This feature was built in order to fulfill [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community_Wishlist_Survey_2021/Real_Time_Preview_for_Wikitext|one of the Community Wishlist Survey proposals]]. Please note that when this Beta feature is enabled, it may cause conflicts with some wiki-specific Gadgets.
'''Problems'''
* In recent months, there have been inaccurate numbers shown for various [[{{#special:statistics}}]] at Commons, Wikidata, and English Wikipedia. This has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T315693]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/wmf.27|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-08-30|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-08-31|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-09-01|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] Some wikis will be in read-only for a few minutes because of a switch of their main database. It will be performed on {{#time:j xg|2022-08-30|en}} at 07:00 UTC ([https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s6.dblist targeted wikis]) and on {{#time:j xg|2022-09-01|en}} at 7:00 UTC ([https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s7.dblist targeted wikis]).
'''Future changes'''
* The Wikimedia Foundation wants to improve how Wikimedia communities report harmful incidents by building the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Private Incident Reporting System|Private Incident Reporting System (PIRS)]] to make it easy and safe for users to make reports. You can leave comments on the talk page, by answering the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Private Incident Reporting System#Phase 1|questions provided]]. If you have ever faced a harmful situation that you wanted to report/reported, join a PIRS interview to share your experience. To sign up [[m:Special:EmailUser/MAna_(WMF)|please email]] <span class="mw-content-ltr" lang="en" dir="ltr">[[m:User:MAna (WMF)|Madalina Ana]]</span>.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/35|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W35"/>
23:05, 29 August 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23725814 -->
== Tech News: 2022-36 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W36"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/36|Translations]] are available.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/wmf.28|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-09-06|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-09-07|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-09-08|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] Some wikis will be in read-only for a few minutes because of a switch of their main database. It will be performed on {{#time:j xg|2022-09-06|en}} at 07:00 UTC ([https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s1.dblist targeted wikis]) and on {{#time:j xg|2022-09-08|en}} at 7:00 UTC ([https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s3.dblist targeted wikis]).
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] On Special pages that only have one tab, the tab-bar's row will be hidden in the Vector-2022 skin to save space. The row will still show if Gadgets use it. Gadgets that currently append directly to the CSS id of <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>#p-namespaces</code></bdi> should be updated to use the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>[[mw:ResourceLoader/Core_modules#addPortletLink|mw.util.addPortletLink]]</code></bdi> function instead. Gadgets that style this id should consider also targeting <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>#p-associated-pages</code></bdi>, the new id for this row. [[phab:T316908|Examples are available]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T316908][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T313409]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/36|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W36"/>
23:22, 5 September 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23757743 -->
== Tech News: 2022-37 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W37"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/37|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The search servers have been upgraded to a new major version. If you notice any issues with searching, please report them on [[phab:project/view/1849/|Phabricator]]. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/XPCTYYTN67FVFKN6XOHULJVGUO44J662]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/wmf.1|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-09-13|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-09-14|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-09-15|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:SyntaxHighlight|Syntax highlighting]] is now tracked as an [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:$wgExpensiveParserFunctionLimit|expensive parser function]]. Only 500 expensive function calls can be used on a single page. Pages that exceed the limit are added to a [[:Category:{{MediaWiki:expensive-parserfunction-category}}|tracking category]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T316858]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/37|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W37"/>
01:50, 13 September 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23787318 -->
== Tech News: 2022-38 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W38"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/38|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Two database fields in the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>templatelinks</nowiki></code></bdi> table are now being dropped: <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>tl_namespace</nowiki></code></bdi> and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>tl_title</nowiki></code></bdi>. Any queries that rely on these fields need to be changed to use the new normalization field called <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>tl_target_id</nowiki></code></bdi>. See <span class="mw-content-ltr" lang="en" dir="ltr">[[phab:T299417|T299417]]</span> for more information. This is part of [[w:Database normalization|normalization]] of links tables. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/U2U6TXIBABU3KDCVUOITIGI5OJ4COBSW/][https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/User:ASarabadani_(WMF)/Database_for_devs_toolkit/Concepts/Normalization]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/wmf.2|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-09-20|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-09-21|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-09-22|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* In [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:Kartographer|Kartographer]] maps, you can use icons on markers for common points of interest. On Tuesday, the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:Kartographer/Icons|previous icon set]] will be updated to [https://de.wikipedia.beta.wmflabs.org/wiki/Hilfe:Extension:Kartographer/Icons version maki 7.2]. That means, around 100 new icons will be available. Additionally, all existing icons were updated for clarity and to make them work better in international contexts. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T302861][https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WMDE_Technical_Wishes/Geoinformation#Update_maki_icons]
'''Future changes'''
* In a [[m:Content_Partnerships_Hub/Software/Volunteer_developers_discussion_at_Wikimania_2022|group discussion at Wikimania]], more than 30 people talked about how to make content partnership software in the Wikimedia movement more sustainable. What kind of support is acceptable for volunteer developers? Read the summary and [[m:Talk:Content Partnerships Hub/Software/Volunteer developers discussion at Wikimania 2022|leave your feedback]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/38|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W38"/>
<span class="mw-content-ltr" lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</span> 22:16, 19 September 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23826293 -->
== Tech News: 2022-39 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W39"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/39|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Parsoid clients should be updated to allow for space-separated multi-values in the <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr"><code>rel</code></bdi> attribute of links. Further details are in <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[phab:T315209|T315209]]</bdi>.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/wmf.3|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-09-27|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-09-28|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-09-29|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/VisualEditor/Diffs|Visual diffs]] will become available to all users, except at the Wiktionaries and Wikipedias. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T314588]
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:DiscussionTools#Mobile|Talk pages on the mobile site]] will change at the Arabic, Bangla, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Korean, and Vietnamese Wikipedias. They should be easier to use and provide more information. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T318302] [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Talk_pages_project/Mobile]
* In the [[mw:Lua/Scripting|{{ns:828}}]] namespace, pages ending with <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr"><code>.json</code></bdi> will be treated as JSON, just like they already are in the {{ns:2}} and {{ns:8}} namespaces. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T144475]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/39|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W39"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 00:30, 27 September 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23860085 -->
== Tech News: 2022-40 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W40"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/40|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:Kartographer|Kartographer]] maps can now show geopoints from Wikidata, via QID or SPARQL query. Previously, this was only possible for geoshapes and geolines. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T307695] [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WMDE_Technical_Wishes/Geoinformation/Geopoints_via_QID]
* The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Coolest_Tool_Award|Coolest Tool Award 2022]] is looking for nominations. You can recommend tools until 12 October.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/wmf.4|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-10-04|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-10-05|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-10-06|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:DiscussionTools#Mobile|Talk pages on the mobile site]] will change at the Arabic, Bangla, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Korean, and Vietnamese Wikipedias. They should be easier to use and provide more information. (Last week's release was delayed) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T318302] [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Talk_pages_project/Mobile]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>scribunto-console</code></bdi> API module will require a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/API:Tokens|CSRF token]]. This module is documented as internal and use of it is not supported. [[phab:T212071|[5]]]
* The Vector 2022 skin will become the default across the smallest Wikimedia projects. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop_Improvements#Deployment_plan_and_timeline|Learn more]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/40|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W40"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 00:23, 4 October 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23885489 -->
== Tech News: 2022-41 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W41"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/41|Translations]] are available.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/wmf.5|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-10-11|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-10-12|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-10-13|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* On some wikis, [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:Kartographer|Kartographer]] maps in full size view will be able to display nearby articles. After a feedback period, more wikis will follow. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T316782][https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WMDE_Technical_Wishes/Geoinformation/Nearby_articles]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/41|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W41"/>
14:08, 10 October 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Trizek (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23912412 -->
== Tech News: 2022-42 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W42"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/42|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The recently implemented feature of [[phab:T306883|article thumbnails in Special:Search]] will be limited to Wikipedia projects only. Further details are in [[phab:T320510|T320510]]. [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Structured_Data_Across_Wikimedia/Search_Improvements]
* A bug that caused problems in loading article thumbnails in Special:Search has been fixed. Further details are in [[phab:T320406|T320406]].
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/wmf.6|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-10-18|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-10-19|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-10-20|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.39/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Lua module authors can use <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Scribunto/Lua_reference_manual#mw.loadJsonData|mw.loadJsonData()]]</code></bdi> to load data from JSON pages. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T217500]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Lua module authors can enable <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Scribunto/Lua_reference_manual#Strict_library|require( "strict" )]]</code></bdi> to add errors for some possible code problems. This replaces "[[wikidata:Q16748603|Module:No globals]]" on most wikis. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T209310]
'''Future changes'''
* The [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures|Beta Feature]] for [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:DiscussionTools|DiscussionTools]] will be updated at most wikis. The "{{int:discussiontools-replylink}}" button will look different after this change. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T320683]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/42|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W42"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 21:46, 17 October 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23943992 -->
== Tech News: 2022-43 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W43"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/43|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* There have been some minor visual fixes in Special:Search, regarding audio player alignment and image placeholder height. Further details are in [[phab:T319230|T319230]].
* On Wikipedias, a new [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-searchoptions|preference]] has been added to hide article thumbnails in Special:Search. Full details are in [[phab:T320337|T320337]].
'''Problems'''
* Last week, three wikis ({{int:project-localized-name-frwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-jawiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-ruwiki/en}}) had read-only access for 25 minutes. This was caused by a hardware problem. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T320990]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/wmf.7|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-10-25|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-10-26|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-10-27|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] Some wikis will be in read-only for a few minutes because of a switch of their main database. It will be performed on {{#time:j xg|2022-10-25|en}} at 07:00 UTC ([https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s5.dblist targeted wikis]) and on {{#time:j xg|2022-10-27|en}} at 7:00 UTC ([https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s4.dblist targeted wikis]).
* Starting on Wednesday, a new set of Wikipedias will get "[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Growth/Tools/Add a link|Add a link]]" ({{int:project-localized-name-aswiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-bawiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-banwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-barwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-bat smgwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-bclwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-bewiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-be x oldwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-bgwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-bhwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-biwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-bjnwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-bmwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-bpywiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-brwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-bswiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-bugwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-bxrwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-idwiki/en}}). This is part of the [[phab:T304110|progressive deployment of this tool to more Wikipedias]]. The communities can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Community configuration|configure how this feature works locally]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T304549]
* Starting on Wednesday October 26, 2022, the list of mentors will be upgraded [[d:Q14339834 | at wikis where Growth mentorship is available]]. The mentorship system will continue to work as it does now. The signup process [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Communities/How to configure the mentors' list#add|will be replaced]], and a new management option will be provided. Also, this change simplifies [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Communities/How to configure the mentors' list#create|the creation of mentorship systems at Wikipedias]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T314858][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T310905][https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Structured_mentor_list]
* Pages with titles that start with a lower-case letter according to Unicode 11 will be renamed or deleted. There is a list of affected pages at <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[m:Unicode 11 case map migration]]</bdi>. More information can be found at [[phab:T292552|T292552]].
* The Vector 2022 skin will become the default across the smallest Wikipedias. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop_Improvements#smallest-1|Learn more]].
'''Future changes'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Talk pages project/Replying|Reply tool]] and [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Talk pages project/New discussion|New Topic tool]] will soon get a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/VisualEditor/Special characters|special characters menu]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T249072]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/43|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W43"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 21:22, 24 October 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23975411 -->
== Tech News: 2022-44 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W44"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/44|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* When using keyboard navigation on a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:Kartographer|Kartographer]] map, the focus will become more visible. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T315997]
* In {{#special:RecentChanges}}, you can now hide the log entries for new user creations with the filter for "{{int:rcfilters-filter-newuserlogactions-label}}". [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T321155]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/wmf.8|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-11-01|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-11-02|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-11-03|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:Kartographer|maps dialog]] in VisualEditor now has some help texts. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T318818]
* It is now possible to select the language of a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:Kartographer|Kartographer]] map in VisualEditor via a dropdown menu. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T318817]
* It is now possible to add a caption to a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:Kartographer|Kartographer]] map in VisualEditor. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T318815]
* It is now possible to hide the frame of a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:Kartographer|Kartographer]] map in VisualEditor. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T318813]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/44|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W44"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 21:15, 31 October 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=23977539 -->
== Tech News: 2022-45 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W45"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/45|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* An updated version of the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/EventCenter/Registration|Event Registration]] tool is now available for testing at [[testwiki:|testwiki]] and [[test2wiki:| test2wiki]]. The tool provides features for event organizers and participants. Your feedback is welcome at our [[m:Talk:Campaigns/Foundation Product Team/Registration|project talkpage]]. More information about [[m:Campaigns/Foundation Product Team/Registration|the project]] is available. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T318592]
'''Problems'''
* Twice last week, for about 45 minutes, some files and thumbnails failed to load and uploads failed, mostly for logged-in users. The cause is being investigated and an incident report will be available soon.
'''Changes later this week'''
* There is no new MediaWiki version this week.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/45|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W45"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 00:32, 8 November 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=24001035 -->
== Tech News: 2022-46 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W46"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/46|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* At Wikidata, an interwiki link can now point to a redirect page if certain conditions are met. This new feature is called [[wikidata:Special:MyLanguage/Wikidata:Sitelinks_to_redirects|sitelinks to redirects]]. It is needed when one wiki uses one page to cover multiple concepts but another wiki uses more pages to cover the same concepts. Your [[wikidata:Special:MyLanguage/Wikidata talk:Sitelinks to redirects|feedback on the talkpage]] of the new proposed guideline is welcome. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T278962]
* The <span class="mw-content-ltr" lang="en" dir="ltr">[https://www.wikinews.org/ www.wikinews.org]</span>, <span class="mw-content-ltr" lang="en" dir="ltr">[https://www.wikiversity.org/ www.wikiversity.org]</span>, and <span class="mw-content-ltr" lang="en" dir="ltr">[https://www.wikivoyage.org/ www.wikivoyage.org]</span> portal pages now use an automated update system. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T273179]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/wmf.10|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-11-15|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-11-16|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-11-17|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* There will be a new link to directly "Edit template data" on Template pages. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T316759]
'''Future changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Wikis where mobile [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:DiscussionTools|DiscussionTools]] are enabled ([[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Talk pages project/Deployment Status|these ones]]) will soon use full CSS styling to display any templates that are placed at the top of talk pages. To adapt these “talk page boxes” for narrow mobile devices you can use media queries, such as in [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Module:Message_box/tmbox.css&oldid=1097618699#L-69 this example]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T312309]
* Starting in January 2023, [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Tech|Community Tech]] will be [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist Survey/Updates/2023 Changes Update|running the Community Wishlist Survey (CWS) every two years]]. This means that in 2024, there will be no new proposals or voting.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/46|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W46"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 21:54, 14 November 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=24071290 -->
== Tech News: 2022-47 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W47"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/47|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The display of non-free media in the search bar and for article thumbnails in Special:Search has been deactivated. Further details are in [[phab:T320661|T320661]].
'''Changes later this week'''
* There is no new MediaWiki version this week.
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] Some wikis will be in read-only for a few minutes because of a switch of their main database. It will be performed on {{#time:j xg|2022-11-22|en}} at 07:00 UTC ([https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s2.dblist targeted wikis]) and on {{#time:j xg|2022-11-24|en}} at 07:00 UTC ([https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s7.dblist targeted wikis]).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/47|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W47"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:22, 21 November 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=24071290 -->
== Tech News: 2022-48 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W48"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/48|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* A new preference, “Enable limited width mode”, has been added to the [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-rendering|Vector 2022 skin]]. The preference is also available as a toggle on every page if your monitor is 1600 pixels or wider. It allows for increasing the width of the page for logged-out and logged-in users. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T319449]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/wmf.12|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-11-29|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-11-30|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-12-01|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] Some wikis will be in read-only for a few minutes because of a switch of their main database. It will be performed on {{#time:j xg|2022-11-29|en}} at 07:00 UTC ([https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s3.dblist targeted wikis]) and on {{#time:j xg|2022-12-01|en}} at 07:00 UTC ([https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s1.dblist targeted wikis]).
* Mathematical formulas shown in SVG image format will no longer have PNG fall-backs for browsers that don't support them. This is part of work to modernise the generation system. Showing only PNG versions was the default option until in February 2018. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/3BGOKWJIZGL4TC4HJ22ICRU2SEPWGCR4/][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T311620][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T186327]
* On [[phab:P40224|some wikis]] that use flagged revisions, [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:FlaggedRevs#Special:Contributions|a new checkbox will be added]] to Special:Contributions that enables you to see only the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Pending changes|pending changes]] by a user. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T321445]
'''Future changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] How media is structured in the parser's HTML output will change early next week at [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train#Wednesday group1 wikis] (but not Wikimedia Commons or Meta-Wiki). This change improves the accessibility of content, and makes it easier to write related CSS. You may need to update your site-CSS, or userscripts and gadgets. There are [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Parsoid/Parser_Unification/Media_structure/FAQ|details on what code to check, how to update the code, and where to report any related problems]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T314318]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/48|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W48"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 20:03, 28 November 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=24114342 -->
== Tech News: 2022-49 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W49"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/49|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The Wikisources use a tool called ProofreadPage. ProofreadPage uses OpenSeadragon which is an open source tool. The OpenSeadragon JavaScript API has been significantly re-written to support dynamically loading images. The functionality provided by the older version of the API should still work but it is no longer supported. User scripts and gadgets should migrate over to the newer version of the API. The functionality provided by the newer version of the API is [[mw:Extension:Proofread_Page/Page_viewer#JS_API|documented on MediaWiki]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T308098][https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:Proofread_Page/Edit-in-Sequence]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/wmf.13|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-12-06|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-12-07|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-12-08|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/49|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W49"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 00:41, 6 December 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=24151590 -->
== Tech News: 2022-50 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W50"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/50|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* An [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Talk pages project/Mobile|A/B test has begun]] at 15 Wikipedias for [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:DiscussionTools#Mobile|DiscussionTools on mobile]]. Half of the editors on the [[mw:Reading/Web/Mobile|mobile web site]] will have access to the {{int:discussiontools-replybutton}} tool and other features. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T321961]
* The character <code>=</code> cannot be used in new usernames, to make usernames work better with templates. Existing usernames are not affected. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T254045]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/wmf.14|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2022-12-13|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2022-12-14|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2022-12-15|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The HTML markup used by [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:DiscussionTools|DiscussionTools]] to [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Talk_pages_project/Usability#Phase_1:_Topic_containers|show discussion metadata below section headings]] will be inserted after these headings, not inside of them. This change improves the accessibility of discussion pages for screen reader software. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T314714]
'''Events'''
* The fourth edition of the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Coolest_Tool_Award|Coolest Tool Award]] will happen online on [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1671210002 Friday 16 December 2022 at 17:00 UTC]! The event will be live-streamed on YouTube in the [https://www.youtube.com/user/watchmediawiki MediaWiki channel] and added to Commons afterwards.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/50|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W50"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:34, 12 December 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=24216570 -->
== Tech News: 2022-51 ==
<section begin="technews-2022-W51"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/51|Translations]] are available.
'''Tech News'''
* Because of the [[w:en:Christmas and holiday season|holidays]] the next issue of Tech News will be sent out on 9 January 2023.
'''Recent changes'''
* On a user's contributions page, you can filter it for edits with a tag like 'reverted'. Now, you can also filter for all edits that are not tagged like that. This was part of a Community Wishlist 2022 request. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T119072]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] A new function has been used for gadget developers to add content underneath the title on article pages. This is considered a stable API that should work across all skins. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/ResourceLoader/Core_modules#addSubtitle|Documentation is available]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T316830]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] [[test2wiki:|One of our test wikis]] is now being served from a new infrastructure powered by [[w:Kubernetes|Kubernetes]] ([[wikitech:MediaWiki On Kubernetes|read more]]). More Wikis will switch to this new infrastructure in early 2023. Please test and let us know of any issues. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T290536]
'''Problems'''
* Last week, all wikis had no edit access for 9 minutes. This was caused by a database problem. [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Incidents/2022-12-13_sessionstore]
'''Changes later this week'''
* There is no new MediaWiki version this week or next week.
* The word "{{int:discussiontools-replybutton}}" is very short in some languages, such as Arabic ("<bdi lang="ar">ردّ</bdi>"). This makes the {{int:discussiontools-preference-label}} button on talk pages difficult to use. An arrow icon will be added to those languages. This will only be visible to editors who have the [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures|Beta Feature]] turned on. [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Talk_pages_project/Usability#Status] [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T323537]
'''Future changes'''
* Edits can be automatically "tagged" by the system software or the {{int:Abusefilter}} system. Those tags link to a help page about the tags. Soon they will also link to Recent Changes to let you see other edits tagged this way. This was a Community Wishlist 2022 request. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T301063]
* The Trust & Safety tools team [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Private Incident Reporting System/Timeline and Updates|have shared new plans]] for building the Private Incident Reporting System. The system will make it easier for editors to ask for help if they are harassed or abused.
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist Survey 2021/Real Time Preview for Wikitext|Realtime Preview for Wikitext]] is coming out of beta as an enabled feature for every user of the 2010 Wikitext [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Editor|editor]] in the week of January 9, 2023. It will be available to use via the toolbar in the 2010 Wikitext editor. The feature was the 4th most popular wish of the Community Wishlist Survey 2021.
'''Events'''
* You can now [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Hackathon 2023/Participate|register for the Wikimedia Hackathon 2023]], taking place on May 19–21 in Athens, Greece. You can also apply for a scholarship until January 14th.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2022/51|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2022-W51"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 00:00, 20 December 2022 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=24258101 -->
== Tech News: 2023-02 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W02"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/02|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* You can use tags to filter edits in the recent changes feed or on your watchlist. You can now use tags to filter out edits you don't want to see. Previously you could only use tags to focus on the edits with those tags. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T174349]
* [[Special:WhatLinksHere|Special:WhatLinksHere]] shows all pages that link to a specific page. There is now a [https://wlh.toolforge.org prototype] for how to sort those pages alphabetically. You can see the discussion in the [[phab:T4306|Phabricator ticket]].
* You can now use the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Thanks|thanks]] function on your watchlist and the user contribution page. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T51541]
* A wiki page can be moved to give it a new name. You can now get a dropdown menu with common reasons when you move a page. This is so you don't have to write the explanation every time. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T325257]
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Matrix.org|Matrix]] is a chat tool. You can now use <code>matrix:</code> to create Matrix links on wiki pages. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T326021]
* You can filter out translations when you look at the recent changes on multilingual wikis. This didn't hide translation pages. You can now also hide subpages which are translation pages. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T233493]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Real Time Preview for Wikitext|Realtime preview for wikitext]] is a tool which lets editors preview the page when they edit wikitext. It will be enabled for all users of the 2010 wikitext editor. You will find it in the editor toolbar.
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] Some wikis will be in read-only for a few minutes because of a switch of their main database. It will be performed on {{#time:j xg|2023-01-10|en}} at 07:00 UTC ([https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s5.dblist targeted wikis]) and on {{#time:j xg|2023-01-12|en}} at 07:00 UTC ([https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s6.dblist targeted wikis]).
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/wmf.18|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-01-10|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-01-11|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-01-12|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/02|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W02"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 01:07, 10 January 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=24342971 -->
== Tech News: 2023-03 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W03"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/03|Translations]] are available.
'''Problems'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The URLs in "{{int:last}}" links on page history now contain <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>diff=prev&oldid=[revision ID]</nowiki></code></bdi> in place of <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>diff=[revision ID]&oldid=[revision ID]</nowiki></code></bdi>. This is to fix a problem with links pointing to incorrect diffs when history was filtered by a tag. Some user scripts may break as a result of this change. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T243569]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/wmf.19|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-01-17|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-01-18|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-01-19|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* Some [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Talk pages project/Usability|changes to the appearance of talk pages]] have only been available on <code>{{ns:1}}:</code> and <code>{{ns:3}}:</code> namespaces. These will be extended to other talk namespaces, such as <code>{{ns:5}}:</code>. They will continue to be unavailable in non-talk namespaces, including <code>{{ns:4}}:</code> pages (e.g., at the Village Pump). You can [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-editing-discussion|change your preferences]] ([[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures|beta feature]]). [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T325417]
*On Wikisources, when an image is zoomed or panned in the Page: namespace, the same zoom and pan settings will be remembered for all Page: namespace pages that are linked to a particular Index: namespace page. [https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/c/mediawiki/extensions/ProofreadPage/+/868841]
* The Vector 2022 skin will become the default for the English Wikipedia desktop users. The change will take place on January 18 at 15:00 UTC. [[:en:w:Wikipedia:Vector 2022|Learn more]].
'''Future changes'''
* The 2023 edition of the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist Survey 2023|Community Wishlist Survey]], which invites contributors to make technical proposals and vote for tools and improvements, starts next week on 23 January 2023 at 18:00 UTC. You can start drafting your proposals in [[m:Community Wishlist Survey/Sandbox|the CWS sandbox]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/03|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W03"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 01:10, 17 January 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=24381020 -->
== Tech News: 2023-04 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W04"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/04|Translations]] are available.
'''Problems'''
* Last week, for ~15 minutes, all wikis were unreachable for logged-in users and non-cached pages. This was caused by a timing issue. [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Incidents/2023-01-17_MediaWiki]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/wmf.20|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-01-24|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-01-25|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-01-26|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* If you have the Beta Feature for [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Talk pages project|DiscussionTools]] enabled, the appearance of talk pages will add more information about discussion activity. [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Talk_pages_project/Usability#Status][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T317907]
* The 2023 edition of the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist Survey 2023|Community Wishlist Survey]] (CWS), which invites contributors to make technical proposals and vote for tools and improvements, starts on Monday 23 January 2023 at [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1674496814 18:00 UTC].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/04|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W04"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:46, 23 January 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=24418874 -->
== Tech News: 2023-05 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W05"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/05|Translations]] are available.
'''Problems'''
* Last week, for ~15 minutes, some users were unable to log in or edit pages. This was caused by a problem with session storage. [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Incidents/2023-01-24_sessionstore_quorum_issues]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/wmf.21|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-01-31|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-02-01|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-02-02|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Wikis that use localized numbering schemes for references need to add new CSS. This will help to show citation numbers the same way in all reading and editing modes. If your wiki would prefer to do it yourselves, please see the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Parsoid/Parser Unification/Cite CSS|details and example CSS to copy from]], and also add your wiki to the list. Otherwise, the developers will directly help out starting the week of February 5.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/05|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W05"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 00:05, 31 January 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=24455949 -->
== Tech News: 2023-06 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W06"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/06|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* In the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements|Vector 2022 skin]], logged-out users using the full-width toggle will be able to see the setting of their choice even after refreshing pages or opening new ones. This only applies to wikis where Vector 2022 is the default. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T321498]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/wmf.22|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-02-07|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-02-08|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-02-09|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* Previously, we announced when some wikis would be in read-only for a few minutes because of a switch of their main database. These switches will not be announced any more, as the read-only time has become non-significant. Switches will continue to happen at 7AM UTC on Tuesdays and Thursdays. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T292543#8568433]
* Across all the wikis, in the Vector 2022 skin, logged-in users will see the page-related links such as "What links here" in a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop_Improvements/Features/Page_tools|new side menu]]. It will be displayed on the other side of the screen. This change had previously been made on Czech, English, and Vietnamese Wikipedias. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T328692]
*[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist Survey 2023|Community Wishlist Survey 2023]] will stop receiving new proposals on [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1675706431 Monday, 6 February 2023, at 18:00 UTC]. Proposers should complete any edits by then, to give time for [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community_Wishlist_Survey/Help_us|translations]] and review. Voting will begin on Friday, 10 February.
'''Future changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Gadgets and user scripts will be changing to load on desktop and mobile sites. Previously they would only load on the desktop site. It is recommended that wiki administrators audit the [[MediaWiki:Gadgets-definition|gadget definitions]] prior to this change, and add <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>skins=…</code></bdi> for any gadgets which should not load on mobile. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T328610 More details are available].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/06|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W06"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 10:21, 6 February 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=24491749 -->
== Tech News: 2023-07 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W07"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/07|Translations]] are available.
'''Problems'''
* On wikis where patrolled edits are enabled, changes made to the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Communities/How to configure the mentors' list|mentor list]] by autopatrolled mentors are not correctly marked as patrolled. It will be fixed later this week. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T328444]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/wmf.23|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-02-14|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-02-15|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-02-16|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* The Reply tool and other parts of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:DiscussionTools#Mobile|DiscussionTools]] will be deployed for all editors using the mobile site. You can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Talk_pages_project/Mobile#Status_Updates|read more about this decision]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T298060]
'''Future changes'''
* All wikis will be read-only for a few minutes on March 1. This is planned for [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1677679222 14:00 UTC]. More information will be published in Tech News and will also be posted on individual wikis in the coming weeks. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T328287][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T327920][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/07|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W07"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 01:48, 14 February 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=24540832 -->
== Tech News: 2023-08 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W08"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/08|Translations]] are available.
'''Problems'''
* Last week, during planned maintenance of Cloud Services, unforeseen complications forced the team to turn off all tools for 2–3 hours to prevent data corruption. Work is ongoing to prevent similar problems in the future. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T329535]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/wmf.23|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-02-21|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-02-22|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-02-23|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/Roadmap|calendar]]).
*The voting phase for the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist Survey 2023|Community Wishlist Survey 2023]] ends on [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1677261621 24 February at 18:00 UTC]. The results of the survey will be announced on 28 February.
'''Future changes'''
* All wikis will be read-only for a few minutes on March 1. This is planned for [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1677679222 14:00 UTC]. More information will be published in Tech News and will also be posted on individual wikis in the coming weeks. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T328287][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T327920][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/08|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W08"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 01:57, 21 February 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=24570514 -->
== Tech News: 2023-09 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W09"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/09|Translations]] are available.
'''Problems'''
* Last week, in some areas of the world, there were problems with loading pages for 20 minutes and saving edits for 55 minutes. These issues were caused by a problem with our caching servers due to unforseen events during a routine maintenance task. [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Incidents/2023-02-22_wiki_outage][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Incidents/2023-02-22_read_only]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/wmf.25|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-02-28|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-03-01|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-03-02|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* All wikis will be read-only for a few minutes on March 1. This is planned for [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1677679222 14:00 UTC]. [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Tech/Server_switch]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/09|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W09"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:47, 27 February 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=24634242 -->
== Tech News: 2023-10 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W10"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/10|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The Community Wishlist Survey 2023 edition has been concluded. Community Tech has [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist Survey 2023/Results|published the results]] of the survey and will provide an update on what is next in April 2023.
* On wikis which use [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Writing_systems|LanguageConverter]] to handle multiple writing systems, articles which used custom conversion rules in the wikitext (primarily on Chinese Wikipedia) would have these rules applied inconsistently in the table of contents, especially in the Vector 2022 skin. This has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T306862]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/wmf.26|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-03-07|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-03-08|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-03-09|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* A search system has been added to the [[Special:Preferences|Preferences screen]]. This will let you find different options more easily. Making it work on mobile devices will happen soon. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T313804]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/10|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W10"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:49, 6 March 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=24676916 -->
== Tech News: 2023-11 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W11"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/11|Translations]] are available.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/wmf.27|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-03-14|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-03-15|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-03-16|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* Starting on Wednesday, a new set of Wikipedias will get "[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Growth/Tools/Add a link|Add a link]]" ({{int:project-localized-name-cbk_zamwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-cdowiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-cewiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-cebwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-chwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-chrwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-chywiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-ckbwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-cowiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-csbwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-cuwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-cvwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-cywiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-itwiki/en}}). This is part of the [[phab:T304110|progressive deployment of this tool to more Wikipedias]]. The communities can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Community configuration|configure how this feature works locally]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T304542][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T304550]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/11|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W11"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:20, 13 March 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=24700189 -->
== Tech News: 2023-12 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W12"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/12|Translations]] are available.
'''Problems'''
* Last week, some users experienced issues loading image thumbnails. This was due to incorrectly cached images. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T331820]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/wmf.1|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-03-21|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-03-22|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-03-23|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Wishlist item]] A link to the user's [[{{#special:CentralAuth}}]] page will appear on [[{{#special:Contributions}}]] — some user scripts which previously added this link may cause conflicts. This feature request was [[:m:Community Wishlist Survey 2023/Admins and patrollers/Add link to CentralAuth on Special:Contributions|voted #17 in the 2023 Community Wishlist Survey]].
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Wishlist item]] The [[{{#special:AbuseFilter}}]] edit window will be resizable and larger by default. This feature request was [[:m:Community Wishlist Survey 2023/Anti-harassment/Make the AbuseFilter edit window resizable and larger by default|voted #80 in the 2023 Community Wishlist Survey]].
* There will be a new option for Administrators when they are unblocking a user, to add the unblocked user’s user page to their watchlist. This will work both via [[{{#special:Unblock}}]] and via the API. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T257662]
'''Meetings'''
* You can join the next meeting with the Wikipedia mobile apps teams. During the meeting, we will discuss the current features and future roadmap. The meeting will be on [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1679677204 24 March at 17:00 (UTC)]. See [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Office Hours|details and how to join]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/12|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W12"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 01:25, 21 March 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=24732558 -->
== Tech News: 2023-13 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W13"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/13|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The [[:mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:AbuseFilter|AbuseFilter]] condition limit was increased from 1000 to 2000. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T309609]
* [[:m:Special:MyLanguage/Global AbuseFilter#Locally disabled actions|Some Global AbuseFilter]] actions will no longer apply to local projects. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T332521]
* Desktop users are now able to subscribe to talk pages by clicking on the {{int:discussiontools-newtopicssubscription-button-subscribe-label}} link in the {{int:toolbox}} menu. If you subscribe to a talk page, you receive [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Notifications|notifications]] when new topics are started on that talk page. This is separate from putting the page on your watchlist or subscribing to a single discussion. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T263821]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/wmf.2|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-03-28|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-03-29|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-03-30|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.40/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
* You will be able to choose [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/VisualEditor/Diffs|visual diffs]] on all [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Page history|history pages]] at the Wiktionaries and Wikipedias. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T314588]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The legacy [[mw:Mobile Content Service|Mobile Content Service]] is going away in July 2023. Developers are encouraged to switch to Parsoid or another API before then to ensure service continuity. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/4MVQQTONJT7FJAXNVOFV3WWVVMCHRINE/]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/13|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W13"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 01:13, 28 March 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=24780854 -->
== Tech News: 2023-14 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W14"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/14|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The system for automatically creating categories for the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Babel|Babel]] extension has had several important changes and fixes. One of them allows you to insert templates for automatic category descriptions on creation, allowing you to categorize the new categories. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T211665][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T64714][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T170654][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T184941][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T33074]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/wmf.3|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-04-04|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-04-05|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-04-06|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* Some older [[w:en:Web browser|Web browsers]] will stop being able to use [[w:en:JavaScript|JavaScript]] on Wikimedia wikis from this week. This mainly affects users of Internet Explorer 11. If you have an old web browser on your computer you can try to upgrade to a newer version. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T178356]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The deprecated <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>jquery.hoverIntent</code></bdi> module has been removed. This module could be used by gadgets and user scripts, to create an artificial delay in how JavaScript responds to a hover event. Gadgets and user scripts should now use jQuery <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>hover()</code></bdi> or <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>on()</code></bdi> instead. Examples can be found in the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/ResourceLoader/Migration_guide_(users)#jquery.hoverIntent|migration guide]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T311194]
* Some of the links in [[{{#special:SpecialPages}}]] will be re-arranged. There will be a clearer separation between links that relate to all users, and links related to your own user account. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T333242]
* You will be able to hide the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Talk pages project/Replying|Reply button]] in archived discussion pages with a new <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>__ARCHIVEDTALK__</nowiki></code></bdi> magic word. There will also be a new <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>.mw-archivedtalk</code></bdi> CSS class for hiding the Reply button in individual sections on a page. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T249293][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T295553][https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/c/mediawiki/extensions/DiscussionTools/+/738221]
'''Future changes'''
* The Vega software that creates data visualizations in pages, such as graphs, will be upgraded to the newest version in the future. Graphs that still use the very old version 1.5 syntax may stop working properly. Most existing uses have been found and updated, but you can help to check, and to update any local documentation. [[phab:T260542|Examples of how to find and fix these graphs are available]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/14|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W14"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:39, 3 April 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=24820268 -->
== Tech News: 2023-15 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W15"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/15|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Wishlist item]] In the visual editor, it is now possible to edit captions of images in galleries without opening the gallery dialog. This feature request was [[:m:Community Wishlist Survey 2023/Editing/Editable gallery captions in Visual Editor|voted #61 in the 2023 Community Wishlist Survey]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T190224]
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Wishlist item]] You can now receive notifications when another user edits your user page. See the "{{int:Echo-category-title-edit-user-page}}" option in [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-echo|your Preferences]]. This feature request was [[:m:Community Wishlist Survey 2023/Anti-harassment/Notifications for user page edits|voted #3 in the 2023 Community Wishlist Survey]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T3876]
'''Problems'''
* There was a problem with all types of CentralNotice banners still being shown to logged-in users even if they had [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-centralnotice-banners|turned off]] specific banner types. This has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T331671]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/wmf.4|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-04-11|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-04-12|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-04-13|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* Starting on Wednesday, a new set of Wikipedias will get "[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Growth/Tools/Add a link|Add a link]]" ({{int:project-localized-name-arywiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-dawiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-dinwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-dsbwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-eewiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-elwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-emlwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-eowiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-etwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-euwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-extwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-tumwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-ffwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-fiwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-fiu_vrowiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-fjwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-fowiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-frpwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-frrwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-furwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-gawiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-gcrwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-gdwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-glwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-glkwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-gnwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-gomwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-gotwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-guwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-gvwiki/en}}). This is part of the [[phab:T304110|progressive deployment of this tool to more Wikipedias]]. The communities can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Community configuration|configure how this feature works locally]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T304551][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T308133]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/15|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W15"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 20:05, 10 April 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=24851886 -->
== Tech News: 2023-16 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W16"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/16|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* You can now see [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:Kartographer#Show_nearby_articles|nearby articles on a Kartographer map]] with the button for the new feature "{{int:Kartographer-sidebar-nearbybutton}}". Six wikis have been testing this feature since October. [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WMDE_Technical_Wishes/Geoinformation/Nearby_articles#Implementation][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T334079]
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Wishlist item]] The [[m:Special:GlobalWatchlist|Special:GlobalWatchlist]] page now has links for "{{int:globalwatchlist-markpageseen}}" for each entry. This feature request was [[m:Community Wishlist Survey 2023/Notifications, Watchlists and Talk Pages/Button to mark a single change as read in the global watch list|voted #161 in the 2023 Community Wishlist Survey]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T334246]
'''Problems'''
* At Wikimedia Commons, some thumbnails have not been getting replaced correctly after a new version of the image is uploaded. This should be fixed later this week. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T331138][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T333042]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] For the last few weeks, some external tools had inconsistent problems with logging-in with OAuth. This has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T332650]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/wmf.5|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-04-18|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-04-19|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-04-20|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/16|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W16"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 01:54, 18 April 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=24881071 -->
== Tech News: 2023-17 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W17"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/17|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Wishlist item]] The date-selection menu on pages such as [[{{#special:Contributions}}]] will now show year-ranges that are in the current and past decade, instead of the current and future decade. This feature request was [[m:Community Wishlist Survey 2023/Miscellaneous/Change year range shown in date selection popup|voted #145 in the 2023 Community Wishlist Survey]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T334316]
'''Problems'''
* Due to security issues with the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Graph|Graph extension]], graphs have been disabled in all Wikimedia projects. Wikimedia Foundation teams are working to respond to these vulnerabilities. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T334940]
* For a few days, it was not possible to save some kinds of edits on the mobile version of a wiki. This has been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T334797][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T334799][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T334794]
'''Changes later this week'''
* All wikis will be read-only for a few minutes on April 26. This is planned for [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1682517653 14:00 UTC]. [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Tech/Server_switch]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/wmf.6|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-04-25|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-04-26|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-04-27|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
* The Editing team plans an A/B test for [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Talk pages project/Usability|a usability analysis of the Talk page project]]. The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Talk pages project/Usability/Analysis|planned measurements are available]]. Your wiki [[phab:T332946|may be invited to participate]]. Please suggest improvements to the measurement plan at [[mw:Talk:Talk pages project/Usability|the discussion page]].
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation Annual Plan/2023-2024|The Wikimedia Foundation annual plan 2023-2024 draft is open for comment and input]] until May 19. The final plan will be published in July 2023 on Meta-wiki.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/17|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W17"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 22:03, 24 April 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=24933592 -->
== Tech News: 2023-18 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W18"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/18|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Wishlist item]] The content attribution tools [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Who Wrote That?|Who Wrote That?]], [[xtools:authorship|XTools Authorship]], and [[xtools:blame|XTools Blame]] now support the French and Italian Wikipedias. More languages will be added in the near future. This is part of the [[m:Community Wishlist Survey 2023/Reading/Extend "Who Wrote That?" tool to more wikis|#7 wish in the 2023 Community Wishlist Survey]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T243711][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T270490][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T334891]
* The [[:commons:Special:MyLanguage/Commons:Video2commons|Video2commons]] tool has been updated. This fixed several bugs related to YouTube uploads. [https://github.com/toolforge/video2commons/pull/162/commits]
* The [[{{#special:Preferences}}]] page has been redesigned on mobile web. The new design makes it easier to browse the different categories and settings at low screen widths. You can also now access the page via a link in the Settings menu in the mobile web sidebar. [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Moderator_Tools/Content_moderation_on_mobile_web/Preferences]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/wmf.7|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-05-02|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-05-03|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-05-04|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/18|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W18"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 01:45, 2 May 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=24966974 -->
== Tech News: 2023-19 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W19"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/19|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Wishlist item]] Last week, Community Tech released the first update for providing [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist Survey 2022/Better diff handling of paragraph splits|better diffs]], the #1 request in the 2022 Community Wishlist Survey. [[phab:T324759|This update]] adds legends and tooltips to inline diffs so that users unfamiliar with the blue and yellow highlights can better understand the type of edits made.
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Wishlist item]] When you close an image that is displayed via MediaViewer, it will now return to the wiki page instead of going back in your browser history. This feature request was [[m:Community Wishlist Survey 2023/Reading/Return to the article when closing the MediaViewer|voted #65 in the 2023 Community Wishlist Survey]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T236591]
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:SyntaxHighlight|SyntaxHighlight]] extension now supports <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr"><code>wikitext</code></bdi> as a selected language. Old alternatives that were used to highlight wikitext, such as <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr"><code>html5</code></bdi>, <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr"><code>moin</code></bdi>, and <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr"><code>html+handlebars</code></bdi>, can now be replaced. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T29828]
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Creating pages with preloaded text|Preloading text to new pages/sections]] now supports preloading from localized MediaWiki interface messages. [https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Martin_Urbanec_(WMF)?action=edit§ion=new&preload=MediaWiki:July Here is an example] at the {{int:project-localized-name-cswiki/en}} that uses <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>preload=MediaWiki:July</nowiki></code></bdi>. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T330337]
'''Problems'''
* Graph Extension update: Foundation developers have completed upgrading the visualization software to Vega5. Existing community graphs based on Vega2 are no longer compatible. Communities need to update local graphs and templates, and shared lua modules like <bdi lang="de" dir="ltr">[[:de:Modul:Graph]]</bdi>. The [https://vega.github.io/vega/docs/porting-guide/ Vega Porting guide] provides the most comprehensive detail on migration from Vega2 and [https://www.mediawiki.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Graph:PageViews&action=history here is an example migration]. Vega5 has currently just been enabled on mediawiki.org to provide a test environment for communities. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T334940#8813922]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/wmf.8|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-05-09|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-05-10|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-05-11|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Until now, all new OAuth apps went through manual review. Starting this week, apps using identification-only or basic authorizations will not require review. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T67750]
'''Future changes'''
* During the next year, MediaWiki will stop using IP addresses to identify logged-out users, and will start automatically assigning unique temporary usernames. Read more at [[m:Special:MyLanguage/IP Editing: Privacy Enhancement and Abuse Mitigation/Updates|IP Editing: Privacy Enhancement and Abuse Mitigation/Updates]]. You can [[m:Talk:IP Editing: Privacy Enhancement and Abuse Mitigation#What should it look like?|join the discussion]] about the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/IP Editing: Privacy Enhancement and Abuse Mitigation/Updates#What will temporary usernames look like?|format of the temporary usernames]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T332805]
* There will be an [[:w:en:A/B testing|A/B test]] on 10 Wikipedias where the Vector 2022 skin is the default skin. Half of logged-in desktop users will see an interface where the different parts of the page are more clearly separated. You can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements/Updates/2023-05 Zebra9 A/B test|read more]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T333180][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T335972]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] <code>jquery.tipsy</code> will be removed from the MediaWiki core. This will affect some user scripts. Many lines with <code>.tipsy(</code> can be commented out. <code>OO.ui.PopupWidget</code> can be used to keep things working like they are now. You can [[phab:T336019|read more]] and [[:mw:Help:Locating broken scripts|read about how to find broken scripts]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T336019]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/19|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W19"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 00:36, 9 May 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=24998636 -->
== Tech News: 2023-20 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W20"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/20|Translations]] are available.
'''Problems'''
* Citations that are automatically generated based on [[d:Q33057|ISBN]] are currently broken. This affects citations made with the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:VisualEditor/User_guide/Citations-Full#Automatic|VisualEditor Automatic tab]], and the use of the citoid API in gadgets and user scripts. Work is ongoing to restore this feature. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T336298]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/wmf.9|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-05-16|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-05-17|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-05-18|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* Starting on Wednesday, a new set of Wikipedias will get "[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Growth/Tools/Add a link|Add a link]]" ({{int:project-localized-name-gorwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-hawiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-hakwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-hawwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-hifwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-hrwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-hsbwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-htwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-iawiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-iewiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-igwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-ilowiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-inhwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-iowiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-iswiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-iuwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-jamwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-jvwiki/en}}). This is part of the [[phab:T304110|progressive deployment of this tool to more Wikipedias]]. The communities can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Community configuration|configure how this feature works locally]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T308134]
'''Future changes'''
* There is a recently formed team at the Wikimedia Foundation which will be focusing on experimenting with new tools. Currently they are building [[m:Wikimedia_Foundation_Annual_Plan/2023-2024/Draft/Future_Audiences#FA2.2_Conversational_AI|a prototype ChatGPT plugin that allows information generated by ChatGPT to be properly attributed]] to the Wikimedia projects.
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Gadget and userscript developers should replace <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>jquery.cookie</code></bdi> with <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>mediawiki.cookie</code></bdi>. The <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>jquery.cookie</code></bdi> library will be removed in ~1 month, and staff developers will run a script to replace any remaining uses at that time. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T336018]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/20|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W20"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 21:45, 15 May 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25011501 -->
== Tech News: 2023-21 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W21"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/21|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Wishlist item]] The "recent edits" time period for page watchers is now 30 days. It used to be 180 days. This was a [[m:Community Wishlist Survey 2023/Notifications, Watchlists and Talk Pages/Change information about the number of watchers on a page|Community Wishlist Survey proposal]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T336250]
'''Changes later this week'''
* An [[mw:special:MyLanguage/Growth/Positive reinforcement#Impact|improved impact module]] will be available at Wikipedias. The impact module is a feature available to newcomers [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Feature summary#Newcomer homepage|at their personal homepage]]. It will show their number of edits, how many readers their edited pages have, how many thanks they have received and similar things. It is also accessible by accessing Special:Impact. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T336203]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/wmf.10|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-05-23|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-05-24|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-05-25|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/21|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W21"/>
16:55, 22 May 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Trizek (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25028325 -->
== Tech News: 2023-22 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W22"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/22|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* Citations can once again be added automatically from ISBNs, thanks to Zotero's ISBN searches. The current data sources are the Library of Congress (United States), the Bibliothèque nationale de France (French National Library), and K10plus ISBN (German repository). Additional data source searches can be [[mw:Citoid/Creating Zotero translators|proposed to Zotero]]. The ISBN labels in the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:VisualEditor/User_guide/Citations-Full#Automatic|VisualEditor Automatic tab]] will reappear later this week. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T336298#8859917]
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Wishlist item]] The page [[{{#special:EditWatchlist}}]] now has "{{int:watchlistedit-normal-check-all}}" options to select all the pages within a namespace. This feature request was [[m:Community Wishlist Survey 2023/Notifications, Watchlists and Talk Pages/Watchlist edit - "check all" checkbox|voted #161 in the 2023 Community Wishlist Survey]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T334252]
'''Problems'''
* For a few days earlier this month, the "Add interlanguage link" item in the Tools menu did not work properly. This has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T337081]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/wmf.11|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-05-30|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-05-31|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-06-01|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* VisualEditor will be switched to a new backend on [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/source/mediawiki-config/browse/master/dblists/small.dblist small] and [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/source/mediawiki-config/browse/master/dblists/medium.dblist medium] wikis this week. Large wikis will follow in the coming weeks. This is part of the effort to move Parsoid into MediaWiki core. The change should have no noticeable effect on users, but if you experience any slow loading or other strangeness when using VisualEditor, please report it on the phabricator ticket linked here. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T320529]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/22|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W22"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 22:03, 29 May 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25079963 -->
== Tech News: 2023-23 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W23"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/23|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The [[:mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:RealMe|RealMe]] extension allows you to mark URLs on your user page as verified for Mastodon and similar software.
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Wishlist item]] Citation and footnote editing can now be started from the reference list when using the visual editor. This feature request was [[m:Community Wishlist Survey 2023/Citations/Allow citations to be edited in the references section with VisualEditor|voted #2 in the 2023 Community Wishlist Survey]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T54750]
* Previously, clicking on someone else's link to Recent Changes with filters applied within the URL could unintentionally change your preference for "{{int:Rcfilters-group-results-by-page}}". This has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T202916#8874081]
'''Problems'''
* For a few days last week, some tools and bots returned outdated information due to database replication problems, and may have been down entirely while it was being fixed. These issues have now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T337446]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/wmf.12|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-06-06|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-06-07|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-06-08|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* Bots will no longer be prevented from making edits because of URLs that match the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:SpamBlacklist|spam blacklist]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T313107]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/23|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W23"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 22:52, 5 June 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25114640 -->
== Tech News: 2023-24 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W24"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/24|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Wishlist item]] The content attribution tools [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Who Wrote That?|Who Wrote That?]], [[xtools:authorship|XTools Authorship]], and [[xtools:blame|XTools Blame]] now support the Dutch, German, Hungarian, Indonesian, Japanese, Polish and Portuguese Wikipedias. This was the [[m:Community Wishlist Survey 2023/Reading/Extend "Who Wrote That?" tool to more wikis|#7 wish in the 2023 Community Wishlist Survey]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T334891]
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Structured Data Across Wikimedia/Search Improvements#Search Preview panel|Search Preview panel]] has been deployed on four Wikipedias (Catalan, Dutch, Hungarian and Norwegian). The panel will show an image related to the article (if existing), the top sections of the article, related images (coming from MediaSearch on Commons), and eventually the sister projects associated with the article. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T306341]
* The [[:mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:RealMe#Verifying_a_link_on_non-user_pages|RealMe]] extension now allows administrators to verify URLs for any page, for Mastodon and similar software. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T324937]
* The default project license [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimediaannounce-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/7G6XPWZPQFLZ2JANN3ZX6RT4DVUI3HZQ/ has been officially upgraded] to CC BY-SA 4.0. The software interface messages have been updated. Communities should feel free to start updating any mentions of the old CC BY-SA 3.0 licensing within policies and related documentation pages. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T319064]
'''Problems'''
* For three days last month, some Wikipedia pages edited with VisualEditor or DiscussionTools had an unintended <code><nowiki>__TOC__</nowiki></code> (or its localized form) added during an edit. There is [[mw:Parsoid/Deployments/T336101_followup|a listing of affected pages sorted by wiki]], that may still need to be fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T336101]
* Currently, the "{{int:Visualeditor-dialog-meta-categories-defaultsort-label}}" feature in VisualEditor is broken. Existing <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:...}}</nowiki></code> keywords incorrectly appear as missing templates in VisualEditor. Developers are exploring how to fix this. In the meantime, those wishing to edit the default sortkey of a page are advised to switch to source editing. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T337398]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Last week, an update to the delete form may have broken some gadgets or user scripts. If you need to manipulate (empty) the reason field, replace <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>#wpReason</code></bdi> with <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr" style="white-space: nowrap;"><code>#wpReason > input</code></bdi>. See [https://cs.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MediaWiki%3AGadget-CleanDeleteReasons.js&diff=22859956&oldid=12794189 an example fix]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T337809]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/wmf.13|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-06-13|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-06-14|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-06-15|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* VisualEditor will be switched to a new backend on English Wikipedia on Monday, and all other [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/source/mediawiki-config/browse/master/dblists/large.dblist large] wikis on Thursday. The change should have no noticeable effect on users, but if you experience any slow loading or other strangeness when using VisualEditor, please report it on the phabricator ticket linked here. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T320529]
'''Future changes'''
* From 5 June to 17 July, the Foundation's [[:mw:Wikimedia Security Team|Security team]] is holding a consultation with contributors regarding a draft policy to govern the use of third-party resources in volunteer-developed gadgets and scripts. Feedback and suggestions are warmly welcome at [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Third-party resources policy|Third-party resources policy]] on meta-wiki.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/24|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W24"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 14:51, 12 June 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Trizek (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25133779 -->
== Tech News: 2023-25 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W25"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/25|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Flame graphs are now available in WikimediaDebug. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/JXNQD3EHG5V5QW5UXFDPSHQG4MJ3FWJQ/][https://techblog.wikimedia.org/2023/06/08/flame-graphs-arrive-in-wikimediadebug/]
'''Changes later this week'''
* There is no new MediaWiki version this week.
* There is now a toolbar search popup in the visual editor. You can trigger it by typing <code>\</code> or pressing <code>ctrl + shift + p</code>. It can help you quickly access most tools in the editor. [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Visual_editor_toolbar_search_feature.png][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T66905]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/25|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W25"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 20:08, 19 June 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25159510 -->
== Tech News: 2023-26 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W26"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/26|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The Action API modules and Special:LinkSearch will now add a trailing <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>/</code></bdi> to all <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>prop=extlinks</code></bdi> responses for bare domains. This is part of the work to remove duplication in the <code>externallinks</code> database table. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T337994]
'''Problems'''
* Last week, search was broken on Commons and Wikidata for 23 hours. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T339810][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Incidents/2023-06-18_search_broken_on_wikidata_and_commons]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/wmf.15|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-06-27|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-06-28|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-06-29|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The Minerva skin now applies more predefined styles to the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>.mbox-text</code></bdi> CSS class. This enables support for mbox templates that use divs instead of tables. Please make sure that the new styles won't affect other templates in your wiki. [https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/c/mediawiki/skins/MinervaNeue/+/930901/][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T339040]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Gadgets will now load on both desktop and mobile by default. Previously, gadgets loaded only on desktop by default. Changing this default using the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>|targets=</code></bdi> parameter is also deprecated and should not be used. You should make gadgets work on mobile or disable them based on the skin (with the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>|skins=</code></bdi> parameter in <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">MediaWiki:Gadgets-definition</bdi>) rather than whether the user uses the mobile or the desktop website. Popular gadgets that create errors on mobile will be disabled by developers on the Minerva skin as a temporary solution. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T127268]
* All namespace tabs now have the same browser [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Keyboard_shortcuts|access key]] by default. Previously, custom and extension-defined namespaces would have to have their access keys set manually on-wiki, but that is no longer necessary. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T22126]
* The review form of the Flagged Revisions extension now uses the standardized [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Codex|user interface components]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T191156]
'''Future changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] How media is structured in the parser's HTML output will change in the coming weeks at [[:wikitech:Deployments/Train#Thursday|group2 wikis]]. This change improves the accessibility of content. You may need to update your site-CSS, or userscripts and gadgets. There are [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Parsoid/Parser_Unification/Media_structure/FAQ|details on what code to check, how to update the code, and where to report any related problems]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T314318]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/26|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W26"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 16:18, 26 June 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25202311 -->
== Tech News: 2023-27 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W27"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/27|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Wishlist item]] As part of the rolling out of the [[m:Community Wishlist Survey 2022/Multimedia and Commons/Audio links that play on click|audio links that play on click]] wishlist proposal, [https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/small.dblist small wikis] will now be able to use the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:Phonos#Inline audio player mode|inline audio player]] that is implemented by the [[mw:Extension:Phonos|Phonos]] extension. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T336763]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] From this week all gadgets automatically load on mobile and desktop sites. If you see any problems with gadgets on your wikis, please adjust the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Gadgets#Options|gadget options]] in your gadget definitions file. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T328610]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/wmf.16|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-07-04|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-07-05|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-07-06|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/27|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W27"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 22:51, 3 July 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25231546 -->
== Tech News: 2023-28 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W28"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/28|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The [[:mw:Special:MyLanguage/Structured Data Across Wikimedia/Section-level Image Suggestions|Section-level Image Suggestions feature]] has been deployed on seven Wikipedias (Portuguese, Russian, Indonesian, Catalan, Hungarian, Finnish and Norwegian Bokmål). The feature recommends images for articles on contributors' watchlists that are a good match for individual sections of those articles.
* [[:m:Special:MyLanguage/Global AbuseFilter|Global abuse filters]] have been enabled on all Wikimedia projects, except English and Japanese Wikipedias (who opted out). This change was made following a [[:m:Requests for comment/Make global abuse filters opt-out|global request for comments]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T341159]
* [[{{#special:BlockedExternalDomains}}]] is a new tool for administrators to help fight spam. It provides a clearer interface for blocking plain domains (and their subdomains), is more easily searchable, and is faster for the software to process for each edit on the wiki. It does not support regex (for complex cases), nor URL path-matching, nor the [[MediaWiki:Spam-whitelist|MediaWiki:Spam-whitelist]], but otherwise it replaces most of the functionalities of the existing [[MediaWiki:Spam-blacklist|MediaWiki:Spam-blacklist]]. There is a Python script to help migrate all simple domains into this tool, and more feature details, within [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:BlockedExternalDomains|the tool's documentation]]. It is available at all wikis except for Meta-wiki, Commons, and Wikidata. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T337431]
* The WikiEditor extension was updated. It includes some of the most frequently used features of wikitext editing. In the past, many of its messages could only be translated by administrators, but now all regular translators on translatewiki can translate them. Please check [https://translatewiki.net/wiki/Special:MessageGroupStats?group=ext-wikieditor&messages=&x=D#sortable:0=asc the state of WikiEditor localization into your language], and if the "Completion" for your language shows anything less than 100%, please complete the translation. See [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-ambassadors@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/D4YELU2DXMZ75PGELUOKXXMFF3FH45XA/ a more detailed explanation].
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/wmf.17|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-07-11|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-07-12|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-07-13|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* The default protocol of [[{{#special:LinkSearch}}]] and API counterparts has changed from http to both http and https. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T14810]
* [[{{#special:LinkSearch}}]] and its API counterparts will now search for all of the URL provided in the query. It used to be only the first 60 characters. This feature was requested fifteen years ago. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T17218]
'''Future changes'''
* There is an experiment with a [[:w:en:ChatGPT|ChatGPT]] plugin. This is to show users where the information is coming from when they read information from Wikipedia. It has been tested by Wikimedia Foundation staff and other Wikimedians. Soon all ChatGPT plugin users can use the Wikipedia plugin. This is the same plugin which was mentioned in [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/20|Tech News 2023/20]]. [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Annual_Plan/2023-2024/Draft/Future_Audiences#FA2.2_Conversational_AI]
* There is an ongoing discussion on a [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Third-party resources policy|proposed Third-party resources policy]]. The proposal will impact the use of third-party resources in gadgets and userscripts. Based on the ideas received so far, policy includes some of the risks related to user scripts and gadgets loading third-party resources, some best practices and exemption requirements such as code transparency and inspectability. Your feedback and suggestions are warmly welcome until July 17, 2023 on [[m:Talk:Third-party resources policy|on the policy talk page]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/28|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W28"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 19:54, 10 July 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25278797 -->
== Tech News: 2023-29 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W29"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/29|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] We are now serving 1% of all global user traffic from [[w:en:Kubernetes|Kubernetes]] (you can [[wikitech:MediaWiki On Kubernetes|read more technical details]]). We are planning to increment this percentage regularly. You can [[phab:T290536|follow the progress of this work]].
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/wmf.18|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-07-18|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-07-19|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-07-20|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] MediaWiki [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:System_message|system messages]] will now look for available local fallbacks, instead of always using the default fallback defined by software. This means wikis no longer need to override each language on the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Language#Fallback_languages|fallback chain]] separately. For example, English Wikipedia doesn't have to create <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>en-ca</code></bdi> and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>en-gb</code></bdi> subpages with a transclusion of the base pages anymore. This makes it easier to maintain local overrides. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T229992]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>action=growthsetmentorstatus</code></bdi> API will be deprecated with the new MediaWiki version. Bots or scripts calling that API should use the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>action=growthmanagementorlist</code></bdi> API now. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T321503]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/29|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W29"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:08, 17 July 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25289122 -->
== Tech News: 2023-30 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W30"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/30|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] On July 18, the Wikimedia Foundation launched a survey about the [[:mw:Technical_decision_making|technical decision making process]] for people who do technical work that relies on software that is maintained by the Foundation or affiliates. If this applies to you, [https://wikimediafoundation.limesurvey.net/885471 please take part in the survey]. The survey will be open for three weeks, until August 7. You can find more information in [[listarchive:list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/Q7DUCFA75DXG3G2KHTO7CEWMLCYTSDB2/|the announcement e-mail on wikitech-l]].
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/wmf.19|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-07-25|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-07-26|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-07-27|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/30|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W30"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 02:20, 25 July 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25332248 -->
== Tech News: 2023-31 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W31"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/31|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The [[mw:Synchronizer|Synchronizer]] tool is now available to keep Lua modules synced across Wikimedia wikis, along with [[mw:Multilingual Templates and Modules|updated documentation]] to develop global Lua modules and templates.
* The tag filter on [[{{#special:NewPages}}]] and revision history pages can now be inverted. For example, you can hide edits that were made using an automated tool. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T334337][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T334338]
* The Wikipedia [[:w:en:ChatGPT|ChatGPT]] plugin experiment can now be used by ChatGPT users who can use plugins. You can participate in a [[:m:Talk:Wikimedia Foundation Annual Plan/2023-2024/Draft/Future Audiences#Announcing monthly Future Audiences open "office hours"|video call]] if you want to talk about this experiment or similar work. [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Annual_Plan/2023-2024/Draft/Future_Audiences#FA2.2_Conversational_AI]
'''Problems'''
* It was not possible to generate a PDF for pages with non-Latin characters in the title, for the last two weeks. This has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T342442]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/wmf.20|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-08-01|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-08-02|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-08-03|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* Starting on Tuesday, a new set of Wikipedias will get "[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Growth/Tools/Add a link|Add a link]]" ({{int:project-localized-name-kawiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-kaawiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-kabwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-kbdwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-kbpwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-kiwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-kkwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-kmwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-knwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-kswiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-kshwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-kuwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-kwwiki/en}}). This is part of the [[phab:T304110|progressive deployment of this tool to more Wikipedias]]. The communities can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Community configuration|configure how this feature works locally]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T308135]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/31|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W31"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:54, 31 July 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25362228 -->
== Tech News: 2023-32 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W32"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/32|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* Mobile Web editors can now [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Advanced_mobile_contributions#August_1,_2023_-_Full-page_editing_added_on_mobile|edit a whole page at once]]. To use this feature, turn on "{{int:Mobile-frontend-mobile-option-amc}}" in your settings and use the "{{int:Minerva-page-actions-editfull}}" button in the "{{int:Minerva-page-actions-overflow}}" menu. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T203151]
'''Changes later this week'''
* There is no new MediaWiki version this week.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/32|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W32"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 21:20, 7 August 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25420038 -->
== Tech News: 2023-33 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W33"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/33|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The Content translation system is no longer using Youdao's [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Content_translation/Translating/Initial_machine_translation|machine translation service]]. The service was in place for several years, but due to no usage, and availability of alternatives, it was deprecated to reduce maintenance overheads. Other services which cover the same languages are still available. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T329137]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/wmf.22|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-08-15|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-08-16|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-08-17|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* Starting on Wednesday, a new set of Wikipedias will get "[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Growth/Tools/Add a link|Add a link]]" ({{int:project-localized-name-lawiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-ladwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-lbwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-lbewiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-lezwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-lfnwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-lgwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-liwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-lijwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-lmowiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-lnwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-ltgwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-lvwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-maiwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-map_bmswiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-mdfwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-mgwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-hywiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-kywiki/en}}). This is part of the [[phab:T304110|progressive deployment of this tool to more Wikipedias]]. The communities can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Community configuration|configure how this feature works locally]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T308136] <!-- TODO replace wiki codes -->
'''Future changes'''
* A few gadgets/user scripts which add icons to the Minerva skin need to have their CSS updated. There are more details available including a [[phab:T344067|search for all existing instances and how to update them]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/33|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W33"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 05:59, 15 August 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25428668 -->
== Tech News: 2023-34 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W34"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/34|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The [https://gdrive-to-commons.toolforge.org/ GDrive to Commons Uploader] tool is now available. It enables [[m:Special:MyLanguage/GDrive to Commons Uploader|securely selecting and uploading files]] from your Google Drive directly to Wikimedia Commons. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T267868]
* From now on, we will announce new Wikimedia wikis in Tech News, so you can update any tools or pages.
** Since the last edition, two new wikis have been created:
*** a Wiktionary in [[d:Q7121294|Pa'O]] ([[wikt:blk:|<code>wikt:blk:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T343540]
*** a Wikisource in [[d:Q34002|Sundanese]] ([[s:su:|<code>s:su:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T343539]
** To catch up, the next most recent six wikis are:
*** Wikifunctions ([[f:|<code>f:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T275945]
*** a Wiktionary in [[d:Q2891049|Mandailing]] ([[wikt:btm:|<code>wikt:btm:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T335216]
*** a Wikipedia in [[d:Q5555465|Ghanaian Pidgin]] ([[w:gpe:|<code>w:gpe:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T335969]
*** a Wikinews in [[d:Q3111668|Gungbe]] ([[n:guw:|<code>n:guw:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T334394]
*** a Wiktionary in [[d:Q33522|Kabardian]] ([[wikt:kbd:|<code>wikt:kbd:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T333266]
*** a Wikipedia in [[d:Q35570|Fante]] ([[w:fat:|<code>w:fat:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T335016]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/wmf.23|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-08-22|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-08-23|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-08-24|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] There is an existing [[mw:Stable interface policy|stable interface policy]] for MediaWiki backend code. There is a [[mw:User:Jdlrobson/Stable interface policy/frontend|proposed stable interface policy for frontend code]]. This is relevant for anyone who works on gadgets or Wikimedia frontend code. You can read it, discuss it, and let the proposer know if there are any problems. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T344079]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/34|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W34"/>
15:25, 21 August 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Trizek (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25497111 -->
== Tech News: 2023-35 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W35"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/35|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Wishlist item]] As part of the changes for the [[m:Community Wishlist Survey 2022/Better diff handling of paragraph splits|better diff handling of paragraph splits]], improved detection of splits is being rolled out. Over the last two weeks, we deployed this support to [[wikitech:Deployments/Train#Groups|group0]] and group1 wikis. This week it will be deployed to group2 wikis. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T341754]
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Wishlist item]] All [[{{#special:Contributions}}]] pages now show the user's local edit count and the account's creation date. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T324166]
* Wikisource users can now use the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>prpbengalicurrency</code></bdi> label to denote Bengali currency characters as page numbers inside the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki><pagelist></nowiki></code></bdi> tag. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T268932]
* Two preferences have been relocated. The preference "{{int:visualeditor-preference-visualeditor}}" is now shown on the [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-editing|"{{int:prefs-editing}}" tab]] at all wikis. Previously it was shown on the "{{int:prefs-betafeatures}}" tab at some wikis. The preference "{{int:visualeditor-preference-newwikitexteditor-enable}}" is now also shown on the "{{int:prefs-editing}}" tab at all wikis, instead of the "{{int:prefs-betafeatures}}" tab. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T335056][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T344158]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/wmf.24|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-08-29|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-08-30|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-08-31|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] New signups for a Wikimedia developer account will start being pushed towards <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[https://idm.wikimedia.org/ idm.wikimedia.org]</bdi>, rather than going via Wikitech. [[wikitech:IDM|Further information about the new system is available]].
* All right-to-left language wikis, plus Korean, Armenian, Ukrainian, Russian, and Bulgarian Wikipedias, will have a link in the sidebar that provides a short URL of that page, using the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia URL Shortener|Wikimedia URL Shortener]]. This feature will come to more wikis in future weeks. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T267921]
'''Future changes'''
* The removal of the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:DoubleWiki|DoubleWiki extension]] is being discussed. This extension currently allows Wikisource users to view articles from multiple language versions side by side when the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><=></code></bdi> symbol next to a specific language edition is selected. Comments on this are welcomed at [[phab:T344544|the phabricator task]].
* A proposal has been made to merge the second hidden-categories list (which appears below the wikitext editing form) with the main list of categories (which is further down the page). [[phab:T340606|More information is available on Phabricator]]; feedback is welcome!
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/35|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W35"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 14:00, 28 August 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Trizek (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25510866 -->
== Tech News: 2023-36 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W36"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/36|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[m:Wikisource_EditInSequence|EditInSequence]], a feature that allows users to edit pages faster on Wikisource has been moved to a Beta Feature based on community feedback. To enable it, you can navigate to the [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures|beta features tab in Preferences]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T308098]
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Wishlist item]] As part of the changes for the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist Survey 2022/Generate Audio for IPA|Generate Audio for IPA]] and [[m:Community Wishlist Survey 2022/Multimedia and Commons/Audio links that play on click|Audio links that play on click]] wishlist proposals, the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:Phonos#Inline_audio_player_mode|inline audio player mode]] of [[mw:Extension:Phonos|Phonos]] has been deployed to all projects. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T336763]
* There is a new option for Administrators when they are changing the usergroups for a user, to add the user’s user page to their watchlist. This works both via [[{{#special:UserRights}}]] and via the API. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T272294]
* One new wiki has been created:
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikipedia}} in [[d:Q34318|Talysh]] ([[w:tly:|<code>w:tly:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T345166]
'''Problems'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:LoginNotify|LoginNotify extension]] was not sending notifications since January. It has now been fixed, so going forward, you may see notifications for failed login attempts, and successful login attempts from a new device. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T344785]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/wmf.25|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-09-05|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-09-06|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-09-07|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* Starting on Wednesday, a new set of Wikipedias will get "[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Growth/Tools/Add a link|Add a link]]" ({{int:project-localized-name-mhrwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-miwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-minwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-mkwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-mlwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-mnwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-mrwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-mrjwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-mswiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-mtwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-mwlwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-myvwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-mznwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-nahwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-napwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-ndswiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-nds_nlwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-newiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-newwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-nnwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-novwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-nqowiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-nrmwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-nsowiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-nvwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-nywiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-ocwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-olowiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-omwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-orwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-oswiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-pawiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-pagwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-pamwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-papwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-pcdwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-pdcwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-pflwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-pihwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-pmswiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-pnbwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-pntwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-pswiki/en}}). This is part of the [[phab:T304110|progressive deployment of this tool to more Wikipedias]]. The communities can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Community configuration|configure how this feature works locally]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T308137][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T308138]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/36|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W36"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:33, 4 September 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25566983 -->
== Tech News: 2023-37 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W37"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/37|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/ORES|ORES]], the revision evaluation service, is now using a new open-source infrastructure on all wikis except for English Wikipedia and Wikidata. These two will follow this week. If you notice any unusual results from the Recent Changes filters that are related to ORES (for example, "{{int:ores-rcfilters-damaging-title}}" and "{{int:ores-rcfilters-goodfaith-title}}"), please [[mw:Talk:Machine Learning|report them]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T342115]
* When you are logged in on one Wikimedia wiki and visit a different Wikimedia wiki, the system tries to log you in there automatically. This has been unreliable for a long time. You can now visit the login page to make the system try extra hard. If you feel that made logging in better or worse than it used to be, your feedback is appreciated. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T326281]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/wmf.26|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-09-12|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-09-13|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-09-14|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Technical decision making|Technical Decision-Making Forum Retrospective]] team invites anyone involved in the technical field of Wikimedia projects to signup to and join [[mw:Technical decision making/Listening Sessions|one of their listening sessions]] on 13 September. Another date will be scheduled later. The goal is to improve the technical decision-making processes.
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Wishlist item]] As part of the changes for the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist Survey 2022/Better diff handling of paragraph splits|Better diff handling of paragraph splits]] wishlist proposal, the inline switch widget in diff pages is being rolled out this week to all wikis. The inline switch will allow viewers to toggle between a unified inline or two-column diff wikitext format. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T336716]
'''Future changes'''
* All wikis will be read-only for a few minutes on 20 September. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/Server switch|This is planned at 14:00 UTC.]] More information will be published in Tech News and will also be posted on individual wikis in the coming weeks. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T345263]
* The Enterprise API is launching a new feature called "[http://breakingnews-beta.enterprise.wikimedia.com/ breaking news]". Currently in BETA, this attempts to identify likely "newsworthy" topics as they are currently being written about in any Wikipedia. Your help is requested to improve the accuracy of its detection model, especially on smaller language editions, by recommending templates or identifiable editing patterns. See more information at [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Enterprise/Breaking news|the documentation page]] on MediaWiki or [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Enterprise/FAQ#What is Breaking News|the FAQ]] on Meta.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/37|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W37"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 21:07, 11 September 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25589064 -->
== Tech News: 2023-38 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W38"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/38|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] MediaWiki now has a [[mw:Stable interface policy/frontend|stable interface policy for frontend code]] that more clearly defines how we deprecate MediaWiki code and wiki-based code (e.g. gadgets and user scripts). Thank you to everyone who contributed to the content and discussions. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T346467][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T344079]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/wmf.27|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-09-19|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-09-20|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-09-21|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* All wikis will be read-only for a few minutes on September 20. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/Server switch|This is planned at 14:00 UTC.]] [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T345263]
* All wikis will have a link in the sidebar that provides a short URL of that page, using the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia URL Shortener|Wikimedia URL Shortener]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T267921]
'''Future changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The team investigating the Graph Extension posted [[mw:Extension:Graph/Plans#Proposal|a proposal for reenabling it]] and they need your input.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/38|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W38"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 19:19, 18 September 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25623533 -->
== Tech News: 2023-39 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W39"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/39|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The Vector 2022 skin will now remember the pinned/unpinned status for the Table of Contents for all logged-out users. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T316060]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/wmf.28|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-09-26|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-09-27|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-09-28|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The ResourceLoader <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>mediawiki.ui</nowiki></code></bdi> modules are now deprecated as part of the move to Vue.js and Codex. There is a [[mw:Codex/Migrating_from_MediaWiki_UI|guide for migrating from MediaWiki UI to Codex]] for any tools that use it. More [[phab:T346468|details are available in the task]] and your questions are welcome there.
* Gadget definitions will have a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Gadgets#Options|new "namespaces" option]]. The option takes a list of namespace IDs. Gadgets that use this option will only load on pages in the given namespaces.
'''Future changes'''
* New variables will be added to [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:AbuseFilter|AbuseFilter]]: <code><bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr">global_account_groups</bdi></code> and <code><bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr">global_account_editcount</bdi></code>. They are available only when an account is being created. You can use them to prevent blocking automatic creation of accounts when users with many edits elsewhere visit your wiki for the first time. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T345632][https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Extension:AbuseFilter/Rules_format]
'''Meetings'''
* You can join the next meeting with the Wikipedia mobile apps teams. During the meeting, we will discuss the current features and future roadmap. The meeting will be on [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1698426015 27 October at 17:00 (UTC)]. See [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Apps/Office_Hours#October_2023|details and how to join]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/39|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W39"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 16:51, 26 September 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25655264 -->
== Tech News: 2023-40 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W40"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/40|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* There is a new [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-rendering-advancedrendering|user preference]] for "{{int:tog-forcesafemode}}". This setting will make pages load without including any on-wiki JavaScript or on-wiki stylesheet pages. It can be useful for debugging broken JavaScript gadgets. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T342347]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Gadget definitions now have a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Gadgets#Options|new "<var>contentModels</var>" option]]. The option takes a list of page content models, like <code><bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr">wikitext</bdi></code> or <code><bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr">css</bdi></code>. Gadgets that use this option will only load on pages with the given content models.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/wmf.29|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-10-03|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-10-04|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-10-05|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The Vector 2022 skin will no longer use the custom styles and scripts of Vector legacy (2010). The change will be made later this year or in early 2024. See [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements/Features/Loading Vector 2010 scripts|how to adjust the CSS and JS pages on your wiki]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T331679]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/40|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W40"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 01:26, 3 October 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25686930 -->
== Tech News: 2023-41 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W41"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/41|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* One new wiki has been created: a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikipedia}} in [[d:Q33291|Fon]] ([[w:fon:|<code>w:fon:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T347935]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/wmf.30|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-10-10|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-10-11|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-10-12|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* Starting on Wednesday, a new set of Wikipedias will get "[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Growth/Tools/Add a link|Add a link]]" ({{int:project-localized-name-swwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-wawiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-warwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-wowiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-xalwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-xhwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-xmfwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-yiwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-yowiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-zawiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-zeawiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-zh_min_nanwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-zuwiki/en}}). This is part of the [[phab:T304110|progressive deployment of this tool to more Wikipedias]]. The communities can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Community configuration|configure how this feature works locally]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T308139]
* At some wikis, newcomers are suggested images from Commons to add to articles without any images. Starting on Tuesday, newcomers at these wikis will be able to add images to unillustrated article sections. The specific wikis are listed under "Images recommendations" [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Deployment table|at the Growth team deployment table]]. You can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Growth/Tools/Add an image|learn more about this feature.]] [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T345940]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] In the mobile web skin (Minerva) the CSS ID <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>#page-actions</nowiki></code></bdi> will be replaced with <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>#p-views</nowiki></code></bdi>. This change is to make it consistent with other skins and to improve support for gadgets and extensions in the mobile skin. A few gadgets may need to be updated; there are [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T348267 details and search-links in the task].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/41|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W41"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 14:39, 9 October 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Trizek (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25712895 -->
== Tech News: 2023-42 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W42"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/42|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Unified login|Unified login]] system's edge login should now be fixed for some browsers (Chrome, Edge, Opera). This means that if you visit a new sister project wiki, you should be logged in automatically without the need to click "Log in" or reload the page. Feedback on whether it's working for you is welcome. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T347889]
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Interface/Edit_notice|Edit notices]] are now available within the MobileFrontend/Minerva skin. This feature was inspired by [[w:en:Wikipedia:EditNoticesOnMobile|the gadget on English Wikipedia]]. See more details in [[phab:T316178|T316178]].
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/wmf.1|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-10-17|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-10-18|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-10-19|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.41/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
* In 3 weeks, in the Vector 2022 skin, code related to <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>addPortletLink</nowiki></code></bdi> and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>#p-namespaces</nowiki></code></bdi> that was deprecated one year ago will be removed. If you notice tools that should appear next to the "Discussion" tab are then missing, please tell the gadget's maintainers to see [[phab:T347907|instructions in the Phabricator task]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/42|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W42"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:47, 16 October 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25745824 -->
== Tech News: 2023-43 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W43"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/43|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* There is a new [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Language engineering/Newsletter/2023/October|Language and internationalization newsletter]], written quarterly. It contains updates on new feature development, improvements in various language-related technical projects, and related support work.
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Source map support has been enabled on all wikis. When you open the debugger in your browser's developer tools, you should be able to see the unminified JavaScript source code. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T47514]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/wmf.2|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-10-24|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-10-25|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-10-26|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/43|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W43"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:16, 23 October 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25782286 -->
== Tech News: 2023-44 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W44"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/44|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The Structured Content team, as part of its project of [[:commons:Commons:WMF support for Commons/Upload Wizard Improvements|improving UploadWizard on Commons]], made some UX improvements to the upload step of choosing own vs not own work ([[phab:T347590|T347590]]), as well as to the licensing step for own work ([[phab:T347756|T347756]]).
* The Design Systems team has released version 1.0.0 of [[wmdoc:codex/latest/|Codex]], the new design system for Wikimedia. See the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Design_Systems_Team/Announcing_Codex_1.0|full announcement about the release of Codex 1.0.0]].
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/wmf.3|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-10-31|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-11-01|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-11-02|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* Listings on category pages are sorted on each wiki for that language using a [[:w:en:International Components for Unicode|library]]. For a brief period on 2 November, changes to categories will not be sorted correctly for many languages. This is because the developers are upgrading to a new version of the library. They will then use a script to fix the existing categories. This will take a few hours or a few days depending on how big the wiki is. You can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Technical Operations/ICU announcement|read more]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T345561][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T267145]
* Starting November 1, the impact module (Special:Impact) will be upgraded by the Growth team. The new impact module shows newcomers more data regarding their impact on the wiki. It was tested by a few wikis during the last few months. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T336203]
'''Future changes'''
* There is [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Graph/Plans#Roadmap|a proposed plan]] for re-enabling the Graph Extension. You can help by reviewing this proposal and [[mw:Extension_talk:Graph/Plans#c-PPelberg_(WMF)-20231020221600-Update:_20_October|sharing what you think about it]].
* The WMF is working on making it possible for administrators to [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Community_configuration_2.0|edit MediaWiki configuration directly]]. This is similar to previous work on Special:EditGrowthConfig. [[phab:T349757|A technical RfC is running until November 08, where you can provide feedback.]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/44|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W44"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:21, 30 October 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25801989 -->
== Tech News: 2023-45 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W45"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/45|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* In the Vector 2022 skin, the default font-size of a number of navigational elements (tagline, tools menu, navigational links, and more) has been increased slightly to match the font size used in page content. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T346062]
'''Problems'''
* Last week, there was a problem displaying some recent edits on [https://noc.wikimedia.org/conf/highlight.php?file=dblists/s5.dblist a few wikis], for 1-6 hours. The edits were saved but not immediately shown. This was due to a database problem. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T350443]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/wmf.4|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-11-07|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-11-08|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-11-09|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/Roadmap|calendar]]).
* The Growth team will reassign newcomers from former mentors to [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Structured mentor list|the currently active mentors]]. They have also changed the notification language to be more user-friendly. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T330071][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T327493]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/45|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W45"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 21:05, 6 November 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25838105 -->
== Tech News: 2023-46 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W46"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/46|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* Four new wikis have been created:
** a Wikipedia in [[d:Q7598268|Moroccan Amazigh]] ([[w:zgh:|<code>w:zgh:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T350216]
** a Wikipedia in [[d:Q35159|Dagaare]] ([[w:dga:|<code>w:dga:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T350218]
** a Wikipedia in [[d:Q33017|Toba Batak]] ([[w:bbc:|<code>w:bbc:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T350320]
** a Wikiquote in [[d:Q33151|Banjar]] ([[q:bjn:|<code>q:bjn:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T350217]
'''Problems'''
* Last week, users who previously visited Meta-Wiki or Wikimedia Commons and then became logged out on those wikis could not log in again. The problem is now resolved. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T350695]
* Last week, some pop-up dialogs and menus were shown with the wrong font size. The problem is now resolved. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T350544]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/wmf.5|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-11-14|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-11-15|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-11-16|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/Roadmap|calendar]]).
'''Future changes'''
* Reference Previews are coming to many wikis as a default feature. They are popups for references, similar to the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Page Previews|PagePreviews feature]]. [[m:WMDE Technical Wishes/ReferencePreviews#Opt-out feature|You can opt out]] of seeing them. If you are [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-gadgets|using the gadgets]] Reference Tooltips or Navigation Popups, you won’t see Reference Previews. [[phab:T282999|Deployment]] is planned for November 22, 2023.
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Canary (also known as heartbeat) events will be produced into [https://stream.wikimedia.org/?doc#/streams Wikimedia event streams] from December 11. Streams users are advised to filter out these events, by discarding all events where <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>meta.domain == "canary"</nowiki></code></bdi>. Updates to [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Pywikibot|Pywikibot]] or [https://github.com/ChlodAlejandro/wikimedia-streams wikimedia-streams] will discard these events by default. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T266798]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/46|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W46"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:52, 13 November 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25859263 -->
== Tech News: 2023-47 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W47"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/47|Translations]] are available.
'''Changes later this week'''
* There is no new MediaWiki version this week. [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
* Starting on Wednesday, a new set of Wikipedias will get "[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Growth/Tools/Add a link|Add a link]]" ({{int:project-localized-name-quwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-rmwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-rmywiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-rnwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-roa_rupwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-roa_tarawiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-ruewiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-rwwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-sawiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-sahwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-satwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-scwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-scnwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-scowiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-sdwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-sewiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-sgwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-shwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-siwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-skwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-slwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-smwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-sowiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-sqwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-srwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-srnwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-sswiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-stwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-stqwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-suwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-szlwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-tawiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-tcywiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-tewiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-tetwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-tgwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-thwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-tkwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-tlwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-tnwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-towiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-tpiwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-trwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-tswiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-ttwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-twwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-tywiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-tyvwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-udmwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-ugwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-uzwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-vewiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-vecwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-vepwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-vlswiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-vowiki/en}}). This is part of the [[phab:T304110|progressive deployment of this tool to more Wikipedias]]. The communities can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Community configuration|configure how this feature works locally]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T308141][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T308142][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T308143]
* The Vector 2022 skin will have some minor visual changes to drop-down menus, column widths, and more. These changes were added to four Wikipedias last week. If no issues are found, these changes will proceed to all wikis this week. These changes will make it possible to add new menus for readability and dark mode. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop_Improvements/Updates#November_2023:_Visual_changes,_more_deployments,_and_shifting_focus|Learn more]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T347711]
'''Future changes'''
* There is [[mw:Extension talk:Graph/Plans#Update: 15 November|an update on re-enabling the Graph Extension]]. To speed up the process, Vega 2 will not be supported and only [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T335325 some protocols] will be available at launch. You can help by sharing what you think about the plan.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/47|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W47"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 00:55, 21 November 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25884616 -->
== Tech News: 2023-48 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W48"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/48|Translations]] are available.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/wmf.7|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-11-28|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-11-29|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-11-30|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/Roadmap|calendar]]). There is no new MediaWiki version next week. [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] MediaWiki's JavaScript system will now allow <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>async</code>/<code>await</code></bdi> syntax in gadgets and user scripts. Gadget authors should remember that users' browsers may not support it, so it should be used appropriately. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T343499]
* The deployment of "[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Growth/Tools/Add_a_link|Add a link]]" announced [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/47|last week]] was postponed. It will resume this week.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/48|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W48"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:08, 27 November 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25906379 -->
== Tech News: 2023-49 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W49"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/49|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The spacing between paragraphs on Vector 2022 has been changed from 7px to 14px to match the size of the text. This will make it easier to distinguish paragraphs from sentences. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T351754]
* The "{{int:Visualeditor-dialog-meta-categories-defaultsort-label}}" feature in VisualEditor is working again. You no longer need to switch to source editing to edit <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:...}}</nowiki></code></bdi> keywords. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T337398]
'''Changes later this week'''
* There is no new MediaWiki version this week. [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
* On 6 December, people who have the enabled the preference for "{{int:Discussiontools-preference-visualenhancements}}" will notice the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Talk pages project/Usability|talk page usability improvements]] appear on pages that include the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>__NEWSECTIONLINK__</nowiki></code></bdi> magic word. If you notice any issues, please [[phab:T352232|share them with the team on Phabricator]].
'''Future changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The Toolforge [[wikitech:News/Toolforge Grid Engine deprecation|Grid Engine shutdown process]] will start on December 14. Maintainers of [[toolforge:grid-deprecation|tools that still use this old system]] should plan to migrate to Kubernetes, or tell the team your plans on Phabricator in the task about your tool, before that date. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/VIWWQKMSQO2ED3TVUR7KPPWRTOBYBVOA/]
* Communities using [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Structured_Discussions|Structured Discussions]] are being contacted regarding [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Structured_Discussions/Deprecation|the upcoming deprecation of Structured Discussions]]. You can read more about this project, and share your comments, [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Structured_Discussions/Deprecation|on the project's page]].
'''Events'''
* Registration & Scholarship applications are now open for the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Hackathon 2024|Wikimedia Hackathon 2024]] that will take place from 3–5 May in Tallinn, Estonia. Scholarship applications are open until 5 January 2024.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/49|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W49"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:50, 4 December 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25914435 -->
== Tech News: 2023-50 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W50"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/50|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* On Wikimedia Commons, there are some minor user-interface improvements for the "choosing own vs not own work" step in the UploadWizard. This is part of the Structured Content team's project of [[:commons:Commons:WMF support for Commons/Upload Wizard Improvements|improving UploadWizard on Commons]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T352707][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T352709]
'''Problems'''
* There was a problem showing the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Personalized first day/Newcomer homepage|Newcomer homepage]] feature with the "impact module" and their page-view graphs, for a few days in early December. This has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T352352][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T352349]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/wmf.9|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-12-12|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-12-13|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-12-14|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
'''Future changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=]] The [https://wikimediafoundation.limesurvey.net/796964 2023 Developer Satisfaction Survey] is seeking the opinions of the Wikimedia developer community. Please take the survey if you have any role in developing software for the Wikimedia ecosystem. The survey is open until 5 January 2024, and has an associated [[foundation:Legal:December_2023_Developer_Satisfaction_Survey|privacy statement]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/50|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W50"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 02:12, 12 December 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25945501 -->
== Tech News: 2023-51 ==
<section begin="technews-2023-W51"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/51|Translations]] are available.
'''Tech News'''
* The next issue of Tech News will be sent out on 8 January 2024 because of [[w:en:Christmas and holiday season|the holidays]].
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/wmf.10|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2023-12-19|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2023-12-20|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2023-12-21|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/Roadmap|calendar]]). There is no new MediaWiki version next week. [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
* Starting December 18, it won't be possible to activate Structured Discussions on a user's own talk page using the Beta feature. The Beta feature option remains available for users who want to deactivate Structured Discussions. This is part of [[mw:Structured Discussions/Deprecation|Structured Discussions' deprecation work]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T248309]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] There will be full support for redirects in the Module namespace. The "Move Page" feature will leave an appropriate redirect behind, and such redirects will be appropriately recognized by the software (e.g. hidden from [[{{#special:UnconnectedPages}}]]). There will also be support for [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Scribunto/Lua reference manual#Renaming or moving modules|manual redirects]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T120794]
'''Future changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The MediaWiki JavaScript documentation is moving to a new format. During the move, you can read the old docs using [https://doc.wikimedia.org/mediawiki-core/REL1_41/js/ version 1.41]. Feedback about [https://doc.wikimedia.org/mediawiki-core/master/js/ the new site] is welcome on the [[mw:Talk:JSDoc_WMF_theme|project talk page]].
* The Wishathon is a new initiative that encourages collaboration across the Wikimedia community to develop solutions for wishes collected through the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist Survey|Community Wishlist Survey]]. The first community Wishathon will take place from 15–17 March. If you are interested in a project proposal as a user, developer, designer, or product lead, you can [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Event:WishathonMarch2024|register for the event and read more]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/51|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2023-W51"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 16:17, 18 December 2023 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Johan (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=25959059 -->
== Tech News: 2024-02 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W02"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/02|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [https://mediawiki2latex.wmflabs.org/ mediawiki2latex] is a tool that converts wiki content into the formats of LaTeX, PDF, ODT, and EPUB. The code now runs many times faster due to recent improvements. There is also an optional Docker container you can [[b:de:Benutzer:Dirk_Hünniger/wb2pdf/install#Using_Docker|install]] on your local machine.
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The way that Random pages are selected has been updated. This will slowly reduce the problem of some pages having a lower chance of appearing. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T309477]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/wmf.13|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-01-09|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-01-10|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-01-11|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/02|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W02"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 01:19, 9 January 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26026251 -->
== Tech News: 2024-03 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W03"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/03|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Pages that use the JSON [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:ContentHandler|contentmodel]] will now use tabs instead of spaces for auto-indentation. This will significantly reduce the page size. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T326065]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Gadgets|Gadgets]] and personal user scripts may now use JavaScript syntax introduced in ES6 (also known as "ES2015") and ES7 ("ES2016"). MediaWiki validates the source code to protect other site functionality from syntax errors, and to ensure scripts are valid in all [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Compatibility#Browsers|supported browsers]]. Previously, Gadgets could use the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>requiresES6</nowiki></code></bdi> option. This option is no longer needed and will be removed in the future. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T75714]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Bot passwords|Bot passwords]] and [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/OAuth/Owner-only consumers|owner-only OAuth consumers]] can now be restricted to allow editing only specific pages. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T349957]
* You can now [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Thanks|thank]] edits made by bots. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T341388]
* An update on the status of the Community Wishlist Survey for 2024 [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist Survey/Future Of The Wishlist/January 4, 2024 Update|has been published]]. Please read and give your feedback.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/wmf.14|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-01-16|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-01-17|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-01-18|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
* Starting on January 17, it will not be possible to login to Wikimedia wikis from some specific old versions of the Chrome browser (versions 51–66, released between 2016 and 2018). Additionally, users of iOS 12, or Safari on Mac OS 10.14, may need to login to each wiki separately. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T344791]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>jquery.cookie</code></bdi> module was deprecated and replaced with the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>mediawiki.cookie</code></bdi> module last year. A script has now been run to replace any remaining uses, and this week the temporary alias will be removed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T354966]
'''Future changes'''
* Wikimedia Deutschland is working to [[m:WMDE Technical Wishes/Reusing references|make reusing references easier]]. They are looking for people who are interested in participating in [https://wikimedia.sslsurvey.de/User-research-into-Reusing-References-Sign-up-Form-2024/en/ individual video calls for user research in January and February].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/03|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W03"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 00:13, 16 January 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26074460 -->
== Tech News: 2024-04 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W04"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/04|Translations]] are available.
'''Problems'''
* A bug in UploadWizard prevented linking to the userpage of the uploader when uploading. It has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T354529]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/wmf.15|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-01-23|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-01-24|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-01-25|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/04|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W04"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 01:03, 23 January 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26096197 -->
== Tech News: 2024-05 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W05"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/05|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* Starting Monday January 29, all talk pages messages' timestamps will become a link. This link is a permanent link to the comment. It allows users to find the comment they are looking for, even if this comment was moved elsewhere. This will affect all wikis except for the English Wikipedia. You can read more about this change [https://diff.wikimedia.org/2024/01/29/talk-page-permalinks-dont-lose-your-threads/ on Diff] or [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:DiscussionTools#Talk_pages_permalinking|on Mediawiki.org]].<!-- The Diff post will be published on Monday morning UTC--> [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T302011]
* There are some improvements to the CAPTCHA to make it harder for spam bots and scripts to bypass it. If you have feedback on this change, please comment on [[phab:T141490|the task]]. Staff are monitoring metrics related to the CAPTCHA, as well as secondary metrics such as account creations and edit counts.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/wmf.16|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-01-30|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-01-31|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-02-01|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Wishlist item]] On February 1, a link will be added to the "Tools" menu to download a [[w:en:QR code|QR code]] that links to the page you are viewing. There will also be a new [[{{#special:QrCode}}]] page to create QR codes for any Wikimedia URL. This addresses the [[m:Community Wishlist Survey 2023/Mobile and apps/Add ability to share QR code for a page in any Wikimedia project|#19 most-voted wish]] from the [[m:Community Wishlist Survey 2023/Results|2023 Community Wishlist Survey]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T329973]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Gadgets|Gadgets]] which only work in some skins have sometimes used the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>targets</code></bdi> option to limit where you can use them. This will stop working this week. You should use the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>skins</code></bdi> option instead. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T328497]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/05|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W05"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 19:31, 29 January 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26137870 -->
== Tech News: 2024-06 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W06"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/06|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
*The mobile site history pages now use the same HTML as the desktop history pages. If you hear of any problems relating to mobile history usage please point them to [[phab:T353388|the phabricator task]].
*On most wikis, admins can now block users from making specific actions. These actions are: uploading files, creating new pages, moving (renaming) pages, and sending thanks. The goal of this feature is to allow admins to apply blocks that are adequate to the blocked users' activity. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community health initiative/Partial blocks#action-blocks|Learn more about "action blocks"]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T242541][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T280531]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/wmf.17|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-02-06|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-02-07|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-02-08|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
* Talk pages permalinks that included diacritics and non-Latin script were malfunctioning. This issue is fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T356199]
'''Future changes'''
* [[m:WMDE Technical Wishes/ReferencePreviews#24WPs|24 Wikipedias]] with [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reference_Tooltips|Reference Tooltips]] as a default gadget are encouraged to remove that default flag. This would make [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Reference_Previews|Reference Previews]] the new default for reference popups, leading to a more consistent experience across wikis. For [[m:WMDE Technical Wishes/ReferencePreviews#46WPs|46 Wikipedias]] with less than 4 interface admins, the change is already scheduled for mid-February, [[m:Talk:WMDE Technical Wishes/ReferencePreviews#Reference Previews to become the default for previewing references on more wikis.|unless there are concerns]]. The older Reference Tooltips gadget will still remain usable and will override this feature, if it is available on your wiki and you have enabled it in your settings. [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WMDE_Technical_Wishes/ReferencePreviews#Reference_Previews_to_become_the_default_for_previewing_references_on_more_wikis][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T355312]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/06|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W06"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 19:22, 5 February 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26180971 -->
== Tech News: 2024-07 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W07"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/07|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The [[d:Wikidata:SPARQL query service/WDQS graph split|WDQS Graph Split experiment]] is working and loaded onto 3 test servers. The team in charge is testing the split's impact and requires feedback from WDQS users through the UI or programmatically in different channels. [https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata_talk:SPARQL_query_service/WDQS_graph_split][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T356773][https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/User:Sannita_(WMF)] Users' feedback will validate the impact of various use cases and workflows around the Wikidata Query service. [https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:SPARQL_query_service/WDQS_backend_update/October_2023_scaling_update][https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikidata_Query_Service/User_Manual#Federation]
'''Problems'''
*There was a bug that affected the appearance of visited links when using mobile device to access wiki sites. It made the links appear black; [[phab:T356928|this issue]] is fixed.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/wmf.18|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-02-13|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-02-14|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-02-15|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] As work continues on the grid engine deprecation,[https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/News/Toolforge_Grid_Engine_deprecation] tools on the grid engine will be stopped starting on February 14th, 2024. If you have tools actively migrating you can ask for an extension so they are not stopped. [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Portal:Toolforge/About_Toolforge#Communication_and_support]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/07|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W07"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 05:48, 13 February 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26223994 -->
== Tech News: 2024-08 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W08"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/08|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* If you have the "{{int:Tog-enotifwatchlistpages}}" option enabled, edits by bot accounts no longer trigger notification emails. Previously, only minor edits would not trigger the notification emails. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T356984]
* There are changes to how user and site scripts load for [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Skin:Vector/2022| Vector 2022]] on specific wikis. The changes impacted the following Wikis: all projects with [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Skin:Vector|Vector legacy]] as the default skin, Wikivoyage, and Wikibooks. Other wikis will be affected over the course of the next three months. Gadgets are not impacted. If you have been affected or want to minimize the impact on your project, see [[Phab:T357580| this ticket]]. Please coordinate and take action proactively.
*Newly auto-created accounts (the accounts you get when you visit a new wiki) now have the same local notification preferences as users who freshly register on that wiki. It is effected in four notification types listed in the [[phab:T353225|task's description]].
*The maximum file size when using [[c:Special:MyLanguage/Commons:Upload_Wizard|Upload Wizard]] is now 5 GiB. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T191804]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/wmf.19|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-02-20|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-02-21|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-02-22|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Selected tools on the grid engine have been [[wikitech:News/Toolforge_Grid_Engine_deprecation|stopped]] as we prepare to shut down the grid on March 14th, 2024. The tool's code and data have not been deleted. If you are a maintainer and you want your tool re-enabled reach out to the [[wikitech:Portal:Toolforge/About_Toolforge#Communication_and_support|team]]. Only tools that have asked for extension are still running on the grid.
* The CSS <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>[https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/filter filter]</code></bdi> property can now be used in HTML <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>style</code></bdi> attributes in wikitext. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T308160]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/08|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W08"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 15:36, 19 February 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26254282 -->
== Tech News: 2024-09 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W09"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/09|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/VisualEditor_on_mobile|mobile visual editor]] is now the default editor for users who never edited before, at a small group of wikis. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/VisualEditor_on_mobile/VE_mobile_default#A/B_test_results| Research ]] shows that users using this editor are slightly more successful publishing the edits they started, and slightly less successful publishing non-reverted edits. Users who defined the wikitext editor as their default on desktop will get the wikitext editor on mobile for their first edit on mobile as well. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T352127]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/ResourceLoader/Core modules#mw.config|mw.config]] value <code>wgGlobalGroups</code> now only contains groups that are active in the wiki. Scripts no longer have to check whether the group is active on the wiki via an API request. A code example of the above is: <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>if (/globalgroupname/.test(mw.config.get("wgGlobalGroups")))</code></bdi>. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T356008]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/wmf.20|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-02-27|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-02-28|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-02-29|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
'''Future changes'''
* The right to change [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Tags|edit tags]] (<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>changetags</code></bdi>) will be removed from users in Wikimedia sites, keeping it by default for admins and bots only. Your community can ask to retain the old configuration on your wiki before this change happens. Please indicate in [[phab:T355639|this ticket]] to keep it for your community before the end of March 2024.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/09|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W09"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 19:23, 26 February 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26294125 -->
== Tech News: 2024-10 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W10"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/10|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>Special:Book</code></bdi> page (as well as the associated "Create a book" functionality) provided by the old [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Collection|Collection extension]] has been removed from all Wikisource wikis, as it was broken. This does not affect the ability to download normal books, which is provided by the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Wikisource|Wikisource extension]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T358437]
* [[m:Wikitech|Wikitech]] now uses the next-generation [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Parsoid|Parsoid]] wikitext parser by default to generate all pages in the Talk namespace. Report any problems on the [[mw:Talk:Parsoid/Parser_Unification/Known_Issues|Known Issues discussion page]]. You can use the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:ParserMigration|ParserMigration]] extension to control the use of Parsoid; see the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:ParserMigration|ParserMigration help documentation]] for more details.
* Maintenance on [https://etherpad.wikimedia.org etherpad] is completed. If you encounter any issues, please indicate in [[phab:T316421|this ticket]].
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=| Advanced item]] [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Gadgets|Gadgets]] allow interface admins to create custom features with CSS and JavaScript. The <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>Gadget</code></bdi> and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>Gadget_definition</code></bdi> namespaces and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>gadgets-definition-edit</code></bdi> user right were reserved for an experiment in 2015, but were never used. These were visible on Special:Search and Special:ListGroupRights. The unused namespaces and user rights are now removed. No pages are moved, and no changes need to be made. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T31272]
* A usability improvement to the "Add a citation" in Wikipedia workflow has been made, the insert button was moved to the popup header. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T354847]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/wmf.21|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-03-05|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-03-06|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-03-07|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
'''Future changes'''
* All wikis will be read-only for a few minutes on March 20. This is planned at 14:00 UTC. More information will be published in Tech News and will also be posted on individual wikis in the coming weeks. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T358233]
* The HTML markup of headings and section edit links will be changed later this year to improve accessibility. See [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Heading_HTML_changes|Heading HTML changes]] for details. The new markup will be the same as in the new Parsoid wikitext parser. You can test your gadget or stylesheet with the new markup if you add <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>?useparsoid=1</code></bdi> to your URL ([[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:ParserMigration#Selecting_a_parser_using_a_URL_query_string|more info]]) or turn on Parsoid read views in your user options ([[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:ParserMigration#Enabling_via_user_preference|more info]]).
*
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/10|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W10"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 19:47, 4 March 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26329807 -->
== Tech News: 2024-11 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W11"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/11|Translations]] are available.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/wmf.22|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-03-12|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-03-13|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-03-14|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
* After consulting with various communities, the line height of the text on the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Skin:Minerva Neue|Minerva skin]] will be increased to its previous value of 1.65. Different options for typography can also be set using the options in the menu, as needed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T358498]
*The active link color in [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Skin:Minerva Neue|Minerva]] will be changed to provide more consistency with our other platforms and best practices. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T358516]
* [[c:Special:MyLanguage/Commons:Structured data|Structured data on Commons]] will no longer ask whether you want to leave the page without saving. This will prevent the “information you’ve entered may not be saved” popups from appearing when no information have been entered. It will also make file pages on Commons load faster in certain cases. However, the popups will be hidden even if information has indeed been entered. If you accidentally close the page before saving the structured data you entered, that data will be lost. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T312315]
'''Future changes'''
* All wikis will be read-only for a few minutes on March 20. This is planned at 14:00 UTC. More information will be published in Tech News and will also be posted on individual wikis in the coming weeks. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T358233][https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Tech/Server_switch]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/11|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W11"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:04, 11 March 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26374013 -->
== Tech News: 2024-12 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W12"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/12|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The notice "Language links are at the top of the page" that appears in the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Skin:Vector/2022|Vector 2022 skin]] main menu has been removed now that users have learned the new location of the Language switcher. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T353619]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] [[m:Special:MyLanguage/IP_Editing:_Privacy_Enhancement_and_Abuse_Mitigation/IP_Info_feature|IP info feature]] displays data from Spur, an IP addresses database. Previously, the only data source for this feature was MaxMind. Now, IP info is more useful for patrollers. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T341395]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The Toolforge Grid Engine services have been shut down after the final migration process from Grid Engine to Kubernetes. [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Obsolete:Toolforge/Grid][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/News/Toolforge_Grid_Engine_deprecation][https://techblog.wikimedia.org/2022/03/14/toolforge-and-grid-engine/]
* Communities can now customize the default reasons for undeleting a page by creating [[MediaWiki:Undelete-comment-dropdown]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T326746]
'''Problems'''
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/WMDE_Technical_Wishes/RevisionSlider|RevisionSlider]] is an interface to interactively browse a page's history. Users in [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:RevisionSlider/Developing_a_RTL-accessible_feature_in_MediaWiki_-_what_we%27ve_learned_while_creating_the_RevisionSlider|right-to-left]] languages reported RevisionSlider reacting wrong to mouse clicks. This should be fixed now. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T352169]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/wmf.23|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-03-19|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-03-20|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-03-21|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
* All wikis will be read-only for a few minutes on March 20. This is planned at [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1710943200 14:00 UTC]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T358233][https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Tech/Server_switch]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/12|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W12"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 17:39, 18 March 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26410165 -->
== Tech News: 2024-13 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W13"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/13|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] An update was made on March 18th 2024 to how various projects load site, user JavaScript and CSS in [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Skin:Vector/2022|Vector 2022 skin]]. A [[phab:T360384|checklist]] is provided for site admins to follow.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/wmf.24|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-03-26|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-03-27|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-03-28|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/13|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W13"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 18:56, 25 March 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26446209 -->
== Tech News: 2024-14 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W14"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/14|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* Users of the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Accessibility_for_reading|reading accessibility]] beta feature will notice that the default line height for the standard and large text options has changed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T359030]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/wmf.25|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-04-02|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-04-03|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-04-04|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
'''Future changes'''
* The Wikimedia Foundation has an annual plan. The annual plan decides what the Wikimedia Foundation will work on. You can now read [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation Annual Plan/2024-2025/Product & Technology OKRs#Draft Key Results|the draft key results]] for the Product and Technology department. They are suggestions for what results the Foundation wants from big technical changes from July 2024 to June 2025. You can [[m:Talk:Wikimedia Foundation Annual Plan/2024-2025/Product & Technology OKRs|comment on the talk page]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/14|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W14"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 03:36, 2 April 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26462933 -->
== Tech News: 2024-15 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W15"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/15|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* Web browsers can use tools called [[:w:en:Browser extension|extensions]]. There is now a Chrome extension called [[m:Future Audiences/Experiment:Citation Needed|Citation Needed]] which you can use to see if an online statement is supported by a Wikipedia article. This is a small experiment to see if Wikipedia can be used this way. Because it is a small experiment, it can only be used in Chrome in English.
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Wishlist item]] A new [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Edit Recovery|Edit Recovery]] feature has been added to all wikis, available as a [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-editing|user preference]]. Once you enable it, your in-progress edits will be stored in your web browser, and if you accidentally close an editing window or your browser or computer crashes, you will be prompted to recover the unpublished text. Please leave any feedback on the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Talk:Community Wishlist Survey 2023/Edit-recovery feature|project talk page]]. This was the #8 wish in the 2023 Community Wishlist Survey.
* Initial results of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Edit check|Edit check]] experiments [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Edit_check#4_April_2024|have been published]]. Edit Check is now deployed as a default feature at [[phab:T342930#9538364|the wikis that tested it]]. [[mw:Talk:Edit check|Let us know]] if you want your wiki to be part of the next deployment of Edit check. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T342930][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T361727]
* Readers using the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Skin:Minerva Neue|Minerva skin]] on mobile will notice there has been an improvement in the line height across all typography settings. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T359029]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/wmf.26|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-04-09|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-04-10|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-04-11|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
* New accounts and logged-out users will get the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/VisualEditor|visual editor]] as their default editor on mobile. This deployment is made at all wikis except for the English Wikipedia. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T361134]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/15|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W15"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:37, 8 April 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26564838 -->
== Tech News: 2024-16 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W16"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/16|Translations]] are available.
'''Problems'''
* Between 2 April and 8 April, on wikis using [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:FlaggedRevs|Flagged Revisions]], the "{{Int:tag-mw-reverted}}" tag was not applied to undone edits. In addition, page moves, protections and imports were not autoreviewed. This problem is now fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T361918][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T361940]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/wmf.1|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-04-16|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-04-17|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-04-18|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Magic words#DEFAULTSORT|Default category sort keys]] will now affect categories added by templates placed in [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Cite|footnotes]]. Previously footnotes used the page title as the default sort key even if a different default sort key was specified (category-specific sort keys already worked). [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T40435]
* A new variable <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>page_last_edit_age</code></bdi> will be added to [[Special:AbuseFilter|abuse filters]]. It tells how many seconds ago the last edit to a page was made. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T269769]
'''Future changes'''
* Volunteer developers are kindly asked to update the code of their tools and features to handle [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts|temporary accounts]]. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts/For developers/2024-04 CTA|Learn more]].
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Four database fields will be removed from database replicas (including [[quarry:|Quarry]]). This affects only the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>abuse_filter</code></bdi> and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>abuse_filter_history</code></bdi> tables. Some queries might need to be updated. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T361996]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/16|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W16"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:29, 15 April 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26564838 -->
== Tech News: 2024-17 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W17"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/17|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* Starting this week, newcomers editing Wikipedia [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Positive reinforcement#Leveling up 3|will be encouraged]] to try structured tasks. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Feature summary#Newcomer tasks|Structured tasks]] have been shown to [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Personalized first day/Structured tasks/Add a link/Experiment analysis, December 2021|improve newcomer activation and retention]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T348086]
* You can [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Coolest Tool Award|nominate your favorite tools]] for the fifth edition of the Coolest Tool Award. Nominations will be open until May 10.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/wmf.2|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-04-23|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-04-24|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-04-25|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
'''Future changes'''
* This is the last warning that by the end of May 2024 the Vector 2022 skin will no longer share site and user scripts/styles with old Vector. For user-scripts that you want to keep using on Vector 2022, copy the contents of [[{{#special:MyPage}}/vector.js]] to [[{{#special:MyPage}}/vector-2022.js]]. There are [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements/Features/Loading Vector 2010 scripts|more technical details]] available. Interface administrators who foresee this leading to lots of technical support questions may wish to send a mass message to your community, as was done on French Wikipedia. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T362701]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/17|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W17"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 20:28, 22 April 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26647188 -->
== Tech News: 2024-18 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W18"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/18|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
[[File:Talk_pages_default_look_(April_2023).jpg|thumb|alt=Screenshot of the visual improvements made on talk pages|Example of a talk page with the new design, in French.]]
* The appearance of talk pages changed for the following wikis: {{int:project-localized-name-azwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-bnwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-dewiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-fawiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-hewiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-hiwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-idwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-kowiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-nlwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-ptwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-rowiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-thwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-trwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-ukwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-viwiki/en}}. These wikis participated to a test, where 50% of users got the new design, for one year. As this test [[Mw:Special:MyLanguage/Talk pages project/Usability/Analysis|gave positive results]], the new design is deployed on these wikis as the default design. It is possible to opt-out these changes [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-editing|in user preferences]] ("{{int:discussiontools-preference-visualenhancements}}"). The deployment will happen at all wikis in the coming weeks. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T341491]
* Seven new wikis have been created:
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikipedia}} in [[d:Q33014|Betawi]] ([[w:bew:|<code>w:bew:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T357866]
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikipedia}} in [[d:Q35708|Kusaal]] ([[w:kus:|<code>w:kus:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T359757]
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikipedia}} in [[d:Q35513|Igala]] ([[w:igl:|<code>w:igl:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T361644]
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wiktionary}} in [[d:Q33541|Karakalpak]] ([[wikt:kaa:|<code>wikt:kaa:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T362135]
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikisource}} in [[d:Q9228|Burmese]] ([[s:my:|<code>s:my:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T361085]
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikisource}} in [[d:Q9237|Malay]] ([[s:ms:|<code>s:ms:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T363039]
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikisource}} in [[d:Q8108|Georgian]] ([[s:ka:|<code>s:ka:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T363085]
* You can now [https://translatewiki.net/wiki/Support#Early_access:_Watch_Message_Groups_on_Translatewiki.net watch message groups/projects] on [[m:Special:MyLanguage/translatewiki.net|Translatewiki.net]]. Initially, this feature will notify you of added or deleted messages in these groups. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T348501]
* Dark mode is now available on all wikis, on mobile web for logged-in users who opt into the [[Special:MobileOptions|advanced mode]]. This is the early release of the feature. Technical editors are invited to [https://night-mode-checker.wmcloud.org/ check for accessibility issues on wikis]. See [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Accessibility for reading/Updates/2024-04|more detailed guidelines]].
'''Problems'''
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:Kartographer|Kartographer]] maps can use an alternative visual style without labels, by using <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>mapstyle="osm"</nowiki></code></bdi>. This wasn't working in previews, creating the wrong impression that it wasn't supported. This has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T362531]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/wmf.3|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-04-30|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-05-01|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-05-02|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/18|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W18"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 03:33, 30 April 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26689057 -->
== Tech News: 2024-19 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W19"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/19|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
[[File:Talk_pages_default_look_(April_2023).jpg|thumb|alt=Screenshot of the visual improvements made on talk pages|Example of a talk page with the new design, in French.]]
* The appearance of talk pages changed for all wikis, except for Commons, Wikidata and most Wikipedias ([[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/18|a few]] have already received this design change). You can read the detail of the changes [[diffblog:2024/05/02/making-talk-pages-better-for-everyone/|on ''Diff'']]. It is possible to opt-out these changes [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-editing|in user preferences]] ("{{int:discussiontools-preference-visualenhancements}}"). The deployment will happen at remaining wikis in the coming weeks. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T352087][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T319146]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Interface admins now have greater control over the styling of article components on mobile with the introduction of the <code>SiteAdminHelper</code>. More information on how styles can be disabled can be found [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:WikimediaMessages#Site_admin_helper|at the extension's page]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T363932]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Enterprise|Wikimedia Enterprise]] has added article body sections in JSON format and a curated short description field to the existing parsed Infobox. This expansion to the API is also available via Wikimedia Cloud Services. [https://enterprise.wikimedia.com/blog/article-sections-and-description/]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/wmf.4|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-05-07|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-05-08|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-05-09|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
* When you look at the Special:Log page, the first view is labelled "All public logs", but it only shows some logs. This label will now say "Main public logs". [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T237729]
'''Future changes'''
* A new service will be built to replace [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Graph|Extension:Graph]]. Details can be found in [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Graph/Plans|the latest update]] regarding this extension.
* Starting May 21, English Wikipedia and German Wikipedia will get the possibility to activate "[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Growth/Tools/Add a link|Add a link]]". This is part of the [[phab:T304110|progressive deployment of this tool to all Wikipedias]]. These communities can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Community configuration|activate and configure the feature locally]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T308144]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/19|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W19"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 16:44, 6 May 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Trizek (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26729363 -->
== Tech News: 2024-20 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W20"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/20|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* On Wikisource there is a special page listing pages of works without corresponding scan images. Now you can use the new magic word <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>__EXPECTWITHOUTSCANS__</code></bdi> to exclude certain pages (list of editions or translations of works) from that list. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T344214]
* If you use the [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-editing|user-preference]] "{{int:tog-uselivepreview}}", then the template-page feature "{{int:Templatesandbox-editform-legend}}" will now also work without reloading the page. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T136907]
* [[mw:Special:Mylanguage/Extension:Kartographer|Kartographer]] maps can now specify an alternative text via the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>alt=</nowiki></code></bdi> attribute. This is identical in usage to the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>alt=</nowiki></code></bdi> attribute in the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Images#Syntax|image and gallery syntax]]. An exception for this feature is wikis like Wikivoyage where the miniature maps are interactive. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T328137]
* The old [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:GuidedTour|Guided Tour]] for the "[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Edit Review Improvements/New filters for edit review|New Filters for Edit Review]]" feature has been removed. It was created in 2017 to show people with older accounts how the interface had changed, and has now been seen by most of the intended people. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T217451]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/wmf.5|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-05-14|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-05-15|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-05-16|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The [[{{#special:search}}]] results page will now use CSS flex attributes, for better accessibility, instead of a table. If you have a gadget or script that adjusts search results, you should update your script to the new HTML structure. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T320295]
'''Future changes'''
* In the Vector 2022 skin, main pages will be displayed at full width (like special pages). The goal is to keep the number of characters per line large enough. This is related to the coming changes to typography in Vector 2022. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Accessibility for reading/Updates|Learn more]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T357706]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Two columns of the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:pagelinks table|pagelinks]]</code></bdi> database table (<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>pl_namespace</code></bdi> and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>pl_title</code></bdi>) are being dropped soon. Users must use two columns of the new <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>[[mw:special:MyLanguage/Manual:linktarget table|linktarget]]</code></bdi> table instead (<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>lt_namespace</code></bdi> and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>lt_title</code></bdi>). In your existing SQL queries:
*# Replace <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>JOIN pagelinks</code></bdi> with <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>JOIN linktarget</code></bdi> and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>pl_</code></bdi> with <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>lt_</code></bdi> in the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>ON</code></bdi> statement
*# Below that add <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>JOIN pagelinks ON lt_id = pl_target_id</code></bdi>
** See <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[phab:T222224]]</bdi> for technical reasoning. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T222224][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T299947]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/20|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W20"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:58, 13 May 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26762074 -->
== Tech News: 2024-21 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W21"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/21|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Nuke|Nuke]] feature, which enables administrators to mass delete pages, will now correctly delete pages which were moved to another title. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T43351]
* New changes have been made to the UploadWizard in Wikimedia Commons: the overall layout has been improved, by following new styling and spacing for the form and its fields; the headers and helper text for each of the fields was changed; the Caption field is now a required field, and there is an option for users to copy their caption into the media description. [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:WMF_support_for_Commons/Upload_Wizard_Improvements#Changes_to_%22Describe%22_workflow][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T361049]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/wmf.6|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-05-21|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-05-22|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-05-23|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The HTML used to render all headings [[mw:Heading_HTML_changes|is being changed to improve accessibility]]. It will change on 22 May in some skins (Timeless, Modern, CologneBlue, Nostalgia, and Monobook). Please test gadgets on your wiki on these skins and [[phab:T13555|report any related problems]] so that they can be resolved before this change is made in all other skins. The developers are also considering the introduction of a [[phab:T337286|Gadget API for adding buttons to section titles]] if that would be helpful to tool creators, and would appreciate any input you have on that.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/21|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W21"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:04, 20 May 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26786311 -->
== Tech News: 2024-22 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W22"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/22|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* Several bugs related to the latest updates to the UploadWizard on Wikimedia Commons have been fixed. For more information, see [[:phab:T365107|T365107]] and [[:phab:T365119|T365119]].
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] In March 2024 a new [[mw:ResourceLoader/Core_modules#addPortlet|addPortlet]] API was added to allow gadgets to create new portlets (menus) in the skin. In certain skins this can be used to create dropdowns. Gadget developers are invited to try it and [[phab:T361661|give feedback]].
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Some CSS in the Minerva skin has been removed to enable easier community configuration. Interface editors should check the rendering on mobile devices for aspects related to the classes: <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>.collapsible</code></bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>.multicol</code></bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>.reflist</code></bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>.coordinates</code></bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>.topicon</code></bdi>. [[phab:T361659|Further details are available on replacement CSS]] if it is needed.
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/wmf.7|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-05-28|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-05-29|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-05-30|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
* When you visit a wiki where you don't yet have a local account, local rules such as edit filters can sometimes prevent your account from being created. Starting this week, MediaWiki takes your global rights into account when evaluating whether you can override such local rules. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T316303]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/22|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W22"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 00:15, 28 May 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26832205 -->
== Tech News: 2024-23 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W23"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/23|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* It is now possible for local administrators to add new links to the bottom of the site Tools menu without JavaScript. [[mw:Manual:Interface/Sidebar#Add or remove toolbox sections|Documentation is available]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T6086]
* The message name for the definition of the tracking category of WikiHiero has changed from "<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>MediaWiki:Wikhiero-usage-tracking-category</code></bdi>" to "<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>MediaWiki:Wikihiero-usage-tracking-category</code></bdi>". [https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/c/mediawiki/extensions/wikihiero/+/1035855]
* One new wiki has been created: a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikipedia}} in [[d:Q5317225|Kadazandusun]] ([[w:dtp:|<code>w:dtp:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T365220]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/wmf.8|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-06-04|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-06-05|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-06-06|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
'''Future changes'''
* Next week, on wikis with the Vector 2022 skin as the default, logged-out desktop users will be able to choose between different font sizes. The default font size will also be increased for them. This is to make Wikimedia projects easier to read. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Accessibility for reading/Updates/2024-06 deployments|Learn more]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/23|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W23"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 22:35, 3 June 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26844397 -->
== Tech News: 2024-24 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W24"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/24|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* The software used to render SVG files has been updated to a new version, fixing many longstanding bugs in SVG rendering. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T265549]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The HTML used to render all headings [[mw:Heading HTML changes|is being changed to improve accessibility]]. It was changed last week in some skins (Vector legacy and Minerva). Please test gadgets on your wiki on these skins and [[phab:T13555|report any related problems]] so that they can be resolved before this change is made in Vector-2022. The developers are still considering the introduction of a [[phab:T337286|Gadget API for adding buttons to section titles]] if that would be helpful to tool creators, and would appreciate any input you have on that.
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The HTML markup used for citations by [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Parsoid|Parsoid]] changed last week. In places where Parsoid previously added the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>mw-reference-text</code></bdi> class, Parsoid now also adds the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>reference-text</code></bdi> class for better compatibility with the legacy parser. [[mw:Specs/HTML/2.8.0/Extensions/Cite/Announcement|More details are available]]. [https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/1036705]
'''Problems'''
* There was a bug with the Content Translation interface that caused the tools menus to appear in the wrong location. This has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T366374]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/wmf.9|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-06-11|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-06-12|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-06-13|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The new version of MediaWiki includes another change to the HTML markup used for citations: [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Parsoid|Parsoid]] will now generate a <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki><span class="mw-cite-backlink"></nowiki></code></bdi> wrapper for both named and unnamed references for better compatibility with the legacy parser. Interface administrators should verify that gadgets that interact with citations are compatible with the new markup. [[mw:Specs/HTML/2.8.0/Extensions/Cite/Announcement|More details are available]]. [https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/1035809]
* On multilingual wikis that use the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki><translate></nowiki></code></bdi> system, there is a feature that shows potentially-outdated translations with a pink background until they are updated or confirmed. From this week, confirming translations will be logged, and there is a new user-right that can be required for confirming translations if the community [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Requesting wiki configuration changes|requests it]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T49177]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/24|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W24"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 20:20, 10 June 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26893898 -->
== Tech News: 2024-25 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W25"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/25|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* People who attempt to add an external link in the visual editor will now receive immediate feedback if they attempt to link to a domain that a project has decided to block. Please see [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Edit_check#11_June_2024|Edit check]] for more details. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T366751]
* The new [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CommunityConfiguration|Community Configuration extension]] is available [[testwiki:Special:CommunityConfiguration|on Test Wikipedia]]. This extension allows communities to customize specific features to meet their local needs. Currently only Growth features are configurable, but the extension will support other [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Community_configuration#Use_cases|Community Configuration use cases]] in the future. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T323811][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T360954]
* The dark mode [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures|beta feature]] is now available on category and help pages, as well as more special pages. There may be contrast issues. Please report bugs on the [[mw:Talk:Reading/Web/Accessibility_for_reading|project talk page]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T366370]
'''Problems'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Cloud Services tools were not available for 25 minutes last week. This was caused by a faulty hardware cable in the data center. [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Incidents/2024-06-11_WMCS_Ceph]
* Last week, styling updates were made to the Vector 2022 skin. This caused unforeseen issues with templates, hatnotes, and images. Changes to templates and hatnotes were reverted. Most issues with images were fixed. If you still see any, [[phab:T367463|report them here]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T367480]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/wmf.10|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-06-18|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-06-19|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-06-20|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
* Starting June 18, the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Edit check#ref|Reference Edit Check]] will be deployed to [[phab:T361843|a new set of Wikipedias]]. This feature is intended to help newcomers and to assist edit-patrollers by inviting people who are adding new content to a Wikipedia article to add a citation when they do not do so themselves. During [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Edit_check#Reference_Check_A/B_Test|a test at 11 wikis]], the number of citations added [https://diff.wikimedia.org/?p=127553 more than doubled] when Reference Check was shown to people. Reference Check is [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Edit check/Configuration|community configurable]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T361843]<!-- NOTE: THE DIFF BLOG WILL BE PUBLISHED ON MONDAY -->
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Mailing_lists|Mailing lists]] will be unavailable for roughly two hours on Tuesday 10:00–12:00 UTC. This is to enable migration to a new server and upgrade its software. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T367521]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/25|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W25"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:48, 17 June 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26911987 -->
== Tech News: 2024-26 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W26"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/26|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* Editors will notice that there have been some changes to the background color of text in the diff view, and the color of the byte-change numbers, last week. These changes are intended to make text more readable in both light mode and dark mode, and are part of a larger effort to increase accessibility. You can share your comments or questions [[mw:Talk:Reading/Web/Accessibility for reading|on the project talkpage]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T361717]
* The text colors that are used for visited-links, hovered-links, and active-links, were also slightly changed last week to improve their accessibility in both light mode and dark mode. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T366515]
'''Problems'''
* You can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:DiscussionTools#Talk pages permalinking|copy permanent links to talk page comments]] by clicking on a comment's timestamp. [[mw:Talk pages project/Permalinks|This feature]] did not always work when the topic title was very long and the link was used as a wikitext link. This has been fixed. Thanks to Lofhi for submitting the bug. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T356196]
'''Changes later this week'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/wmf.11|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-06-25|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-06-26|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-06-27|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
* Starting 26 June, all talk pages messages' timestamps will become a link at English Wikipedia, making this feature available for you to use at all wikis. This link is a permanent link to the comment. It allows users to find the comment they were linked to, even if this comment has since been moved elsewhere. You can read more about this feature [[DiffBlog:/2024/01/29/talk-page-permalinks-dont-lose-your-threads/|on Diff]] or [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:DiscussionTools#Talk pages permalinking|on Mediawiki.org]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T365974]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/26|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W26"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 22:32, 24 June 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26989424 -->
== Tech News: 2024-27 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W27"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/27|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* Over the next three weeks, dark mode will become available for all users, both logged-in and logged-out, starting with the mobile web version. This fulfils one of the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community_Wishlist_Survey_2023/Reading/Dark_mode|top-requested community wishes]], and improves low-contrast reading and usage in low-light settings. As part of these changes, dark mode will also work on User-pages and Portals. There is more information in [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Accessibility_for_reading/Updates#June_2024:_Typography_and_dark_mode_deployments,_new_global_preferences|the latest Web team update]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T366364]
* Logged-in users can now set [[m:Special:GlobalPreferences#mw-prefsection-rendering-skin-skin-prefs|global preferences for the text-size and dark-mode]], thanks to a combined effort across Foundation teams. This allows Wikimedians using multiple wikis to set up a consistent reading experience easily, for example by switching between light and dark mode only once for all wikis. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T341278]
* If you use a very old web browser some features might not work on the Wikimedia wikis. This affects Internet Explorer 11 and versions of Chrome, Firefox and Safari older than 2016. This change makes it possible to use new [[d:Q46441|CSS]] features and to send less code to all readers. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T288287][https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Manual:How_to_make_a_MediaWiki_skin#Using_CSS_variables_for_supporting_different_themes_e.g._dark_mode]
* Wikipedia Admins can customize local wiki configuration options easily using [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Community Configuration|Community Configuration]]. Community Configuration was created to allow communities to customize how some features work, because each language wiki has unique needs. At the moment, admins can configure [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Feature_summary|Growth features]] on their home wikis, in order to better recruit and retain new editors. More options will be provided in the coming months. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T366458]
* Editors interested in language issues that are related to [[w:en:Unicode|Unicode standards]], can now discuss those topics at [[mw:Talk:WMF membership with Unicode Consortium|a new conversation space in MediaWiki.org]]. The Wikimedia Foundation is now a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/WMF membership with Unicode Consortium|member of the Unicode Consortium]], and the coordination group can collaboratively review the issues discussed and, where appropriate, bring them to the attention of the Unicode Consortium.
* One new wiki has been created: a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikipedia}} in [[d:Q2891049|Mandailing]] ([[w:btm:|<code>w:btm:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T368038]
'''Problems'''
* Editors can once again click on links within the visual editor's citation-preview, thanks to a bug fix by the Editing Team. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T368119]
'''Future changes'''
* Please [https://wikimediafoundation.limesurvey.net/758713?lang=en help us to improve Tech News by taking this short survey]. The goal is to better meet the needs of the various types of people who read Tech News. The survey will be open for 2 weeks. The survey is covered by [https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Legal:Tech_News_Survey_2024_Privacy_Statement this privacy statement]. Some translations are available.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/27|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W27"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:59, 1 July 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=27038456 -->
== Tech News: 2024-28 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W28"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/28|Translations]] are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* At the Wikimedia Foundation a new task force was formed to replace the disabled Graph with [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Chart/Project|more secure, easy to use, and extensible Chart]]. You can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Newsletter:Chart Project|subscribe to the newsletter]] to get notified about new project updates and other news about Chart.
* The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/CampaignEvents|CampaignEvents]] extension is now available on Meta-wiki, Igbo Wikipedia, and Swahili Wikipedia, and can be requested on your wiki. This extension helps in managing and making events more visible, giving Event organizers the ability to use tools like the Event registration tool. To learn more about the deployment status and how to request this extension for your wiki, visit the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/CampaignEvents/Deployment_status|CampaignEvents page on Meta-wiki]].
* Editors using the iOS Wikipedia app who have more than 50 edits can now use the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/iOS Suggested edits#Add an image|Add an Image]] feature. This feature presents opportunities for small but useful contributions to Wikipedia.
* Thank you to [[mw:MediaWiki Product Insights/Contributor retention and growth/Celebration|all of the authors]] who have contributed to MediaWiki Core. As a result of these contributions, the [[mw:MediaWiki Product Insights/Contributor retention and growth|percentage of authors contributing more than 5 patches has increased by 25% since last year]], which helps ensure the sustainability of the platform for the Wikimedia projects.
'''Problems'''
* A problem with the color of the talkpage tabs always showing as blue, even for non-existent pages which should have been red, affecting the Vector 2022 skin, [[phab:T367982|has been fixed]].
'''Future changes'''
* The Trust and Safety Product team wants to introduce [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts|temporary accounts]] with as little disruption to tools and workflows as possible. Volunteer developers, including gadget and user-script maintainers, are kindly asked to update the code of their tools and features to handle temporary accounts. The team has [[mw:Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts/For developers|created documentation]] explaining how to do the update. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts/For developers/2024-04 CTA|Learn more]].
'''Tech News survey'''
* Please [https://wikimediafoundation.limesurvey.net/758713?lang=en help us to improve Tech News by taking this short survey]. The goal is to better meet the needs of the various types of people who read Tech News. The survey will be open for 1 more week. The survey is covered by [https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Legal:Tech_News_Survey_2024_Privacy_Statement this privacy statement]. Some translations are available.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/28|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W28"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 21:31, 8 July 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=27080357 -->
== Tech News: 2024-29 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W29"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/29|Translations]] are available.
'''Tech News survey'''
* Please [https://wikimediafoundation.limesurvey.net/758713?lang=en help us to improve Tech News by taking this short survey]. The goal is to better meet the needs of the various types of people who read Tech News. The survey will be open for 3 more days. The survey is covered by [https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Legal:Tech_News_Survey_2024_Privacy_Statement this privacy statement]. Some translations are available.
'''Recent changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Wikimedia developers can now officially continue to use both [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Gerrit|Gerrit]] and [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/GitLab|GitLab]], due to a June 24 decision by the Wikimedia Foundation to support software development on both platforms. Gerrit and GitLab are both code repositories used by developers to write, review, and deploy the software code that supports the MediaWiki software that the wiki projects are built on, as well as the tools used by editors to create and improve content. This decision will safeguard the productivity of our developers and prevent problems in code review from affecting our users. More details are available in the [[mw:GitLab/Migration status|Migration status]] page.
* The Wikimedia Foundation seeks applicants for the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Product and Technology Advisory Council/Proposal|Product and Technology Advisory Council]] (PTAC). This group will bring technical contributors and Wikimedia Foundation together to co-define a more resilient, future-proof technological platform. Council members will evaluate and consult on the movement's product and technical activities, so that we develop multi-generational projects. We are looking for a range of technical contributors across the globe, from a variety of Wikimedia projects. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Product and Technology Advisory Council/Proposal#Joining the PTAC as a technical volunteer|Please apply here by August 10]].
* Editors with rollback user-rights who use the Wikipedia App for Android can use the new [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/Android/Anti Vandalism|Edit Patrol]] features. These features include a new feed of Recent Changes, related links such as Undo and Rollback, and the ability to create and save a personal library of user talk messages to use while patrolling. If your wiki wants to make these features available to users who do not have rollback rights but have reached a certain edit threshold, [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/Android#Contact us|you can contact the team]]. You can [[diffblog:2024/07/10/ِaddressing-vandalism-with-a-tap-the-journey-of-introducing-the-patrolling-feature-in-the-mobile-app/|read more about this project on Diff blog]].
* Editors who have access to [[m:Special:MyLanguage/The_Wikipedia_Library|The Wikipedia Library]] can once again use non-open access content in SpringerLinks, after the Foundation [[phab:T368865|contacted]] them to restore access. You can read more about [[m:Tech/News/Recently_resolved_community_tasks|this and 21 other community-submitted tasks that were completed last week]].
'''Changes later this week'''
* This week, [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Accessibility for reading/Updates/2024-07 deployments|dark mode will be available on a number of Wikipedias]], both desktop and mobile, for logged-in and logged-out users. Interface admins and user script maintainers are encouraged to check gadgets and user scripts in the dark mode, to find any hard-coded colors and fix them. There are some [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Recommendations for night mode compatibility on Wikimedia wikis|recommendations for dark mode compatibility]] to help.
'''Future changes'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Next week, functionaries, volunteers maintaining tools, and software development teams are invited to test the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts|temporary accounts]] feature on testwiki. Temporary accounts is a feature that will help improve privacy on the wikis. No further temporary account deployments are scheduled yet. Please [[mw:Talk:Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts|share your opinions and questions on the project talk page]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T348895]
* Editors who upload files cross-wiki, or teach other people how to do so, may wish to join a Wikimedia Commons discussion. The Commons community is discussing limiting who can upload files through the cross-wiki upload/Upload dialog feature to users auto-confirmed on Wikimedia Commons. This is due to the large amount of copyright violations uploaded this way. There is a short summary at [[c:Special:MyLanguage/Commons:Cross-wiki upload|Commons:Cross-wiki upload]] and [[c:Commons:Village pump/Proposals#Deactivate cross-wiki uploads for new users|discussion at Commons:Village Pump]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/29|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].'' You can also get other news from the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation Bulletin|Wikimedia Foundation Bulletin]].
</div><section end="technews-2024-W29"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 01:31, 16 July 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=27124561 -->
== Tech News: 2024-30 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W30"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/30|Translations]] are available.
'''Feature News'''
* Stewards can now [[:m:Special:MyLanguage/Global_blocks|globally block]] accounts. Before [[phab:T17294|the change]] only IP addresses and IP ranges could be blocked globally. Global account blocks are useful when the blocked user should not be logged out. [[:m:Special:MyLanguage/Global_locks|Global locks]] (a similar tool logging the user out of their account) are unaffected by this change. The new global account block feature is related to the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts|Temporary Accounts]] project, which is a new type of user account that replaces IP addresses of unregistered editors that are no longer made public.
* Later this week, Wikimedia site users will notice that the Interface of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:FlaggedRevs|FlaggedRevs]] (also known as "Pending Changes") is improved and consistent with the rest of the MediaWiki interface and [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Codex|Wikimedia's design system]]. The FlaggedRevs interface experience on mobile and [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Skin:MinervaNeue|Minerva skin]] was inconsistent before it was fixed and ported to [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Codex|Codex]] by the WMF Growth team and some volunteers. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T191156]
* Wikimedia site users can now submit account vanishing requests via [[m:Special:GlobalVanishRequest|GlobalVanishRequest]]. This feature is used when a contributor wishes to stop editing forever. It helps you hide your past association and edit to protect your privacy. Once processed, the account will be locked and renamed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T367329]
* Have you tried monitoring and addressing vandalism in Wikipedia using your phone? [https://diff.wikimedia.org/2024/07/10/%d9%90addressing-vandalism-with-a-tap-the-journey-of-introducing-the-patrolling-feature-in-the-mobile-app/ A Diff blog post on Patrolling features in the Mobile App] highlights some of the new capabilities of the feature, including swiping through a feed of recent changes and a personal library of user talk messages for use when patrolling from your phone.
* Wikimedia contributors and GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums) organisations can now learn and measure the impact Wikimedia Commons is having towards creating quality encyclopedic content using the [https://doc.wikimedia.org/generated-data-platform/aqs/analytics-api/reference/commons.html Commons Impact Metrics] analytics dashboard. The dashboard offers organizations analytics on things like monthly edits in a category, the most viewed files, and which Wikimedia articles are using Commons images. As a result of these new data dumps, GLAM organisation can more reliably measure their return on investment for programs bringing content into the digital Commons. [https://diff.wikimedia.org/2024/07/19/commons-impact-metrics-now-available-via-data-dumps-and-api/]
'''Project Updates'''
* Come share your ideas for improving the wikis on the newly reopened [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist|Community Wishlist]]. The Community Wishlist is Wikimedia’s forum for volunteers to share ideas (called wishes) to improve how the wikis work. The new version of the wishlist is always open, works with both wikitext and Visual Editor, and allows wishes in any language.
'''Learn more'''
* Have you ever wondered how Wikimedia software works across over 300 languages? This is 253 languages more than the Google Chrome interface, and it's no accident. The Language and Product Localization Team at the Wikimedia Foundation supports your work by adapting all the tools and interfaces in the MediaWiki software so that contributors in our movement who translate pages and strings can translate them and have the sites in all languages. Read more about the team and their upcoming work on [https://diff.wikimedia.org/2024/07/17/building-towards-a-robust-multilingual-knowledge-ecosystem-for-the-wikimedia-movement/ Diff].
* How can Wikimedia build innovative and experimental products while maintaining such heavily used websites? A recent [https://diff.wikimedia.org/2024/07/09/on-the-value-of-experimentation/ blog post] by WMF staff Johan Jönsson highlights the work of the [[m:Future Audiences#Objectives and Key Results|WMF Future Audience initiative]], where the goal is not to build polished products but test out new ideas, such as a [[m:Future_Audiences/Experiments: conversational/generative AI|ChatGPT plugin]] and [[m:Future_Audiences/Experiment:Add a Fact|Add a Fact]], to help take Wikimedia into the future.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/30|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].'' You can also get other news from the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation Bulletin|Wikimedia Foundation Bulletin]].
</div><section end="technews-2024-W30"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 00:04, 23 July 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=27142915 -->
== Tech News: 2024-31 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W31"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/31|Translations]] are available.
'''Feature news'''
* Editors using the Visual Editor in languages that use non-Latin characters for numbers, such as Hindi, Manipuri and Eastern Arabic, may notice some changes in the formatting of reference numbers. This is a side effect of preparing a new sub-referencing feature, and will also allow fixing some general numbering issues in Visual Editor. If you notice any related problems on your wiki, please share details at the [[m:Talk:WMDE Technical Wishes/Sub-referencing|project talkpage]].
'''Bugs status'''
* Some logged-in editors were briefly unable to edit or load pages last week. [[phab:T370304|These errors]] were mainly due to the addition of new [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:Linter|linter]] rules which led to caching problems. Fixes have been applied and investigations are continuing.
* Editors can use the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/IP Info|IP Information tool]] to get information about IP addresses. This tool is available as a Beta Feature in your preferences. The tool was not available for a few days last week, but is now working again. Thank you to Shizhao for filing the bug report. You can read about that, and [[m:Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks#2024-07-25|28 other community-submitted tasks]] that were resolved last week.
'''Project updates'''
* There are new features and improvements to Phabricator from the Release Engineering and Collaboration Services teams, and some volunteers, including: the search systems, the new task creation system, the login systems, the translation setup which has resulted in support for more languages (thanks to Pppery), and fixes for many edge-case errors. You can [[phab:phame/post/view/316/iterative_improvements/|read details about these and other improvements in this summary]].
* There is an [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Chart/Project/Updates|update on the Charts project]]. The team has decided which visualization library to use, which chart types to start focusing on, and where to store chart definitions.
* One new wiki has been created: a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikivoyage}} in [[d:Q9056|Czech]] ([[voy:cs:|<code>voy:cs:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T370905]
'''Learn more'''
* There is a [[diffblog:2024/07/26/the-journey-to-open-our-first-data-center-in-south-america/|new Wikimedia Foundation data center]] in São Paulo, Brazil which helps to reduce load times.
* There is new [[diffblog:2024/07/22/the-perplexing-process-of-uploading-images-to-wikipedia/|user research]] on problems with the process of uploading images.
* Commons Impact Metrics are [[diffblog:2024/07/19/commons-impact-metrics-now-available-via-data-dumps-and-api/|now available]] via data dumps and API.
* The latest quarterly [[mw:Technical Community Newsletter/2024/July|Technical Community Newsletter]] is now available.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/31|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W31"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:10, 29 July 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=27164109 -->
== Tech News: 2024-32 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W32"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/32|Translations]] are available.
'''Feature news'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Two new parser functions will be available this week: <code><nowiki>{{</nowiki>[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Magic_words#dir|#dir]]<nowiki>}}</nowiki></code> and <code><nowiki>{{</nowiki>[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Magic_words#bcp47|#bcp47]]<nowiki>}}</nowiki></code>. These will reduce the need for <code>Template:Dir</code> and <code>Template:BCP47</code> on Commons and allow us to [[phab:T343131|drop 100 million rows]] from the "what links here" database. Editors at any wiki that use these templates, can help by replacing the templates with these new functions. The templates at Commons will be updated during the Hackathon at Wikimania. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T359761][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T366623]
* Communities can request the activation of the visual editor on entire namespaces where discussions sometimes happen (for instance ''Wikipedia:'' or ''Wikisource:'' namespaces) if they understand the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:VisualEditor/FAQ#WPNS|known limitations]]. For discussions, users can already use [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:DiscussionTools|DiscussionTools]] in these namespaces.
* The tracking category "Pages using Timeline" has been renamed to "Pages using the EasyTimeline extension" [https://translatewiki.net/wiki/Special:Translations?message=MediaWiki%3ATimeline-tracking-category&namespace=8 in TranslateWiki]. Wikis that have created the category locally should rename their local creation to match.
'''Project updates'''
* Editors who help to organize WikiProjects and similar on-wiki collaborations, are invited to share ideas and examples of successful collaborations with the Campaigns and Programs teams. You can fill out [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Campaigns/WikiProjects|a brief survey]] or share your thoughts [[m:Talk:Campaigns/WikiProjects|on the talkpage]]. The teams are particularly looking for details about successful collaborations on non-English wikis.
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] The new parser is being rolled out on {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikivoyage}} wikis over the next few months. The {{int:project-localized-name-enwikivoyage}} and {{int:project-localized-name-hewikivoyage}} were [[phab:T365367|switched]] to Parsoid last week. For more information, see [[mw:Parsoid/Parser_Unification|Parsoid/Parser Unification]].
'''Learn more'''
* There will be more than 200 sessions at Wikimania this week. Here is a summary of some of the [[diffblog:2024/08/05/interested-in-product-and-tech-here-are-some-wikimania-sessions-you-dont-want-to-miss/|key sessions related to the product and technology area]].
* The latest [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation Bulletin/2024/07-02|Wikimedia Foundation Bulletin]] is available.
* The latest quarterly [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Language and Product Localization/Newsletter/2024/July|Language and Internationalization newsletter]] is available. It includes: New design previews for Translatable pages; Updates about MinT for Wiki Readers; the release of Translation dumps; and more.
* The latest quarterly [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Newsletters/31|Growth newsletter]] is available.
* The latest monthly [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/MediaWiki Product Insights/Reports/July 2024|MediaWiki Product Insights newsletter]] is available.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/32|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W32"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 20:43, 5 August 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=27233905 -->
== Tech News: 2024-33 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W33"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/33|Translations]] are available.
'''Feature news'''
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:AbuseFilter|AbuseFilter]] editors and maintainers can now [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:AbuseFilter/Actions#Show a CAPTCHA|make a CAPTCHA show if a filter matches an edit]]. This allows communities to quickly respond to spamming by automated bots. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T20110]
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Stewards|Stewards]] can now specify if global blocks should prevent account creation. Before [[phab:T17273|this change]] by the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product|Trust and Safety Product]] Team, all global blocks would prevent account creation. This will allow stewards to reduce the unintended side-effects of global blocks on IP addresses.
'''Project updates'''
* [[wikitech:Help talk:Toolforge/Toolforge standards committee#August_2024_committee_nominations|Nominations are open on Wikitech]] for new members to refresh the [[wikitech:Help:Toolforge/Toolforge standards committee|Toolforge standards committee]]. The committee oversees the Toolforge [[wikitech:Help:Toolforge/Right to fork policy|Right to fork policy]] and [[wikitech:Help:Toolforge/Abandoned tool policy|Abandoned tool policy]] among other duties. Nominations will remain open until at least 2024-08-26.
* One new wiki has been created: a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikipedia}} in [[d:Q2880037|West Coast Bajau]] ([[w:bdr:|<code>w:bdr:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T371757]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/33|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W33"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:21, 12 August 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=27253654 -->
== Tech News: 2024-34 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W34"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/34|Translations]] are available.
'''Feature news'''
* Editors who want to re-use references but with different details such as page numbers, will be able to do so by the end of 2024, using a new [[m:Special:MyLanguage/WMDE Technical Wishes/Sub-referencing#Sub-referencing in a nutshell|sub-referencing]] feature. You can read more [[m:Special:MyLanguage/WMDE Technical Wishes/Sub-referencing|about the project]] and [[m:Special:MyLanguage/WMDE Technical Wishes/Sub-referencing#Test|how to test the prototype]].
* Editors using tracking categories to identify which pages use specific extensions may notice that six of the categories have been renamed to make them more easily understood and consistent. These categories are automatically added to pages that use specialized MediaWiki extensions. The affected names are for: [https://translatewiki.net/wiki/Special:Translations?message=MediaWiki%3Aintersection-category&namespace=8 DynamicPageList], [https://translatewiki.net/wiki/Special:Translations?message=MediaWiki%3Akartographer-tracking-category&namespace=8 Kartographer], [https://translatewiki.net/wiki/Special:Translations?message=MediaWiki%3Aphonos-tracking-category&namespace=8 Phonos], [https://translatewiki.net/wiki/Special:Translations?message=MediaWiki%3Arss-tracking-category&namespace=8 RSS], [https://translatewiki.net/wiki/Special:Translations?message=MediaWiki%3Ascore-use-category&namespace=8 Score], [https://translatewiki.net/wiki/Special:Translations?message=MediaWiki%3Awikihiero-usage-tracking-category&namespace=8 WikiHiero]. Wikis that have created the category locally should rename their local creation to match. Thanks to Pppery for these improvements. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T347324]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Technical volunteers who edit modules and want to get a list of the categories used on a page, can now do so using the <code><bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr">categories</bdi></code> property of <code><bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr">[[mediawikiwiki:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Scribunto/Lua reference manual#Title objects|mw.title objects]]</bdi></code>. This enables wikis to configure workflows such as category-specific edit notices. Thanks to SD001 for these improvements. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T50175][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T85372]
'''Bugs status'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Your help is needed to check if any pages need to be moved or deleted. A maintenance script was run to clean up unreachable pages (due to Unicode issues or introduction of new namespaces/namespace aliases). The script tried to find appropriate names for the pages (e.g. by following the Unicode changes or by moving pages whose titles on Wikipedia start with <code>Talk:WP:</code> so that their titles start with <code>Wikipedia talk:</code>), but it may have failed for some pages, and moved them to <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr">[[Special:PrefixIndex/T195546/]]</bdi> instead. Your community should check if any pages are listed there, and move them to the correct titles, or delete them if they are no longer needed. A full log (including pages for which appropriate names could be found) is available in [[phab:P67388]].
* Editors who volunteer as [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Growth/Mentorship|mentors]] to newcomers on their wiki are once again able to access lists of potential mentees who they can connect with to offer help and guidance. This functionality was restored thanks to [[phab:T372164|a bug fix]]. Thank you to Mbch331 for filing the bug report. You can read about that, and 18 other community-submitted tasks that were [[m:Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Project updates'''
* The application deadline for the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Product and Technology Advisory Council/Proposal|Product & Technology Advisory Council]] (PTAC) has been extended to September 16. Members will help by providing advice to Foundation Product and Technology leadership on short and long term plans, on complex strategic problems, and help to get feedback from more contributors and technical communities. Selected members should expect to spend roughly 5 hours per month for the Council, during the one year pilot. Please consider applying, and spread the word to volunteers you think would make a positive contribution to the committee.
'''Learn more'''
* The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Coolest Tool Award#2024 Winners|2024 Coolest Tool Awards]] were awarded at Wikimania, in seven categories. For example, one award went to the ISA Tool, used for adding structured data to files on Commons, which was recently improved during the [[m:Event:Wiki Mentor Africa ISA Hackathon 2024|Wiki Mentor Africa Hackathon]]. You can see video demonstrations of each tool at the awards page. Congratulations to this year's recipients, and thank you to all tool creators and maintainers.
* The latest [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation Bulletin/2024/08-01|Wikimedia Foundation Bulletin]] is available, and includes some highlights from Wikimania, an upcoming Language community meeting, and other news from the movement.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/34|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W34"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 00:54, 20 August 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=27307284 -->
== Tech News: 2024-35 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W35"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/35|Translations]] are available.
'''Feature news'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Administrators can now test the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts|temporary accounts]] feature on test2wiki. This was done to allow cross-wiki testing of temporary accounts, for when temporary accounts switch between projects. The feature was enabled on testwiki a few weeks ago. No further temporary account deployments are scheduled yet. Temporary Accounts is a project to create a new type of user account that replaces IP addresses of unregistered editors which are no longer made public. Please [[mw:Talk:Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts|share your opinions and questions on the project talk page]].
* Later this week, editors at wikis that use [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:FlaggedRevs|FlaggedRevs]] (also known as "Pending Changes") may notice that the indicators at the top of articles have changed. This change makes the system more consistent with the rest of the MediaWiki interface. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T191156]
'''Bugs status'''
* Editors who use the 2010 wikitext editor, and use the Character Insert buttons, will [[phab:T361465|no longer]] experience problems with the buttons adding content into the edit-summary instead of the edit-window. You can read more about that, and 26 other community-submitted tasks that were [[m:Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Project updates'''
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Wishlist item]] Please review and vote on [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist/Focus areas|Focus Areas]], which are groups of wishes that share a problem. Focus Areas were created for the newly reopened Community Wishlist, which is now open year-round for submissions. The first batch of focus areas are specific to moderator workflows, around welcoming newcomers, minimizing repetitive tasks, and prioritizing tasks. Once volunteers have reviewed and voted on focus areas, the Foundation will then review and select focus areas for prioritization.
* Do you have a project and are willing to provide a three (3) month mentorship for an intern? [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Outreachy|Outreachy]] is a twice a year program for people to participate in a paid internship that will start in December 2024 and end in early March 2025, and they need mentors and projects to work on. Projects can be focused on coding or non-coding (design, documentation, translation, research). See the Outreachy page for more details, and a list of past projects since 2013.
'''Learn more'''
* If you're curious about the product and technology improvements made by the Wikimedia Foundation last year, read [[diffblog:2024/08/21/wikimedia-foundation-product-technology-improving-the-user-experience/|this recent highlights summary on Diff]].
* To learn more about the technology behind the Wikimedia projects, you can now watch sessions from the technology track at Wikimania 2024 on Commons. This week, check out:
** [[c:File:Wikimania 2024 - Ohrid - Day 2 - Community Configuration - Shaping On-Wiki Functionality Together.webm|Community Configuration - Shaping On-Wiki Functionality Together]] (55 mins) - about the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Community Configuration|Community Configuration]] project.
** [[c:File:Wikimania 2024 - Belgrade - Day 1 - Future of MediaWiki. A sustainable platform to support a collaborative user base and billions of page views.webm|Future of MediaWiki. A sustainable platform to support a collaborative user base and billions of page views]] (30 mins) - an overview for both technical and non technical audiences, covering some of the challenges and open questions, related to the [[mw:MediaWiki Product Insights|platform evolution, stewardship and developer experiences]] research.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/35|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W35"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 20:33, 26 August 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=27341211 -->
== Tech News: 2024-36 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W36"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/36|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* Editors and volunteer developers interested in data visualisation can now test the new software for charts. Its early version is available on beta Commons and beta Wikipedia. This is an important milestone before making charts available on regular wikis. You can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Chart/Project/Updates|read more about this project update]] and help to test the charts.
'''Feature news'''
* Editors who use the [[{{#special:Unusedtemplates}}]] page can now filter out pages which are expected to be there permanently, such as sandboxes, test-cases, and templates that are always substituted. Editors can add the new magic word [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Magic words#EXPECTUNUSEDTEMPLATE|<code dir="ltr"><nowiki>__EXPECTUNUSEDTEMPLATE__</nowiki></code>]] to a template page to hide it from the listing. Thanks to Sophivorus and DannyS712 for these improvements. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T184633]
* Editors who use the New Topic tool on discussion pages, will [[phab:T334163|now be reminded]] to add a section header, which should help reduce the quantity of newcomers who add sections without a header. You can read more about that, and {{formatnum:28}} other community-submitted tasks that were [[m:Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
* Last week, some Toolforge tools had occasional connection problems. The cause is still being investigated, but the problems have been resolved for now. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T373243]
* Translation administrators at multilingual wikis, when editing multiple translation units, can now easily mark which changes require updates to the translation. This is possible with the [[phab:T298852#10087288|new dropdown menu]].
'''Project updates'''
* A new draft text of a policy discussing the use of Wikimedia's APIs [[m:Special:MyLanguage/API Policy Update 2024|has been published on Meta-Wiki]]. The draft text does not reflect a change in policy around the APIs; instead, it is an attempt to codify existing API rules. Comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome on [[m:Talk:API Policy Update 2024|the proposed update’s talk page]] until September 13 or until those discussions have concluded.
'''Learn more'''
* To learn more about the technology behind the Wikimedia projects, you can now watch sessions from the technology track at Wikimania 2024 on Commons. This week, check out:
** [[c:File:Wikimania 2024 - Ohrid - Day 2 - Charts, the successor of Graphs - A secure and extensible tool for data visualization.webm|Charts, the successor of Graphs - A secure and extensible tool for data visualization]] (25 mins) – about the above-mentioned Charts project.
** [[c:File:Wikimania 2024 - Ohrid - Day 3 - State of Language Technology and Onboarding at Wikimedia.webm|State of Language Technology and Onboarding at Wikimedia]] (90 mins) – about some of the language tools that support Wikimedia sites, such as [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Content translation|Content]]/[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Content translation/Section translation|Section Translation]], [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/MinT|MinT]], and LanguageConverter; also the current state and future of languages onboarding. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T368772]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/36|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W36"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 01:07, 3 September 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=27390268 -->
== Tech News: 2024-37 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W37"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/37|Translations]] are available.
'''Feature news'''
* Starting this week, the standard [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CodeMirror|syntax highlighter]] will receive new colors that make them compatible in dark mode. This is the first of many changes to come as part of a major upgrade to syntax highlighting. You can learn more about what's to come on the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror|help page]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T365311][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T259059]
* Editors of wikis using Wikidata will now be notified of only relevant Wikidata changes in their watchlist. This is because the Lua functions <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>entity:getSitelink()</code></bdi> and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>mw.wikibase.getSitelink(qid)</code></bdi> will have their logic unified for tracking different aspects of sitelinks to reduce junk notifications from [[m:Wikidata For Wikimedia Projects/Projects/Watchlist Wikidata Sitelinks Tracking|inconsistent sitelinks tracking]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T295356]
'''Project updates'''
* Users of all Wikis will have access to Wikimedia sites as read-only for a few minutes on September 25, starting at 15:00 UTC. This is a planned datacenter switchover for maintenance purposes. More information will be published in Tech News and will also be posted on individual wikis in the coming weeks. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T370962]
* Contributors of [[phab:T363538#10123348|11 Wikipedias]], including English will have a new <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>MOS</code></bdi> namespace added to their Wikipedias. This improvement ensures that links beginning with <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>MOS:</code></bdi> (usually shortcuts to the [[w:en:Wikipedia:Manual of Style|Manual of Style]]) are not broken by [[w:en:Mooré|Mooré]] Wikipedia (language code <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>mos</code></bdi>). [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T363538]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/37|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W37"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 18:52, 9 September 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=27424457 -->
== Tech News: 2024-38 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W38"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/38|Translations]] are available.
'''Improvements and Maintenance'''
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Wishlist item]] Editors interested in templates can help by reading the latest Wishlist focus area, [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist/Focus areas/Template recall and discovery|Template recall and discovery]], and share your feedback on the talkpage. This input helps the Community Tech team to decide the right technical approach to build. Everyone is also encouraged to continue adding [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist|new wishes]].
* The new automated [[{{#special:NamespaceInfo}}]] page helps editors understand which [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Namespaces|namespaces]] exist on each wiki, and some details about how they are configured. Thanks to DannyS712 for these improvements. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T263513]
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Edit check#Reference check|References Check]] is a feature that encourages editors to add a citation when they add a new paragraph to a Wikipedia article. For a short time, the corresponding tag "Edit Check (references) activated" was erroneously being applied to some edits outside of the main namespace. This has been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T373692]
* It is now possible for a wiki community to change the order in which a page’s categories are displayed on their wiki. By default, categories are displayed in the order they appear in the wikitext. Now, wikis with a consensus to do so can [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Requesting wiki configuration changes|request]] a configuration change to display them in alphabetical order. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T373480]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Tool authors can now access ToolsDB's [[wikitech:Portal:Data Services#ToolsDB|public databases]] from both [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Research:Quarry|Quarry]] and [[wikitech:Superset|Superset]]. Those databases have always been accessible to every [[wikitech:Portal:Toolforge|Toolforge]] user, but they are now more broadly accessible, as Quarry can be accessed by anyone with a Wikimedia account. In addition, Quarry's internal database can now be [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Research:Quarry#Querying Quarry's own database|queried from Quarry itself]]. This database contains information about all queries that are being run and starred by users in Quarry. This information was already public through the web interface, but you can now query it using SQL. You can read more about that, and {{formatnum:20}} other community-submitted tasks that were [[m:Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
* Any pages or tools that still use the very old CSS classes <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>mw-message-box</code></bdi> need to be updated. These old classes will be removed next week or soon afterwards. Editors can use a [https://global-search.toolforge.org/?q=mw-message-box®ex=1&namespaces=&title= global-search] to determine what needs to be changed. It is possible to use the newer <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>cdx-message</code></bdi> group of classes as a replacement (see [https://doc.wikimedia.org/codex/latest/components/demos/message.html#css-only-version the relevant Codex documentation], and [https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tech/Header&diff=prev&oldid=27449042 an example update]), but using locally defined onwiki classes would be best. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T374499]
'''Technical project updates'''
* Next week, all Wikimedia wikis will be read-only for a few minutes. This will start on September 25 at [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1727276400 15:00 UTC]. This is a planned datacenter switchover for maintenance purposes. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/Server switch|This maintenance process also targets other services.]] The previous switchover took 3 minutes, and the Site Reliability Engineering teams use many tools to make sure that this essential maintenance work happens as quickly as possible. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T370962]
'''Tech in depth'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] The latest monthly [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/MediaWiki Product Insights/Reports/August 2024|MediaWiki Product Insights newsletter]] is available. This edition includes details about: research about [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Hooks|hook]] handlers to help simplify development, research about performance improvements, work to improve the REST API for end-users, and more.
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] To learn more about the technology behind the Wikimedia projects, you can now watch sessions from the technology track at Wikimania 2024 on Commons. This week, check out:
** [[c:File:Wikimania 2024 - Auditorium Kyiv - Day 4 - Hackathon Showcase.webm|Hackathon Showcase]] (45 mins) - 19 short presentations by some of the Hackathon participants, describing some of the projects they worked on, such as automated testing of maintenance scripts, a video-cutting command line tool, and interface improvements for various tools. There are [[phab:T369234|more details and links available]] in the Phabricator task.
** [[c:File:Co-Creating a Sustainable Future for the Toolforge Ecosystem.webm|Co-Creating a Sustainable Future for the Toolforge Ecosystem]] (40 mins) - a roundtable discussion for tool-maintainers, users, and supporters of Toolforge about how to make the platform sustainable and how to evaluate the tools available there.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/38|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W38"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 00:02, 17 September 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=27460876 -->
== Tech News: 2024-39 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W39"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/39|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* All wikis will be [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/Server switch|read-only]] for a few minutes on Wednesday September 25 at [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1727276400 15:00 UTC]. Reading the wikis will not be interrupted, but editing will be paused. These twice-yearly processes allow WMF's site reliability engineering teams to remain prepared to keep the wikis functioning even in the event of a major interruption to one of our data centers.
'''Updates for editors'''
[[File:Add alt text from a halfsheet, with the article behind.png|thumb|A screenshot of the interface for the Alt Text suggested-edit feature]]
* Editors who use the iOS Wikipedia app in Spanish, Portuguese, French, or Chinese, may see the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/iOS Suggested edits project/Alt Text Experiment|Alt Text suggested-edit experiment]] after editing an article, or completing a suggested edit using "[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/iOS Suggested edits project#Hypothesis 2 Add an Image Suggested Edit|Add an image]]". Alt-text helps people with visual impairments to read Wikipedia articles. The team aims to learn if adding alt-text to images is a task that editors can be successful with. Please share any feedback on [[mw:Talk:Wikimedia Apps/iOS Suggested edits project/Alt Text Experiment|the discussion page]].
* The Codex color palette has been updated with new and revised colors for the MediaWiki user interfaces. The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Design System Team/Color/Design documentation#Updates|most noticeable changes]] for editors include updates for: dark mode colors for Links and for quiet Buttons (progressive and destructive), visited Link colors for both light and dark modes, and background colors for system-messages in both light and dark modes.
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] It is now possible to include clickable wikilinks and external links inside code blocks. This includes links that are used within <code><nowiki><syntaxhighlight></nowiki></code> tags and on code pages (JavaScript, CSS, Scribunto and Sanitized CSS). Uses of template syntax <code><nowiki>{{…}}</nowiki></code> are also linked to the template page. Thanks to SD0001 for these improvements. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T368166]
* Two bugs were fixed in the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Account vanishing|GlobalVanishRequest]] system by improving the logging and by removing an incorrect placeholder message. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T370595][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T372223]
* View all {{formatnum:25}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:25|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] From [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Enterprise|Wikimedia Enterprise]]:
** The API now enables 5,000 on-demand API requests per month and twice-monthly HTML snapshots freely (gratis and libre). More information on the updates and also improvements to the software development kits (SDK) are explained on [https://enterprise.wikimedia.com/blog/enhanced-free-api/ the project's blog post]. While Wikimedia Enterprise APIs are designed for high-volume commercial reusers, this change enables many more community use-cases to be built on the service too.
** The Snapshot API (html dumps) have added beta Structured Contents endpoints ([https://enterprise.wikimedia.com/blog/structured-contents-snapshot-api/ blog post on that]) as well as released two beta datasets (English and French Wikipedia) from that endpoint to Hugging Face for public use and feedback ([https://enterprise.wikimedia.com/blog/hugging-face-dataset/ blog post on that]). These pre-parsed data sets enable new options for researchers, developers, and data scientists to use and study the content.
'''In depth'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] The Wikidata Query Service (WDQS) is used to get answers to questions using the Wikidata data set. As Wikidata grows, we had to make a major architectural change so that WDQS could remain performant. As part of the [[d:Special:MyLanguage/Wikidata:SPARQL query service/WDQS graph split|WDQS Graph Split project]], we have new SPARQL endpoints available for serving the "[https://query-scholarly.wikidata.org scholarly]" and "[https://query-main.wikidata.org main]" subgraphs of Wikidata. The [http://query.wikidata.org query.wikidata.org endpoint] will continue to serve the full Wikidata graph until March 2025. After this date, it will only serve the main graph. For more information, please see [[d:Special:MyLanguage/Wikidata:SPARQL query service/WDQS backend update/September 2024 scaling update|the announcement on Wikidata]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/39|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W39"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:36, 23 September 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=27493779 -->
== Tech News: 2024-40 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W40"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/40|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* Readers of [[phab:T375401|42 more wikis]] can now use Dark Mode. If the option is not yet available for logged-out users of your wiki, this is likely because many templates do not yet display well in Dark Mode. Please use the [https://night-mode-checker.wmcloud.org/ night-mode-checker tool] if you are interested in helping to reduce the number of issues. The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Recommendations for night mode compatibility on Wikimedia wikis|recommendations page]] provides guidance on this. Dark Mode is enabled on additional wikis once per month.
* Editors using the 2010 wikitext editor as their default can access features from the 2017 wikitext editor by adding <code dir=ltr>?veaction=editsource</code> to the URL. If you would like to enable the 2017 wikitext editor as your default, it can be set in [[Special:Preferences#mw-input-wpvisualeditor-newwikitext|your preferences]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T239796]
* For logged-out readers using the Vector 2022 skin, the "donate" link has been moved from a collapsible menu next to the content area into a more prominent top menu, next to "Create an account". This restores the link to the level of prominence it had in the Vector 2010 skin. [[mw:Readers/2024 Reader and Donor Experiences#Donor Experiences (Key Result WE 3.2 and the related hypotheses)|Learn more]] about the changes related to donor experiences. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T373585]
* The CampaignEvents extension provides tools for organizers to more easily manage events, communicate with participants, and promote their events on the wikis. The extension has been [[m:Special:MyLanguage/CampaignEvents/Deployment status|enabled]] on Arabic Wikipedia, Igbo Wikipedia, Swahili Wikipedia, and Meta-Wiki. [[w:zh:Wikipedia:互助客栈/其他#引進CampaignEvents擴充功能|Chinese Wikipedia has decided]] to enable the extension, and discussions on the extension are in progress [[w:es:Wikipedia:Votaciones/2024/Sobre la política de Organizadores de Eventos|on Spanish Wikipedia]] and [[d:Wikidata:Project chat#Enabling the CampaignEvents Extention on Wikidata|on Wikidata]]. To learn how to enable the extension on your wiki, you can visit [[m:Special:MyLanguage/CampaignEvents|the CampaignEvents page on Meta-Wiki]].
* View all {{formatnum:22}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:22|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* Developers with an account on Wikitech-wiki should [[wikitech:Wikitech/SUL-migration|check if any action is required]] for their accounts. The wiki is being changed to use the single-user-login (SUL) system, and other configuration changes. This change will help reduce the overall complexity for the weekly software updates across all our wikis.
'''In depth'''
* The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/Server switch|server switch]] was completed successfully last week with a read-only time of [[wikitech:Switch Datacenter#Past Switches|only 2 minutes 46 seconds]]. This periodic process makes sure that engineers can switch data centers and keep all of the wikis available for readers, even if there are major technical issues. It also gives engineers a chance to do maintenance and upgrades on systems that normally run 24 hours a day, and often helps to reveal weaknesses in the infrastructure. The process involves dozens of software services and hundreds of hardware servers, and requires multiple teams working together. Work over the past few years has reduced the time from 17 minutes down to 2–3 minutes. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/66ZW7B2MG63AESQVTXDIFQBDBS766JGW/]
'''Meetings and events'''
* October 4–6: [[m:Special:MyLanguage/WikiIndaba conference 2024|WikiIndaba Conference's Hackathon]] in Johannesburg, South Africa
* November 4–6: [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/MediaWiki Users and Developers Conference Fall 2024|MediaWiki Users and Developers Conference Fall 2024]] in Vienna, Austria
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/40|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W40"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 22:20, 30 September 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=27530062 -->
== Tech News: 2024-41 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W41"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/41|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* Communities can now request installation of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Moderator Tools/Automoderator|Automoderator]] on their wiki. Automoderator is an automated anti-vandalism tool that reverts bad edits based on scores from the new "Revert Risk" machine learning model. You can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:AutoModerator/Deploying|read details about the necessary steps]] for installation and configuration. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T336934]
'''Updates for editors'''
* Translators in wikis where [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Content translation/Section translation#Try the tool|the mobile experience of Content Translation is available]], can now customize their articles suggestion list from 41 filtering options when using the tool. This topic-based article suggestion feature makes it easy for translators to self-discover relevant articles based on their area of interest and translate them. You can [https://test.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:ContentTranslation&active-list=suggestions try it with your mobile device]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T368422]
* View all {{formatnum:12}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:12|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* It is now possible for <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki><syntaxhighlight></nowiki></code></bdi> code blocks to offer readers a "Copy" button if the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>copy=1</nowiki></code></bdi> attribute is [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:SyntaxHighlight#copy|set on the tag]]. Thanks to SD0001 for these improvements. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T40932]
* Customized copyright footer messages on all wikis will be updated. The new versions will use wikitext markup instead of requiring editing raw HTML. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T375789]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Later this month, [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts|temporary accounts]] will be rolled out on several pilot wikis. The final list of the wikis will be published in the second half of the month. If you maintain any tools, bots, or gadgets on [[phab:T376499|these 11 wikis]], and your software is using data about IP addresses or is available for logged-out users, please check if it needs to be updated to work with temporary accounts. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts/For developers|Guidance on how to update the code is available]].
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Rate limiting has been enabled for the code review tools [[Wikitech:Gerrit|Gerrit]] and [[Wikitech:GitLab|GitLab]] to address ongoing issues caused by malicious traffic and scraping. Clients that open too many concurrent connections will be restricted for a few minutes. This rate limiting is managed through [[Wikitech:nftables|nftables]] firewall rules. For more details, see Wikitech's pages on [[Wikitech:Firewall#Throttling with nftables|Firewall]], [[Wikitech:GitLab/Abuse and rate limiting|GitLab limits]] and [[Wikitech:Gerrit/Operations#Throttling IPs|Gerrit operations]].
* Five new wikis have been created:
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikipedia}} in [[d:Q49224|Komering]] ([[w:kge:|<code>w:kge:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T374813]
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikipedia}} in [[d:Q36096|Mooré]] ([[m:mos:|<code>m:mos:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T374641]
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wiktionary}} in [[d:Q36213|Madurese]] ([[wikt:mad:|<code>wikt:mad:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T374968]
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikiquote}} in [[d:Q2501174|Gorontalo]] ([[q:gor:|<code>q:gor:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T375088]
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikinews}} in [[d:Q56482|Shan]] ([[n:shn:|<code>n:shn:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T375430]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/41|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W41"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:42, 7 October 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=27557422 -->
== Tech News: 2024-42 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W42"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/42|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* The Structured Discussion extension (also known as Flow) is starting to be removed. This extension is unmaintained and causes issues. It will be replaced by [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:DiscussionTools|DiscussionTools]], which is used on any regular talk page. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Structured Discussions/Deprecation#Deprecation timeline|A first set of wikis]] are being contacted. These wikis are invited to stop using Flow, and to move all Flow boards to sub-pages, as archives. At these wikis, a script will move all Flow pages that aren't a sub-page to a sub-page automatically, starting on 22 October 2024. On 28 October 2024, all Flow boards at these wikis will be set in read-only mode. [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Structured_Discussions/Deprecation][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T370722]
* WMF's Search Platform team is working on making it easier for readers to perform text searches in their language. A [[phab:T332342|change last week]] on over 30 languages makes it easier to find words with accents and other diacritics. This applies to both full-text search and to types of advanced search such as the <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">''hastemplate''</bdi> and <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">''incategory''</bdi> keywords. More technical details (including a few other minor search upgrades) are available. [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/User:TJones_%28WMF%29/Notes/Language_Analyzer_Harmonization_Notes#ASCII-folding/ICU-folding_%28T332342%29]
* View all {{formatnum:20}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:20|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Edit check|EditCheck]] was installed at Russian Wikipedia, and fixes were made for some missing user interface styles.
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* Editors who use the Toolforge tool [[toolforge:copyvios|Earwig's Copyright Violation Detector]] will now be required to log in with their Wikimedia account before running checks using the "search engine" option. This change is needed to help prevent external bots from misusing the system. Thanks to Chlod for these improvements. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_talk:New_pages_patrol/Reviewers#Authentication_is_now_required_for_search_engine_checks_on_Earwig's_Copyvio_Tool]
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Phabricator|Phabricator]] users can create tickets and add comments on existing tickets via Email again. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Phabricator/Help#Using email|Sending email to Phabricator]] has been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T356077]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Some HTML elements in the interface are now wrapped with a <code><nowiki><bdi></nowiki></code> element, to make our HTML output more aligned with Web standards. More changes like this will be coming in future weeks. This change might break some tools that rely on the previous HTML structure of the interface. Note that relying on the HTML structure of the interface is [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Stable interface policy/Frontend#What is not stable?|not recommended]] and might break at any time. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T375975]
'''In depth'''
* The latest monthly [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/MediaWiki Product Insights/Reports/September 2024|MediaWiki Product Insights newsletter]] is available. This edition includes: updates on Wikimedia's authentication system, research to simplify feature development in the MediaWiki platform, updates on Parser Unification and MathML rollout, and more.
* The latest quarterly [[mw:Technical Community Newsletter/2024/October|Technical Community Newsletter]] is now available. This edition include: research about improving topic suggestions related to countries, improvements to PHPUnit tests, and more.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/42|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W42"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 21:21, 14 October 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=27597254 -->
== Tech News: 2024-43 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W43"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/43|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* The Mobile Apps team has released an [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/iOS/Navigation Refresh#Phase 1: Creating a user Profile Menu (T373714)|update]] to the iOS app's navigation, and it is now available in the latest App store version. The team added a new Profile menu that allows for easy access to editor features like Notifications and Watchlist from the Article view, and brings the "Donate" button into a more accessible place for users who are reading an article. This is the first phase of a larger planned [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/iOS/Navigation Refresh|navigation refresh]] to help the iOS app transition from a primarily reader-focused app, to an app that fully supports reading and editing. The Wikimedia Foundation has added more editing features and support for on-wiki communication based on volunteer requests in recent years.
[[File:IOS App Navigation refresh first phase 05.png|thumb|iOS Wikipedia App's profile menu and contents]]
'''Updates for editors'''
* Wikipedia readers can now download a browser extension to experiment with some early ideas on potential features that recommend articles for further reading, automatically summarize articles, and improve search functionality. For more details and to stay updated, check out the Web team's [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Content Discovery Experiments|Content Discovery Experiments page]] and [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Newsletter:Web team's projects|subscribe to their newsletter]].
* Later this month, logged-out editors of [[phab:T376499|these 12 wikis]] will start to have [[mw:Special:Mylanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts|temporary accounts]] created. The list may slightly change - some wikis may be removed but none will be added. Temporary account is a new [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/User account types|type of user account]]. It enhances the logged-out editors' privacy and makes it easier for community members to communicate with them. If you maintain any tools, bots, or gadgets on these 12 wikis, and your software is using data about IP addresses or is available for logged-out users, please check if it needs to be updated to work with temporary accounts. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts/For developers|Guidance on how to update the code is available]]. Read more about the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts/Updates|deployment plan across all wikis]].
* View all {{formatnum:33}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:33|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the [[w:nr:Main Page|South Ndebele]], [[w:rsk:Главни бок|Pannonian Rusyn]], [[w:ann:Uwu|Obolo]], [[w:iba:Lambar Keterubah|Iban]] and [[w:tdd:ᥞᥨᥝᥴ ᥘᥣᥲ ᥖᥥᥰ|Tai Nüa]] Wikipedia languages were created last week. [https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q36785][https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q35660][https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q36614][https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q33424][https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q36556]
* It is now possible to create functions on Wikifunctions using Wikidata lexemes, through the new [[f:Z6005|Wikidata lexeme type]] launched last week. When you go to one of these functions, the user interface provides a lexeme selector that helps you pick a lexeme from Wikidata that matches the word you type. After hitting run, your selected lexeme is retrieved from Wikidata, transformed into a Wikidata lexeme type, and passed into the selected function. Read more about this in [[f:Special:MyLanguage/Wikifunctions:Status updates/2024-10-17#Function of the Week: select representation from lexeme|the latest Wikifunctions newsletter]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Users of the Wikimedia sites can now format dates more easily in different languages with the new <code dir="ltr">{{[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:ParserFunctions##timef|#timef]]:…}}</code> parser function. For example, <code dir="ltr"><nowiki>{{#timef:now|date|en}}</nowiki></code> will show as "<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">{{#timef:now|date|en}}</bdi>". Previously, <code dir="ltr"><nowiki>{{#time:…}}</nowiki></code> could be used to format dates, but this required knowledge of the order of the time and date components and their intervening punctuation. <code dir="ltr">#timef</code> (or <code dir="ltr">#timefl</code> for local time) provides access to the standard date formats that MediaWiki uses in its user interface. This may help to simplify some templates on multi-lingual wikis like Commons and Meta. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T223772][https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:ParserFunctions##timef]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Commons and Meta users can now efficiently [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Magic words#Localization|retrieve the user's language]] using <code dir="ltr"><nowiki>{{USERLANGUAGE}}</nowiki></code> instead of using <code dir="ltr"><nowiki>{{int:lang}}</nowiki></code>. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T4085]
* The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Product and Technology Advisory Council|Product and Tech Advisory Council]] (PTAC) now has its pilot members with representation across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America. They will work to address the [[Special:MyLanguage/Movement Strategy/Initiatives/Technology Council|Movement Strategy's Technology Council]] initiative of having a co-defined and more resilient technological platform. [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Movement_Strategy/Initiatives/Technology_Council]
'''In depth'''
* The latest quarterly [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Newsletters/32|Growth newsletter]] is available. It includes: an upcoming Newcomer Homepage Community Updates module, new Community Configuration options, and details on new projects.
* The Wikimedia Foundation is [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Security Team#CNA Partnership|now an official partner of the CVE program]], which is an international effort to catalog publicly disclosed cybersecurity vulnerabilities. This partnership will allow the Security Team to instantly publish [[w:en:Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures|common vulnerabilities and exposures]] (CVE) records that are affecting MediaWiki core, extensions, and skins, along with any other code the Foundation is a steward of.
* The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist|Community Wishlist]] is now [[m:Community Wishlist/Updates#October 16, 2024: Conversations Made Easier: Machine-Translated Wishes Are Here!|testing machine translations]] for Wishlist content. Volunteers can now read machine-translated versions of wishes and dive into discussions even before translators arrive to translate content.
'''Meetings and events'''
* 24 October - Wiki Education Speaker Series Webinar - [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/N4XTB4G55BUY3M3PNGUAKQWJ7A4UOPAK/ Open Source Tech: Building the Wiki Education Dashboard], featuring Wikimedia interns and a Web developer in the panel.
* 20–22 December 2024 - [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Indic Wikimedia Hackathon Bhubaneswar 2024|Indic Wikimedia Hackathon Bhubaneswar 2024]] in Odisha, India. A hackathon for community members, including developers, designers and content editors, to build technical solutions that improve contributors' experiences.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/43|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W43"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 20:52, 21 October 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=27634672 -->
== Tech News: 2024-44 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W44"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/44|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* Later in November, the Charts extension will be deployed to the test wikis in order to help identify and fix any issue. A security review is underway to then enable deployment to pilot wikis for broader testing. You can read [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Chart/Project/Updates#October 2024: Working towards production deployment|the October project update]] and see the [https://en.wikipedia.beta.wmflabs.org/wiki/Charts latest documentation and examples on Beta Wikipedia].
* View all {{formatnum:32}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:32|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, [[w:en:PediaPress|Pediapress.com]], an external service that creates books from Wikipedia, can now use [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Maps|Wikimedia Maps]] to include existing pre-rendered infobox map images in their printed books on Wikipedia. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T375761]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* Wikis can use [[:mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:GuidedTour|the Guided Tour extension]] to help newcomers understand how to edit. The Guided Tours extension now works with [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Dark mode|dark mode]]. Guided Tour maintainers can check their tours to see that nothing looks odd. They can also set <code>emitTransitionOnStep</code> to <code>true</code> to fix an old bug. They can use the new flag <code>allowAutomaticBack</code> to avoid back-buttons they don't want. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T73927#10241528]
* Administrators in the Wikimedia projects who use the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:Nuke|Nuke Extension]] will notice that mass deletions done with this tool have the "Nuke" tag. This change will make reviewing and analyzing deletions performed with the tool easier. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T366068]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/44|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W44"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 20:56, 28 October 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=27668811 -->
== Tech News: 2024-45 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W45"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/45|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* Stewards can now make [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Global blocks|global account blocks]] cause global [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Autoblock|autoblocks]]. This will assist stewards in preventing abuse from users who have been globally blocked. This includes preventing globally blocked temporary accounts from exiting their session or switching browsers to make subsequent edits for 24 hours. Previously, temporary accounts could exit their current session or switch browsers to continue editing. This is an anti-abuse tool improvement for the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts|Temporary Accounts]] project. You can read more about the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts/Updates|progress on key features for temporary accounts]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T368949]
* Wikis that have the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/CampaignEvents/Deployment status|CampaignEvents extension enabled]] can now use the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Campaigns/Foundation Product Team/Event list#October 29, 2024: Collaboration List launched|Collaboration List]] feature. This list provides a new, easy way for contributors to learn about WikiProjects on their wikis. Thanks to the Campaign team for this work that is part of [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation Annual Plan/2024-2025/Product %26 Technology OKRs#WE KRs|the 2024/25 annual plan]]. If you are interested in bringing the CampaignEvents extension to your wiki, you can [[m:Special:MyLanguage/CampaignEvents/Deployment status#How to Request the CampaignEvents Extension for your wiki|follow these steps]] or you can reach out to User:Udehb-WMF for help.
* The text color for red links will be slightly changed later this week to improve their contrast in light mode. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T370446]
* View all {{formatnum:32}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:32|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, on multilingual wikis, users [[phab:T216368|can now]] hide translations from the WhatLinksHere special page.
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* XML [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Data dumps|data dumps]] have been temporarily paused whilst a bug is investigated. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/xmldatadumps-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/BXWJDPO5QI2QMBCY7HO36ELDCRO6HRM4/]
'''In depth'''
* Temporary Accounts have been deployed to six wikis; thanks to the Trust and Safety Product team for [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts|this work]], you can read about [[phab:T340001|the deployment plans]]. Beginning next week, Temporary Accounts will also be enabled on [[phab:T378336|seven other projects]]. If you are active on these wikis and need help migrating your tools, please reach out to [[m:User:Udehb-WMF|User:Udehb-WMF]] for assistance.
* The latest quarterly [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Language and Product Localization/Newsletter/2024/October|Language and Internationalization newsletter]] is available. It includes: New languages supported in translatewiki or in MediaWiki; New keyboard input methods for some languages; details about recent and upcoming meetings, and more.
'''Meetings and events'''
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/MediaWiki Users and Developers Conference Fall 2024|MediaWiki Users and Developers Conference Fall 2024]] is happening in Vienna, Austria and online from 4 to 6 November 2024. The conference will feature discussions around the usage of MediaWiki software by and within companies in different industries and will inspire and onboard new users.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/45|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W45"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 20:50, 4 November 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=27693917 -->
== Tech News: 2024-46 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W46"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/46|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* On wikis with the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:Translate|Translate extension]] enabled, users will notice that the FuzzyBot will now automatically create translated versions of categories used on translated pages. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T285463]
* View all {{formatnum:29}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:29|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the submitted task to use the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:SecurePoll|SecurePoll extension]] for English Wikipedia's special [[w:en:Wikipedia:Administrator elections|administrator election]] was resolved on time. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T371454]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] In <code dir="ltr">[[mw:MediaWiki_1.44/wmf.2|1.44.0-wmf-2]]</code>, the logic of Wikibase function <code>getAllStatements</code> changed to behave like <code>getBestStatements</code>. Invoking the function now returns a copy of values which are immutable. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T270851]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/api/rest_v1/ Wikimedia REST API] users, such as bot operators and tool maintainers, may be affected by ongoing upgrades. The API will be rerouting some page content endpoints from RESTbase to the newer [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/API:REST API|MediaWiki REST API]] endpoints. The [[phab:T374683|impacted endpoints]] include getting page/revision metadata and rendered HTML content. These changes will be available on testwiki later this week, with other projects to follow. This change should not affect existing functionality, but active users of the impacted endpoints should verify behavior on testwiki, and raise any concerns on the related [[phab:T374683|Phabricator ticket]].
'''In depth'''
* Admins and users of the Wikimedia projects [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Moderator_Tools/Automoderator#Usage|where Automoderator is enabled]] can now monitor and evaluate important metrics related to Automoderator's actions. [https://superset.wmcloud.org/superset/dashboard/unified-automoderator-activity-dashboard/ This Superset dashboard] calculates and aggregates metrics about Automoderator's behaviour on the projects in which it is deployed. Thanks to the Moderator Tools team for this Dashboard; you can visit [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Moderator Tools/Automoderator/Unified Activity Dashboard|the documentation page]] for more information about this work. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T369488]
'''Meetings and events'''
* 21 November 2024 ([[m:Special:MyLanguage/Event:Commons community discussion - 21 November 2024 8:00 UTC|8:00 UTC]] & [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Event:Commons community discussion - 21 November 2024 16:00 UTC|16:00 UTC]]) - [[c:Commons:WMF support for Commons/Commons community calls|Community call]] with Wikimedia Commons volunteers and stakeholders to help prioritize support efforts for 2025-2026 Fiscal Year. The theme of this call is how content should be organised on Wikimedia Commons.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/46|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W46"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 00:07, 12 November 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=27732268 -->
== Tech News: 2024-47 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W47"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/47|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* Users of Wikimedia sites will now be warned when they create a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Redirects|redirect]] to a page that doesn't exist. This will reduce the number of broken redirects to red links in our projects. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T326057]
* View all {{formatnum:42}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:42|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Pywikibot/Overview|Pywikibot]], which automates work on MediaWiki sites, was upgraded to 9.5.0 on Toolforge. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T378676]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* On wikis that use the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:FlaggedRevs|FlaggedRevs extension]], pages created or moved by users with the appropriate permissions are marked as flagged automatically. This feature has not been working recently, and changes fixing it should be deployed this week. Thanks to Daniel and Wargo for working on this. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T379218][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T368380]
'''In depth'''
* There is a new [https://diff.wikimedia.org/2024/11/05/say-hi-to-temporary-accounts-easier-collaboration-with-logged-out-editors-with-better-privacy-protection Diff post] about Temporary Accounts, available in more than 15 languages. Read it to learn about what Temporary Accounts are, their impact on different groups of users, and the plan to introduce the change on all wikis.
'''Meetings and events'''
* Technical volunteers can now register for the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Hackathon 2025|2025 Wikimedia Hackathon]], which will take place in Istanbul, Turkey. [https://pretix.eu/wikimedia/hackathon2025/ Application for travel and accommodation scholarships] is open from '''November 12 to December 10 2024'''. The registration for the event will close in mid-April 2025. The Wikimedia Hackathon is an annual gathering that unites the global technical community to collaborate on existing projects and explore new ideas.
* Join the [[C:Special:MyLanguage/Commons:WMF%20support%20for%20Commons/Commons%20community%20calls|Wikimedia Commons community calls]] this week to help prioritize support for Commons which will be planned for 2025–2026. The theme will be how content should be organised on Wikimedia Commons. This is an opportunity for volunteers who work on different things to come together and talk about what matters for the future of the project. The calls will take place '''November 21, 2024, [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Event:Commons community discussion - 21 November 2024 8:00 UTC|8:00 UTC]] and [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Event:Commons community discussion - 21 November 2024 16:00 UTC|16:00 UTC]]'''.
* A [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Language_and_Product_Localization/Community meetings#29 November 2024|Language community meeting]] will take place '''November 29, 16:00 UTC''' to discuss updates and technical problem-solving.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/47|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W47"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 02:00, 19 November 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=27806858 -->
== Tech News: 2024-48 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W48"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/48|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Wishlist item]] A new version of the standard wikitext editor-mode [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CodeMirror|syntax highlighter]] will be available as a [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures|beta feature]] later this week. This brings many new features and bug fixes, including right-to-left support, [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror#Template folding|template folding]], [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror#Autocompletion|autocompletion]], and an improved search panel. You can learn more on the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror|help page]].
* The 2010 wikitext editor now supports common keyboard shortcuts such <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>Ctrl</code>+<code>B</code></bdi> for bold and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>Ctrl</code>+<code>I</code></bdi> for italics. A full [[mw:Help:Extension:WikiEditor#Keyboard shortcuts|list of all six shortcuts]] is available. Thanks to SD0001 for this improvement. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T62928]
* Starting November 28, Flow/Structured Discussions pages will be automatically archived and set to read-only at the following wikis: <bdi>bswiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>elwiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>euwiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>fawiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>fiwiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>frwikiquote</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>frwikisource</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>frwikiversity</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>frwikivoyage</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>idwiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>lvwiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>plwiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>ptwiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>urwiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>viwikisource</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>zhwikisource</bdi>. This is done as part of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Structured_Discussions/Deprecation|StructuredDiscussions deprecation work]]. If you need any assistance to archive your page in advance, please contact [[m:User:Trizek (WMF)|Trizek (WMF)]].
* View all {{formatnum:25}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:25|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, a user creating a new AbuseFilter can now only set the filter to "protected" [[phab:T377765|if it includes a protected variable]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CodeEditor|CodeEditor]], which can be used in JavaScript, CSS, JSON, and Lua pages, [[phab:T377663|now offers]] live autocompletion. Thanks to SD0001 for this improvement. The feature can be temporarily disabled on a page by pressing <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>Ctrl</code>+<code>,</code></bdi> and un-selecting "<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">Live Autocompletion</bdi>".
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Tool-maintainers who use the Graphite system for tracking metrics, need to migrate to the newer Prometheus system. They can check [https://grafana.wikimedia.org/d/K6DEOo5Ik/grafana-graphite-datasource-utilization?orgId=1 this dashboard] and the list in the Description of the [[phab:T350592|task T350592]] to see if their tools are listed, and they should claim metrics and dashboards connected to their tools. They can then disable or migrate all existing metrics by following the instructions in the task. The Graphite service will become read-only in April. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/KLUV4IOLRYXPQFWD6WKKJUHMWE77BMSZ/]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/NewPP parser report|New PreProcessor parser performance report]] has been fixed to give an accurate count for the number of Wikibase entities accessed. It had previously been resetting after 400 entities. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T279069]
'''Meetings and events'''
* A [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Language_and_Product_Localization/Community meetings#29 November 2024|Language community meeting]] will take place November 29 at [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1732896000 16:00 UTC]. There will be presentations on topics like developing language keyboards, the creation of the Mooré Wikipedia, the language support track at [[m:Wiki Indaba|Wiki Indaba]], and a report from the Wayuunaiki community on their experiences with the Incubator and as a new community over the last 3 years. This meeting will be in English and will also have Spanish interpretation.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/48|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W48"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 22:42, 25 November 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=27847039 -->
== Tech News: 2024-49 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W49"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/49|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* Two new parser functions were added this week. The <code dir="ltr"><nowiki>{{</nowiki>[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Magic words#interwikilink|#interwikilink]]<nowiki>}}</nowiki></code> function adds an [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Links#Interwiki links|interwiki link]] and the <code dir="ltr"><nowiki>{{</nowiki>[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Magic words#interlanguagelink|#interlanguagelink]]<nowiki>}}</nowiki></code> function adds an [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Links#Interlanguage links|interlanguage link]]. These parser functions are useful on wikis where namespaces conflict with interwiki prefixes. For example, links beginning with <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>MOS:</code></bdi> on English Wikipedia [[phab:T363538|conflict with the <code>mos</code> language code prefix of Mooré Wikipedia]].
* Starting this week, Wikimedia wikis no longer support connections using old RSA-based HTTPS certificates, specifically rsa-2048. This change is to improve security for all users. Some older, unsupported browser or smartphone devices will be unable to connect; Instead, they will display a connectivity error. See the [[wikitech:HTTPS/Browser_Recommendations|HTTPS Browser Recommendations page]] for more-detailed information. All modern operating systems and browsers are always able to reach Wikimedia projects. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/CTYEHVNSXUD3NFAAMG3BLZVTVQWJXJAH/]
* Starting December 16, Flow/Structured Discussions pages will be automatically archived and set to read-only at the following wikis: <bdi>arwiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>cawiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>frwiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>mediawikiwiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>orwiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>wawiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>wawiktionary</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>wikidatawiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>zhwiki</bdi>. This is done as part of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Structured_Discussions/Deprecation|StructuredDiscussions deprecation work]]. If you need any assistance to archive your page in advance, please contact [[m:User:Trizek (WMF)|Trizek (WMF)]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T380910]
* This month the Chart extension was deployed to production and is now available on Commons and Testwiki. With the security review complete, pilot wiki deployment is expected to start in the first week of December. You can see a working version [[testwiki:Charts|on Testwiki]] and read [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Chart/Project/Updates|the November project update]] for more details.
* View all {{formatnum:23}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:23|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, a bug with the "Download as PDF" system was fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T376438]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* In late February, temporary accounts will be rolled out on at least 10 large wikis. This deployment will have a significant effect on the community-maintained code. This is about Toolforge tools, bots, gadgets, and user scripts that use IP address data or that are available for logged-out users. The Trust and Safety Product team wants to identify this code, monitor it, and assist in updating it ahead of the deployment to minimize disruption to workflows. The team asks technical editors and volunteer developers to help identify such tools by adding them to [[mw:Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts/For developers/Impacted tools|this list]]. In addition, review the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts/For developers|updated documentation]] to learn how to adjust the tools. Join the discussions on the [[mw:Talk:Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts|project talk page]] or in the [[discord:channels/221049808784326656/1227616742340034722|dedicated thread]] on the [[w:Wikipedia:Discord|Wikimedia Community Discord server (in English)]] for support and to share feedback.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/49|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W49"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 22:22, 2 December 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=27873992 -->
== Tech News: 2024-50 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W50"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/50|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* Technical documentation contributors can find updated resources, and new ways to connect with each other and the Wikimedia Technical Documentation Team, at the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Documentation|Documentation hub]] on MediaWiki.org. This page links to: resources for writing and improving documentation, a new <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr">#wikimedia-techdocs</bdi> IRC channel on libera.chat, a listing of past and upcoming documentation events, and ways to request a documentation consultation or review. If you have any feedback or ideas for improvements to the documentation ecosystem, please [[mw:Wikimedia Technical Documentation Team#Contact us|contact the Technical Documentation Team]].
'''Updates for editors'''
[[File:Edit Check on Desktop.png|thumb|Layout change for the Edit Check feature]]
* Later this week, [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Edit check|Edit Check]] will be relocated to a sidebar on desktop. Edit check is the feature for new editors to help them follow policies and guidelines. This layout change creates space to present people with [[mw:Edit check#1 November 2024|new Checks]] that appear ''while'' they are typing. The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Edit check#Reference Check A/B Test|initial results]] show newcomers encountering Edit Check are 2.2 times more likely to publish a new content edit that includes a reference and is not reverted.
* The Chart extension, which enables editors to create data visualizations, was successfully made available on MediaWiki.org and three pilot wikis (Italian, Swedish, and Hebrew Wikipedias). You can see a working examples [[testwiki:Charts|on Testwiki]] and read [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Chart/Project/Updates|the November project update]] for more details.
* Translators in wikis where the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Content translation/Section translation#Try the tool|mobile experience of Content Translation is available]], can now discover articles in Wikiproject campaigns of their interest from the "[https://test.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:ContentTranslation&campaign=specialcx&filter-type=automatic&filter-id=collections&active-list=suggestions&from=es&to=en All collection]" category in the articles suggestion feature. Wikiproject Campaign organizers can use this feature, to help translators to discover articles of interest, by adding the <code dir=ltr><nowiki><page-collection> </page-collection></nowiki></code> tag to their campaign article list page on Meta-wiki. This will make those articles discoverable in the Content Translation tool. For more detailed information on how to use the tool and tag, please refer to [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Translation suggestions: Topic-based & Community-defined lists/How to use the features|the step-by-step guide]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T378958]
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Nuke|Nuke]] feature, which enables administrators to mass delete pages, now has a [[phab:T376379#10310998|multiselect filter for namespace selection]]. This enables users to select multiple specific namespaces, instead of only one or all, when fetching pages for deletion.
* The Nuke feature also now [[phab:T364225#10371365|provides links]] to the userpage of the user whose pages were deleted, and to the pages which were not selected for deletion, after page deletions are queued. This enables easier follow-up admin-actions. Thanks to Chlod and the Moderator Tools team for both of these improvements. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T364225#10371365]
* The Editing Team is working on making it easier to populate citations from archive.org using the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Citoid/Enabling Citoid on your wiki|Citoid]] tool, the auto-filled citation generator. They are asking communities to add two parameters preemptively, <code dir=ltr>archiveUrl</code> and <code dir=ltr>archiveDate</code>, within the TemplateData for each citation template using Citoid. You can see an [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template%3ACite_web%2Fdoc&diff=1261320172&oldid=1260788022 example of a change in a template], and a [https://global-search.toolforge.org/?namespaces=10&q=%5C%22citoid%5C%22%3A%20%5C%7B®ex=1&title= list of all relevant templates]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T374831]
* One new wiki has been created: a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikivoyage}} in [[d:Q9240|Indonesian]] ([[voy:id:|<code>voy:id:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T380726]
* Last week, all wikis had problems serving pages to logged-in users and some logged-out users for 30–45 minutes. This was caused by a database problem, and investigation is ongoing. [https://www.wikimediastatus.net/incidents/3g2ckc7bp6l9]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:19}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:19|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, a bug in the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Growth/Tools/Add a link|Add Link]] feature has been fixed. Previously, the list of sections which are excluded from Add Link was partially ignored in certain cases. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T380455][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T380329]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Codex|Codex]], the design system for Wikimedia, now has an early-stage [[gitiles:design/codex-php|implementation in PHP]]. It is available for general use in MediaWiki extensions and Toolforge apps through [https://packagist.org/packages/wikimedia/codex Composer], with use in MediaWiki core coming soon. More information is available in [[wmdoc:design-codex-php/main/index.html|the documentation]]. Thanks to Doğu for the inspiration and many contributions to the library. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T379662]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/api/rest_v1/ Wikimedia REST API] users, such as bot operators and tool maintainers, may be affected by ongoing upgrades. On December 4, the MediaWiki Interfaces team began rerouting page/revision metadata and rendered HTML content endpoints on [[testwiki:|testwiki]] from RESTbase to comparable MediaWiki REST API endpoints. The team encourages active users of these endpoints to verify their tool's behavior on testwiki and raise any concerns on the related [[phab:T374683|Phabricator ticket]] before the end of the year, as they intend to roll out the same change across all Wikimedia projects in early January. These changes are part of the work to replace the outdated [[mw:RESTBase/deprecation|RESTBase]] system.
* The [https://wikimediafoundation.limesurvey.net/986172 2024 Developer Satisfaction Survey] is seeking the opinions of the Wikimedia developer community. Please take the survey if you have any role in developing software for the Wikimedia ecosystem. The survey is open until 3 January 2025, and has an associated [[foundation:Legal:Developer Satisfaction Survey 2024 Privacy Statement|privacy statement]].
* There is no new MediaWiki version this week. [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]
'''Meetings and events'''
* The next meeting in the series of [[c:Commons:WMF support for Commons/Commons community calls|Wikimedia Foundation discussions with the Wikimedia Commons community]] will take place on [[m:Event:Commons community discussion - 12 December 2024 08:00 UTC|December 12 at 8:00 UTC]] and [[m:Event:Commons community discussion - 12_December 2024 16:00 UTC|at 16:00 UTC]]. The topic of this call is new media and new contributors. Contributors from all wikis are welcome to attend.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/50|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W50"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 22:16, 9 December 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=27919424 -->
== Tech News: 2024-51 ==
<section begin="technews-2024-W51"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/51|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* Interested in improving event management on your home wiki? The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/CampaignEvents|CampaignEvents extension]] offers organizers features like event registration management, event/wikiproject promotion, finding potential participants, and more - all directly on-wiki. If you are an organizer or think your community would benefit from this extension, start a discussion to enable it on your wiki today. To learn more about how to enable this extension on your wiki, visit the [[m:CampaignEvents/Deployment status#How to Request the CampaignEvents Extension for your wiki|deployment status page]].
'''Updates for editors'''
* Users of the iOS Wikipedia App in Italy and Mexico on the Italian, Spanish, and English Wikipedias, can see a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/iOS/Personalized Wikipedia Year in Review|personalized Year in Review]] with insights based on their reading and editing history.
* Users of the Android Wikipedia App in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia can see the new [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/Android/Rabbit Holes|Rabbit Holes]] feature. This feature shows a suggested search term in the Search bar based on the current article being viewed, and a suggested reading list generated from the user’s last two visited articles.
* The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Global reminder bot|global reminder bot]] is now active and running on nearly 800 wikis. This service reminds most users holding temporary rights when they are about to expire, so that they can renew should they want to. See [[m:Global reminder bot/Technical details|the technical details page]] for more information.
* The next issue of Tech News will be sent out on 13 January 2025 because of the end of year holidays. Thank you to all of the translators, and people who submitted content or feedback, this year.
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:27}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:27|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, a bug was [[phab:T374988|fixed]] in the Android Wikipedia App which had caused translatable SVG images to show the wrong language when they were tapped.
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* There is no new MediaWiki version next week. The next deployments will start on 14 January. [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar/2025]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/51|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2024-W51"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 22:24, 16 December 2024 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=27942374 -->
== Tech News: 2025-03 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W03"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/03|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* The Single User Login system is being updated over the next few months. This is the system which allows users to fill out the login form on one Wikimedia site and get logged in on all others at the same time. It needs to be updated because of the ways that browsers are increasingly restricting cross-domain cookies. To accommodate these restrictions, login and account creation pages will move to a central domain, but it will still appear to the user as if they are on the originating wiki. The updated code will be enabled this week for users on test wikis. This change is planned to roll out to all users during February and March. See [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/MediaWiki Platform Team/SUL3#Deployment|the SUL3 project page]] for more details and a timeline.
'''Updates for editors'''
* On wikis with [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:PageAssessments|PageAssessments]] installed, you can now [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:PageAssessments#Search|filter search results]] to pages in a given WikiProject by using the <code dir=ltr>inproject:</code> keyword. (These wikis: {{int:project-localized-name-arwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-enwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-enwikivoyage/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-frwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-huwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-newiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-trwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-zhwiki/en}}) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T378868]
* One new wiki has been created: a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikipedia}} in [[d:Q34129|Tigre]] ([[w:tig:|<code>w:tig:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T381377]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:35}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:35|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, there was a bug with updating a user's edit-count after making a rollback edit, which is now fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T382592]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Wikimedia REST API users, such as bot operators and tool maintainers, may be affected by ongoing upgrades. Starting the week of January 13, we will begin rerouting [[phab:T374683|some page content endpoints]] from RESTbase to the newer MediaWiki REST API endpoints for all wiki projects. This change was previously available on testwiki and should not affect existing functionality, but active users of the impacted endpoints may raise issues directly to the [[phab:project/view/6931/|MediaWiki Interfaces Team]] in Phabricator if they arise.
* Toolforge tool maintainers can now share their feedback on Toolforge UI, an initiative to provide a web platform that allows creating and managing Toolforge tools through a graphic interface, in addition to existing command-line workflows. This project aims to streamline active maintainers’ tasks, as well as make registration and deployment processes more accessible for new tool creators. The initiative is still at a very early stage, and the Cloud Services team is in the process of collecting feedback from the Toolforge community to help shape the solution to their needs. [[wikitech:Wikimedia Cloud Services team/EnhancementProposals/Toolforge UI|Read more and share your thoughts about Toolforge UI]].
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] For tool and library developers who use the OAuth system: The identity endpoint used for [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/OAuth/For Developers#Identifying the user|OAuth 1]] and [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/OAuth/For Developers#Identifying the user 2|OAuth 2]] returned a JSON object with an integer in its <code>sub</code> field, which was incorrect (the field must always be a string). This has been fixed; the fix will be deployed to Wikimedia wikis on the week of January 13. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T382139]
* Many wikis currently use [[:mw:Parsoid/Parser Unification/Cite CSS|Cite CSS]] to render custom footnote markers in Parsoid output. Starting January 20 these rules will be disabled, but the developers ask you to ''not'' clean up your <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[MediaWiki:Common.css]]</bdi> until February 20 to avoid issues during the migration. Your wikis might experience some small changes to footnote markers in Visual Editor and when using experimental Parsoid read mode, but if there are changes these are expected to bring the rendering in line with the legacy parser output. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T370027]
'''Meetings and events'''
* The next meeting in the series of [[c:Special:MyLanguage/Commons:WMF support for Commons/Commons community calls|Wikimedia Foundation Community Conversations with the Wikimedia Commons community]] will take place on [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Event:Commons community discussion - 15 January 2025 08:00 UTC|January 15 at 8:00 UTC]] and [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Event:Commons community discussion - 15 January 2025 16:00 UTC|at 16:00 UTC]]. The topic of this call is defining the priorities in tool investment for Commons. Contributors from all wikis, especially users who are maintaining tools for Commons, are welcome to attend.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/03|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W03"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 01:42, 14 January 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=28048614 -->
== Tech News: 2025-04 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W04"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/04|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* Administrators can mass-delete multiple pages created by a user or IP address using [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Nuke|Extension:Nuke]]. It previously only allowed deletion of pages created in the last 30 days. It can now delete pages from the last 90 days, provided it is targeting a specific user or IP address. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T380846]
* On [[phab:P72148|wikis that use]] the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Patrolled edits|Patrolled edits]] feature, when the rollback feature is used to revert an unpatrolled page revision, that revision will now be marked as "manually patrolled" instead of "autopatrolled", which is more accurate. Some editors that use [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:New filters for edit review/Filtering|filters]] on Recent Changes may need to update their filter settings. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T302140]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:31}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:31|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the Visual Editor's "Insert link" feature did not always suggest existing pages properly when an editor started typing, which has now been [[phab:T383497|fixed]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* The Structured Discussion extension (also known as Flow) is being progressively removed from the wikis. This extension is unmaintained and causes issues. It will be replaced by [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:DiscussionTools|DiscussionTools]], which is used on any regular talk page. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Structured Discussions/Deprecation#Deprecation timeline|The last group of wikis]] ({{int:project-localized-name-cawikiquote/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-fiwikimedia/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-gomwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-kabwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-ptwikibooks/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-sewikimedia/en}}) will soon be contacted. If you have questions about this process, please ping [[m:User:Trizek (WMF)|Trizek (WMF)]] at your wiki. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T380912]
* The latest quarterly [[mw:Technical_Community_Newsletter/2025/January|Technical Community Newsletter]] is now available. This edition includes: updates about services from the Data Platform Engineering teams, information about Codex from the Design System team, and more.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/04|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W04"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 01:36, 21 January 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=28129769 -->
== Tech News: 2025-05 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W05"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/05|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* Patrollers and admins - what information or context about edits or users could help you to make patroller or admin decisions more quickly or easily? The Wikimedia Foundation wants to hear from you to help guide its upcoming annual plan. Please consider sharing your thoughts on this and [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation Annual Plan/2025-2026/Product & Technology OKRs|13 other questions]] to shape the technical direction for next year.
'''Updates for editors'''
* iOS Wikipedia App users worldwide can now access a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/iOS/Personalized Wikipedia Year in Review/How your data is used|personalized Year in Review]] feature, which provides insights based on their reading and editing history on Wikipedia. This project is part of a broader effort to help welcome new readers as they discover and interact with encyclopedic content.
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Wishlist item]] Edit patrollers now have a new feature available that can highlight potentially problematic new pages. When a page is created with the same title as a page which was previously deleted, a tag ('Recreated') will now be added, which users can filter for in [[{{#special:RecentChanges}}]] and [[{{#special:NewPages}}]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T56145]
* Later this week, there will be a new warning for editors if they attempt to create a redirect that links to another redirect (a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Redirects#Double redirects|double redirect]]). The feature will recommend that they link directly to the second redirect's target page. Thanks to the user SomeRandomDeveloper for this improvement. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T326056]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Wikimedia wikis allow [[w:en:WebAuthn|WebAuthn]]-based second factor checks (such as hardware tokens) during login, but the feature is [[m:Community Wishlist Survey 2023/Miscellaneous/Fix security key (WebAuthn) support|fragile]] and has very few users. The MediaWiki Platform team is temporarily disabling adding new WebAuthn keys, to avoid interfering with the rollout of [[mw:MediaWiki Platform Team/SUL3|SUL3]] (single user login version 3). Existing keys are unaffected. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T378402]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:30}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:30|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* For developers that use the [[wikitech:Data Platform/Data Lake/Edits/MediaWiki history dumps|MediaWiki History dumps]]: The Data Platform Engineering team has added a couple of new fields to these dumps, to support the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts|Temporary Accounts]] initiative. If you maintain software that reads those dumps, please review your code and the updated documentation, since the order of the fields in the row will change. There will also be one field rename: in the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>mediawiki_user_history</code></bdi> dump, the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>anonymous</code></bdi> field will be renamed to <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>is_anonymous</code></bdi>. The changes will take effect with the next release of the dumps in February. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/LKMFDS62TXGDN6L56F4ABXYLN7CSCQDI/]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/05|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W05"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 22:14, 27 January 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=28149374 -->
== Tech News: 2025-06 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W06"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/06|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* Editors who use the "Special characters" editing-toolbar menu can now see the 32 special characters you have used most recently, across editing sessions on that wiki. This change should help make it easier to find the characters you use most often. The feature is in both the 2010 wikitext editor and VisualEditor. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T110722]
* Editors using the 2010 wikitext editor can now create sublists with correct indentation by selecting the line(s) you want to indent and then clicking the toolbar buttons.[https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T380438] You can now also insert <code><nowiki><code></nowiki></code> tags using a new toolbar button.[https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T383010] Thanks to user stjn for these improvements.
* Help is needed to ensure the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Citoid/Enabling Citoid on your wiki|citation generator]] works properly on each wiki.
** (1) Administrators should update the local versions of the page <code dir=ltr>MediaWiki:Citoid-template-type-map.json</code> to include entries for <code dir=ltr>preprint</code>, <code dir=ltr>standard</code>, and <code dir=ltr>dataset</code>; Here are example diffs to replicate [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MediaWiki%3ACitoid-template-type-map.json&diff=1189164774&oldid=1165783565 for 'preprint'] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MediaWiki%3ACitoid-template-type-map.json&diff=1270832208&oldid=1270828390 for 'standard' and 'dataset'].
** (2.1) If the citoid map in the citation template used for these types of references is missing, [[mediawikiwiki:Citoid/Enabling Citoid on your wiki#Step 2.a: Create a 'citoid' maps value for each citation template|one will need to be added]]. (2.2) If the citoid map does exist, the TemplateData will need to be updated to include new field names. Here are example updates [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template%3ACitation%2Fdoc&diff=1270829051&oldid=1262470053 for 'preprint'] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template%3ACitation%2Fdoc&diff=1270831369&oldid=1270829480 for 'standard' and 'dataset']. The new fields that may need to be supported are <code dir=ltr>archiveID</code>, <code dir=ltr>identifier</code>, <code dir=ltr>repository</code>, <code dir=ltr>organization</code>, <code dir=ltr>repositoryLocation</code>, <code dir=ltr>committee</code>, and <code dir=ltr>versionNumber</code>. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T383666]
* One new wiki has been created: a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikipedia/en}} in [[d:Q15637215|Central Kanuri]] ([[w:knc:|<code>w:knc:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T385181]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:27}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:27|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the [[mediawikiwiki:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:Wikisource/Wikimedia OCR|OCR (optical character recognition) tool]] used for Wikisource now supports a new language, Church Slavonic. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T384782]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/06|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W06"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 00:09, 4 February 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=28203495 -->
== Tech News: 2025-07 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W07"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/07|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* The Product and Technology Advisory Council (PTAC) has published [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Product and Technology Advisory Council/February 2025 draft PTAC recommendation for feedback|a draft of their recommendations]] for the Wikimedia Foundation's Product and Technology department. They have recommended focusing on [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Product and Technology Advisory Council/February 2025 draft PTAC recommendation for feedback/Mobile experiences|mobile experiences]], particularly contributions. They request community [[m:Talk:Product and Technology Advisory Council/February 2025 draft PTAC recommendation for feedback|feedback at the talk page]] by 21 February.
'''Updates for editors'''
* The "Special pages" portlet link will be moved from the "Toolbox" into the "Navigation" section of the main menu's sidebar by default. This change is because the Toolbox is intended for tools relating to the current page, not tools relating to the site, so the link will be more logically and consistently located. To modify this behavior and update CSS styling, administrators can follow the instructions at [[phab:T385346|T385346]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T333211]
* As part of this year's work around improving the ways readers discover content on the wikis, the Web team will be running an experiment with a small number of readers that displays some suggestions for related or interesting articles within the search bar. Please check out [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Content Discovery Experiments#Experiment 1: Display article recommendations in more prominent locations, search|the project page]] for more information.
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Template editors who use TemplateStyles can now customize output for users with specific accessibility needs by using accessibility related media queries (<code dir=ltr>[https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/@media/prefers-reduced-motion prefers-reduced-motion]</code>, <code dir=ltr>[https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/@media/prefers-reduced-transparency prefers-reduced-transparency]</code>, <code dir=ltr>[https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/@media/prefers-contrast prefers-contrast]</code>, and <code dir=ltr>[https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/@media/forced-colors forced-colors]</code>). Thanks to user Bawolff for these improvements. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T384175]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:22}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:22|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the global blocks log will now be shown directly on the {{#special:CentralAuth}} page, similarly to global locks, to simplify the workflows for stewards. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T377024]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* Wikidata [[d:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Default values for labels and aliases|now supports a special language as a "default for all languages"]] for labels and aliases. This is to avoid excessive duplication of the same information across many languages. If your Wikidata queries use labels, you may need to update them as some existing labels are getting removed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T312511]
* The function <code dir="ltr">getDescription</code> was invoked on every Wiki page read and accounts for ~2.5% of a page's total load time. The calculated value will now be cached, reducing load on Wikimedia servers. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T383660]
* As part of the RESTBase deprecation [[mw:RESTBase/deprecation|effort]], the <code dir="ltr">/page/related</code> endpoint has been blocked as of February 6, 2025, and will be removed soon. This timeline was chosen to align with the deprecation schedules for older Android and iOS versions. The stable alternative is the "<code dir="ltr">morelike</code>" action API in MediaWiki, and [[gerrit:c/mediawiki/services/mobileapps/+/982154/13/pagelib/src/transform/FooterReadMore.js|a migration example]] is available. The MediaWiki Interfaces team [[phab:T376297|can be contacted]] for any questions. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/GFC2IJO7L4BWO3YTM7C5HF4MCCBE2RJ2/]
'''In depth'''
* The latest quarterly [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Language and Product Localization/Newsletter/2025/January|Language and Internationalization newsletter]] is available. It includes: Updates about the "Contribute" menu; details on some of the newest language editions of Wikipedia; details on new languages supported by the MediaWiki interface; updates on the Community-defined lists feature; and more.
* The latest [[mw:Extension:Chart/Project/Updates#January 2025: Better visibility into charts and tabular data usage|Chart Project newsletter]] is available. It includes updates on the progress towards bringing better visibility into global charts usage and support for categorizing pages in the Data namespace on Commons.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/07|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W07"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 00:12, 11 February 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=28231022 -->
== Tech News: 2025-08 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W08"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/08|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* Communities using growth tools can now showcase one event on the <code>{{#special:Homepage}}</code> for newcomers. This feature will help newcomers to be informed about editing activities they can participate in. Administrators can create a new event to showcase at <code>{{#special:CommunityConfiguration}}</code>. To learn more about this feature, please read [[diffblog:2025/02/12/community-updates-module-connecting-newcomers-to-your-initiatives/|the Diff post]], have a look [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Growth/Tools/Community updates module|at the documentation]], or contact [[mw:Talk:Growth|the Growth team]].
'''Updates for editors'''
[[File:Page Frame Features on desktop.png|thumb|Highlighted talk pages improvements]]
* Starting next week, talk pages at these wikis – {{int:project-localized-name-eswiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-frwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-itwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-jawiki/en}} – will get [[diffblog:2024/05/02/making-talk-pages-better-for-everyone/|a new design]]. This change was extensively tested as a Beta feature and is the last step of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Talk pages project/Feature summary|talk pages improvements]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T379102]
* You can now navigate to view a redirect page directly from its action pages, such as the history page. Previously, you were forced to first go to the redirect target. This change should help editors who work with redirects a lot. Thanks to user stjn for this improvement. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T5324]
* When a Cite reference is reused many times, wikis currently show either numbers like "1.23" or localized alphabetic markers like "a b c" in the reference list. Previously, if there were so many reuses that the alphabetic markers were all used, [[MediaWiki:Cite error references no backlink label|an error message]] was displayed. As part of the work to [[phab:T383036|modernize Cite customization]], these errors will no longer be shown and instead the backlinks will fall back to showing numeric markers like "1.23" once the alphabetic markers are all used.
* The log entries for each change to an editor's user-groups are now clearer by specifying exactly what has changed, instead of the plain before and after listings. Translators can [[phab:T369466|help to update the localized versions]]. Thanks to user Msz2001 for these improvements.
* A new filter has been added to the [[{{#special:Nuke}}]] tool, which allows administrators to mass delete pages, to enable users to filter for pages in a range of page sizes (in bytes). This allows, for example, deleting pages only of a certain size or below. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T378488]
* Non-administrators can now check which pages are able to be deleted using the [[{{#special:Nuke}}]] tool. Thanks to user MolecularPilot for this and the previous improvements. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T376378]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:25}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:25|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, a bug was fixed in the configuration for the AV1 video file format, which enables these files to play again. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T382193]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* Parsoid Read Views is going to be rolling out to most Wiktionaries over the next few weeks, following the successful transition of Wikivoyage to Parsoid Read Views last year. For more information, see the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Parsoid/Parser Unification|Parsoid/Parser Unification]] project page. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T385923][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T371640]
* Developers of tools that run on-wiki should note that <code dir=ltr>mw.Uri</code> is deprecated. Tools requiring <code dir=ltr>mw.Uri</code> must explicitly declare <code dir=ltr>mediawiki.Uri</code> as a ResourceLoader dependency, and should migrate to the browser native <code dir=ltr>URL</code> API soon. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T384515]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/08|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W08"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 21:16, 17 February 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=28275610 -->
== Tech News: 2025-09 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W09"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/09|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* Administrators can now customize how the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User language|Babel feature]] creates categories using [[{{#special:CommunityConfiguration/Babel}}]]. They can rename language categories, choose whether they should be auto-created, and adjust other settings. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T374348]
* The <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[https://www.wikimedia.org/ wikimedia.org]</bdi> portal has been updated – and is receiving some ongoing improvements – to modernize and improve the accessibility of our portal pages. It now has better support for mobile layouts, updated wording and links, and better language support. Additionally, all of the Wikimedia project portals, such as <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[https://wikibooks.org wikibooks.org]</bdi>, now support dark mode when a reader is using that system setting. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T373204][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T368221][https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Project_portals]
* One new wiki has been created: a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wiktionary/en}} in [[d:Q33965|Santali]] ([[wikt:sat:|<code>wikt:sat:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T386619]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:30}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:30|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, a bug was fixed that prevented clicking on search results in the web-interface for some Firefox for Android phone configurations. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T381289]
'''Meetings and events'''
* The next Language Community Meeting is happening soon, February 28th at [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1740751200 14:00 UTC]. This week's meeting will cover: highlights and technical updates on keyboard and tools for the Sámi languages, Translatewiki.net contributions from the Bahasa Lampung community in Indonesia, and technical Q&A. If you'd like to join, simply [[mw:Wikimedia Language and Product Localization/Community meetings#28 February 2025|sign up on the wiki page]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/09|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W09"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 00:41, 25 February 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=28296129 -->
== Tech News: 2025-10 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W10"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/10|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* All logged-in editors using the mobile view can now edit a full page. The "{{int:Minerva-page-actions-editfull}}" link is accessible from the "{{int:minerva-page-actions-overflow}}" menu in the toolbar. This was previously only available to editors using the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Advanced mobile contributions|Advanced mobile contributions]] setting. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T387180]
* Interface administrators can now help to remove the deprecated Cite CSS code matching "<code dir="ltr">mw-ref</code>" from their local <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[MediaWiki:Common.css]]</bdi>. The list of wikis in need of cleanup, and the code to remove, [https://global-search.toolforge.org/?q=mw-ref%5B%5E-a-z%5D®ex=1&namespaces=8&title=.*css can be found with this global search] and in [https://ace.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Common.css&oldid=145662#L-139--L-144 this example], and you can learn more about how to help on the [[mw:Parsoid/Parser Unification/Cite CSS|CSS migration project page]]. The Cite footnote markers ("<code dir="ltr">[1]</code>") are now rendered by [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Parsoid|Parsoid]], and the deprecated CSS is no longer needed. The CSS for backlinks ("<code dir="ltr">mw:referencedBy</code>") should remain in place for now. This cleanup is expected to cause no visible changes for readers. Please help to remove this code before March 20, after which the development team will do it for you.
* When editors embed a file (e.g. <code><nowiki>[[File:MediaWiki.png]]</nowiki></code>) on a page that is protected with cascading protection, the software will no longer restrict edits to the file description page, only to new file uploads.[https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T24521] In contrast, transcluding a file description page (e.g. <code><nowiki>{{:File:MediaWiki.png}}</nowiki></code>) will now restrict edits to the page.[https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T62109]
* When editors revert a file to an earlier version it will now require the same permissions as ordinarily uploading a new version of the file. The software now checks for 'reupload' or 'reupload-own' rights,[https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T304474] and respects cascading protection.[https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T140010]
* When administrators are listing pages for deletion with the Nuke tool, they can now also list associated talk pages and redirects for deletion, alongside pages created by the target, rather than needing to manually delete these pages afterwards. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T95797]
* The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/03|previously noted]] update to Single User Login, which will accommodate browser restrictions on cross-domain cookies by moving login and account creation to a central domain, will now roll out to all users during March and April. The team plans to enable it for all new account creation on [[wikitech:Deployments/Train#Tuesday|Group0]] wikis this week. See [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/MediaWiki Platform Team/SUL3#Deployment|the SUL3 project page]] for more details and an updated timeline.
* Since last week there has been a bug that shows some interface icons as black squares until the page has fully loaded. It will be fixed this week. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T387351]
* One new wiki has been created: a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikipedia/en}} in [[d:Q2044560|Sylheti]] ([[w:syl:|<code>w:syl:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T386441]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:23}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:23|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, a bug was fixed with loading images in very old versions of the Firefox browser on mobile. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T386400]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.44/wmf.19|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/10|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W10"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 02:30, 4 March 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=28334563 -->
== Tech News: 2025-11 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W11"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/11|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* Editors who use password managers at multiple wikis may notice changes in the future. The way that our wikis provide information to password managers about reusing passwords across domains has recently been updated, so some password managers might now offer you login credentials that you saved for a different Wikimedia site. Some password managers already did this, and are now doing it for more Wikimedia domains. This is part of the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/MediaWiki Platform Team/SUL3|SUL3 project]] which aims to improve how our unified login works, and to keep it compatible with ongoing changes to the web-browsers we use. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T385520][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T384844]
* The Wikipedia Apps Team is inviting interested users to help improve Wikipedia’s offline and limited internet use. After discussions in [[m:Afrika Baraza|Afrika Baraza]] and the last [[m:Special:MyLanguage/ESEAP Hub/Meetings|ESEAP call]], key challenges like search, editing, and offline access are being explored, with upcoming focus groups to dive deeper into these topics. All languages are welcome, and interpretation will be available. Want to share your thoughts? [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Improving Wikipedia Mobile Apps for Offline & Limited Internet Use|Join the discussion]] or email <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">aramadan@wikimedia.org</bdi>!
* All wikis will be read-only for a few minutes on March 19. This is planned at [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1742392800 14:00 UTC]. More information will be published in Tech News and will also be posted on individual wikis in the coming weeks.
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:27}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:27|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.44/wmf.20|MediaWiki]]
'''In depth'''
* The latest quarterly [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Newsletters/33|Growth newsletter]] is available. It includes: the launch of the Community Updates module, the most recent changes in Community Configuration, and the upcoming test of in-article suggestions for first-time editors.
* An old API that was previously used in the Android Wikipedia app is being removed at the end of March. There are no current software uses, but users of the app with a version that is older than 6 months by the time of removal (2025-03-31), will no longer have access to the Suggested Edits feature, until they update their app. You can [[diffblog:2025/02/24/sunset-of-wikimedia-recommendation-api/|read more details about this change]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/11|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W11"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:09, 10 March 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=28372257 -->
== Tech News: 2025-12 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W12"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/12|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* Twice a year, around the equinoxes, the Wikimedia Foundation's Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) team performs [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/Server switch|a datacenter server switchover]], redirecting all traffic from one primary server to its backup. This provides reliability in case of a crisis, as we can always fall back on the other datacenter. [http://listen.hatnote.com/ Thanks to the Listen to Wikipedia] tool, you can hear the switchover take place: Before it begins, you'll hear the steady stream of edits; Then, as the system enters a brief read-only phase, the sound stops for a couple of minutes, before resuming after the switchover. You can [[diffblog:2025/03/12/hear-that-the-wikis-go-silent-twice-a-year/|read more about the background and details of this process on the Diff blog]]. If you want to keep an ear out for the next server switchover, listen to the wikis on [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1742392800 March 19 at 14:00 UTC].
'''Updates for editors'''
* The [https://test.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:ContentTranslation&filter-type=automatic&filter-id=previous-edits&active-list=suggestions&from=en&to=es improved Content Translation tool dashboard] is now available in [[phab:T387820|10 Wikipedias]] and will be available for all Wikipedias [[phab:T387821|soon]]. With [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Content translation#Improved translation experience|the unified dashboard]], desktop users can now: Translate new sections of an article; Discover and access topic-based [https://ig.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:ContentTranslation&active-list=suggestions&from=en&to=ig&filter-type=automatic&filter-id=previous-edits article suggestion filters] (initially available only for mobile device users); Discover and access the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Translation suggestions: Topic-based & Community-defined lists|Community-defined lists]] filter, also known as "Collections", from wiki-projects and campaigns.
* On Wikimedia Commons, a [[c:Commons:WMF support for Commons/Upload Wizard Improvements#Improve category selection|new system to select the appropriate file categories]] has been introduced: if a category has one or more subcategories, users will be able to click on an arrow that will open the subcategories directly within the form, and choose the correct one. The parent category name will always be shown on top, and it will always be possible to come back to it. This should decrease the amount of work for volunteers in fixing/creating new categories. The change is also available on mobile. These changes are part of planned improvements to the UploadWizard.
* The Community Tech team is seeking wikis to join a pilot for the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist Survey 2023/Multiblocks|Multiblocks]] feature and a refreshed Special:Block page in late March. Multiblocks enables administrators to impose multiple different types of blocks on the same user at the same time. If you are an admin or steward and would like us to discuss joining the pilot with your community, please leave a message on the [[m:Talk:Community Wishlist Survey 2023/Multiblocks|project talk page]].
* Starting March 25, the Editing team will test a new feature for Edit Check at [[phab:T384372|12 Wikipedias]]: [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Edit check#Multi-check|Multi-Check]]. Half of the newcomers on these wikis will see all [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Edit check#ref|Reference Checks]] during their edit session, while the other half will continue seeing only one. The goal of this test is to see if users are confused or discouraged when shown multiple Reference Checks (when relevant) within a single editing session. At these wikis, the tags used on edits that show References Check will be simplified, as multiple tags could be shown within a single edit. Changes to the tags are documented [[phab:T373949|on Phabricator]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T379131]
* The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Global reminder bot|Global reminder bot]], which is a service for notifying users that their temporary user-rights are about to expire, now supports using the localized name of the user-rights group in the message heading. Translators can see the [[m:Global reminder bot/Translation|listing of existing translations and documentation]] to check if their language needs updating or creation.
* The [[Special:GlobalPreferences|GlobalPreferences]] gender setting, which is used for how the software should refer to you in interface messages, now works as expected by overriding the local defaults. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T386584]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:26}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:26|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the Wikipedia App for Android had a bug fixed for when a user is browsing and searching in multiple languages. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T379777]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* Later this week, the way that Codex styles are loaded will be changing. There is a small risk that this may result in unstyled interface message boxes on certain pages. User generated content (e.g. templates) is not impacted. Gadgets may be impacted. If you see any issues [[phab:T388847|please report them]]. See the linked task for details, screenshots, and documentation on how to fix any affected gadgets.
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.44/wmf.21|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/12|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W12"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:48, 17 March 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=28412594 -->
== Tech News: 2025-13 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W13"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/13|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* The Wikimedia Foundation is seeking your feedback on the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation Annual Plan/2025-2026/Product & Technology OKRs|drafts of the objectives and key results that will shape the Foundation's Product and Technology priorities]] for the next fiscal year (starting in July). The objectives are broad high-level areas, and the key-results are measurable ways to track the success of their objectives. Please share your feedback on the talkpage, in any language, ideally before the end of April.
'''Updates for editors'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CampaignEvents|CampaignEvents extension]] will be released to multiple wikis (see [[m:Special:MyLanguage/CampaignEvents/Deployment status#Global Deployment Plan|deployment plan]] for details) in April 2025, and the team has begun the process of engaging communities on the identified wikis. The extension provides tools to organize, manage, and promote collaborative activities (like events, edit-a-thons, and WikiProjects) on the wikis. The extension has three tools: [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Event Center/Registration|Event Registration]], [[m:Special:MyLanguage/CampaignEvents/Collaboration list|Collaboration List]], and [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Campaigns/Foundation Product Team/Invitation list|Invitation Lists]]. It is currently on 13 Wikipedias, including English Wikipedia, French Wikipedia, and Spanish Wikipedia, as well as Wikidata. Questions or requests can be directed to the [[mw:Help talk:Extension:CampaignEvents|extension talk page]] or in Phabricator (with <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr" style="white-space: nowrap;">#campaigns-product-team</bdi> tag).
* Starting the week of March 31st, wikis will be able to set which user groups can view private registrants in [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Event Center/Registration|Event Registration]], as part of the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CampaignEvents|CampaignEvents]] extension. By default, event organizers and the local wiki admins will be able to see private registrants. This is a change from the current behavior, in which only event organizers can see private registrants. Wikis can change the default setup by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Requesting wiki configuration changes|requesting a configuration change]] in Phabricator (and adding the <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr" style="white-space: nowrap;">#campaigns-product-team</bdi> tag). Participants of past events can cancel their registration at any time.
* Administrators at wikis that have a customized <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[MediaWiki:Sidebar]]</bdi> should check that it contains an entry for the {{int:specialpages}} listing. If it does not, they should add it using <code dir=ltr style="white-space: nowrap;">* specialpages-url|specialpages</code>. Wikis with a default sidebar will see the link moved from the page toolbox into the sidebar menu in April. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T388927]
* The Minerva skin (mobile web) combines both Notice and Alert notifications within the bell icon ([[File:OOjs UI icon bell.svg|16px|link=|class=skin-invert]]). There was a long-standing bug where an indication for new notifications was only shown if you had unseen Alerts. This bug is now fixed. In the future, Minerva users will notice a counter atop the bell icon when you have 1 or more unseen Notices and/or Alerts. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T344029]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:23}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:23|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* VisualEditor has introduced a [[mw:VisualEditor/Hooks|new client-side hook]] for developers to use when integrating with the VisualEditor target lifecycle. This hook should replace the existing lifecycle-related hooks, and be more consistent between different platforms. In addition, the new hook will apply to uses of VisualEditor outside of just full article editing, allowing gadgets to interact with the editor in DiscussionTools as well. The Editing Team intends to deprecate and eventually remove the old lifecycle hooks, so any use cases that this new hook does not cover would be of interest to them and can be [[phab:T355555|shared in the task]].
* Developers who use the <code dir=ltr>mw.Api</code> JavaScript library, can now identify the tool using it with the <code dir=ltr>userAgent</code> parameter: <code dir=ltr>var api = new mw.Api( { userAgent: 'GadgetNameHere/1.0.1' } );</code>. If you maintain a gadget or user script, please set a user agent, because it helps with library and server maintenance and with differentiating between legitimate and illegitimate traffic. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T373874][https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Policy:Wikimedia_Foundation_User-Agent_Policy]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.44/wmf.22|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/13|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W13"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 22:42, 24 March 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=28443127 -->
== Tech News: 2025-14 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W14"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/14|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* The Editing team is working on a new [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Edit Check|Edit check]]: [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Edit check#26 March 2025|Peacock check]]. This check's goal is to identify non-neutral terms while a user is editing a wikipage, so that they can be informed that their edit should perhaps be changed before they publish it. This project is at the early stages, and the team is looking for communities' input: [[phab:T389445|in this Phabricator task]], they are gathering on-wiki policies, templates used to tag non-neutral articles, and the terms (jargon and keywords) used in edit summaries for the languages they are currently researching. You can participate by editing the table on Phabricator, commenting on the task, or directly messaging [[m:user:Trizek (WMF)|Trizek (WMF)]].
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/MediaWiki Platform Team/SUL3|Single User Login]] has now been updated on all wikis to move login and account creation to a central domain. This makes user login compatible with browser restrictions on cross-domain cookies, which have prevented users of some browsers from staying logged in.
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:35}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:35|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* Starting on March 31st, the MediaWiki Interfaces team will begin a limited release of generated OpenAPI specs and a SwaggerUI-based sandbox experience for [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/API:REST API|MediaWiki REST APIs]]. They invite developers from a limited group of non-English Wikipedia communities (Arabic, German, French, Hebrew, Interlingua, Dutch, Chinese) to review the documentation and experiment with the sandbox in their preferred language. In addition to these specific Wikipedia projects, the sandbox and OpenAPI spec will be available on the [[testwiki:Special:RestSandbox|on the test wiki REST Sandbox special page]] for developers with English as their preferred language. During the preview period, the MediaWiki Interfaces Team also invites developers to [[mw:MediaWiki Interfaces Team/Feature Feedback/REST Sandbox|share feedback about your experience]]. The preview will last for approximately 2 weeks, after which the sandbox and OpenAPI specs will be made available across all wiki projects.
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.44/wmf.23|MediaWiki]]
'''In depth'''
* Sometimes a small, [[gerrit:c/operations/cookbooks/+/1129184|one line code change]] can have great significance: in this case, it means that for the first time in years we're able to run all of the stack serving <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[http://maps.wikimedia.org/ maps.wikimedia.org]</bdi> - a host dedicated to serving our wikis and their multi-lingual maps needs - from a single core datacenter, something we test every time we perform a [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/Server switch|datacenter switchover]]. This is important because it means that in case one of our datacenters is affected by a catastrophe, we'll still be able to serve the site. This change is the result of [[phab:T216826|extensive work]] by two developers on porting the last component of the maps stack over to [[w:en:Kubernetes|kubernetes]], where we can allocate resources more efficiently than before, thus we're able to withstand more traffic in a single datacenter. This work involved a lot of complicated steps because this software, and the software libraries it uses, required many long overdue upgrades. This type of work makes the Wikimedia infrastructure more sustainable.
'''Meetings and events'''
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/MediaWiki Users and Developers Workshop Spring 2025|MediaWiki Users and Developers Workshop Spring 2025]] is happening in Sandusky, USA, and online, from 14–16 May 2025. The workshop will feature discussions around the usage of MediaWiki software by and within companies in different industries and will inspire and onboard new users. Registration and presentation signup is now available at the workshop's website.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/14|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W14"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 00:05, 1 April 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=28473566 -->
== Tech News: 2025-15 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W15"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/15|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* From now on, [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Interface administrators|interface admins]] and [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Central notice administrators|centralnotice admins]] are technically required to enable [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Two-factor authentication|two-factor authentication]] before they can use their privileges. In the future this might be expanded to more groups with advanced user-rights. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T150898]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:20}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:20|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* The Design System Team is preparing to release the next major version of Codex (v2.0.0) on April 29. Editors and developers who use CSS from Codex should see the [[mw:Codex/Release Timeline/2.0|2.0 overview documentation]], which includes guidance related to a few of the breaking changes such as <code dir=ltr style="white-space: nowrap;">font-size</code>, <code dir=ltr style="white-space: nowrap;">line-height</code>, and <code dir=ltr style="white-space: nowrap;">size-icon</code>.
* The results of the [[mw:Developer Satisfaction Survey/2025|Developer Satisfaction Survey (2025)]] are now available. Thank you to all participants. These results help the Foundation decide what to work on next and to review what they recently worked on.
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.44/wmf.24|MediaWiki]]
'''Meetings and events'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Hackathon 2025|2025 Wikimedia Hackathon]] will take place in Istanbul, Turkey, between 2–4 May. Registration for attending the in-person event will close on 13 April. Before registering, please note the potential need for a [https://www.mfa.gov.tr/turkish-representations.en.mfa visa] or [https://www.mfa.gov.tr/visa-information-for-foreigners.en.mfa e-visa] to enter the country.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/15|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W15"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 18:52, 7 April 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=28507470 -->
== Tech News: 2025-16 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W16"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/16|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* Later this week, the default thumbnail size will be increased from 220px to 250px. This changes how pages are shown in all wikis and has been requested by some communities for many years, but wasn't previously possible due to technical limitations. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T355914]
* File thumbnails are now stored in discrete sizes. If a page specifies a thumbnail size that's not among the standard sizes (20, 40, 60, 120, 250, 330, 500, 960), then MediaWiki will pick the closest larger thumbnail size but will tell the browser to downscale it to the requested size. In these cases, nothing will change visually but users might load slightly larger images. If it doesn't matter which thumbnail size is used in a page, please pick one of the standard sizes to avoid the extra in-browser down-scaling step. [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Help:Images#Thumbnail_sizes][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T355914]
'''Updates for editors'''
* The Wikimedia Foundation are working on a system called [[m:Edge Uniques|Edge Uniques]] which will enable [[:w:en:A/B testing|A/B testing]], help protect against [[:w:en:Denial-of-service attack|Distributed denial-of-service attacks]] (DDoS attacks), and make it easier to understand how many visitors the Wikimedia sites have. This is so that they can more efficiently build tools which help readers, and make it easier for readers to find what they are looking for.
* To improve security for users, a small percentage of logins will now require that the account owner input a one-time password [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:EmailAuth|emailed to their account]]. It is recommended that you [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-personal-email|check]] that the email address on your account is set correctly, and that it has been confirmed, and that you have an email set for this purpose. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T390662]
* "Are you interested in taking a short survey to improve tools used for reviewing or reverting edits on your Wiki?" This question will be [[phab:T389401|asked at 7 wikis starting next week]], on Recent Changes and Watchlist pages. The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Moderator Tools|Moderator Tools team]] wants to know more about activities that involve looking at new edits made to your Wikimedia project, and determining whether they adhere to your project's policies.
* On April 15, the full Wikidata graph will no longer be supported on <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr">[https://query.wikidata.org/ query.wikidata.org]</bdi>. After this date, scholarly articles will be available through <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr" style="white-space:nowrap;">[https://query-scholarly.wikidata.org/ query-scholarly.wikidata.org]</bdi>, while the rest of the data hosted on Wikidata will be available through the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr">[https://query.wikidata.org/ query.wikidata.org]</bdi> endpoint. This is part of the scheduled split of the Wikidata Graph, which was [[d:Special:MyLanguage/Wikidata:SPARQL query service/WDQS backend update/September 2024 scaling update|announced in September 2024]]. More information is [[d:Wikidata:SPARQL query service/WDQS graph split|available on Wikidata]].
* The latest quarterly [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Newsletter/First quarter of 2025|Wikimedia Apps Newsletter]] is now available. It covers updates, experiments, and improvements made to the Wikipedia mobile apps.
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:30}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:30|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* The latest quarterly [[mw:Technical Community Newsletter/2025/April|Technical Community Newsletter]] is now available. This edition includes: an invitation for tool maintainers to attend the Toolforge UI Community Feedback Session on April 15th; recent community metrics; and recent technical blog posts.
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.44/wmf.25|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/16|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W16"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 00:24, 15 April 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=28540654 -->
== Tech News: 2025-17 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W17"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/17|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* [[f:Special:MyLanguage/Wikifunctions:Main Page|Wikifunctions]] is now integrated with [[w:dag:Solɔɣu|Dagbani Wikipedia]] since April 15. It is the first project that will be able to call [[f:Special:MyLanguage/Wikifunctions:Introduction|functions from Wikifunctions]] and integrate them in articles. A function is something that takes one or more inputs and transforms them into a desired output, such as adding up two numbers, converting miles into metres, calculating how much time has passed since an event, or declining a word into a case. Wikifunctions will allow users to do that through a simple call of [[f:Special:MyLanguage/Wikifunctions:Catalogue|a stable and global function]], rather than via a local template. [https://www.wikifunctions.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikifunctions:Status_updates/2025-04-16]
* A new type of lint error has been created: [[Special:LintErrors/empty-heading|{{int:linter-category-empty-heading}}]] ([[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Lint errors/empty-heading|documentation]]). The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:Linter|Linter extension]]'s purpose is to identify wikitext patterns that must or can be fixed in pages and provide some guidance about what the problems are with those patterns and how to fix them. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T368722]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:37}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:37|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* Following its publication on HuggingFace, the "Structured Contents" dataset, developed by Wikimedia Enterprise, is [https://enterprise.wikimedia.com/blog/kaggle-dataset/ now also available on Kaggle]. This Beta initiative is focused on making Wikimedia data more machine-readable for high-volume reusers. They are releasing this beta version in a location that open dataset communities already use, in order to seek feedback, to help improve the product for a future wider release. You can read more about the overall [https://enterprise.wikimedia.com/blog/structured-contents-snapshot-api/#open-datasets Structured Contents project], and about the [https://enterprise.wikimedia.com/blog/structured-contents-wikipedia-infobox/ first release that's freely usable].
* There is no new MediaWiki version this week.
'''Meetings and events'''
* The Editing and Machine Learning Teams invite interested volunteers to a video meeting to discuss [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Edit check/Peacock check|Peacock check]], which is the latest [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Edit check|Edit check]] that will detect "peacock" or "overly-promotional" or "non-neutral" language whilst an editor is typing. Editors who work with newcomers, or help to fix this kind of writing, or are interested in how we use artificial intelligence in our projects are encouraged to attend. The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Editing team/Community Conversations#Next Conversation|meeting will be on April 28, 2025]] at [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1745863200 18:00–19:00 UTC] and hosted on Zoom.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/17|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W17"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 21:00, 21 April 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=28578245 -->
== Tech News: 2025-18 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W18"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/18|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* Event organizers who host collaborative activities on [[m:Special:MyLanguage/CampaignEvents/Deployment status#Global Deployment Plan|multiple wikis]], including Bengali, Japanese, and Korean Wikipedias, will have access to the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CampaignEvents|CampaignEvents extension]] this week. Also, admins in the Wikipedia where the extension is enabled will automatically be granted the event organizer right soon. They won't have to manually grant themselves the right before they can manage events as [[phab:T386861|requested by a community]].
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:19}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:19|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* The release of the next major version of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Codex|Codex]], the design system for Wikimedia, is scheduled for 29 April 2025. Technical editors will have access to the release by the week of 5 May 2025. This update will include a number of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Codex/Release_Timeline/2.0#Breaking_changes|breaking changes]] and minor [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Codex/Release_Timeline/2.0#Visual_changes|visual changes]]. Instructions on handling the breaking and visual changes are documented on [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Codex/Release Timeline/2.0#|this page]]. Pre-release testing is reported in [[phab:T386298|T386298]], with post-release issues tracked in [[phab:T392379|T392379]] and [[phab:T392390|T392390]].
* Users of [[wikitech:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Wiki_Replicas|Wiki Replicas]] will notice that the database views of <code dir="ltr">ipblocks</code>, <code dir="ltr">ipblocks_ipindex</code>, and <code dir="ltr">ipblocks_compat</code> are [[phab:T390767|now deprecated]]. Users can query the <code dir="ltr">[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Block_table|block]]</code> and <code dir="ltr">[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Block_target_table|block_target]]</code> new views that mirror the new tables in the production database instead. The deprecated views will be removed entirely from Wiki Replicas in June, 2025.
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.44/wmf.27|MediaWiki]]
'''In depth'''
* The latest quarterly [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Language and Product Localization/Newsletter/2025/April|Language and Internationalization Newsletter]] is now available. This edition includes an overview of the improved [https://test.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:ContentTranslation&campaign=contributionsmenu&to=es&filter-type=automatic&filter-id=previous-edits&active-list=suggestions&from=en#/ Content Translation Dashboard Tool], [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Language and Product Localization/Newsletter/2025/April#Language Support for New and Existing Languages|support for new languages]], [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Language and Product Localization/Newsletter/2025/April#Wiki Loves Ramadan Articles Made In Content Translation Mobile Workflow|highlights from the Wiki Loves Ramadan campaign]], [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Research:Languages Onboarding Experiment 2024 - Executive Summary|results from the Language Onboarding Experiment]], an analysis of topic diversity in articles, and information on upcoming community meetings and events.
'''Meetings and events'''
* The [[Special:MyLanguage/Grants:Knowledge_Sharing/Connect/Calendar|Let's Connect Learning Clinic]] will take place on [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1745937000 April 29 at 14:30 UTC]. This edition will focus on "Understanding and Navigating Conflict in Wikimedia Projects". You can [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Event:Learning Clinic %E2%80%93 Understanding and Navigating Conflict in Wikimedia Projects (Part_1)|register now]] to attend.
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Hackathon 2025|2025 Wikimedia Hackathon]], which brings the global technical community together to connect, brainstorm, and hack existing projects, will take place from May 2 to 4th, 2025, at Istanbul, Turkey.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/18|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W18"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 19:31, 28 April 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=28585685 -->
== Tech News: 2025-19 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W19"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/19|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* The Wikimedia Foundation has shared the latest draft update to their [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation Annual Plan/2025-2026|annual plan]] for next year (July 2025–June 2026). This includes an [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation Annual Plan/2025-2026|executive summary]] (also on [[diffblog:2025/04/25/sharing-the-wikimedia-foundations-2025-2026-draft-annual-plan/|Diff]]), details about the three main [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation Annual Plan/2025-2026/Goals|goals]] ([[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation Annual Plan/2025-2026/Product & Technology OKRs|Infrastructure]], [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation Annual Plan/2025-2026/Goals/Volunteer Support|Volunteer Support]], and [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation Annual Plan/2025-2026/Goals/Effectiveness|Effectiveness]]), [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation Annual Plan/2025-2026/Global Trends|global trends]], and the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation Annual Plan/2025-2026/Budget Overview|budget]] and [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation Annual Plan/2025-2026/Financial Model|financial model]]. Feedback and questions are welcome on the [[m:Talk:Wikimedia Foundation Annual Plan/2025-2026|talk page]] until the end of May.
'''Updates for editors'''
* For wikis that have the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/CampaignEvents/Deployment status|CampaignEvents extension enabled]], two new feature improvements have been released:
** Admins can now choose which namespaces are permitted for [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Event Center/Registration|Event Registration]] via [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Community Configuration|Community Configuration]] ([[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CampaignEvents/Registration/Permitted namespaces|documentation]]). The default setup is for event registration to be permitted in the Event namespace, but other namespaces (such as the project namespace or WikiProject namespace) can now be added. With this change, communities like WikiProjects can now more easily use Event Registration for their collaborative activities.
** Editors can now [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Transclusion|transclude]] the Collaboration List on a wiki page ([[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CampaignEvents/Collaboration list/Transclusion|documentation]]). The Collaboration List is an automated list of events and WikiProjects on the wikis, accessed via {{#special:AllEvents}} ([[w:en:Special:AllEvents|example]]). Now, the Collaboration List can be added to all sorts of wiki pages, such as: a wiki mainpage, a WikiProject page, an affiliate page, an event page, or even a user page.
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:27}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:27|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* Developers who use the <code dir=ltr>moment</code> library in gadgets and user scripts should revise their code to use alternatives like the <code dir=ltr>Intl</code> library or the new <code dir=ltr>mediawiki.DateFormatter</code> library. The <code dir=ltr>moment</code> library has been deprecated and will begin to log messages in the developer console. You can see a global search for current uses, and [[phab:T392532|ask related questions in this Phabricator task]].
* Developers who maintain a tool that queries the Wikidata term store tables (<code dir=ltr style="white-space: nowrap;">wbt_*</code>) need to update their code to connect to a separate database cluster. These tables are being split into a separate database cluster. Tools that query those tables via the wiki replicas must be adapted to connect to the new cluster instead. [[wikitech:News/2025 Wikidata term store database split|Documentation and related links are available]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T390954]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.44/wmf.28|MediaWiki]]
'''In depth'''
* The latest [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Chart/Project/Updates|Chart Project newsletter]] is available. It includes updates on preparing to expand the deployment to additional wikis as soon as this week (starting May 6) and scaling up over the following weeks, plus exploring filtering and transforming source data.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/19|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W19"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 00:14, 6 May 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=28665011 -->
== Tech News: 2025-20 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W20"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/20|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia URL Shortener|"Get shortened URL"]] link on the sidebar now includes a [[phab:T393309|QR code]]. Wikimedia site users can now use it by scanning or downloading it to quickly share and access shared content from Wikimedia sites, conveniently.
'''Updates for editors'''
* The Wikimedia Foundation is working on a system called [[m:Edge Uniques|Edge Uniques]], which will enable [[w:en:A/B testing|A/B testing]], help protect against [[w:en:Denial-of-service attack|distributed denial-of-service attacks]] (DDoS attacks), and make it easier to understand how many visitors the Wikimedia sites have. This is to help more efficiently build tools which help readers, and make it easier for readers to find what they are looking for. Tech News has [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/16|previously written about this]]. The deployment will be gradual. Some might see the Edge Uniques cookie the week of 19 May. You can discuss this on the [[m:Talk:Edge Uniques|talk page]].
* Starting May 19, 2025, Event organisers in wikis with the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CampaignEvents|CampaignEvents extension]] enabled can use [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Event Center/Registration|Event Registration]] in the project namespace (e.g., Wikipedia namespace, Wikidata namespace). With this change, communities don't need admins to use the feature. However, wikis that don't want this change can remove and add the permitted namespaces at [[Special:CommunityConfiguration/CampaignEvents]].
* The Wikipedia project now has a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikipedia/en}} in [[d:Q36720|Nupe]] ([[w:nup:|<code>w:nup:</code>]]). This is a language primarily spoken in the North Central region of Nigeria. Speakers of this language are invited to contribute to [[w:nup:Tatacin feregi|new Wikipedia]].
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:27}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:27|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* Developers can now access pre-parsed Dutch Wikipedia, amongst others (English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese) through the [https://enterprise.wikimedia.com/docs/snapshot/#structured-contents-snapshot-bundle-info-beta Structured Contents snapshots (beta)]. The content includes parsed Wikipedia abstracts, descriptions, main images, infoboxes, article sections, and references.
* The <code dir="ltr">/page/data-parsoid</code> REST API endpoint is no longer in use and will be deprecated. It is [[phab:T393557|scheduled to be turned off]] on June 7, 2025.
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.45/wmf.1|MediaWiki]]
'''In depth'''
* The [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/News/2025_Cloud_VPS_VXLAN_IPv6_migration IPv6 support] is a newly introduced Cloud virtual network that significantly boosts Wikimedia platforms' scalability, security, and readiness for the future. If you are a technical contributor eager to learn more, check out [https://techblog.wikimedia.org/2025/05/06/wikimedia-cloud-vps-ipv6-support/ this blog post] for an in-depth look at the journey to IPv6.
'''Meetings and events'''
* The 2nd edition of 2025 of [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Afrika Baraza|Afrika Baraza]], a virtual platform for African Wikimedians to connect, will take place on [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1747328400 May 15 at 17:00 UTC]. This edition will focus on discussions regarding [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation Annual Plan/2025-2026|Wikimedia Annual planning and progress]].
* The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/MENA Connect Community Call|MENA Connect Community Call]], a virtual meeting for [[w:en:Middle East and North Africa|MENA]] Wikimedians to connect, will take place on [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1747501200 May 17 at 17:00 UTC]. You can [[m:Event:MENA Connect (Wiki_Diwan) APP Call|register now]] to attend.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/20|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W20"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 22:37, 12 May 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=28714188 -->
== Tech News: 2025-21 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W21"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/21|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* The Editing Team and the Machine Learning Team are working on a new check for newcomers: [[mw:Edit check/Peacock check|Peacock check]]. Using a prediction model, this check will encourage editors to improve the tone of their edits, using artificial intelligence. We invite volunteers to review the first version of the Peacock language model for the following languages: Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, English, and Japanese. Users from these wikis interested in reviewing this model are [[mw:Edit check/Peacock check/model test|invited to sign up at MediaWiki.org]]. The deadline to sign up is on May 23, which will be the start date of the test.
'''Updates for editors'''
* From May 20, 2025, [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Oversight policy|oversighters]] and [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Meta:CheckUsers|checkusers]] will need to have their accounts secured with two-factor authentication (2FA) to be able to use their advanced rights. All users who belong to these two groups and do not have 2FA enabled have been informed. In the future, this requirement may be extended to other users with advanced rights. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Mandatory two-factor authentication for users with some extended rights|Learn more]].
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Wishlist item]] [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist Survey 2023/Multiblocks|Multiblocks]] will begin mass deployment by the end of the month: all non-Wikipedia projects plus Catalan Wikipedia will adopt Multiblocks in the week of May 26, while all other Wikipedias will adopt it in the week of June 2. Please [[m:Talk:Community Wishlist Survey 2023/Multiblocks|contact the team]] if you have concerns. Administrators can test the new user interface now on your own wiki by browsing to [{{fullurl:Special:Block|usecodex=1}} {{#special:Block}}?usecodex=1], and can test the full multiblocks functionality [[testwiki:Special:Block|on testwiki]]. Multiblocks is the feature that makes it possible for administrators to impose different types of blocks on the same user at the same time. See the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Manage blocks|help page]] for more information. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T377121]
* Later this week, the [[{{#special:SpecialPages}}]] listing of almost all special pages will be updated with a new design. This page has been [[phab:T219543|redesigned]] to improve the user experience in a few ways, including: The ability to search for names and aliases of the special pages, sorting, more visible marking of restricted special pages, and a more mobile-friendly look. The new version can be [https://meta.wikimedia.beta.wmflabs.org/wiki/Special:SpecialPages previewed] at Beta Cluster now, and feedback shared in the task. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T219543]
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Chart|Chart extension]] is being enabled on more wikis. For a detailed list of when the extension will be enabled on your wiki, please read the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Chart/Project#Deployment Timeline|deployment timeline]].
* [[f:Special:MyLanguage/Wikifunctions:Main Page|Wikifunctions]] will be deployed on May 27 on five Wiktionaries: [[wikt:ha:|Hausa]], [[wikt:ig:|Igbo]], [[wikt:bn:|Bengali]], [[wikt:ml:|Malayalam]], and [[wikt:dv:|Dhivehi/Maldivian]]. This is the second batch of deployment planned for the project. After deployment, the projects will be able to call [[f:Special:MyLanguage/Wikifunctions:Introduction|functions from Wikifunctions]] and integrate them in their pages. A function is something that takes one or more inputs and transforms them into a desired output, such as adding up two numbers, converting miles into metres, calculating how much time has passed since an event, or declining a word into a case. Wikifunctions will allow users to do that through a simple call of [[f:Special:MyLanguage/Wikifunctions:Catalogue|a stable and global function]], rather than via a local template.
* Later this week, the Wikimedia Foundation will publish a hub for [[diffblog:2024/07/09/on-the-value-of-experimentation/|experiments]]. This is to showcase and get user feedback on product experiments. The experiments help the Wikimedia movement [[diffblog:2023/07/13/exploring-paths-for-the-future-of-free-knowledge-new-wikipedia-chatgpt-plugin-leveraging-rich-media-social-apps-and-other-experiments/|understand new users]], how they interact with the internet and how it could affect the Wikimedia movement. Some examples are [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Future Audiences/Generated Video|generated video]], the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Future Audiences/Roblox game|Wikipedia Roblox speedrun game]] and [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Future Audiences/Discord bot|the Discord bot]].
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:29}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:29|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, there was a bug with creating an account using the API, which has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T390751]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* Gadgets and user scripts that interact with [[{{#special:Block}}]] may need to be updated to work with the new [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Manage blocks|manage blocks interface]]. Please review the [[mw:Help:Manage blocks/Developers|developer guide]] for more information. If you need help or are unable to adapt your script to the new interface, please let the team know on the [[mw:Help talk:Manage blocks/Developers|talk page]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T377121]
* The <code dir=ltr>mw.title</code> object allows you to get information about a specific wiki page in the [[w:en:Wikipedia:Lua|Lua]] programming language. Starting this week, a new property will be added to the object, named <code dir=ltr>isDisambiguationPage</code>. This property allows you to check if a page is a disambiguation page, without the need to write a custom function. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T71441]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|15px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] User script developers can use a [[toolforge:gitlab-content|new reverse proxy tool]] to load javascript and css from [[gitlab:|gitlab.wikimedia.org]] with <code dir=ltr>mw.loader.load</code>. The tool's author hopes this will enable collaborative development workflows for user scripts including linting, unit tests, code generation, and code review on <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr">gitlab.wikimedia.org</bdi> without a separate copy-and-paste step to publish scripts to a Wikimedia wiki for integration and acceptance testing. See [[wikitech:Tool:Gitlab-content|Tool:Gitlab-content on Wikitech]] for more information.
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.45/wmf.2|MediaWiki]]
'''Meetings and events'''
* The 12th edition of [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wiki Workshop 2025|Wiki Workshop 2025]], a forum that brings together researchers that explore all aspects of Wikimedia projects, will be held virtually on 21-22 May. Researchers can [https://pretix.eu/wikimedia/wikiworkshop2025/ register now].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/21|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W21"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:12, 19 May 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=28724712 -->
== Tech News: 2025-22 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W22"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/22|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* A community-wide discussion about a very delicate issue for the development of [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Abstract Wikipedia|Abstract Wikipedia]] is now open on Meta: where to store the abstract content that will be developed through functions from Wikifunctions and data from Wikidata. The discussion is open until June 12 at [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Abstract Wikipedia/Location of Abstract Content|Abstract Wikipedia/Location of Abstract Content]], and every opinion is welcomed. The decision will be made and communicated after the consultation period by the Foundation.
'''Updates for editors'''
* Since last week, on all wikis except [[phab:T388604|the largest 20]], people using the mobile visual editor will have [[phab:T385851|additional tools in the menu bar]], accessed using the new <code>+</code> toolbar button. To start, the new menu will include options to add: citations, hieroglyphs, and code blocks. Deployment to the remaining wikis is [[phab:T388605|scheduled]] to happen in June.
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] The <code dir=ltr>[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:ParserFunctions##ifexist|#ifexist]]</code> parser function will no longer register a link to its target page. This will improve the usefulness of [[{{#special:WantedPages}}]], which will eventually only list pages that are the target of an actual red link. This change will happen gradually as the source pages are updated. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T14019]
* This week, the Moderator Tools team will launch [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/2025 RecentChanges Language Agnostic Revert Risk Filtering|a new filter to Recent Changes]], starting at Indonesian Wikipedia. This new filter highlights edits that are likely to be reverted. The goal is to help Recent Changes patrollers identify potentially problematic edits. Other wikis will benefit from this filter in the future.
* Upon clicking an empty search bar, logged-out users will see suggestions of articles for further reading. The feature will be available on both desktop and mobile. Readers of Catalan, Hebrew, and Italian Wikipedias and some sister projects will receive the change between May 21 and mid-June. Readers of other wikis will receive the change later. The goal is to encourage users to read the wikis more. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Content Discovery Experiments/Search Suggestions|Learn more]].
* Some users of the Wikipedia Android app can use a new feature for readers, [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/Android/TrivaGame|WikiGames]], a daily trivia game based on real historical events. The release has started as an A/B test, available to 50% of users in the following languages: English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and Turkish.
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Newsletter|Newsletter extension]] that is available on MediaWiki.org allows the creation of [[mw:Special:Newsletters|various newsletters]] for global users. The extension can now publish new issues as section links on an existing page, instead of requiring a new page for each issue. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T393844]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:32}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:32|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* The previously deprecated <code dir=ltr>[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Ipblocks table|ipblocks]]</code> views in [[wikitech:Help:Wiki Replicas|Wiki Replicas]] will be removed in the beginning of June. Users are encouraged to query the new <code dir=ltr>[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Block table|block]]</code> and <code dir=ltr>[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Block target table|block_target]]</code> views instead.
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.45/wmf.3|MediaWiki]]
'''Meetings and events'''
* [[d:Special:MyLanguage/Event:Wikidata and Sister Projects|Wikidata and Sister Projects]] is a multi-day online event that will focus on how Wikidata is integrated to Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia projects. The event runs from May 29 – June 1. You can [[d:Special:MyLanguage/Event:Wikidata and Sister Projects#Sessions|read the Program schedule]] and [[d:Special:RegisterForEvent/1291|register]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/22|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W22"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 20:04, 26 May 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=28788673 -->
== Tech News: 2025-23 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W23"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/23|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Chart|Chart extension]] is now available on all Wikimedia wikis. Editors can use this new extension to create interactive data visualizations like bar, line, area, and pie charts. Charts are designed to replace many of the uses of the legacy [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Graph|Graph extension]].
'''Updates for editors'''
* It is now easier to configure automatic citations for your wiki within the visual editor's [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Citoid/Enabling Citoid on your wiki|citation generator]]. Administrators can now set a default template by using the <code dir=ltr>_default</code> key in the local <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[MediaWiki:Citoid-template-type-map.json]]</bdi> page ([[mw:Special:Diff/6969653/7646386|example diff]]). Setting this default will also help to future-proof your existing configurations when [[phab:T347823|new item types]] are added in the future. You can still set templates for individual item types as they will be preferred to the default template. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T384709]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:20}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:20|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* Starting the week of June 2, bots logging in using <code dir=ltr>action=login</code> or <code dir=ltr>action=clientlogin</code> will fail more often. This is because of stronger protections against suspicious logins. Bots using [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Bot passwords|bot passwords]] or using a loginless authentication method such as [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/OAuth/Owner-only consumers|OAuth]] are not affected. If your bot is not using one of those, you should update it; using <code dir=ltr>action=login</code> without a bot password was deprecated [[listarchive:list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/3EEMN7VQX5G7WMQI5K2GP5JC2336DPTD/|in 2016]]. For most bots, this only requires changing what password the bot uses. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T395205]
* From this week, Wikimedia wikis will allow ES2017 features in JavaScript code for official code, gadgets, and user scripts. The most visible feature of ES2017 is <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>async</code>/<code>await</code></bdi> syntax, allowing for easier-to-read code. Until this week, the platform only allowed up to ES2016, and a few months before that, up to ES2015. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T381537]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.45/wmf.4|MediaWiki]]
'''Meetings and events'''
* Scholarship applications to participate in the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/GLAM Wiki 2025|GLAM Wiki Conference 2025]] are now open. The conference will take place from 30 October to 1 November, in Lisbon, Portugal. GLAM contributors who lack the means to support their participation can [[m:Special:MyLanguage/GLAM Wiki 2025/Scholarships|apply here]]. Scholarship applications close on June 7th.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/23|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W23"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:55, 2 June 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=28819186 -->
== Tech News: 2025-24 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W24"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/24|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product|Trust and Safety Product team]] is finalizing work needed to roll out [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts|temporary accounts]] on large Wikipedias later this month. The team has worked with stewards and other users with extended rights to predict and address many use cases that may arise on larger wikis, so that community members can continue to effectively moderate and patrol temporary accounts. This will be the second of three phases of deployment – the last one will take place in September at the earliest. For more information about the recent developments on the project, [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts/Updates|see this update]]. If you have any comments or questions, write on the [[mw:Talk:Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts|talk page]], and [[m:Event:CEE Catch up Nr. 10 (June 2025)|join a CEE Catch Up]] this Tuesday.
'''Updates for editors'''
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Wishlist item]] The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Watchlist expiry|watchlist expiry]] feature allows editors to watch pages for a limited period of time. After that period, the page is automatically removed from your watchlist. Starting this week, you can set a preference for the default period of time to watch pages. The [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-watchlist-pageswatchlist|preferences]] also allow you to set different default watch periods for editing existing pages, pages you create, and when using rollback. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T265716]
[[File:Talk pages default look (April 2023).jpg|thumb|alt=Screenshot of the visual improvements made on talk pages|Example of a talk page with the new design, in French.]]
* The appearance of talk pages will change at almost all Wikipedias ([[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/19|some]] have already received this design change, [[phab:T379264|a few]] will get these changes later). You can read details about the changes [[diffblog:2024/05/02/making-talk-pages-better-for-everyone/|on ''Diff'']]. It is possible to opt out of these changes [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-editing-discussion|in user preferences]] ("{{int:discussiontools-preference-visualenhancements}}"). [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T319146][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T392121]
* Users with specific extended rights (including administrators, bureaucrats, checkusers, oversighters, and stewards) can now have IP addresses of all temporary accounts [[phab:T358853|revealed automatically]] during time-limited periods where they need to combat high-speed account-hopping vandalism. This feature was requested by stewards. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T386492]
* This week, the Moderator Tools and Machine Learning teams will continue the rollout of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/2025 RecentChanges Language Agnostic Revert Risk Filtering|a new filter to Recent Changes]], releasing it to several more Wikipedias. This filter utilizes the Revert Risk model, which was created by the Research team, to highlight edits that are likely to be reverted and help Recent Changes patrollers identify potentially problematic contributions. The feature will be rolled out to the following Wikipedias: {{int:project-localized-name-afwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-bewiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-bnwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-cywiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-hawwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-iswiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-kkwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-simplewiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-trwiki/en}}. The rollout will continue in the coming weeks to include [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/2025 RecentChanges Language Agnostic Revert Risk Filtering|the rest of the Wikipedias in this project]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T391964]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:27}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:27|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* AbuseFilter editors active on Meta-Wiki and large Wikipedias are kindly asked to update AbuseFilter to make it compatible with temporary accounts. A link to the instructions and the private lists of filters needing verification are [[phab:T369611|available on Phabricator]].
* Lua modules now have access to the name of a page's associated thumbnail image, and on [https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/g/operations/mediawiki-config/+/2e4ab14aa15bb95568f9c07dd777065901eb2126/wmf-config/InitialiseSettings.php#10849 some wikis] to the WikiProject assessment information. This is possible using two new properties on [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Scribunto/Lua reference manual#added-by-extensions|mw.title objects]], named <code dir=ltr>pageImage</code> and <code dir=ltr>pageAssessments</code>. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T131911][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T380122]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.45/wmf.5|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/24|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W24"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 01:16, 10 June 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=28846858 -->
== Tech News: 2025-25 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W25"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/25|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* You can [https://wikimediafoundation.limesurvey.net/359761?lang=en nominate your favorite tools] for the sixth edition of the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Coolest Tool Award|Coolest Tool Award]]. Nominations are anonymous and will be open until June 25. You can re-use the survey to nominate multiple tools.
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:33}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:33|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.45/wmf.6|MediaWiki]]
'''In depth'''
* Foundation staff and technical volunteers use Wikimedia APIs to build the tools, applications, features, and integrations that enhance user experiences. Over the coming years, the MediaWiki Interfaces team will be investing in Wikimedia web (HTTP) APIs to better serve technical volunteer needs and protect Wikimedia infrastructure from potential abuse. You can [https://techblog.wikimedia.org/2025/06/12/apis-as-a-product-investing-in-the-current-and-next-generation-of-technical-contributors/ read more about their plans to evolve the APIs in this Techblog post].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/25|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W25"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:38, 16 June 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=28870688 -->
== Tech News: 2025-26 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W26"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/26|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* This week, the Moderator Tools and Machine Learning teams will continue the rollout of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/2025 RecentChanges Language Agnostic Revert Risk Filtering|a new filter to Recent Changes]], releasing it to the third and last batch of Wikipedias. This filter utilizes the Revert Risk model, which was created by the Research team, to highlight edits that are likely to be reverted and help Recent Changes patrollers identify potentially problematic contributions. The feature will be rolled out to the following Wikipedias: {{int:project-localized-name-azwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-lawiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-mkwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-mlwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-mrwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-nnwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-pawiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-swwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-tewiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-tlwiki/en}}. The rollout will continue in the coming weeks to include [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/2025 RecentChanges Language Agnostic Revert Risk Filtering|the rest of the Wikipedias in this project]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T391964]
'''Updates for editors'''
* Last week, [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts|temporary accounts]] were rolled out on Czech, Korean, and Turkish Wikipedias. This and next week, deployments on larger Wikipedias will follow. [[mw:Talk:Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts|Share your thoughts]] about the project. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T340001]
* Later this week, the Editing team will release [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Edit check#Multi check|Multi Check]] to all Wikipedias (except English Wikipedia). This feature shows multiple [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Edit check#Reference check|Reference checks]] within the editing experience. This encourages users to add citations when they add multiple new paragraphs to a Wikipedia article. This feature was previously available as an A/B test. [https://analytics.wikimedia.org/published/reports/editing/multi_check_ab_test_report_final.html#summary-of-results The test shows] that users who are shown multiple checks are 1.3 times more likely to add a reference to their edit, and their edit is less likely to be reverted (-34.7%). [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T395519]
* A few pages need to be renamed due to software updates and to match more recent Unicode standards. All of these changes are related to title-casing changes. Approximately 71 pages and 3 files will be renamed, across 15 wikis; the complete list is in [[phab:T396903|the task]]. The developers will rename these pages next week, and they will fix redirects and embedded file links a few minutes later via a system settings update.
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:24}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:24|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, a bug was fixed that had caused pages to scroll upwards when text near the top was selected. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T364023]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* Editors can now use Lua modules to filter and transform tabular data for use with [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Chart|Extension:Chart]]. This can be used for things like selecting a subset of rows or columns from the source data, converting between units, statistical processing, and many other useful transformations. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Chart/Transforms|Information on how to use transforms is available]]. [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Chart/Project/Updates]
* The <code dir=ltr>all_links</code> variable in [[Special:AbuseFilter|AbuseFilter]] is now renamed to <code dir=ltr>new_links</code> for consistency with other variables. Old usages will still continue to work. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T391811]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.45/wmf.7|MediaWiki]]
'''In depth'''
* The latest quarterly [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Newsletters/34|Growth newsletter]] is available. It includes: the recent updates for the "Add a Link" Task, two new Newcomer Engagement Features, and updates to Community Configuration.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/26|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W26"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:21, 23 June 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=28870688 -->
== Tech News: 2025-27 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W27"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/27|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CampaignEvents|CampaignEvents extension]] has been enabled on all Wikipedias. The extension makes it easier to organize and participate in collaborative activities, like edit-a-thons and WikiProjects, on the wikis. The extension has three features: [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Event Center/Registration|Event Registration]], [[m:Special:MyLanguage/CampaignEvents/Collaboration list|Collaboration List]], and [[m:Campaigns/Foundation Product Team/Invitation list|Invitation List]]. To request the extension for your wiki, visit the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/CampaignEvents/Deployment status#How to Request the CampaignEvents Extension for your wiki|Deployment information page]].
'''Updates for editors'''
* AbuseFilter maintainers can now [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:IPReputation/AbuseFilter variables|match against IP reputation data]] in [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:AbuseFilter|AbuseFilters]]. IP reputation data is information about the proxies and VPNs associated with the user's IP address. This data is not shown publicly and is not generated for actions performed by registered accounts. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T354599]
* Hidden content that is within [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Collapsible elements|collapsible parts of wikipages]] will now be revealed when someone searches the page using the web browser's "Find in page" function (Ctrl+F or ⌘F) in supporting browsers. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T327893][https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Reference/Global_attributes/hidden#browser_compatibility]
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Wishlist item]] A new feature, called [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:TemplateData/Template discovery|Favourite Templates]], will be deployed later this week on all projects (except English Wikipedia, which will receive the feature next week), following a piloting phase on Polish and Arabic Wikipedia, and Italian and English Wikisource. The feature will provide a better way for new and experienced contributors to recall and discover templates via the template dialog, by allowing users to put templates on a special "favourite list". The feature works with both the visual editor and the wikitext editor. The feature is a [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist/Focus areas/Template recall and discovery|community wishlist focus area]].
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:31}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:31|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, a bug was fixed that had caused some Notifications to be sent multiple times. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T397103]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.45/wmf.8|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/27|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W27"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:40, 30 June 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=28917415 -->
== Tech News: 2025-28 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W28"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/28|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Temporary accounts|Temporary accounts]] have been rolled out on 18 large and medium-sized Wikipedias, including German, Japanese, French, and Chinese. Now, about 1/3 of all logged-out activity across wikis is coming from temporary accounts. Users involved in patrolling may be interested in two new documentation pages: [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts/Access to IP|Access to IP]], explaining everything related to access to temporary account IP addresses, and [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts/Repository|Repository]] with a list of new gadgets and user scripts.
'''Updates for editors'''
* Anyone can play an experimental new game, [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/New Engagement Experiments/WikiRun|WikiRun]], that lets you race through Wikipedia by clicking from one article to another, aiming to reach a target page in as few steps and in as little time as possible. The project's goal is to explore new ways of engaging readers. [https://wikirun-game.toolforge.org/ Try playing the game] and let the team know what you think [[mw:Talk:New Engagement Experiments/WikiRun|on the talk page]].
* Users of the Wikipedia Android app in some languages can now play the new [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/Android/TrivaGame|trivia game]]. ''Which came first?'' is a simple history game where you guess which of two events happened earlier on today's date. It was previously available as an A/B test. It is now available to all users in English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Arabic, Turkish, and Chinese. The goal of the feature is to help engage with new generations of readers. [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/22]
* Users of the iOS Wikipedia App in some languages may see a new tabbed browsing feature that enables you to open multiple tabs while reading. This feature makes it easier to explore related topics and switch between articles. The A/B test is currently running in Arabic, English, and Japanese in selected regions. More details are available on the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/iOS/Tabbed Browsing (Tabs)|Tabbed Browsing project page]].
* Bureaucrats on Wikimedia wikis can now use [[{{#special:VerifyOATHForUser}}]] to check if users have enabled [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Two-factor authentication|two-factor authentication]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T265726]
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Wishlist item]] A new feature related to [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist/Focus areas/Template recall and discovery|Template Recall and Discovery]] will be deployed later this week to all Wikimedia projects: a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:TemplateData/Template discovery#Template categories|template category browser]] will be introduced to assist users in finding templates to put in their “favourite” list. The browser will allow users to browse a list of templates which have been organised into a given category tree. The feature has been requested by the community [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist/Wishes/Select templates by categories|through the Community Wishlist]].
* It is now possible to access watchlist preferences from the watchlist page. Also the redundant button to edit the watchlist has been removed. [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Moderator_Tools/Watchlist]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:27}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:27|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* As part of [[mw:MediaWiki_1.44|MediaWiki 1.44]] there is now a unified built-in Notifications system that makes it easier for developers to send, manage, and customize notifications. Check out the updated documentation at [[mw:Manual:Notifications|Manual:Notifications]], information about migration in [[phab:T388663|T388663]] and details on deprecated hooks in [[phab:T389624|T389624]].
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.45/wmf.9|MediaWiki]]
'''Meetings and events'''
* [[d:Special:MyLanguage/Event:WikidataCon 2025|WikidataCon 2025]], the conference dedicated to Wikidata is now open for [https://pretalx.com/wikidatacon-2025/cfp session proposals] and for [[d:Special:RegisterForEvent/1340|registration]]. This year's event will be held online from October 31 – November 02 and will explore on the theme of "Connecting People through Linked Open Data".
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/28|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W28"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 00:05, 8 July 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=28930584 -->
== Tech News: 2025-29 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W29"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/29|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:TemplateData/Template discovery#Featured templates|Featured templates]], a new feature related to [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist/Focus areas/Template recall and discovery|Template Recall and Discovery]] will be deployed this week to all Wikimedia projects: With this feature, editors will be able to quickly access a list of templates that are likely to be useful. These templates will be displayed in a list, under the "featured" tab of the template discovery interface. Administrators can define the list via the Community Configuration interface. The feature fulfills a request by the community [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist/Wishes/Easy access Templates|through the Community Wishlist]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T367428][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T392896]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:31}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:31|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the request to add Malayalam fonts in the [[oldWikisource:Special:MyLanguage/Wikisource:WS Export|Wikisource Book Export Tool]] was resolved and now, the rendering of Malayalam letters in exported Wikisource books are accurate. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T374457]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.45/wmf.10|MediaWiki]]
'''In depth'''
* Developers, designers, and all Wikimedians are invited to [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/project/board/7953/ submit a project idea] for the Wikimania Hackathon 2025. Read [https://diff.wikimedia.org/2025/06/30/call-for-projects-wikimania-hackathon-2025-is-coming-to-nairobi/ this Diff blog post] for more details.
'''Meetings and events'''
* [[m:WikiIndaba conference 2025|WikiIndaba 2025]] scholarship application and program submission is open until 23:59 GMT on July 20. WikiIndaba is a regional conference for African Wikimedians both on the continent and in the diaspora to unite and grow together. Submit [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJTv68R1OPASXXDfpIl8EWiMLTM-TDwh6_5gNVvFuWccFZ2Q/viewform your scholarship application] and [https://ee.kobotoolbox.org/x/BI3omIfH program proposal] now!
* [https://br.wikimedia.org/wiki/WikiCon_Brasil_2025 WikiCon Brasil 2025] will take place on July 19-20 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. The Brazilian community members are encouraged to register and attend!
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/29|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W29"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 20:09, 14 July 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=28980963 -->
== Tech News: 2025-30 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W30"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/30|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* The Translation Suggestions feature in the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Content translation|Content Translation tool]] now has another level of article filters added to the "[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:ContentTranslation&filter-type=automatic&filter-id=previous-edits&active-list=suggestions&from=en&to=fi#/ ... More]" category. Translators who use the Suggestions feature can now select and receive article suggestions that are customized to geographical locations of their interest using the new "{{int:Cx-sx-suggestions-filters-tab-regions}}" filter. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T113257]
* Administrators can now limit "Add a Link" to newcomers. The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Growth/Tools/Add a link|"Add a Link"]] Structured Task [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Constructive activation experimentation#Enwiki A/B test & "Add a Link" Improvements (Wiki Experiences 1.2.11 & 1.2.16)|helps new account holders start editing]], but some communities have requested the ability to restrict it to its intended audience: newcomers. Administrators can configure this setting within the [[Special:CommunityConfiguration/GrowthSuggestedEdits|Community Configuration]] feature.
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:29}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:29|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* For AbuseFilter editors on [[phab:T392144|some wikis]], it is now possible to filter edits based on the RevertRisk score of the edit being attempted. It is only populated if the action being evaluated is an edit. For more information, please see the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:ORES/AbuseFilter variables#What variables are available for use|ORES/AbuseFilter variables]] documentation.
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Beta Cluster|Beta Cluster]] wikis have [[listarchive:list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/YDABPV75LADRQCXMJAFWUP256N4EQ25B/|been moved]] from <code dir=ltr>beta.wmflabs.org</code> to <code dir=ltr>beta.wmcloud.org</code>. Users may need to update URLs in any tools, or in their password managers. Any related issues can be [[phab:T289318|reported in the task]].
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.45/wmf.11|MediaWiki]]
'''Meetings and events'''
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/WikiCite 2025|WikiCite 2025]] will take place from 29–31 August, both online and in-person in Bern, Switzerland. The event's goals are to reconnect communities, institutions, and individuals working with open citations, bibliographic data, and the Wikidata/Wikibase ecosystem. Registration is open and the call for proposals will be announced soon. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikidata@lists.wikimedia.org/message/KQZUG3ETKLBWPBYSB2YAWZIRPWHS24TG/]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/30|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W30"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:42, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=29005283 -->
== Tech News: 2025-31 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W31"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/31|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* The Community Tech team will be focusing on wishes related to Watchlists and Recent Changes pages, over the next few months. They are looking for feedback. Please [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist/Updates#July 24, 2025: Watchlists and Recent Changes pages|read the latest update]], and if you have ideas, please [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist|submit a wish]] on the topic.
'''Updates for editors'''
* The Wikimedia Commons community has decided to block [[:mw:Special:MyLanguage/Upload dialog|cross-wiki uploads]] to Wikimedia Commons, for all users without autoconfirmed rights on that wiki, starting on August 16. This is because of [[:c:Commons:Cross-wiki media upload tool/History|widespread problems]] related to files that are uploaded by newcomers. Users who are affected by this will get an error message with a link to the less restrictive UploadWizard on Commons. Please help translating the [[:c:Special:MyLanguage/MediaWiki:Abusefilter-disallowed-cross-wiki-upload|message]] or give feedback on the message text. Please also update your local help pages to explain this restriction. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T370598]
* On wikis with temporary accounts enabled and Meta-Wiki, administrators may now set up a footer for the Special:Contributions pages of temporary accounts, similar to those which can be shown on IP and user-account pages. They may do it by creating the page named <code dir=ltr>MediaWiki:Sp-contributions-footer-temp</code>. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T398347]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:21}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:21|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.45/wmf.12|MediaWiki]]
'''Meetings and events'''
* [[wmania:Special:MyLanguage/2025:Wikimania|Wikimania 2025]] will run from August 6–9. The [https://wikimedia.eventyay.com/talk/wikimania2025/schedule/ program is available] for you to plan which sessions you want to attend. Most sessions will be live-streamed, with exceptions for those that show the "no camera" icon. If you are joining online to watch live-streams and use the interactive features, please [[wmania:Special:MyLanguage/2025:Registration|register]] for a free virtual ticket. For example, you may be interested in technical sessions such as:
** [https://wikimedia.eventyay.com/talk/wikimania2025/talk/KFEFVG/ Temporary Accounts: Enhancing privacy for our unregistered editors]
** [https://wikimedia.eventyay.com/talk/wikimania2025/talk/TVCVAB/ Building a Sustainable Future for Wikimedia Contributors]
** [https://wikimedia.eventyay.com/talk/wikimania2025/talk/WTRQCJ/ A dozen visions for wikitext!]
** [https://wikimedia.eventyay.com/talk/wikimania2025/talk/8YKKP9/ Coordinate Across Stakeholders with the Product and Technology Advisory Council]
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/MediaWiki Users and Developers Conference Fall 2025|MediaWiki Users and Developers Conference, Fall 2025]] will be held 28–30 October 2025 in Hanover, Germany. This event is organized by and for the third-party MediaWiki community. You can propose sessions and register to attend.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/31|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W31"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 00:26, 29 July 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=29051727 -->
== Tech News: 2025-32 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W32"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/32|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* Editors can now enable the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Product Safety and Integrity/Anti-abuse signals/User Info|User Info card]]. This feature adds an icon next to usernames on history pages and similar user-contribution log pages. When you tap or click on the icon, it displays data related to that user account such as the number of edits, reverted edits, blocks, and more. It's part of a broader project to make it easier for moderators to evaluate account trustworthiness. The feature can be enabled in [[testwiki:Special:GlobalPreferences#mw-prefsection-rendering|your global preferences]], and later this week it will be available in local preferences. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T386439]
* Everybody is invited to share comments on [[m:Special:MyLanguage/CampaignEvents/Collaborative contributions|Collaborative Contributions]], a project recently launched by the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Connection Team|Connection team]]. The project aims to create a new way to display the impact of collaborative editing activities (such as edit-a-thons, backlog drives, and WikiProjects) on the wikis. Post your comments on the [[m:Talk:CampaignEvents/Collaborative contributions|project talk page]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T378035]
* Administrators can now define the default block duration for temporary accounts. To do that, they need to create a page named <code dir=ltr>MediaWiki:Ipb-default-expiry-temporary-account</code> and use a value defined in <code dir=ltr>MediaWiki:Ipboptions</code>. This allows administrators to easily block temporary accounts for 90 days, which is functionally equivalent to an indefinite block. The advantage of this solution is that it does not clutter Special:BlockList. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Block and unblock#Default block duration options|More documentation]] is available. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T398626]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:27}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:27|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* Gadgets can now include <code dir=ltr>.vue</code> files. This makes it easier to develop modern user interfaces using [[mw:Vue.js|Vue.js]], in particular using [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Codex|Codex]], the official design system of Wikimedia. [[wmdoc:codex/latest/icons/overview.html|Codex icons]] can be loaded through the gadget definition. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Gadgets#Pages|The documentation]] has examples. For user scripts that use Vue.js, an [[mw:API:CodexIcons|API module]] now exists to load Codex icons. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T340460][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T311099]
* Module developers can now use a [[mw:Help:Extension:Translate/Message Bundles/Lua reference|Lua interface]] to simplify the preparation of Lua modules for translation on Meta-Wiki. This improvement makes it easier for translators to find and edit module strings without dealing with raw Lua code. It helps prevent mistakes that could break the module during translation. Module developers and translators are invited to [[commons:File:Translatable modules video demo July 2025.webm|watch the demo video]], read more about [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Translatable modules|translatable modules]] to understand how it works, refer to Meta-Wiki's [[m:Module:User Wikimedia project|Module:User Wikimedia project]] for example usage, and [[mw:Talk:Translatable modules|share their feedback]] on how well it addresses the challenges in their workflow. The interface still has some performance issues, so it should not be used in widely used modules yet. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T359918]
* Developers of external tools that connect to Wikimedia pages must set a user-agent that complies with [[foundation:Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Wikimedia Foundation User-Agent Policy|the user-agent policy]]. This policy will start to be more strongly enforced in August because of external crawlers that are [[diffblog:2025/04/01/how-crawlers-impact-the-operations-of-the-wikimedia-projects/|overusing]] Wikimedia's resources. Tools that are hosted on Wikimedia's Toolforge or Cloud VPS will not be affected by this for now, but should still set a user-agent. [[phab:T400119|More technical details are available]], and related questions are welcome in that task.
* Parsoid Read Views is going to be rolling out to some smaller Wikipedias over the next few weeks, following the successful transition of Wikivoyages and Wiktionaries to Parsoid Read Views. For more information, see the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Parsoid/Parser Unification|Parsoid/Parser Unification]] project page. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/project/profile/7694/]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.45/wmf.13|MediaWiki]]
'''Meetings and events'''
* [[wmania:Special:MyLanguage/2025:Wikimania|Wikimania 2025]] will run from August 6–9. The [https://wikimedia.eventyay.com/talk/wikimania2025/schedule/ program is available] for you to plan which sessions you want to attend. Most sessions will be live-streamed, with exceptions for those that show the "no camera" icon. If you are joining online to watch live-streams and use the interactive features, please [[wmania:Special:MyLanguage/2025:Registration|register]] for a free virtual ticket. For example, you may be interested in technical sessions such as:
** [https://wikimedia.eventyay.com/talk/wikimania2025/talk/GEH9DH/ Wikimedia’s knowledge infrastructure in a changing internet: Establishing sustainable pathways for content reuse]
** [https://wikimedia.eventyay.com/talk/wikimania2025/talk/7ELN9Q/ Wikifunctions is coming soon to a wiki near you!]
** [https://wikimedia.eventyay.com/talk/wikimania2025/talk/ZMGVJV/ Shaping the Future of Wikipedia’s Reader Experience]
** [https://wikimedia.eventyay.com/talk/wikimania2025/talk/KCKTFZ/ Making Wikipedia More Readable: What Comes Next]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/32|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W32"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 03:40, 5 August 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=29083927 -->
== Tech News: 2025-33 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W33"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/33|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* The WikiEditor toolbar now includes [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:WikiEditor#Keyboard shortcuts|its keyboard shortcuts]] in the tooltips for its buttons. This will help to improve the discoverability of this feature. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T400583]
* The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Product and Technology Advisory Council|Product and Technology Advisory Council]] published a set of [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Product and Technology Advisory Council/August 2025 draft PTAC proposals for feedback|proposed experiments]] the Wikimedia Foundation can try to improve communication with community. Feedback on the proposals are welcomed until August 22 on [[m:Talk:Product and Technology Advisory Council/August 2025 draft PTAC proposals for feedback|this talk page]].
* The search bar on the Minerva skin (mobile) has been updated to use the same type-ahead search component that is used on the Vector 2022 skin. There are no changes in search functionality but there are minor visual changes. Specifically, the close-search button has been changed from an "X" to a back arrow. This helps to distinguish it from the other "X" button that is used to clear any text. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T393944]
* Editors on some wikis will see a new toggle for "Group results by page" on watchlist, related changes, and recent changes pages. This is [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Moderator Tools/Watchlist/Experiment|an A/B experiment]] that is planned to start on August 11, and will run for 3–6 weeks on the Bengali, Chinese, Czech, French, Greek, Portuguese, and Urdu Wikipedias. The experiment will examine how making this feature more discoverable might affect editors' ability to find the edits they are looking for. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T396789]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:31}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:31|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* The multiwiki datasets of [[:wikt:en:Module:Unicode data|Unicode data]] have been moved to [[c:Category:Unicode Module Datasets|Category:Unicode Module Datasets]] on Wikimedia Commons, to follow the idea of "One common data source, multiple local wikis". Most wikis have been updated to use the Commons version. You can ask questions at [[c:Category talk:Unicode Module Datasets|the talkpage]]. [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Module_talk:Unicode_data#Data_from_commons]
* Lua code can add warnings when something is wrong, by using the <code dir=ltr>mw.addWarning()</code> function. It is now possible to add more than one warning, instead of new warnings replacing old ones. If you maintain a Lua module that used warnings, you should check it still works as expected. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T398390]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.45/wmf.14|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/33|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W33"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:29, 11 August 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=29106516 -->
== Tech News: 2025-34 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W34"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/34|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* Later this week, people who are logged-in and have the "[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Talk pages project/Feature summary|Discussion tools]]" [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures|Beta Feature]] enabled will gain the ability to "Thank" individual comments directly from talk pages, rather than needing to navigate to page history. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Talk pages project/Feature summary#Comment actions|Learn more about this feature]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T400849]
* An A/B test comparing two versions of the desktop donate link launched on testwiki on 12 August and on English Wikipedia 14 August for 0.1% of logged out users on the desktop site. The experiment will run for three weeks, ending on 12 September. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T395716]
* An A/A test to measure the baseline for reader retention was launched 12 August using [[wikitech:Experimentation Lab|Experimentation Lab]]. This measures the percentage of users who revisit a wiki after their initial visit over a 14-day period. No visual changes are expected. The experiment will run through 31 August. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T399227]
* Five new wikis have been created:
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikisource/en}} in [[d:Q34057|Tagalog]] ([[s:tl:|<code>s:tl:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T388639]
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikisource/en}} in [[d:Q36213|Madurese]] ([[s:mad:|<code>s:mad:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T391747]
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikipedia/en}} in [[d:Q3450749|Rakhine]] ([[w:rki:|<code>w:rki:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T392490]
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikibooks/en}} in [[d:Q13324|Minangkabau]] ([[b:min:|<code>b:min:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T395452]
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wiktionary/en}} in [[d:Q7598268|Standard Moroccan Amazigh]] ([[wikt:zgh:|<code>wikt:zgh:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T399684]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:46}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:46|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.45/wmf.15|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/34|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W34"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 00:38, 19 August 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=29127690 -->
== Tech News: 2025-35 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W35"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/35|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Wishlist item]] [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Template authors can now use additional CSS properties, since the CSS sanitizer used by [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:TemplateStyles|TemplateStyles]] was updated. For example: <code>width: fit-content</code>; <code>ruby-align</code>; relative units such as <code>lh</code>; and custom strings in <code>list-style-type</code>. These improvements are a [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist/Wishes/Allow use of modern CSS in templates by updating the TemplateStyles CSS sanitizer|Community Wishlist wish]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T271958][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T277755][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T293633][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T295088][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T326906][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T340057][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T360725][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T371809][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T375344][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T394619]
* On large wikis, the default time period to display edits from, within the Special:RecentChanges page, has been changed from 7 days to 1 day. This is part of a performance improvement project. This should have no user-facing impact due to the quantity of edits on these wikis. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T399455]
* Administrators can now access the [[{{#special:BlockedExternalDomains}}]] page from the [[{{#special:CommunityConfiguration}}]] list page. This makes it easier to find. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T393240]
* Wikimedia Commons videos were not shown in the Videos tab in Google Search. The problem was investigated and reported to Google who have now fixed the issue. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T396168][https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Community_Wishlist/Wishes/Do_something_about_Google_%26_DuckDuckGo_search_not_indexing_media_files_and_categories_on_Commons]
* One new wiki has been created: a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wiktionary/en}} in [[d:Q33014|Betawi]] ([[wikt:bew:|<code>wikt:bew:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T402130]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:39}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:39|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* Two fields of the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Recentchanges table|recentchanges database table]] are being removed. <code>rc_new</code> and <code>rc_type</code> are being removed in favor of <code>rc_source</code>. Queries to these older fields will start to fail starting this week and developers should use <code>rc_source</code> instead. These older fields were deprecated over 10 years ago and should not be in use. This is part of work to improve the performance and stability of queries to the recentchanges table. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T400696]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.45/wmf.16|MediaWiki]]
'''In depth'''
* The latest quarterly [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Language and Product Localization/Newsletter/2025/July|Language and Internationalization Newsletter]] is now available. This edition includes: support for new languages in MediaWiki and translatewiki; the start of the Language Onboarding and Development project to help support the growth of new and small wikis; updates on research projects; and more.
'''Meetings and events'''
* The next [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Language and Product Localization/Community meetings#29 August 2025|Language Community Meeting]] is happening soon, August 29th at [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1756479600 15:00 UTC]. This week's meeting will cover: the Avro keyboard developers from Wikimedia Bangladesh, who were recently awarded a national award for their contributions to this keyboard; and other topics.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/35|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W35"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 00:12, 26 August 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=29175124 -->
== Tech News: 2025-36 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W36"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/36|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* The Editing team wants to compile a list of templates, jargon terms, and policies used in edit summaries when a copyright violation is removed. This will help them identify the number of edits reverted due to copyright issues. We invite community members from the following Wikis to list these terms in [[Phab:T402601|T402601]], or to share their list with [[User:Trizek (WMF)|Trizek_(WMF)]]: {{int:project-localized-name-arwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-cswiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-dewiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-enwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-eswiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-fawiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-frwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-hewiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-idwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-itwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-jawiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-kowiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-nlwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-plwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-ptwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-trwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-ukwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-viwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-zhwiki/en}}. This project is open until September 9th 2025.
'''Updates for editors'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CampaignEvents|CampaignEvents extension]] has been enabled for all Wikisources. The extension makes it easier to organize and participate in collaborative activities, like edit-a-thons and WikiProjects, on the wikis. The extension has three features: [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Event Center/Registration|Event Registration]], [[m:Special:MyLanguage/CampaignEvents/Collaboration list|Collaboration List]], and [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Connection Team/Invitation list|Invitation List]]. To request the extension for your wiki, visit the Deployment information page. [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/CampaignEvents/Deployment_status#How_to_Request_the_CampaignEvents_Extension_for_your_wiki]
* The lists in the footer of the editing interface, such as "Templates used on this page," will now be organized into columns when there is enough space. This enhancement minimizes scrolling when editing lengthy articles on Wikipedia. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T401066]
* On September 3rd, 2025 we will increase the sampling percentages of our [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Moderator Tools/Watchlist/Experiment#Scope of the experiment|group by toggle experiment]] of the <code>Special:RecentChanges</code>, <code>Special:Watchlist</code>, and <code>Special:RelatedChanges</code> pages on the Chinese, French, and Portuguese Wikipedias to 100 percent, allowing more editors to be part of this experiment. This adjustment is intended to ensure we have sufficient data to make informed decisions when evaluating the experiment results. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T402958][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T396789]
* Upon clicking an empty search bar, logged-out users will see suggestions of articles for further reading on English Wikipedia beginning the week of September 22. The feature will be available on both desktop and mobile. All non-English wikis received this change in June and July. The goal is to make it easier for users to find articles. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Content Discovery Experiments/Search Suggestions|Learn more]].
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:37}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:37|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.45/wmf.17|MediaWiki]]
'''In depth'''
* Wikifunctions now has a new capability called "lightweight enumeration types", an enumeration type is simply a fixed set of values that's in the type's definition. This capability makes it quick and easy to define such a type, and allows for the reuse of values that are already present in Wikidata. Here is [[f:Special:MyLanguage/Wikifunctions:Status updates/2025-07-19|a newsletter]] to learn more.
* The latest [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Newsletter updates#August 2025: Newsletter #1|Readers Newsletter]] is now available. This edition includes: the formation of two new teams — Reader Growth and Reader Experience; insights into declining pageviews and account creations; highlights from the Wikimania Nairobi panel on improving the reading experience; upcoming experiments to engage new and existing readers; and more.
'''Meetings and events'''
* Spotlight on some Wikimania 2025 Sessions:
** Identifying AI-generated text by searching for ISBNs whose checksums fail: Mathias Schindler of WMDE [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw9o8Lsl974&t=15910s shared tools to help communities search for these].
** [https://wikimedia.eventyay.com/talk/wikimania2025/talk/TCHZKH/ La durabilité du mouvement Wikimedia face aux défis actuels et futurs]: This session explored how Wikimedia can stay a trusted source of knowledge in the age of generative AI, information overload, and disinformation.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/36|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W36"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 20:50, 1 September 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=29196010 -->
== Tech News: 2025-37 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W37"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/37|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* The Editing team is working on a new check: [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Paste check|Paste check]]. This check informs newcomers who paste text into Wikipedia that the content might not be accepted. This check is an effort to increase the likelihood that the new content people are adding to Wikipedia is aligned with the Movement's commitment to offering information under a free content license. This check will soon be tested at a few wikis. If your community is interested in this test, please [[phab:T403680|tell us in this task]], or [[mw:Talk:Edit check|contact the team]].
'''Updates for editors'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Later this week, users of the "{{int:codemirror-beta-feature-title}}" [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures|beta feature]] will be able to use a [[w:en:Lint (software)|linting tool]] to see errors or other potential problems in wikitext in real time. See the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror#Linting|help page for more information]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T381577]
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] When browsing a wiki (like <code dir=ltr>en.wikipedia.org</code>), the software responds in one of two ways: a desktop page, or a redirect to a mobile version on an "m" domain (like <code dir=ltr>en.m.wikipedia.org</code>). Over the next three weeks, MediaWiki will start displaying the mobile version to mobile devices directly on the standard domain, without this redirect. This change does not affect existing m-dot URLs, or the "Desktop view" opt-out. [[mw:Requests for comment/Mobile domain sunsetting/2025 Announcement|Learn more]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T214998]
* When an edit changes the categories of a page, the changes to the category membership counts are now happening asynchronously. This improves the speed of saving edits, especially when moving many pages to or from the same category, and reduces the risk of site outages, but it means that the counts can show outdated information for a few minutes. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T365303]
* Edits on Wikidata to qualifiers (properties and values) and references (properties and values) in a Wikidata item statement will now not add entries to the RecentChanges or Watchlist pages on all other Wikis. This is a temporary change to improve performance while other solutions are created. Wikidata's own pages remain unchanged. [[m:Wikidata For Wikimedia Projects/Reduce change propagation noise#Phase 1: Turn off (temporarily) Qualifiers and References Wikidata edits to the Recent Changes tables|Learn more]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T401286][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T400698]
* Japanese-language wikis have had a major upgrade to the way that search works. The new search should generally give more accurate and more relevant search results. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T318269]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:31}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:31|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.45/wmf.18|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/37|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W37"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 01:14, 9 September 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=29238161 -->
== Tech News: 2025-38 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W38"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/38|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* References lists that are made using the <code dir=ltr><nowiki><references/></nowiki></code> [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Cite#references-tag|tag]] will now automatically display with columns in Vector 2022 when readers are using its 'standard' settings for text-size and page-width. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T334941]
* Starting in the week of October 6, on [[gitiles:operations/mediawiki-config/+/a2d2aaab9ace84280dd2f4c70a33bb69cd73850f/dblists/small.dblist|small wikis]] and [[gitiles:operations/mediawiki-config/+/a2d2aaab9ace84280dd2f4c70a33bb69cd73850f/dblists/medium.dblist|medium wikis]] that have the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CampaignEvents|CampaignEvents extension]] enabled, all autoconfirmed users will be able to use [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Event Center/Registration|Event Registration]] as an organizer. No changes will be made for [[gitiles:operations/mediawiki-config/+/a2d2aaab9ace84280dd2f4c70a33bb69cd73850f/dblists/large.dblist|large wikis]] unless requested in Phabricator. This change is being made to make it easier for more people to use Event Registration, especially on wikis that are less likely to have policies related to the Event Organizer right. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/CampaignEvents/Proposal to grant autoconfirmed users on small and medium wikis the organizer access to the event registration tool|Learn more]].
* Users that search using regular expressions (regex) can now use additional features including:
** for the <code dir=ltr>intitle:</code> keyword: [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:CirrusSearch#Metacharacters|metacharacters]] for start-of-line (<code dir=ltr>^</code>) and end-of-line (<code dir=ltr>$</code>) anchors [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T317599]
** for both <code dir=ltr>intitle:</code> and <code dir=ltr>insource:</code> keywords: shorthand [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:CirrusSearch#Character_Classes|character classes]] for digits (<code dir=ltr>\d</code>), whitespace (<code dir=ltr>\s</code>), and word characters (<code dir=ltr>\w</code>); and [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:CirrusSearch#Escape codes|escape codes]] for line feed (<code dir=ltr>\r</code>), newline (<code dir=ltr>\n</code>), tab (<code dir=ltr>\t</code>), and unicode (e.g. <code dir=ltr>\uHHHH</code>). [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T403212]
* When you search for text that looks like an IP, the system will now show search results. It used to take you to the contributions for that IP instead of showing search results. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T306325]
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/Server switch|All wikis will be read-only]] for a few minutes on September 24. This is planned at [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1758726000 15:00 UTC]. This is for the datacenter server switchover backup tests which happen twice a year. You can [[diffblog:2025/03/12/hear-that-the-wikis-go-silent-twice-a-year/|read more about the background and details of this process on the Diff blog]].
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:24}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:24|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, a bug was fixed that affected users who used the page-tabs to switch from wikitext editing of a section into the visualeditor. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T401043]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* The MediaWiki Interfaces team is redesigning the Wikimedia REST API Sandbox with Codex. If you have feedback on improvements for the API documentation or what makes developer experiences smooth (or frustrating), you’re invited to [https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0/appointments/schedules/AcZssZ2aZzbXeQvjOF7gB1fJXiwAYemQjKf4sXNaRODPA7_obFyNBwkzNkoVCoTF-aeov89kIjXHbCQm join an upcoming discovery interview], or [[mw:MediaWiki Interfaces Team/Developer Feedback/Wikimedia Web APIs|leave feedback onwiki]]. [[listarchive:list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/C4FBAOA57PH6G5ORVMAUF5TGYBLZDU5Q/|Learn more]].
* Edits to Wikidata aliases (an alternative name for an item or a property) will now be shown in RecentChanges and Watchlist entries on other wikis less often, reducing unnecessary notifications. This will reduce the overall quantity of 'noisy' entries. Wikidata's own pages remain unchanged. [[m:Wikidata For Wikimedia Projects/Reduce change propagation noise#Phase 1: More granular Alias tracking|Learn more]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T401288]
* The new [https://www.unicode.org/versions/Unicode17.0.0/ Unicode 17.0] version has been released. The [[:c:Category:Unicode Module Datasets|datasets on Commons]] for the [[:d:Q39301585|Module:Unicode data]] have been updated. Wikipedias that do not use the Commons datasets should either update their own data or switch to the Commons datasets.
* Users of the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Enterprise|Wikimedia Enterprise]] Structured Contents endpoints can now access [https://enterprise.wikimedia.com/blog/parsed-wikipedia-tables/ Parsed Tables]. The new Parsed Tables feature extracts and represents Wikipedia tables in structured JSON. This improves machine accessibility as part of the [https://enterprise.wikimedia.com/api/structured-contents/ Structured Contents initiative]. Structured Contents output is freely available through the [https://enterprise.wikimedia.com/docs/on-demand/#article-structured-contents-beta On-demand API], or through Wikimedia Cloud Services.
* A [https://www.kaggle.com/datasets/wikimedia-foundation/english-wikipedia-people-dataset dataset of English Wikipedia biographical information] from [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Enterprise|Wikimedia Enterprise]] has been published on Kaggle, for evaluation and research. This provides structured data from more than 1.5 million biographies, including birth and death dates, education, affiliations, careers, awards, and more (from a June 2024 snapshot).
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.45/wmf.19|MediaWiki]]
'''Meetings and events'''
* [[wmania:Special:MyLanguage/2026:Scholarships|Scholarship applications]] for Wikimania 2026 in Paris, France, are open until October 31.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/38|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W38"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 17:07, 15 September 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=29263921 -->
== Tech News: 2025-39 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W39"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/39|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1758726000 On September 24th at 15:00 UTC], all Wikimedia sites users will experience a brief read-only period due to a scheduled [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/Server switch|datacenter server switchover]]. The Wikimedia Foundation's Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) team will redirect all traffic from one primary server to its backup. You can listen to the switchover using the [http://listen.hatnote.com/ "Listen to Wikipedia"] tool, where you will hear edits stop for a few minutes during the read-only phase, then resume. This twice-yearly datacenter server switchover ensures reliability by testing the backup datacenter, so that our sites can stay online even if the primary datacenter fails. You can [[diffblog:2025/03/12/hear-that-the-wikis-go-silent-twice-a-year/|read more about the process on the Diff blog]].
'''Updates for editors'''
* Editors of [[f:Special:Mylanguage/Wikifunctions:Status updates/2025-09-12#Next round of Wiktionaries to receive embedded Wikifunctions calls|60 more Wiktionaries]] will soon be able to call [[f:Special:MyLanguage/Wikifunctions:Introduction|functions from Wikifunctions]] and integrate them into their pages. A function takes one or more inputs and transforms them into a desired output, like adding numbers, converting miles to meters, calculating elapsed time, or declining a word into a case. They will join the other [[f:Special:MyLanguage/Wikifunctions:Status updates/2025-08-29#Wikifunctions available on 65 Wiktionaries|65 Wiktionary language editions]], which already have access to embedded Wikifunctions calls. Later this year, plans are in place to expand to more Wiktionaries and the Incubator.
* A new [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Magic words#Technical metadata of another page|parser function]] has been added: <code><nowiki>{{#contentmodel}}</nowiki></code>. Template editors and admins can use it to get the localized or canonical name of the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:ChangeContentModel|content model]] of a specific page. The function makes it easier to create and edit system messages, such as ''MediaWiki:editinginterface'', even when you switch types of pages, like wiki, JavaScript, CSS or JSON page. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T328254]
* Adding or editing a <code>DISPLAYTITLE</code> for an article using VisualEditor will no longer be broken. Editors who use VisualEditor mode to modify the <code><nowiki>{{DISPLAYTITLE}}</nowiki></code> would no longer have the literal text "DISPLAYTITLE" or its localized variant added to their articles. A list of pages that may have been affected and might need cleanup is documented in [[phab:P83438|this ticket]].
* Beta users of the Wikipedia Android app can now try the redesigned [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/Android/Activity Tab Experiment|Activity tab]], which replaces the Edits tab. The new tab offers personalized insights into reading, editing, and donation activity, while simplifying navigation and making app use more engaging.
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:12}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:12|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.45/wmf.20|MediaWiki]]
'''In depth'''
* Wikifunctions users can now import many essential facts involving [[f:Special:MyLanguage/Z6011|geo-coordinates]], [[f:Special:MyLanguage/Z6010|quantities]] and [[f:Special:MyLanguage/Z6064|time]] values from Wikidata. This is made possible by the creation of Wikifunctions types for these values, which makes them available for use by functions in Wikifunctions. Learn more about how this works in [[c:File:ImportingWikidataDatatypesIntoWikifunctions.webm|this video]] and Wikifunctions' [[f:Special:MyLanguage/Wikifunctions:Status updates/2025-08-01#News in Types I: Wikidata quantity|August 1 newsletter]] (for quantities) and [[f:Special:MyLanguage/Wikifunctions:Status updates/2025-08-22#News in Types: Wikidata geo-coordinate|August 22 newsletter]] (for geo-coordinates).
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/39|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W39"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 22:55, 22 September 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=29305556 -->
== Tech News: 2025-40 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W40"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/40|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* A major software upgrade has been made to [[phab:|Phabricator]]. The update introduces performance improvements, a refreshed search interface, enhancements to Maniphest task search, updates to user profile pages and project workboards, new Herald automation features, as well as general text input, mobile experience improvements and more. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/phame/post/view/321/iterative_improvements_september_2025/]
'''Updates for editors'''
* The Community Tech team will release the new Community Wishlist extension on October 1, that will improve the way wishes will be submitted. The new extension will allow users to add tags to their wishes to better categorise them, and (in a future iteration) to filter them by status, tags and focus areas. It will also be possible to support individual wishes again, as requested by the community in many instances. The old system will be retired. There will be a brief period of downtime while the extension is deployed and wishes are migrated to the new system. You can read more about this [[:m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist/Updates|in the latest update]] or you can consult the [[:mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CommunityRequests|current documentation on MediaWiki]].
* As announced [[diffblog:2025/09/02/better-detecting-bots-and-replacing-our-captcha/|on Diff blog]], the production trial of the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Product Safety and Integrity/Anti-abuse signals/hCaptcha|hCaptcha]] service for bot detection has begun. The trial is currently using hCaptcha to protect account creation on Chinese, Persian, Portuguese, Indonesian, Japanese, and Turkish Wikipedias, where it will replace our existing [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:ConfirmEdit#FancyCaptcha|CAPTCHA]] (FancyCaptcha). The goal with the trial is to better block bots while also improving usability and accessibility for users who encounter CAPTCHA challenges.
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CampaignEvents|CampaignEvents]] extension has been [[m:Special:MyLanguage/CampaignEvents/Deployment status|deployed]] to Wikimedia Commons. The extension makes it easier to organize and participate in collaborative activities, like edit-a-thons and WikiProjects, on the wikis. On Commons, anyone who is a registered user can use it as an event participant. To use it as an organizer, someone needs to have the [[c:Special:MyLanguage/Commons:Event organizers|event organizer right]].
* [[:m:Special:MyLanguage/WMDE Technical Wishes/Sub-referencing|Sub-referencing]], a new feature to re-use references with different details has been released to German Wikipedia. You can [[:m:Special:MyLanguage/WMDE Technical Wishes/Sub-referencing#test|test the feature]] on testwiki or [https://en.wikipedia.beta.wmcloud.org/wiki/Sub-referencing on betawiki] as well. Please share your thoughts on [[:m:Talk:WMDE Technical Wishes/Sub-referencing#Templates used in sub-references|using templates in sub-references]] or [[:m:Talk:WMDE Technical Wishes/Sub-referencing#Pilot wikis|volunteer to become a pilot wiki]].
* On wikis using the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Growth/Mentorship|Mentorship]] system, communities can now opt experienced editors out of Mentorship through [[{{#special:CommunityConfiguration/Mentorship}}]]. Within this setting, communities may define thresholds, based on edit count and account age, to decide when an editor is considered experienced enough to no longer receive Mentorship. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T403563]
* The Editing Team and the Machine Learning Team are working on a new check for newcomers: [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Edit check/Tone Check|Tone check]]. Using a prediction model, this check will encourage editors to improve the tone of their edits, using artificial intelligence. We invite volunteers to review the first version of the Tone language model for the following languages: Arabic, Czech, German, Hebrew, Indonesian, Dutch, Polish, Russian, Turkish, Chinese, Farsi, Italian, Norwegian, Romanian and Latvian. Users from these wikis interested in reviewing this model are [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Edit_check/Tone_Check/Model_evaluation|invited to sign up at MediaWiki.org]]. The deadline to sign up is on October 3, which will be the start date of the test.
* The rollout of [[:mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Manage blocks|multiblocks]] had the side effect that non-active block logs may have been shown on {{#special:Contributions}} and on blocked users' user and user_talk pages. This issue will be fully resolved in a few days. As part of the fix, [{{fullurl:Special:Allmessages|prefix=sp-contributions-blocked-notice}} messages prefixed with <code>sp-contributions-blocked-notice</code>] will be removed and replaced with [{{fullurl:Special:Allmessages|prefix=blocked-notice-logextract}} those prefixed with <code>blocked-notice-logextract</code>] in a few weeks. Please help translate the new messages and update any local overrides if needed.
* There was a bug with links added using visual editor if they included characters such as <code dir=ltr><nowiki>[ ] |</nowiki></code> after the fragment identifier (<code><nowiki>#</nowiki></code>). They were not encoded properly creating an incorrect link. This has been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T404823]
* One new wiki has been created: a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikiquote/en}} in [[d:Q9237|Malay]] ([[q:ms:|<code>q:ms:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T404698]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:21}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:21|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Product Safety and Integrity/Anti-abuse signals/User Info|User Info Card]] now displays currently active global lock/blocks. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T401128]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* Later this week, editors using Lua modules will be able to use the <code>[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Scribunto/Lua reference manual#mw.title.newBatch|mw.title.newBatch]]</code> function to look up the existence of up to 25 pages at once, in a way that only increases the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Parser functions#Expensive parser functions|expensive function]] count once.
* A new [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Product and Technology Advisory Council/Unsupported Tools Working Group|Unsupported Tools Working Group]] has been formed as part of ongoing efforts to collectively determine technical work priorities, similar to the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Product and Technology Advisory Council|Product & Technology Advisory Council]] (PTAC). The working group will help prioritize and review requests for support of unmaintained extensions, gadgets, bots, and tools. For the first cycle, the group will be prioritizing an unsupported Wikimedia Commons tool.
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.45/wmf.21|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/40|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W40"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 20:52, 29 September 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=29355230 -->
== Tech News: 2025-41 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W41"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/41|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Edit check#paste|Paste Check]] is a new Edit Check feature to help avoid and fight copyright violations. When editors paste text into an article, Paste Check prompts them to confirm the origin and licensing of the content. Starting Wednesday, 8 October, [[phab:T403680|22 wikis will test Paste Check]]. Paste Check will help new volunteers understand and follow the policies and guidelines necessary to make constructive contributions to Wikipedia projects.
'''Updates for editors'''
* Mobile devices will receive mobile articles directly on the standard domain (like <code>en.wikipedia.org</code>), instead of via a redirect to an "m" domain (like <code>en.m.wikipedia.org</code>). This change improves performance. This week it will be enabled on Wikipedias. The existing mobile URLs and the "Desktop view" opt-out remain available. [[mw:Requests for comment/Mobile domain sunsetting/2025 Announcement|Learn more]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T214998]
* New [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:CirrusSearch#creationdate and lasteditdate|date filters]], <code dir=ltr>creationdate:</code> and <code dir=ltr>lasteditdate:</code>, are now available in the wiki search engine. This allows users to filter search results by a page's first or last revision date. The filters support comparison operators (e.g. <code dir=ltr>>2024</code>) and relative dates (e.g. <code dir=ltr>today-1d</code>), making it easier to find recently updated content or pages within specific age ranges. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T403593]
* [[f:|Wikifunctions]] now supports rich text in embedded calls across the 150 wikis where it's enabled. To showcase this, the team created a [[f:Z26333|Latin declination table]] that Wiktionary editors can use to automatically generate noun forms, producing clear, formatted results — see an [[f:Wikifunctions:Embedded function calls/Wiktionary tables demonstration|example output]]. If you need any help or have any feedback, please [[f:Wikifunctions:Project chat|contact the Wikifunctions Team]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T397402]
* An edit link will now appear inside the categories box on article pages for logged in users, which will directly launch the VisualEditor category dialog. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T291691]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:34}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:34|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, there was a problem downloading pdf files last week and that has been resolved. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T405957]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* The field <code dir=ltr>rev_sha1</code> in the revision database table is being removed in favor of <code dir=ltr>content_sha1</code> in the content database table. See [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/cloud@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/2D2M3SP4WHR6BXXKTZ2PBLZQYR3EGQVR/ the announcement] for more information.
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web|Reader Experience team]] will roll out [[w:en:Light-on-dark color scheme|Dark Mode]] user interface on all Wikimedia sites on October 29, 2025. All anonymous users of Wikimedia sites will have the option to activate a color scheme that features light-colored text on a dark background. This is designed to provide a more comfortable reading experience, especially in low-light situations. Template authors and technical contributors are encouraged to [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Accessibility for reading/Updates/2024-04|learn how to make pages ready for Dark mode]] and address any compatibility issues found in templates in their wiki before the enablement. Please contact the Web team for questions or any support on [[mw:Talk:Reading/Web/Accessibility for reading#|this talk page]] before the enablement. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T395628]
* Starting on Monday, October 6, API endpoints under the <code>rest.php</code> path will be rerouted through a new internal API Gateway. Individual wikis will be updated based on the standard release groups, with total traffic increased over time. This change is expected to be non-breaking and non-disruptive. If any issues are observed, please file a Phabricator ticket to the [[phab:tag/serviceops/|Service Ops team board]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T400130]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.45/wmf.22|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/41|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W41"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 17:23, 6 October 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=29400897 -->
== Tech News: 2025-42 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W42"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/42|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* Last week, improvements to account security and two-factor authentication (2FA) features were enabled across all wikis. These changes include user interface improvements for [https://auth.wikimedia.org/metawiki/wiki/Special:AccountSecurity Special:AccountSecurity], the support of multiple 2FA methods via authenticator apps and portable security keys (previously users could only enable one method), and a new Recovery Codes module which facilitates fewer account lockouts due to lost two-factor apps and devices. As part of the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Product Safety and Integrity/Account Security|Account Security]] project, work is continuing through the rest of 2025 on further user experience improvements, and support for passkeys as an alternate second factor.
'''Updates for editors'''
* Another part of the Account security project is making 2FA generally available to all users. Along with editors with advanced privileges, such as administrators and bureaucrats, 40% of editors now have access to 2FA. You can check if you have access at [https://auth.wikimedia.org/metawiki/wiki/Special:AccountSecurity Special:AccountSecurity]. Instructions for activation are on the linked page. The plan is to continue increasing availability if it is determined that the user support capabilities are able to support global usage. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T400579]
* This week, users at wikis where talk page [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Talk pages project/Usability|Usability Improvements]] are already available by default (everywhere ''except'' the 12 wikis listed in [[phab:T379264|T379264]]) will gain the ability to Thank a comment directly from the talk page it appears on. Before this change, Thanking could only be done by visiting the revision history of the talk page. You can [[diffblog:2025/10/13/revolutionizing-gratitude-a-new-era-of-thanking-comments/|learn more about this change]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T366095]
* Users who have not [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-personal-email|verified their email address]] will soon be receiving monthly Notification reminders to do so. This is because users who have verified their email can more easily recover their account. These reminders will not be sent if the user is inactive or removes the unverified email from their account. [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Help:Email_confirmation][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T58074]
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:21}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:21|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, a fix was made for an occasional error with saving translated paragraphs in the Content Translation tool, and the related error messages are now easier to see. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T376531]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* The Unsupported Tools Working Group has chosen [[c:Special:MyLanguage/Commons:Video2commons|Video2Commons]] as the first tool for its pilot cycle. The group will explore ways to improve and sustain the tool over the coming months. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Product and Technology Advisory Council/Unsupported Tools Working Group|Learn more on Meta]].
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.45/wmf.23|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/42|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W42"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 18:59, 13 October 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=29434481 -->
== Tech News: 2025-43 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W43"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/43|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* To optimize how user data is stored in our databases, the saved preferences of users who haven't logged in for over five years and have fewer than 100 edits will be cleared. When those users return, default settings will apply. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T406724]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:20}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:20|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, there was a broken link from the GlobalContributions interface message to the XTools GlobalContributions page which has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T406415]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* The work to reroute all traffic to API endpoints under the <code dir=ltr><nowiki>rest.php</nowiki></code> route through a common API gateway is now complete. If any issues are observed, please file a phabricator ticket to the [[phab:tag/serviceops/|Service Ops team board]].
* Edits to Wikidata references or qualifiers will now be shown in RecentChanges and Watchlist entries on other wikis less often, reducing unnecessary notifications. This will reduce the overall quantity of 'noisy' entries. Wikidata's own pages remain unchanged. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T401290]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.45/wmf.24|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/43|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W43"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 19:36, 20 October 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=29478670 -->
== Tech News: 2025-44 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W44"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/44|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* The Wikipedia iOS app has launched an A/B/C test of improvements made to the tabbed browsing feature for select regions and languages. The test, named “More dynamic tabs”, explores new tab experiences and includes “Did you know” and “Because you read” article recommendations. You can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/iOS/Tabbed Browsing (Tabs)/New Tab Experience and Recommendations Experiment|read more on the project page]].
* Autoconfirmed users on [[gitiles:operations/mediawiki-config/+/a2d2aaab9ace84280dd2f4c70a33bb69cd73850f/dblists/small.dblist|small]] and [[gitiles:operations/mediawiki-config/+/a2d2aaab9ace84280dd2f4c70a33bb69cd73850f/dblists/medium.dblist|medium wikis]] with the CampaignEvents extension can now use [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Event Center/Registration|Event Registration]] without the Event Organizer right. This feature lets organizers enable registration, manage participants, and lets users register with one click instead of signing event pages.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:31}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:31|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the issue of flashing colors when holding or pressing the arrow keys under the dark mode settings in Vector 2022 has been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T402285]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* The CampaignEvents extension will be deployed to all remaining wikis during the week of 17 November 2025. The extension currently includes three features: Event Registration, Collaboration List, and Invitation List. For this rollout, Invitation List will not be enabled on Wikifunctions and MediaWiki unless requested by those communities. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/CampaignEvents/Deployment status|Visit the deployment page to learn more]].
* The SwaggerUI-based REST sandbox experience is now live on all wiki projects. The sandbox can be accessed through the [[{{#special:RestSandbox}}]] page. Please report any issues to the MediaWiki Interfaces team board, or join the discussion on the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/MediaWiki Interfaces Team/Feature Feedback/REST Sandbox|project launch]] page. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/project/board/6931/]
* Transform endpoints with a trailing slash path in the MediaWiki REST API are now marked as deprecated. They will remain functional during this time, but removal is expected by the end of January 2026. All API users currently calling them are encouraged to transition to the non-trailing slash versions. Both endpoint variations can be found and tested using the [https://test.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?api=mw-extra&title=Special%3ARestSandbox REST Sandbox]. See the [[mw:API/Deprecation|MediaWiki REST API Deprecation]] page for more detailed information about the API deprecation policies and procedures.
* A dedicated [[mw:API:REST API/Changelog|changelog now exists for the MediaWiki REST API]]. The changelog provides an overview of these changes, making it easier for developers to keep track of improvements and iterations. Announcements will also continue to flow through the standard communication channels, including Tech News and email distribution lists, but can now be more easily referenced from a central location. If you have feedback about the style, structure, or content of this changelog, please [[mw:API talk:REST API/Changelog|join the discussion]].
* Administrators can delete the tracking category which was previously added by the JsonConfig extension, as it is no longer used. See the categories linked from [[d:Q130635582#sitelinks-wikipedia|Q130635582]]. It is OK if there are still pages listed in the category as that is just a caching issue, and they will be automatically cleared out the next time each page is edited. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T378352]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.45/wmf.25|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/44|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W44"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 19:31, 27 October 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=29513638 -->
== Tech News: 2025-45 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W45"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/45|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* Administrators will now find that [[{{#special:MergeHistory}}]] is now significantly more flexible about what it can merge. It can now merge sections taken from the middle of the history of the source (rather than only the start) and insert revisions anywhere in the history of the destination page (rather than only the start). [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T382958]
* For users with "{{int:discussiontools-preference-autotopicsub}}" [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-editing|enabled in their preferences]], starting a new topic or adding a reply to an existing topic will now subscribe them to replies to that topic. Previously, this would only happen if the DiscussionTools "{{int:Skin-action-addsection}}" or "{{int:Discussiontools-replybutton}}" widgets were used. When DiscussionTools was originally launched existing accounts were not opted in to automatic topic subscriptions, so this change should primarily affect newer accounts and users who have deliberately changed their preferences since that time. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T290778]
* Scribunto modules can now be used to [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Scribunto/Lua reference manual#SVG library|generate SVG images]]. This can be used to build charts, graphics and other visualizations dynamically through Lua, reducing the need to compose them externally and upload them as files. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T405861]
* Wikimedia sites now provide all anonymous users with the option to enable a dark mode color scheme, featuring light-colored text on a dark background. This enhancement aims to deliver a more enjoyable reading experience, especially in dimly lit environments. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T395628]
* Users with large watchlists have long faced timeouts when editing [[Special:EditWatchlist|Special:EditWatchlist]]. The page now loads entries in smaller sections instead of all at once due to a paging update, allowing everyone to edit their watchlists smoothly. As part of the database update, sorting by expiry has been removed because it was over 100× slower than sorting by title. A [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Community_Wishlist/W454 community wish] has been created to explore alternative ways to restore sort-by-expiry. If this feature is important to you, please support the wish! [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T41510]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:31}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:31|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the fixing of the persisting highlighting when using VisualEditor find and replace during a query. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T407318]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* Since 2019 the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia URL Shortener|Wikimedia URL Shortener]] at https://w.wiki is available for all Wikimedia wikis to create short links to articles, permalinks, diffs, etc. It is available in the sidebar as "Get shortened URL". There are 30 wikis that also install an older "ShortUrl" extension. The old extension will soon be removed. This means <code>/s/</code> URLs will not be advertised under article titles via HTML <code dir=ltr>class="title-shortlink"</code>. The <code>/s/</code> URLs will keep working. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T107188]
* On Thursday, October 30, the [[:mw:Special:MyLanguage/MediaWiki Interfaces Team|MediaWiki Interfaces]] and [[:mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Site Reliability Engineering|SRE Service Operations]] teams began rerouting Action API traffic through a common API gateway. Individual wikis will be updated based on the standard release groups, with total traffic increased over time. This change is expected to be non-breaking and non-disruptive. If any issues are observed, please file a Phabricator ticket to the [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/tag/serviceops/ Service Ops team] board.
* MediaWiki Train deployments will pause for the final two weeks of 2025: 22 December and 29 December. Backport windows will also pause between Monday, 22 December 2025 and Thursday, 2 January 2026. A backport window is a scheduled time to add things like bug fixes and configuration changes. There are seven deployment trains remaining for 2025. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/SMWTEAES4SDLDUSK4HMWNBSKNCXZAWYN/]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.45/wmf.26|MediaWiki]]
'''In depth'''
* In 2025, the Wikimedia Foundation reported that AI systems and search engines increasingly use Wikipedia content without driving users to the site, contributing to an 8% drop in human pageviews compared to 2024. After detecting bots disguised as humans, Wikimedia updated its traffic data to reflect this shift. Read more about current user trends on Wikipedia in [[diffblog:2025/10/17/new-user-trends-on-wikipedia/|a Diff blog post]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/45|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W45"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 19:34, 3 November 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=29552512 -->
== Tech News: 2025-46 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W46"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/46|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
[[File:Talk pages default look (April 2023).jpg|thumb|alt=Screenshot of the visual improvements made on talk pages|Example of a talk page with the new design, in French.]]
* Starting November 12, users will see a change in the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Talk pages project/Feature summary#Usability improvements|appearance of talk pages]] on [[Phab:T379264|some Wikipedias]]. Almost [[phab:T392121|all wikis]] have received this design change; [[phab:T409297|English Wikipedia]] will get these changes later. You can read more [[diffblog:2024/05/02/making-talk-pages-better-for-everyone/|on ''Diff'']]. Users can opt out of these changes [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-editing|in their user preferences]] in "{{int:discussiontools-preference-visualenhancements}}". [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T379264]
* MediaWiki can now display a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Protection indicators|page indicator]] automatically while a page is protected. This feature is disabled by default. It can be enabled by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Requesting wiki configuration changes|community request]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T12347]
* Using the "{{int:showpreview}}" or "{{int:showdiff}}" buttons in the wikitext editor will now carry over certain URL parameters like '[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Parameters to index.php#useskin|useskin]]', '[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Parameters to index.php#uselang|uselang]]' and '[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Section#Editing sections|section]]'. This update also fixes an issue where, if the browser crashed while previewing an edit to a single section, saving this edit could overwrite the entire page with just that section’s content. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T62744][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T24029][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T155097]
* Wikivoyage wikis can use [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:Kartographer#Markers and counters|colored map markers in the article text]]. The text of these markers will now be shown in contrasting black or white color, instead of always being white. Local workarounds for the problem can be removed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T369454]
* The Activity tab in the Wikipedia Android app is now available for all users. The new tab offers personalized insights into reading, editing, and donation activity, while simplifying navigation and making app use more engaging. [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Apps/Team/Android/Activity_Tab_Experiment]
* The Reader Growth team is launching an experiment called "Image browsing" to test how to make it easier for readers to browse and discover images on Wikipedia articles. This experiment, a mobile-only A/B test, will go live on English Wikipedia in the week of November 17 and will run for four weeks, affecting 0.05% of users on English wiki. The test launched on November 3 on Arabic, Chinese, French, Indonesian, and Vietnamese wikis, affecting up to 10% of users on those wikis. [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Readers/Reader_Growth/WE3.1.3_Image_Browsing]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:27}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:27|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example the inability to lock accounts on mobile sites has been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T256185]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* [[wikitech:Help talk:Toolforge/Toolforge standards committee#November 2025 committee nominations|Nominations are open on Wikitech]] for new [[wikitech:Help:Toolforge/Toolforge standards committee|Toolforge standards committee]] members. The committee oversees the Toolforge [[wikitech:Help:Toolforge/Right to fork policy|Right to fork policy]] and [[wikitech:Help:Toolforge/Abandoned tool policy|Abandoned tool policy]] among other duties. Nominations will remain open through 2025-11-28.
* The [[w:JSON Web Token#Standard fields|JWT issuer field]] in [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/OAuth/For Developers#OAuth 2|OAuth 2 access tokens]] for [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Unified login|SUL wikis]] has been changed to <code><nowiki>https://meta.wikimedia.org</nowiki></code>. Old access tokens will still work. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T399199]
* The [[w:JSON Web Token#Standard fields|JWT subject field]] in [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/OAuth/For Developers#OAuth 2|OAuth 2 access tokens]] will soon change from <code><user id></code> to <code dir=ltr style="white-space:nowrap">mw:<identity type>:<user id></code>, where <code><identity type></code> is typically <code dir=ltr>CentralAuth:</code><!-- not a typo --> (for [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Unified login|SUL wikis]]) or <code dir=ltr style="white-space:nowrap">local:<wiki id></code> (for other wikis). This is to avoid conflicts between different user ID types, and to make OAuth 2 access tokens and the <code>sessionJwt</code> cookie more similar. Old access tokens will still work. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T399199]
* MediaWiki's block messages ([[MediaWiki:Blockedtext|blockedtext]], [[MediaWiki:Blockedtext-partial|blockedtext-partial]], [[MediaWiki:Autoblockedtext|autoblockedtext]], [[MediaWiki:Systemblockedtext|systemblockedtext]], [[MediaWiki:Blockedtext-tempuser|blockedtext-tempuser]], [[MediaWiki:Autoblockedtext-tempuser|autoblockedtext-tempuser]]) now support additional parameters indicating whether the user is blocked from editing their own user talk page <code><nowiki>$9</nowiki></code> or emailing other users <code><nowiki>$</nowiki><nowiki>10</nowiki></code>. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T285612]
* A <code>REL1_45</code> branch for MediaWiki core and each of the extensions and skins in Wikimedia git has been created. This is the first step in the release process for MediaWiki 1.45.0, scheduled for late November 2025. If you are working on a critical bug fix or working on a new feature, you may need to take note of this change. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/ZUY7TY3Z6XPZWZVAZV63OPO5OW52Q6GE/]
* The process for generating CirrusSearch dumps has been updated due to slowing performance. If you encounter any issues migrating to the replacement dumps, please contact the Search Platform Team for support. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T366248][https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/3KQPOR6ACVN6OVLMLZPIBXQSWQKW4E3K/]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.2|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/46|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W46"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 20:38, 10 November 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=29606150 -->
== Tech News: 2025-47 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W47"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/47|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Experience|Reader Experience team]] is experimenting with [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Experience/WE3.3.4_Reading lists|reading lists on mobile web]], allowing logged-in readers with no edits to save private lists of articles for later. The experiment is running on Arabic, Chinese, French, Indonesian, and Vietnamese Wikipedias since the week of 10 November, and will begin on English Wikipedia the week of 17 November.
* Users who can’t receive their email verification code during login can now get help by submitting a form on a new special page. This update is part of the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Product Safety and Integrity/Account Security|Account Security]] initiative. If your account has an email address, please make sure you still have access to it. When logging in from a new device or location without 2FA, you may be asked to enter a 6-digit code sent by email to finish logging in. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Product Safety and Integrity/Account Security#Why are you requiring me to enter a code from my email to log in? Can I opt out of this?|Learn more]].
* One new wiki has been created: a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikisource}} in [[d:Q13324|Minangkabau]] ([[s:min:|<code>s:min:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T408317]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:23}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:23|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* As part of the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Parsoid/Parser Unification|Parser Unification]] project, the Content Transform Team rolled out Parsoid as the default parser to many low-traffic Wikipedias and is preparing the next step to high traffic ones. This message is an invitation for you to opt-in to Parsoid, as described in the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:ParserMigration|Extension:ParserMigration]] documentation, and identify any issues you might encounter with your own workflow using bots, gadgets, or user scripts. Please, let us know through the ''"Report Visual Bug"'' link in the Tools sidebar or create a phab ticket and tag the [[phab:project/view/5846|Content Transform Team in Phabricator]].
* Unsupported Tools: Several issues with [[:c:Special:MyLanguage/Commons:Video2commons|Video2Commons]] have been fixed, including filename-related upload failures, black-video imports, and retry handling. AV1 support has also been added. Ongoing work focuses on backend stability, ffmpeg errors, subtitle imports, metadata handling, and playlist uploads. To track specific tasks, check the [[phab:tag/video2commons/|Phabricator board]].
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.3|MediaWiki]]
'''Meetings and events'''
* Save the date for the next Wikimedia Hackathon happening in Milan, Italy from May 1–3, 2026. Registration will open in January 2026. [https://pretix.eu/wikimedia/Hackathon-2026/ Scholarship applications are currently open], and will close on November 28, 2025. If you have any questions, please email <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">hackathon@wikimedia.org</bdi>.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/47|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W47"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 17:26, 17 November 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=29627455 -->
== Tech News: 2025-48 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W48"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/48|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* Last week, the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Search Platform|Wikimedia Search Team]] recreated the "DWIM" (Do What I Mean) gadget functionality server-side, for Russian and Hebrew Wikipedias. This feature adds cross-keyboard suggestions to the standard search-box suggestions. For example, searching for ''<span lang="und" dir="ltr">cxfcnmt</span>'' on Russian Wikipedia will now add suggestions for ''<span lang="ru" dir="ltr">счастье</span>'' ("happiness") that the user probably intended. They plan to enable this feature for other Russian and Hebrew wikis this week. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T408734]
* Later this week, users of the "{{int:codemirror-beta-feature-title}}" [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures|beta feature]] will have syntax highlighting available in [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:DiscussionTools|DiscussionTools]]. This requires that the "{{int:discussiontools-preference-sourcemodetoolbar}}" preference be set. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T407918]
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CampaignEvents|Campaign events extension]] – the set of tools for coordinating events and other on-wiki collaborations has now been deployed to all Wikimedia wikis. A new feature known as [[m:Special:MyLanguage/CampaignEvents/Collaborative contributions|Collaborative contribution]] to help organizers and participants see the impact of activities has also been added. Join the upcoming [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Event:Connection learning session 3|learning session]] to see the new feature in action and share your feedback.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:24}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:24|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the bug which stopped CodeReviewBot from working, has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T410417]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* Users of Wikimedia API can join a usability study to help validate the new design of Wikimedia REST API sandboxes. Interested participants should fill the [https://wikimediafoundation.limesurvey.net/487662 recruitment survey]. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/IREJRRWTZTGCYWQHDMSNJFTQAEPOOAE3/]
* The MediaWiki Interfaces team is deprecating XSLT stylesheets within the Action API. Support for <code dir=ltr>format=xml'''&xlst={stylesheet}'''</code> will be removed from Wikimedia projects by the end of November, 2025. In addition, it will soon be disabled by default in MediaWiki release versions: v1.43 (LTS), v1.44, and v1.45. Support for XSLT stylesheets will be fully removed from MediaWiki v1.46 (expected to release between April and May 2026). [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/5AX7UWAVVUNUSBOIRHMNOKWOZ5EZI3JX/]
* The WDQS legacy endpoint ([https://query-legacy-full.wikidata.org/ query-legacy-full.wikidata.org]) will be decommissioned at the end of December 2025, and finally closed down on 7th January 2026. After this date, users should expect requests to query.wikidata.org that require the full graph to fail or return invalid results if they are not rewritten to use SPARQL federation. The team encourages users to ensure that tools and workflows use the supported WDQS endpoints (<span dir=ltr><nowiki>https://query.wikidata.org/</nowiki></span> - Main graph or <span dir=ltr><nowiki>https://query-scholarly.wikidata.org/</nowiki></span> - Scholarly graph). For support with migrating use cases, please review the [[d:Special:MyLanguage/Wikidata:Data_access|Data Access]] and [[d:Wikidata:Request_a_query|Request a Query]] pages for details and assistance on alternative access methods.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.4|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/48|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W48"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 15:56, 24 November 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=29702226 -->
== Tech News: 2025-49 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W49"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/49|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* The Wikipedia Year in Review 2025 will be available on December 2 for users of iOS and Android Wikipedia apps, featuring new personalized insights, updated reading highlights, and refreshed designs. Learn more on the review's [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/Wikipedia Year in Review/Updates|project page]].
* The Growth team is working on improving the text and presentation of the Verification Email sent to new users to make them more welcoming, useful and informative. Some new text have been drafted for A/B testing and you can help by translating them. See [[phab:T396155|Phabricator]].
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Growth/Tools/Add a link|Add a link]] will now be deployed at Japanese, Urdu and Chinese Wikipedias on December 2. Add a link is based on a prediction model that suggests links to be added to articles. While this feature has already been available on most Wikipedias, the prediction model could not support certain languages. A new model has now been developed to handle these languages, and it will be gradually rolled out to other Wikipedias over time. If you would like to know more, please contact [[mw:user:Trizek (WMF)|Trizek (WMF)]].
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:34}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:34|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the issue where search boxes on some Commons pages showed no results due to switch from SpecialSearch to MediaSearch, has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T399476]
* Two new wikis have been created:
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikipedia}} in [[d:Q36846|Toki Pona]] ([[w:tok:|<code>w:tok:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T404457]
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikiquote}} in [[d:Q33655|Nigerian Pidgin]] ([[q:pcm:|<code>q:pcm:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T408318]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.5|MediaWiki]]
'''In depth'''
* The Wikimedia Foundation is in the early stages of exploring approaches to '''Article guidance'''. The initiative aims to identify interventions that could help new editors easily understand and apply existing Wikipedia practices and policies when creating an article. The project is in the exploration and early experimental design phase. All community members are encouraged to [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Article guidance|learn more]] about the project, and share their thoughts on [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Talk:Article guidance|the talk page]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/49|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W49"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 18:57, 1 December 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=29732328 -->
== Tech News: 2025-50 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W50"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/50|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* Anybody who wishes to secure their user account can now use [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Two-factor authentication|two-factor authentication]] (2FA). This is available to all registered users of all Wikimedia projects. This is part of the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Product Safety and Integrity/Account Security|Account Security]] initiative. Later, 2FA will be required for all users who can take security- or privacy-sensitive actions.
'''Updates for editors'''
* Following last week's deployments, the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Growth/Tools/Add a link|Add a link]] feature, which allows editors to add suggested links during editing, will be available to an additional [[Phab:T410469|33 Wikipedias]] starting on 9 December. This expansion is possible thanks to the new prediction model that now supports all languages, including those that were previously not covered. While the feature has been available on most Wikipedias for some time, this rollout brings us closer to using the improved model everywhere. If you have any questions or would like more details please contact [[mw:user:Trizek (WMF)|Trizek (WMF)]].
* Last week, the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Search Platform|Search Platform team]] added [[w:en:Transliteration|transliterated]] as-you-type search suggestions to Georgian wikis. If there are only a few regular search suggestions, then queries in Latin or Cyrillic script [[phab:T127003|are now rewritten into Georgian script]] to look for more matches. For example, searching for either <bdi lang="ka-Latn" dir="ltr">''bedniereba''</bdi> or <bdi lang="ka-Cyrl" dir="ltr">''бедниереба''</bdi> will now suggest the existing article about <bdi lang="ka" dir="ltr">ბედნიერება</bdi> ("happiness"). You can recommend other languages where transliterated suggestions would be useful [[phab:T375215|on Phabricator]] for future development.
* Later this week, a controlled experiment will begin for editors on the 100 largest Wikipedias who are editing a section in the mobile web visual editor. 50% of these editors will notice a new "Edit full page" button that will enable them to expand their editing session to the whole page. This feature is intended to make it easier for people on mobile web to edit any article section, regardless of which section-edit icon they tapped to begin. The experiment will last ~4 weeks. You can find [[phab:T409112|more details]] about the project.
* Later this week, the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Growth|Reader Growth team]] will launch a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Growth/WE3.1.14 Expanded Mobile Sections|mobile web experiment]] to expand all article sections by default (currently they are collapsed by default) and pin the section header the user is currently reading to the top of the page. The experiment will affect 10% of users on Arabic, Chinese, French, Indonesian, and Vietnamese Wikipedias. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T409485]
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/Wikipedia Year in Review/2025 Year in Review|Wikipedia Year in Review 2025]], a feature in the Wikipedia mobile apps (iOS and Android) that provides users with a personalised summary of their engagement with Wikipedia over the year, is now available on the iOS and Android apps. This edition includes expanded personalised insights, improved reading highlights, new donor messaging, and updated designs. Open the app to view your Year in Review and explore your reading journey from 2025.
* A recent software bug caused edits made with VisualEditor to make unintended changes to wikitext, including removing whitespace and replacing spaces with underscores in wikilinks inside citations. This was partially fixed last week, and further fixes are in progress. Editors who used VisualEditor between November 28 and December 2 should review their edits for unexpected modifications. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T411238]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:23}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:23|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the incorrect handling of URLs copied from the address bar of Microsoft Edge users, has been resolved. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T341281]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* Starting this week, users of the "{{int:codemirror-beta-feature-title}}" [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures|beta feature]] will have [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror|CodeMirror]] as the editor for Lua, JavaScript, CSS, JSON and Vue content models, instead of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CodeEditor|CodeEditor]]. With this, the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror#Linting|linters]] will be upgraded. This is part of a larger effort to eventually replace CodeEditor and provide a consistent code editing experience. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T373711]
* Developers are encouraged to take the [https://wikimediafoundation.limesurvey.net/552643 2025 Developer Satisfaction Survey], which remains open until 5 January 2026. If you build software for the Wikimedia ecosystem and would like to share your experiences or feedback, your participation is greatly appreciated. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/W4WBKO6Q55UWWCCSFWQATKEXBEHP3QNR/]
* There is no new MediaWiki version this week.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/50|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W50"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 17:45, 8 December 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=29738112 -->
== Tech News: 2025-51 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W51"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/51|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:18}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:18|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, one of the fixes addressed an issue for temporary accounts adding an external URL, which triggered an hCaptcha request in more cases than intended, and did not display the required popup on the first attempt to publish the edit. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T411927]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* To improve database and site performance, external links to Wikimedia projects will no longer be stored in the database. This means they will not be searchable in [[{{#special:LinkSearch}}]], will not be checked by the Spam Blacklist or AbuseFilter as new links, and will not be in the <code dir=ltr>externallinks</code> table on database replicas. In the future this may be extended to other highly-linked trusted websites on a per-wiki basis, such as Creative Commons links on Wikimedia Commons. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T405005]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.7|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/51|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W51"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 19:03, 15 December 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=29796010 -->
== Tech News: 2025-52 ==
<section begin="technews-2025-W52"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/52|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* From January, edit filters [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:AbuseFilter/Access flags|can be set]] to automatically suppress their details such as rules and list of attempted edits and actions. This will help oversighters use edit filters to prevent doxxing or other suppressible material. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T290324]
* The next issue of Tech News will be sent out on 12 January 2026 because of the end of year holidays. Thank you to all of the translators, and people who submitted content or feedback, this year.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:16}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:16|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the crash that occurred when tapping "First Steps" in the Wikipedia Android Year in Review has now been fixed, and the feature opens as expected. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T411546]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* Interface elements such as diffs and categories generated by MediaWiki used to have the attribute <code dir=ltr>data-mw="interface"</code> to distinguish from wiki content. The attribute has been replaced with <code dir=ltr>data-mw-interface=""</code>, to avoid potential conflicts with other <code dir=ltr>data-mw</code> attributes, which are generated by Parsoid. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T409187]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] There is no new MediaWiki version this week or next week.
'''Meetings and events'''
* The [[mw:Wikimedia Hackathon Northwestern Europe 2026|Wikimedia Hackathon Northwestern Europe 2026]] will take place on 13-14 March 2026 in Arnhem, the Netherlands. Applications just opened mid-December and will close in mid-January or earlier if capacity is reached. With space for approximately 100 participants, early application is encouraged.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/52|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2025-W52"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 21:45, 22 December 2025 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=29831856 -->
== Tech News: 2026-03 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W03"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/03|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* The Wikimedia Foundation has shared some guiding questions for the July 2026–June 2027 Annual Plan on [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation Annual Plan/2026-2027/Product & Technology OKRs|Meta]] and ''[[diffblog:2025/12/10/shaping-wikimedia-foundations-2026-2027-annual-goals-key-questions-for-the-wikimedia-movement/|Diff]]''. These focus on global trends, faster and healthier experimentation, better support for newcomers, strengthening editors and advanced users, improving collaboration across projects, and growing and retaining readership. Feedback and ideas are welcome on the [[m:Talk:Wikimedia Foundation Annual Plan/2026-2027|talk page]].
'''Updates for editors'''
* As part of the current work of Community Tech team on the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist/W372|Multiple watchlists]] project, the display of [[Special:EditWatchlist|EditWatchlist]] will be updated as a first step towards multiple watchlists. Additionally, the pagination on [[Special:Search|Search]] will be updated too, as a part of the work on the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist/W186|Revamp pagination / page navigation]] wish. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T411596]
* [[m:Special:GlobalWatchlist|The Global Watchlist]] is a MediaWiki [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:GlobalWatchlist|extension]] that lets you see your watchlists from different wikis on the same page. It was recently updated to look more like the regular [[Special:Watchlist|Watchlist]], such as preparing it for temporary accounts in IP masking (including rerouting user links to contributions pages), making page titles bold, and opening links in edit summaries and tags in new browser tabs. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T398361][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T298919][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T273526][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T286309]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:28}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:28|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the issue where global blocks did not have the option to disable sending emails, has now been fixed, and will be available for use in the week of January 13. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T401293]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/VisualEditor/Citation tool|VisualEditor citation tool]] and [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Reference Previews|Reference Previews]] now support "map" as a reference type. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T411083]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.10|MediaWiki]]/[[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.11|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/03|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W03"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 19:33, 12 January 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=29907192 -->
== Tech News: 2026-04 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W04"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/04|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* The tray shown on [[Special:Diff|Special:Diff]] in mobile view has been redesigned. It is now collapsed by default, and incorporates a link to undo the edit being viewed, making it easier for mobile editors and reviewers to take action while keeping the interface uncluttered. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T402297]
* [[m:Special:GlobalWatchlist|The Global Watchlist]] lets you view your watchlists from multiple wikis on one page. The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:GlobalWatchlist|extension]] continues to improve — it now automatically determines the text direction (ensuring correct display of sites with unusual domain names) and shows detailed descriptions for log actions. Later this week, a new permanent link for page creations and CSS classes for each entry element will be added. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T412505][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T287929][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T262768][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T414135]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:32}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:32|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the previously observed issue in Vector 2022, where anchor link targets were obscured by the sticky header, has now been addressed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T406114]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* As mentioned in the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2025/44|October 2025 deprecation announcement]], MediaWiki Interfaces team will begin sunsetting all transform endpoints containing a trailing slash from the MediaWiki REST API the week of January 26. Changes are expected to roll out to all wikis on or before January 30th. All API users currently calling them are encouraged to transition to the non-trailing slash versions. Both endpoint variations can be found, compared, and tested using the [https://test.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:RestSandbox REST Sandbox]. If you have questions or encounter any problems, please file a ticket in Phabricator to the [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/project/view/6931/ #MW-Interfaces-Team board].
* Interactive reference documentation for the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia REST API|Wikimedia REST API]] has moved. Requests to API docs previously hosted through [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/RESTBase|RESTBase]] (e.g.: <code dir=ltr>https://en.wikipedia.org/api/rest_v1/</code>) are now redirected to the [[w:en:Special:RestSandbox|REST Sandbox]].
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikidata Platform|WMF Wikidata Platform team]] (WDP) has published its [[d:Special:MyLanguage/Wikidata:Wikidata Platform team/Newsletter|January 2026 newsletter]]. It includes updates on the legacy full-graph endpoint decommissioning, the User-Agent policy change, the monthly Blazegraph migration office hours, and efforts to reduce regressions caused by the legacy endpoint shutdown. As a reminder, you can [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Global message delivery/Targets/WDP team updates|subscribe to the WDP newsletter]]!
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.12|MediaWiki]]
'''Meetings and events'''
* The [[mw:Wikimedia Hackathon Northwestern Europe 2026|Wikimedia Hackathon Northwestern Europe 2026]] will take place on 13-14 March 2026 in Arnhem, the Netherlands. Applications opened mid-December and will close soon or when capacity is reached. It's a two-day, technically oriented hackathon bringing together Wikimedians from the region. Hope to see you there!
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/04|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W04"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 20:29, 19 January 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=29943403 -->
== Tech News: 2026-05 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W05"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/05|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* Wikimedia Foundation invites comments on [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Product and Technology Advisory Council/Year1 Reflections and Proposed Way Forward 2026 Update|proposed future]] of the [[:m:Special:MyLanguage/Product and Technology Advisory Council|Product and Technology Advisory Council]] until 28 February.
* All users with registered accounts can now use passkeys for [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Two-factor authentication|two-factor authentication]] (2FA). Passkeys are a simple way to log in without using a second device. They verify the user's identity using a fingerprint, face scan, or a PIN code. To set up a passkey, first set up a regular 2FA method. Currently, to log in with a passkey, users must also use a password. Later this quarter, passwordless login will allow users to log in with a single click and a passkey. Users with advanced rights will also be required to have 2FA enabled. This is part of the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Product Safety and Integrity/Account Security|Account Security]] project.
* Unregistered contributors on blocked IPs or blocked IP ranges can now interact on-wiki to appeal a block by creating a temporary account to appeal a block on the user talk page, unless the "prevent this user from editing their own talk page" is enabled. This solves the problem of logged-out users unable to use the default unblock process via user talk page. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T398673]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:20}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:20|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) methods description on the management page has been updated. It is now clearer and easier for users to understand and make use of. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T332385]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* A new AbuseFilter variable, <code>account_type</code>, has been added to provide a reliable way to determine the account type being created in the <code>createaccount</code> and <code>autocreateaccount</code> actions. As part of this change, the variable <code>accountname</code> has been renamed to <code>account_name</code>, and <code>accountname</code> is now deprecated. Edit filter managers should update any filters that use hardcoded account type checks or the deprecated variable. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T414049]
* Image thumbnails that are requested in non-standard sizes, and using non-standard methods such as direct requests to <code dir=ltr><nowiki>upload.wikimedia.org/…</nowiki></code> will stop working in the near future. This change is to prevent ongoing external abuse by web-scrapers and bots. Some users with custom CSS/JS, Interface Admins who can fix gadgets and local skins, and Tool-authors, will need to update their code to use standard thumbnail sizes. [[phab:T414805|Details, search-links, and examples of how to fix them, are available in the task]].
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.13|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/05|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W05"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 21:17, 26 January 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=29969530 -->
== Tech News: 2026-06 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W06"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/06|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* The "{{int:pageinfo-toolboxlink}}" feature, which gives validating information about a page ([{{fullurl:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|action=info}} example]), now automatically includes a table of contents. If there is a local [[{{ns:8}}:Pageinfo-header]] page created by individual users, it can now be removed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T363726]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:21}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:21|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, VisualEditor previously added bold or italic formatting inside link descriptions, making the wikicode complex. This has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T409669]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* There was no XML dump on 20 January. Additionally, from now on, dumps will be generated once per month only. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T414389]
* The MediaWiki Interfaces team removed support for all transform endpoints containing a trailing slash from the [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/API:REST%20API MediaWiki REST API]. All API users currently calling those endpoints are encouraged to transition to the non-trailing slash versions. If you have questions or encounter any problems, please file a ticket in phabricator to the [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/project/view/6931/ #MW-Interfaces-Team board].
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.14|MediaWiki]]
'''Weekly highlight'''
* Users are reminded that the Wikimedia Foundation has shared some guiding questions for the July 2026–June 2027 Annual Plan on [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation Annual Plan/2026-2027/Product & Technology OKRs|Meta]] and ''[[diffblog:2025/12/10/shaping-wikimedia-foundations-2026-2027-annual-goals-key-questions-for-the-wikimedia-movement/|Diff]]''. These focus on global trends, faster and healthier experimentation, better support for newcomers, strengthening editors and advanced users, improving collaboration across projects, and growing and retaining readership. Feedback and ideas are welcome on the [[m:Talk:Wikimedia Foundation Annual Plan/2026-2027|talk page]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/06|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W06"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 17:43, 2 February 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30000986 -->
== Tech News: 2026-07 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W07"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/07|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* [[File:Maki-gift-15.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Wishlist item]] Logged-in contributors who manage large or complex watchlists can now organise and filter watched pages in ways that improve their workflows with the new [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Watchlist labels|Watchlist labels]] feature. By adding custom labels (for example: pages you created, pages being monitored for vandalism, or discussion pages) users can more quickly identify what needs attention, reduce cognitive load, and respond more efficiently. This improves watchlist usability, especially for highly active editors.
* A new feature available on [[Special:Contributions|Special:Contributions]] shows [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts|temporary accounts]] that are likely operated by the same person, and so makes patrolling less time-consuming. Upon checking contributions of a temporary account, users with access to temporary account IP addresses can now see a view of contributions from the related temporary accounts. The feature looks up all the IPs associated with a given temporary account within the data retention period and shows all the contributions of all temporary accounts that have used these IPs. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts#February 2026: Improvements to the patroller tooling|Learn more]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T415674]
* When editors preview a wikitext edit, the reminder box that they are only seeing a preview (which is shown at the top), now has a grey/neutral background instead of a yellow/warning background. This makes it easier to distinguish preview notes from actual warnings (for example, edit conflicts or problematic redirect targets), which will now be shown in separate warning or error boxes. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T414742]
* The [[m:Special:GlobalWatchlist|Global Watchlist]] lets you view your watchlists from multiple wikis on one page. The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:GlobalWatchlist|extension]] continues to improve — it now properly supports more than one Wikibase site, for example both [[d:|Wikidata]] and [[testwikidata:|testwikidata]]. In addition, issues regarding text direction have been fixed for users who prefer Wikidata or other Wikibase sites in right-to-left (RTL) languages. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T415440][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T415458]
* The automatic "magic links" for ISBN, RFC, and PMID numbers have been [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Magic links|deprecated in wikitext since 2021]] due to inflexibility and difficulties with localization. Several wikis have successfully replaced RFC and PMID magic links with equivalent external links, but a template was often required to replace the functionality of the ISBN magic link. There is now a new [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Magic words#isbn|built-in parser function]] <code dir=ltr><nowiki>{{#isbn}}</nowiki></code> available to replace the basic functionality of the ISBN magic link. This makes it easier for wikis who wish to migrate off of the deprecated magic link functionality to do so. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T145604]
* Two new wikis have been created:
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikipedia}} in [[d:Q35401|Jju]] ([[w:kaj:|<code>w:kaj:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T413283]
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikipedia}} in [[d:Q1186896|Nawat]] ([[w:ppl:|<code>w:ppl:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T413273]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:23}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:23|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* A new global user group has been created: [[{{int:grouppage-local-bot}}|{{int:group-local-bot}}]]. It will be used internally by the software to allow community bots to bypass rate limits that are applied to abusive [[w:en:Web scraping|web scrapers]]. Accounts that are approved as bots on at least one Wikimedia wiki will be automatically added to this group. It will not change what user permissions the bot has. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T415588]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.15|MediaWiki]]
'''Meetings and events'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/MediaWiki Users and Developers Conference Spring 2026|MediaWiki Users and Developers Conference, Spring 2026]] will be held March 25–27 in Salt Lake City, USA. This event is organized by and for the third-party MediaWiki community. You can propose sessions and register to attend. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/AZBWVI46SDEB65PGR5J6E4TYOQQEZXM7/]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/07|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W07"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:30, 9 February 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30026671 -->
== Tech News: 2026-08 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W08"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/08|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Site Reliability Engineering|SRE Team]] will be performing a cleanup of Wikimedia's [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Etherpad|Etherpad]] instance, the web-based editor for real-time collaborative document editing. All pads will be permanently deleted after 30 April, 2026 – if there are still migration projects in progress at that point the team can revisit the date on a case by case basis. Please create local backups of any content you wish to keep, as deleted data cannot be recovered. This cleanup helps reduce database size and minimize infrastructure footprint. Etherpad will continue to support real-time collaboration, but long-term storage should not be expected. Additional cleanups may occur in the future without prior notice. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T415237]
'''Updates for editors'''
* The Information Retrieval team will be launching an [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Information Retrieval/Phase 1|Android mobile app experiment]] that tests hybrid search capabilities which can handle both semantic and keyword queries. The improvement of on-platform search will enable readers to find what they’re looking for directly on Wikipedia more easily. The experiment will first be launched on Greek Wikipedia in late February, followed by English, French, and Portuguese in March. [https://diff.wikimedia.org/2026/01/08/semantic-search-making-it-easier-to-find-the-information-readers-want/ Read more] on Diff blog. [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Readers/Information_Retrieval]
* The Reader Growth team will run [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Growth/WE3.10.2 Mobile Table of Contents|an experiment]] for mobile web users, that adds a table of contents and automatically expands all article sections, to learn more about navigation issues they face. The test will be available on Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Indonesian, and Vietnamese Wikipedias.
* Previously, site notices ([[{{ns:8}}:Sitenotice]] and [[{{ns:8}}:Anonnotice]]) would only render on the desktop site. Now, they will render on all platforms. Users on mobile web will now see these notices and be informed. Site administrators should be prepared to test and fix notices on mobile devices to avoid interference with articles. To opt out, interface admins can add <code dir="ltr">#siteNotice { display: none; }</code> to [[{{ns:8}}:Minerva.css]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T138572][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T416644]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:19}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:19|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, an issue on [[Special:RecentChanges|Special:RecentChanges]] has been fixed. Previously, clicking hide in the active filters caused the "view new changes since…" button to disappear, though it should have remained visible. The button now behaves as expected. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T406339]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* New documentation is now available to help editors debug on-site search features. It supports troubleshooting when pages do not appear in results, when ranking seems unexpected, and when you need to inspect what content is being indexed, helping make search behavior easier to understand and analyze. [[mw:Help:CirrusSearch/Debug|Learn more]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T411169]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.16|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/08|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W08"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 19:17, 16 February 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30086330 -->
== Tech News: 2026-09 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W09"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/09|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Edit check/Reference Check|Reference Check]] has been deployed to English Wikipedia, completing its rollout across all Wikipedias. The feature prompts newcomers to add a citation before publishing new content, helping reduce common citation-related reverts and improve verifiability. In A/B testing, the impact was substantial: newcomers shown Reference Check were approximately 2.2 times more likely to include a reference on desktop and about 17.5 times more likely on mobile web. [https://analytics.wikimedia.org/published/reports/editing/reference_check_ab_test_report_final_2025.html]
'''Updates for editors'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:InterwikiSorting|InterwikiSorting extension]], which allowed for the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Interwiki sorting order|sorting of interwiki links]], has been undeployed from Wikipedia. As a result, editors who had enabled interwiki link sorting in non-compact mode (full list format) will now see links reordered. The links moving forward will be listed in the alphabetical order of language code. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T253764]
* Later this week, people who are editing a page-section using the mobile visual editor, will notice a new "Edit full page" button. When tapped, you will be able to edit the entire article. This helps when the change you want to make is outside the section you initially opened. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T387175][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T409112]
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Experience|The Reader Experience team]] is inviting editors to assess whether dark mode should still be considered "beta" on their wiki, based on their experience of how well it functions on desktop and mobile. If the feature is deemed mature, editors can update the interface messages in <code dir=ltr>MediaWiki:skin-theme-description</code> and <code dir=ltr>MediaWiki:Vector-night-mode-beta-tag</code> to indicate that dark mode is ready and no longer considered beta.
* The improved [[mw:Wikimedia_Apps/Team/iOS/Activity_Tab|Activity tab]] which displays user-insights is now available to all users of the Wikipedia iOS app (version 7.9.0 and later). Following earlier A/B testing that showed higher account creation among users with access to the feature, it has been rolled out to 100% of users along with some updates. The Activity tab now shows your edited articles in the timeline, offers editing impact insights like contribution counts and article view trends, and customization options to improve in-app experience for users.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:21}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:21|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, a bug that prevented [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:DiscussionTools|DiscussionTools]] from working on mobile has now been fixed, restoring full functionality. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T415303]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* The [[m:Special:GlobalWatchlist|Global Watchlist]] lets you view your watchlists from multiple wikis on one page. The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:GlobalWatchlist|extension]] that makes this possible continues to improve. The latest upgrade is the inclusion of a [[mw:Extension:GlobalWatchlist#hook|new hook]], <code dir=ltr>ext.globalwatchlist.rebuild</code>, which fires after each watchlist rebuild. This allows you to run gadgets and user scripts for the Special page. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T275159]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.17|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/09|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W09"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 19:03, 23 February 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30119102 -->
== Tech News: 2026-10 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W10"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/10|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* Wikipedia 25 [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikipedia 25/Easter egg experiments|Birthday mode]] is now live on Betawi, Breton, Chinese, Czech, Dutch, English, French, Gorontalo, Indonesian, Italian, Luxembourgish, Madurese, Sicilian, Spanish, Thai, and Vietnamese Wikipedias! This limited-time campaign feature celebrates 25 years of Wikipedia with a birthday mascot, Baby Globe. When turned on, Baby Globe is shown on [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikipedia 25/Easter egg experiments/article configuration|~2,500 articles]], waiting to be discovered by readers. Communities can choose to turn Birthday mode on by getting consensus from their community and asking an admin to enable the feature and customize it via [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikipedia 25/Easter egg experiments#Community Configuration Demo|community configuration]] on the local wiki.
'''Updates for editors'''
* [[:m:Special:MyLanguage/WMDE Technical Wishes/Sub-referencing|Sub-referencing]], a new feature to re-use references with different details has been released to Swedish Wikipedia, Polish Wikipedia and [[:phab:T418209|a couple of other wikis]]. You can [[:m:Special:MyLanguage/WMDE Technical Wishes/Sub-referencing#test|try the feature]] on these projects or on testwiki and [https://en.wikipedia.beta.wmcloud.org/wiki/Sub-referencing betawiki]. Learnings from the first pilot wiki German Wikipedia have been [[:m:Special:MyLanguage/WMDE Technical Wishes/Sub-referencing/Learnings|published in a report]]. Reach out to the Wikimedia Deutschland team if you are [[:m:Talk:WMDE Technical Wishes/Sub-referencing#Pilot wikis|interested in becoming a pilot wiki]].
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Edit check#Paste check|Paste Check]] will become available at all Wikipedias this week. The feature prompts newcomers who are pasting text they are not likely to have written into VisualEditor to consider whether doing so risks a copyright violation. Paste Check [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Edit check/Tags|tags]] all edits where it is shown for potential review. Local administrators can configure various aspects of the feature via [[{{#special:EditChecks}}]]. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Edit check/Paste Check#A/B Experiment|Research]] across 22 wikis found that Paste Check resulted in an 18% decrease in relative reverted-edits compared to the control group. Translators can [https://translatewiki.net/w/i.php?title=Special%3ATranslate&group=ext-visualeditor-ve-mw-editcheck&filter=&optional=1&action=translate help to localize] this and related features.
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Experience|Reader Experience team]] will be standardizing the user menu in the top right for all mobile users so that it is closer to the desktop experience. Currently this user menu is only visible to users with Advanced Mobile Controls (AMC) turned on. The only change is that a couple buttons previously in the left-side menu will move to the top right for users who do not have AMC turned on. This change is expected to go out March 9 and seeks to improve the user interface. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T413912]
* Starting in the week of March 2, the emails sent out when an email address was added, removed, or changed for an account will switch to a substantially nicer and clearer HTML email from the prior plaintext one. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T410807]
* Notifications are currently limited to 2,000 historic entries per user, and extend back to 2013 when the feature was released. This is going to be changed to only store Notifications from the last 5 years, but up to 10,000 of them. This will help with long-term infrastructure health and help to prevent more recent notifications from disappearing too soon. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T383948]
* The [[m:Special:GlobalWatchlist|Global Watchlist]] which lets you view your watchlists from multiple wikis on a single page continues to see improvements. The latest update improves label usage experience. The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:GlobalWatchlist|extension]] now allows activating the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Language#Fallback languages|language fallback system]] for Wikidata items without labels in the viewed language, and showing those labels in the user’s preferred Wikidata language if no <code dir=ltr>uselang=</code> URL parameter is provided. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T373686][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T416111]
* The Wikipedia Android team has started a beta test of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Information Retrieval/Phase 1|hybrid search]] on Greek Wikipedia. Hybrid search capabilities can handle both semantic and keyword queries enabling readers to find what they’re looking for directly on Wikipedia more easily.
* For security reasons, members of certain user groups are [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Mandatory two-factor authentication for users with some extended rights|required to have two-factor authentication]] (2FA) enabled. Currently, 2FA is required to use the group, but not to be a member of it. Given that this model still has some vulnerabilities, the situation will [[phab:T418580|gradually change in March]]. Members of these groups will be unable to disable last 2FA method on their account, and it will be impossible to add users without 2FA to these groups. Users will still be able to add new authentication methods or remove them, as long as at least one method is continuously enabled. In the second half of March, users without 2FA will be removed from these groups. This applies to: CentralNotice administrators, checkusers, interface administrators, suppressors, Wikidata staff, Wikifunctions staff, WMF Office IT and WMF Trust & Safety. Nothing will change for other users. See the linked task for deployment schedule. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T418580]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:27}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:27|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the issue preventing users from creating an instance in [https://www.wikibase.cloud/ Wikibase.cloud] has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T416807]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* To help ensure [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/MediaWiki Product Insights/Responsible Reuse|fair use of infrastructure]], over the next month the Wikimedia Foundation will implement global API rate limits across our APIs. In early March, stricter limits will be applied to unidentified requests from outside Toolforge/WMCS and API requests that are made from web browsers. In April, higher limits will be applied to identified traffic. These limits are intentionally set as high as possible to minimise impact on the community. Bots running in Toolforge/WMCS or with the bot user right on any wiki should not be affected for now. However, all developers are advised to follow updated best practices. For more information, see [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia APIs/Rate limits|Wikimedia APIs/Rate limits]].
* The Wikidata Query Service Linked Data Fragment (LDF) endpoint will be decommissioned in February. This endpoint served limited traffic, which was successfully migrated to other data access methods that were better suited to support existing use cases. The hardware used to support the LDF endpoint will be reallocated to support the ongoing backend migration efforts. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T415696]
* The new Parsoid parser [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Parsoid/Parser Unification/Updates|continues to be deployed to additional wikis]], improving platform sustainability and making it easier to introduce new reading and editing features. Parsoid is now the default parser on 488 WMF wikis (268 Wikipedias), now covering more than 10% of all Wikipedia page views.
* The process and criteria for [[Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Enterprise#Access|requesting exceptional access]] to the high volume feed of the ''Wikimedia Enterprise'' APIs (at no cost for mission-aligned usecases), [[m:Talk:Wikimedia Enterprise#Exceptional access criteria|have now been published]]. This is to provide more thorough and clearer documentation for users.
* [https://techblog.wikimedia.org/ Tech Blog], the blog dedicated to the Wikimedia technical community [https://techblog.wikimedia.org/2026/02/24/a-tech-blog-diff/ will be migrating] to [[diffblog:|Diff]], the community news and event blog. The migration should be complete in April 2026, after which new posts will be accepted for publishing. Readers will be able to access posts – old and new – on the landing page at https://diff.wikimedia.org/techblog.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.18|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/10|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W10"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 17:51, 2 March 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30137798 -->
== Tech News: 2026-11 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W11"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/11|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/Server switch|All wikis will be read-only]] for a few minutes on Wednesday, 25 March 2026 at [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1774450800 15:00 UTC]. This is for the datacenter server switchover backup tests, [[wikitech:Deployments/Yearly calendar|which happen twice a year]]. During the switchover, all Wikimedia website traffic is shifted from one primary data center to the backup data center to test availability and prevent service disruption even in emergencies.
* Last week, all wikis had 2 hours of read-only time, and extended unavailability for user-scripts and gadgets. This was due to a security incident which has since been resolved. Work is ongoing to prevent re-occurrences. For current information please see the [[m:Steward's noticeboard#Statement on Meta about today's user script security incident|post on the Stewards' noticeboard]] ([[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation/Product and Technology/Product Safety and Integrity/March 2026 User Script Incident|translations]]).
'''Updates for editors'''
* Users facing multiple blocks on mobile will now see the reasons for each block separately, instead of a generic message. This helps them understand why they are blocked and what steps they can take to resolve the issue. For example, users affected for using common VPNs (such as [[Special:MyLanguage/Apple iCloud Private Relay|iCloud Private Relay]]) will receive clearer guidance on what they need to do to start editing again. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T357118]
* Later this week, [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/VisualEditor/Suggestion Mode|Suggestion Mode]] will become available as a beta feature within the visual editor at all Wikipedias. This feature proactively suggests various types of actions that people can consider taking to improve Wikipedia articles, and learn about related guidelines. The feature is locally configurable, and can also be locally expanded with custom Suggestions. Current settings can be seen at [[Special:EditChecks]] and there are [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Suggestion mode#For administrators %E2%80%93 local customization|instructions for how administrators can customize]] the links to point to local guidelines. The feature is connected to [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Edit check|Edit check]] which suggests improvements while someone is writing new content. In the future, the Editing team plans to evaluate the feature's impact with newcomers through a controlled experiment. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T404600]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:23}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:23|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the issue where the cursor became misaligned during the use of CodeMirror’s syntax highlighting, which makes wikitext and code easier to read, has now been fixed. This problem specifically affected users who defined a font rule in a custom stylesheet while creating a new topic with DiscussionTools. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T418793]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* API rate limiting update: To help ensure [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/MediaWiki Product Insights/Responsible Reuse|fair use of infrastructure]], global API rate limits will be applied this week to requests without a compliant User-Agent that originate from outside Toolforge/WMCS and to unauthenticated requests made from web browsers. Higher limits will be applied to identified traffic in April. Bots running in Toolforge/WMCS or with the bot user right on any wiki should not be affected for now. However, all developers are advised to follow updated best practices. For more information, see [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia APIs/Rate limits|Wikimedia APIs/Rate limits]].
* The new GraphQL API has been released. The API was developed as a flexible alternative to select features of the Wikidata Query Service (WDQS), to improve developer experience and foster adaptability, and efficient data access. Try it out and [[d:Wikidata:Wikibase GraphQL#Feedback and development|give feedback]]. You can also [https://greatquestion.co/wikimediadeutschland/GraphQLAPI/apply sign up for usability tests].
* The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Product and Technology Advisory Council/Unsupported Tools Working Group|PTAC Unsupported Tools Working Group]] continued improvements to [[commons:Special:MyLanguage/Commons:Video2commons#|Video2Commons]] in February, with fixes addressing authentication errors, large-file handling, task queue visibility, and clearer upload behavior. Work is still ongoing in some areas, including changes related to deprecated server-side uploads. Read [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Product and Technology Advisory Council/Unsupported Tools Working Group#February 2026|this update]] to learn more.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.19|MediaWiki]]
'''In depth'''
* The Article Guidance team invites experienced Wikipedia editors from selected [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Article guidance/Pilot wikis and collaborators#Collaborators|pilot wikis]] and interested contributors from other Wikipedias to fill out this questionnaire which is available in [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfmLeVWnxmsCbPoI_UF2jyRcn73WRGWCVPHzerXb4Cz97X_Ag/viewform English], [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd6rzr4XXQw8r4024fE3geTPFe13M_6w7Mitj-YJi0sOlWTAw/viewform?usp=header Arabic], [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdok3-RfB18lcugYTUMGkpwmqG_8p760Wv4dCXitOXOszjUDw/viewform?usp=header Bengali], [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfjTfYp4jEo0akA4B1e-Nfg3QZPCudUjhJzHzzDi6AHyAaMGA/viewform?usp=header Japanese], [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScteVoI29Aue4xc72dekk-6RYtvmMgQxzMI900UOawrFrSTWg/viewform?usp=header Portuguese], [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSetdxnYwL3ub2vqA7awCg5hJZPMIYcDPaiTe12rY9h0GYnVlw/viewform?usp=header Persian], and [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScNvfJF-Ot-4pzA4qAN771_0QDJ4Li19YcUsaTgSKW8Nc7U_Q/viewform?usp=header Turkish]. Your answers will help the team customize guidance for less experienced editors and help them learn community policies and practices while creating an article. Learn more [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Article guidance|on the project page]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/11|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W11"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 18:53, 9 March 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30213008 -->
== Tech News: 2026-12 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W12"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/12|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror|{{int:codemirror-beta-feature-title}}]] beta feature, also known as [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CodeMirror|CodeMirror 6]], has been used for wikitext syntax highlighting since November 2024. It will be promoted out of beta by May 2026 in order to bring improvements and new [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror#Features|features]] to all editors who use the standard syntax highlighter. If you have any questions or concerns about promoting the feature out of beta, [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help talk:Extension:CodeMirror|please share]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T259059]
* Some changes to local user groups are performed by stewards on Meta-Wiki and logged there only. Now, interwiki rights changes will be logged both on Meta-Wiki and the wiki of the target user to make it easier to access a full record of user's rights changes on a local wiki. Past log entries for such changes will be backfilled in the coming weeks. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T6055]
* On wikis using [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Flagged Revisions|Flagged Revisions]], the number of pending changes shown on [[{{#Special:PendingChanges}}]] previously counted pages which were no longer pending review, because they have been removed from the system without being reviewed, e.g. due to being deleted, moved to a different namespace, or due to wiki configuration changes. The count will be correct now. On some wikis the number shown will be much smaller than before. There should be no change to the list of pages itself. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T413016]
* Wikifunctions composition language has been rewritten, resulting in a new version of the language. This change aims to increase service stability by reducing the orchestrator's memory consumption. This rewrite also enables substantial latency reduction, code simplification, and better abstractions, which will open the door to later feature additions. Read more about [[f:Special:MyLanguage/Wikifunctions:Status updates/2026-03-11|the changes]].
* Users can now sort search results alphabetically by page title. The update gives an additional option to finding pages more easily and quickly. Previously, results could be sorted by Edit date, Creation date, or Relevance. To use the new option, open 'Advanced Search' on the search results page and select 'Alphabetically' under 'Sorting Order'. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T403775]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:28}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:28|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the bug that prevented UploadWizard on Wikimedia Commons from importing files from Flickr has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T419263]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* A new special page, [[{{#special:LintTemplateErrors}}]], has been created to list transcluded pages that are flagged as containing lint errors to help users discover them easily. The list is sorted by the number of transclusions with errors. For example: [[{{#special:LintTemplateErrors}}/night-mode-unaware-background-color]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T170874]
* Users of the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror|{{int:codemirror-beta-feature-title}}]] beta feature have been using [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CodeMirror|CodeMirror]] instead of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CodeEditor|CodeEditor]] for syntax highlighting when editing JavaScript, CSS, JSON, Vue and Lua content pages, for some time now. Along with promoting CodeMirror 6 out of beta, the plan is to replace CodeEditor as the standard editor for these content models by May 2026. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help talk:Extension:CodeMirror|Feedback or concerns are welcome]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T419332]
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CodeMirror|CodeMirror]] JavaScript modules will soon be upgraded to CodeMirror 6. Leading up to the upgrade, loading the <code dir=ltr>ext.CodeMirror</code> or <code dir=ltr>ext.CodeMirror.lib</code> modules from gadgets and user scripts was deprecated in July 2025. The use of the <code dir=ltr>ext.CodeMirror.switch</code> hook was also deprecated in March 2025. Contributors can now make their scripts or gadgets compatible with CodeMirror 6. See the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CodeMirror#Gadgets and user scripts|migration guide]] for more information. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T373720]
* The MediaWiki Interfaces team is expanding coverage of REST API module definitions to include [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/API:REST API/Extensions|extension APIs]]. REST API modules are groups of related endpoints that can be independently managed and versioned. Modules now exist for [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T414470 GrowthExperiments] and [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T419053 Wikifunctions] APIs. As we migrate extension APIs to this structure, documentation will move out of the main MediaWiki OpenAPI spec and REST Sandbox view, and will instead be accessible via module-specific options in the dropdown on the [https://test.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:RestSandbox REST Sandbox] (i.e., [[{{#Special:RestSandbox}}]], available on all wiki projects).
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Scribunto|Scribunto]] extension provides different pieces of information about the wiki where the module is being used via the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Scribunto/Lua reference manual|mw.site]] library. Starting last week, the library also provides a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Scribunto/Lua reference manual#mw.site.wikiId|way]] of accessing the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Wiki ID|wiki ID]] that can be used to facilitate cross-wiki module maintenance. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T146616]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.20|MediaWiki]]
'''In depth'''
* The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Coolest Tool Award|2026 Coolest Tool Award]] celebrating outstanding community tools, is now open for nominations! Nominate your favorite tool using the [https://wikimediafoundation.limesurvey.net/435684?lang=en nomination survey] form by 23 March 2026. For more information on privacy and data handling, please see the [[foundation:Special:MyLanguage/Legal:Coolest_Tool_Award_2026_Survey_Privacy_Statement|survey privacy statement]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/12|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W12"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 19:35, 16 March 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30260505 -->
== Tech News: 2026-13 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W13"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/13|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* Wikimedia site users can now log in without a password using passkeys. This is a secure method supported by fingerprint, facial recognition, or PIN. With this change, all users who opt for passwordless login will find it easier, faster, and more secure to log in to their accounts using any device. The new passkey login option currently appears as an autofill suggestion in the username field. An additional [[phab:T417120|"Log in with passkey" button]] will soon be available for users who have already registered a passkey. This update will improve security and user experience. The [[c:File:Passwordless_login_screencast.webm|screen recording]] demonstrates the passwordless login process step by step.
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/Server switch|All wikis will be read-only]] for a few minutes on Wednesday, 25 March 2026 at [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1774450800 15:00 UTC]. This is for the datacenter server switchover backup tests, [[wikitech:Deployments/Yearly calendar|which happen twice a year]]. During the switchover, all Wikimedia website traffic is shifted from one primary data center to the backup data center to test availability and prevent service disruption even in emergencies.
'''Updates for editors'''
* Wikimedia site users can now export their notifications older than 5 years using a [[toolforge:echo-chamber|new Toolforge tool]]. This will ensure that users retain their important notifications and avoid them being lost based on the planned change to delete notifications older than 5 years, as previously announced. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T383948]
* Wikipedia editors in Indonesian, Thai, Turkish, and Simple English now have access to Special:PersonalDashboard. This is an [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Moderator Tools/Dashboard|early version of an experience]] that introduces newer editors to patrolling workflows, making it easier for them to move from making edits to participating in more advanced moderation work on their project. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T402647]
* The [[Special:Block]] now has two minor interface changes. Administrators can now easily perform indefinite blocks through a dedicated radio button in the expiry section. Also, choosing an indefinite expiry provides a different set of common reasons to select from, which can be changed at: [[MediaWiki:Ipbreason-indef-dropdown]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T401823]
* Mobile editors [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Contributors/Account Creation Experiments#Logged-out|at several wikis]] can now see an improved logged-out edit warning, thanks to the recent updates from the Growth team. These changes released last week are part of ongoing efforts and tests to enhance [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Contributors/Account Creation Experiments|account creation experience on mobile]] and then increase participation. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T408484]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:36}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:36|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the bug that prevented mobile web users from seeing the block information when affected by multiple blocks has been fixed. They can now see messages of all the blocks currently affecting them when they access Wikipedia.
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* Images built using Toolforge will soon get the upgraded buildpacks version, bringing support for newer language versions and other upstream improvements and fixes. If you use Toolforge Build Service, review the recent [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/cloud-announce@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/EMYTA32EV2V5SQ2JIEOD2CL66YFIZEKV/ cloud-announce email] and update your build configuration as necessary to ensure your tools are compatible. [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Help:Toolforge/Building_container_images&oldid=2392097#Buildpack_environment_upgrade_process][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T380127]
* The [https://api.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page API Portal] documentation wiki will shut down in June 2026. API keys created on the API Portal will continue to work normally. api.wikimedia.org endpoints will be deprecated gradually starting in July 2026. Documentation on the API Portal is moving to [[mw:Wikimedia APIs|mediawiki.org]]. Learn more on the [[wikitech:API Portal/Deprecation|project page]].
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.21|MediaWiki]]
'''In depth'''
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/WMDE Technical Wishes|WMDE Technical Wishes]] is considering improvements to [[m:WMDE Technical Wishes/References/VisualEditor automatic reference names|automatically generated reference names in VisualEditor]]. Please check out the [[m:WMDE Technical Wishes/References/VisualEditor automatic reference names#Proposed solutions|proposed solutions]] and participate in the [[m:Talk:WMDE Technical Wishes/References/VisualEditor automatic reference names#Request for comment|request for comment]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/13|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W13"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 16:51, 23 March 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30268305 -->
== Tech News: 2026-14 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W14"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/14|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* The Beta version of [[abstract:|Abstract Wikipedia]] a new Wikimedia project which is language-independent, was launched last week. The project allows communities to build Wikipedia articles in their native language, which can be readily accessed by other users in their own languages. The wiki is powered by instructions from Wikifunctions and also based on structured content from Wikidata. [[:f:Special:MyLanguage/Wikifunctions:Status updates/2026-03-26|Read more]].
'''Updates for editors'''
* The Growth team is running an A/B test to evaluate a clearer, more user-friendly message that promotes account creation on wikis. Currently when logged-out mobile users begin editing, they see a jarring warning message that can feel abrupt and discouraging. This also presents temporary account editing as the default rather than encouraging account creation. The test is running on ten Wikipedias, including Arabic, French, Spanish and German. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Contributors/Account Creation Experiments#2. Improve logged-out warning message (T415160)|Read more]].
* The Wikimedia Apps team is inviting feedback on [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/Future of Editing on the Mobile Apps|how editing should work on the Wikipedia mobile apps]]. The discussion focuses on improving how users access editing tools when they tap "Edit". This is part of a broader effort to convert readers who develop an interest in editing, to access a more user-friendly pathway to start contributing.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:45}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:45|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, an issue where citation fetching from the large newspaper archive [https://www.newspapers.com Newspapers.com] was no longer working, due to a block in [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Citoid|Citoid]] requests, has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T419903]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.22|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/14|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W14"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 19:25, 30 March 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30329462 -->
== Tech News: 2026-15 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W15"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/15|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CampaignEvents|CampaignEvents extension]] now includes a new group goal-setting feature, enabling organizers to set and track event goals such as the number of articles created and participating contributors in real time. Similarly, participants can work toward shared targets and see their collective impact as the event unfolds. The feature is now available on all Wikimedia wikis. Learn more in [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CampaignEvents/Registration/Collaborative contributions#Goal setting|the documentation]].
* [[File:Maki-gift-15.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Wishlist item]] The new [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Watchlist labels|watchlist labels]] feature (announced in [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/07|Tech News 2026-07]]) is now available via VisualEditor, the source editor, and the 'watchstar' (or watch link, for skins that don't have a star icon). Previously it was only possible to assign labels via [[Special:EditWatchlist|EditWatchlist]]. In all three places it is a new field following the expiry field.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:23}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:23|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the issue where talk pages on mobile with Parsoid are unusable after empty section headers, has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T419171]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/WMDE Technical Wishes/Sub-referencing|sub-referencing feature]], which lets editors add details to an existing reference without duplicating it, will be gradually rolled out to [[phab:T414094|more wikis]] later this year. Wikis using the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reference Tooltips|Reference Tooltips]] gadget are encouraged to update their version (typically at [[m:MediaWiki:Gadget-ReferenceTooltips.js|MediaWiki:Gadget-ReferenceTooltips.js]] as shown [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?diff=1344408362 here]) to ensure compatibility. Other reference-related gadgets may also be affected. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T416304]
* All Wikinews editions will be closed and switched to read-only mode on 4 May 2026. Content will remain accessible, but no new edits or articles can be added. This closure was approved by the Board of Trustees of the Wikimedia Foundation following extended discussions. [[m:Wikimedia Foundation Board noticeboard#Board of Trustees Approves Closure of Wikinews|Read more]].
* The [[:mw:Special:MyLanguage/API:Action API|Action API]] has had several formats for requested output. One of them, <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>format=php</nowiki></code></bdi>, is being removed soon. Please ensure your scripts or bots use the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/API:Data formats#Output|JSON format]]. This removal should affect very few scripts and bots. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T118538]
* The [[Special:NamespaceInfo|Special:NamespaceInfo]] page now includes namespace aliases. For example "WP" for the "Project" ("Wikipedia") namespace on the German Wikipedia. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T381455]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.23|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/15|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W15"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 16:19, 6 April 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30362761 -->
== Tech News: 2026-16 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W16"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/16|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* Experienced editors are invited to [https://b24e11a4f1.catalyst.wmcloud.org/wiki/Main_Page test] the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Article guidance|Article guidance]] feature, designed to help less-experienced editors create well-structured, policy-compliant Wikipedia articles. Testing instructions are [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Article guidance/Test feature guide|available]]. Also, after reviewing [https://b24e11a4f1.catalyst.wmcloud.org/wiki/Category:Pages_using_article_guidance the outlines], please provide feedback on the [[mw:Talk:Article guidance|project talk page]]. Based on your input, the feature will be refined and transferred to the pilot Wikipedias to translate and adapt. Check out [[c:File:Article Guidance workflow demo - April 2026.webm|the video]] explaining the feature.
'''Updates for editors'''
* On most wikis, all autoconfirmed users can now use [[Special:ChangeContentModel|Special:ChangeContentModel]] page to [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:ChangeContentModel|create new pages with custom content models]], such as mass message lists, making custom page formats more accessible. Check [[Special:ListGroupRights|Special:ListGroupRights]] for the status of your wiki. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T248294]
* The Growth team has launched an [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Contributors/Account_Creation_Experiments|account creation experiment]] to evaluate whether adding an account creation button to the mobile web header increases new account registrations and encourages more mobile users to contribute to the wikis. The experiment is currently live on Hindi, Indonesian, Bengali, Thai, and Hebrew Wikipedia, and targets 10% of logged-out mobile web users.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:30}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:30|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, an issue where VisualEditor could get stuck loading on Windows devices with animations turned off, has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T382856]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* Starting later this week, {{int:group-abusefilter}} who have the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror|{{int:codemirror-beta-feature-title}}]] beta feature enabled will have [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CodeMirror|CodeMirror]] instead of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CodeEditor|CodeEditor]] as the editor at [[Special:AbuseFilter|Special:AbuseFilter]]. This is part of the broader effort to make the user experience more consistent across all editors. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T399673][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T419332]
* Tools and bots that access the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Notifications/API|Notifications API]] (<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>action=query&meta=notifications</nowiki></code></bdi>) will need to update their OAuth or BotPassword grants to also include access to private notifications. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T421991]
* Due to a library upgrade, listings on category pages may be displayed out of order starting on Monday, 20th April. A migration script will be run to correct this, and will take hours to days depending on the size of the wiki (up to a week for English Wikipedia). [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T422544]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.24|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/16|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W16"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 15:19, 13 April 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30380527 -->
== Tech News: 2026-17 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W17"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/17|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* After two years of development, [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror|{{int:codemirror-beta-feature-title}}]], also known as [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CodeMirror|CodeMirror 6]], is to be promoted out of beta on Tuesday, April 21. It brings better code and wikitext readability, reduction in typing errors, and other [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror|benefits]] to all users of the standard syntax highlighter. A huge thank you to volunteer [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/p/Bhsd/ Bhsd] who developed many of the new features, including [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror#Code folding|code folding]], [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror#Autocompletion|autocompletion]], and [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror#Linting|linting]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T259059]
* A major update to the Wikipedia app for iOS is now rolling out, redesigning the interface to align with Apple's latest "Liquid Glass" visual design. [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wikipedia/id324715238 Download the latest version] and explore the update.
'''Updates for editors'''
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Experience/WE3.3.4 Reading lists|Reading lists]] is a feature which allows readers to save articles to a list for reading later. This feature is now in beta on Arabic, French, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and Chinese Wikipedias and by default for all new accounts on all Wikipedias.
* An experiment which explores extending [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Growth/Mobile page previews|Page Previews to mobile web]] will be launched in the week of April 20 on Arabic, English, French, Italian, Polish, and Vietnamese Wikipedias. Page Previews are pop-ups that display a thumbnail, lead paragraph, and a link to open the full article of a blue link, thereby improving content discovery. The feature is already available on desktop and in the apps. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/List of experiments in Product and Technology#Template|Read more about this experiment and others]].
* On several wikis, logged-in editors who haven't [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Email confirmation|confirmed their email addresses]] can now see a banner encouraging them to do so. Having the email address confirmed allows a user to restore access to the account if they lose it. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Product Safety and Integrity/Account Security#Encouraging users to confirm their email addresses|Learn more]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T421366]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:15}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:15|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, an issue where editing very large wiki pages in the 2017 wikitext editor caused slow loading, preview and scrolling lag, and performance issues when selecting, cutting, or pasting content, has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T184857]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* As part of the promotion of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror|CodeMirror]] from a beta feature, all users will use [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CodeMirror|CodeMirror]] instead of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CodeEditor|CodeEditor]] for syntax highlighting when editing JavaScript, CSS, JSON, Vue and Lua content pages. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T419332]
* The <code>mirrors.wikimedia.org</code> service for Debian and Ubuntu users will sunset and stop working on May 15. The resources for the service will be replaced with new and better options. Some users may need to switch to a different server which should take about a minute. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/LJYRIS4WB66HIRCAO4GIDTXCMDVZRBMA/ You can read more]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T416707]
* The <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>image</nowiki></code></bdi> and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>oldimage</nowiki></code></bdi> table will be removed from [[wikitech:Help:Wiki Replicas|wikireplicas]]. If your tools or queries access <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>image</nowiki></code></bdi> or <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>oldimage</nowiki></code></bdi> directly, please update them to use the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>file</nowiki></code></bdi> and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>filerevision</nowiki></code></bdi> table before 28 May. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T28741]
* Following the recent implementation of global API rate limits on unidentified traffic, the Wikimedia Foundation will continue efforts to ensure [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/MediaWiki Product Insights/Responsible Reuse|fair use of infrastructure]] by applying global limits to identified API traffic beginning the last week of April. These limits are intentionally set as high as possible to minimise impact on the community. Bots running in Toolforge/WMCS or with the bot user right on any wiki should not be affected for now. However, all developers are advised to follow updated best practices. For more information, see [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia APIs/Rate limits|Wikimedia APIs/Rate limits]] and [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia APIs/Rate limits/FAQ|Frequently Asked Questions]].
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Attribution API|Attribution API]] is now available as a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia APIs/Stability policy|beta]]. The API fetches information for crediting Wikimedia articles and media files wherever they are used. Reference documentation is available through the REST Sandbox special page available on all Wikimedia wikis (such as the [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?api=attribution.v0-beta&title=Special%3ARestSandbox REST sandbox on English Wikipedia]). Share your feedback on the [[mw:Talk:Attribution API|project talk page]].
* There is no new MediaWiki version this week.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/17|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W17"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 15:00, 20 April 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30432763 -->
== Tech News: 2026-18 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W18"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/18|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* There is a change in how new users are autoconfirmed that will improve anti-vandalism protection. Currently, users who have had an account for a few days and made a few edits are automatically added to the [[{{int:grouppage-autoconfirmed/{{CONTENTLANGUAGE}}}}|{{int:group-autoconfirmed}}]] group. This configuration tends to be exploited by some vandals, who create accounts and start to use them only after some time. To mitigate this, the configuration will be updated next week so that – for the purpose of becoming autoconfirmed – the account age will be counted from their first edit, instead of registration date. The numeric value of the age threshold will remain the same. This change will be deployed only to wikis which require at least one edit as part of the autoconfirmation conditions. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T418484]
* All Wikipedia users with new accounts and those who activated the "automatically enable most beta features" option in their preference can now use the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Experience/WE3.3.4 Reading lists|reading lists]] beta feature to save articles for later reading. This helps organize reading interests in one place for convenient access.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:30}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:30|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the issue where infobox images have huge padding in Firefox, has been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T423676]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* As a reminder, the global API rate limits will be applied this week to identified API traffic. This is to help ensure [[mw:MediaWiki Product Insights/Responsible Reuse|fair use of infrastructure]]. Bots running in Toolforge/WMCS or with the bot user right on any wiki should not be affected for now. However, all developers are advised to follow updated best practices. For more information, including the actual rate limits, see [[mw:Wikimedia APIs/Rate limits|Wikimedia APIs/Rate limits]] and [[mw:Wikimedia APIs/Rate limits/FAQ|Frequently Asked Questions]].
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.26|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/18|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W18"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 18:06, 27 April 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30458046 -->
== Tech News: 2026-19 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W19"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/19|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Article guidance|Article guidance]] team invites experienced editors of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Article guidance/Pilot wikis and collaborators|pilot Wikipedias]]—Arabic, Bangla, Japanese, Portuguese, Persian, Turkish, Simple English, Spanish, and French—to help translate and adapt [https://b24e11a4f1.catalyst.wmcloud.org/wiki/Category:Pages_using_article_guidance sample outlines]. These outlines will guide editors in creating clear, well-structured, and policy-compliant articles when using [https://b24e11a4f1.catalyst.wmcloud.org/wiki/Special:NewArticle the feature] once it is launched in May 2026. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Article guidance#Adapting a sample outline in a Wikipedia|Simple instructions]] on how to translate and adapt the outlines are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* The [[:m:Special:MyLanguage/Product and Technology Advisory Council|Product and Technology Advisory Council]] has published [[:m:Special:MyLanguage/Product and Technology Advisory Council/May 2026 draft PTAC recommendation for feedback|draft recommendations]] on a model that affiliates can follow when contributing to the technical space. Community members are invited to provide feedback on the recommendation until May 8th [[:m:Talk:Product and Technology Advisory Council/May 2026 draft PTAC recommendation for feedback|on the talk page]].
* The number of available thumbnail size preferences in MediaWiki is being reduced to three standardized options—Small (180px), Regular (250px), and Large (400px), as part of ongoing efforts to improve performance and reduce strain on thumbnail services. As a result, existing preferences will be mapped to the nearest new size (for example, smaller selections like 120px or 150px will render at 180px, while larger ones like 300px or 360px will render at 400px). The preferences interface will soon be updated to reflect these changes, and users who wish to opt out or provide feedback can do so. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T424909]
* From now on, even when a permission expires automatically, users will receive an Echo notification similar to the standard notification for permission changes. There is a difference between this and [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Global reminder bot|Global reminder bot]] in that the latter reminds users a week ''before'' the rights are due to expire, so that they can renew the rights.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:32}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:32|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the problem where the ULS language selector in [[m:Special:Translate|Special:Translate]] would scroll vertically when it shouldn't, has been resolved. Previously, when users opened the "Translate to English" dropdown and typed certain inputs, the dialog would scroll vertically by a few pixels even when there was enough space to display all results. The dropdown no longer shifts unnecessarily when filtering languages. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T358864]
* The [[m:Special:GlobalWatchlist|Global Watchlist]], which lets you view your watchlists from multiple wikis on a single page, continues to improve. For example, watchlists for Wikibase sites such as [[:d:|Wikidata]] now support [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:EntitySchema|EntitySchema]] elements for better tracking. The Live Updates mode now refreshes the special page every 60 seconds to comply with the updated [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia APIs/Rate limits|global API rate limits]] for improved real-time responsiveness. Additionally, a directionality bug that displayed links as "changes 3" instead of "3 changes" in mixed-direction lists has been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T415450][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T424422][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T418091]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* The second phase of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia APIs/Rate limits|global API rate limits]] has been rolled out to reduce the [[diffblog:2026/03/26/quo-vadis-crawlers-progress-and-whats-next-on-safeguarding-our-infrastructure/|impact of AI crawlers]] and ensure fair, sustainable access to Wikimedia resources, prioritising human and mission-aligned traffic. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia APIs/Rate limits#Limits|Limits]] have been shifted from per-hour to per-minute, producing smoother traffic patterns and more predictable API load. Community users are not expected to be affected, and no action is required. Early indications show some User-Agent-based requestors are adjusting behaviour, and around 64% of automated API traffic has been identified. Monitoring continues, and Wikimedia Enterprise remains available for commercial support.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.27|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/19|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W19"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 20:43, 4 May 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30498077 -->
== Tech News: 2026-20 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W20"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/20|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* Community Tech has published [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist/How to write a good wish|new guidance]] explaining how wishes on Community Wishlist are triaged and prioritized. The documentation is intended to help contributors write stronger proposals by clarifying the factors that influence prioritization decisions. Beyond vote counts, the guidance highlights considerations such as potential impact on the community when determining which wishes move forward.
'''Updates for editors'''
* The Reader Growth team is launching an experiment to test a new [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader_Growth/Share_Card|Share Card feature]] that allows readers to create visually engaging cards from Wikipedia articles or selected article sections and share them online, with each card linking back to the original article to help expand readership and article discovery. The mobile-only A/B test will be available to a portion of readers on Arabic, Chinese, French, Vietnamese, and English Wikipedia to better understand reading and sharing habits, and is scheduled to begin the week of May 18 and run for four weeks.
* The Android and iOS Wikipedia apps recently released the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Apps/Team/25th_Birthday_Reading_Challenge|25-day reading challenge]] into Beta, as part of efforts to drive reader engagement by encouraging users to complete reading milestones. To track their reading streak during the challenge, App users can add a widget featuring Baby Globe to their home screen. The challenge officially begins May 11.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:17}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:17|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, an issue where the global preference for enabling syntax highlighting in wikitext could unexpectedly disable itself after being turned on, has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T425286]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The ResourceLoader module <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>mediawiki.ui.input</nowiki></code></bdi>, deprecated since [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2023/39|September 2023]], will be removed this week. There is a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Codex/Migrating_from_MediaWiki_UI|guide for migrating from MediaWiki UI to Codex]] for any tools that use it. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T420125]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.47/wmf.2|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/20|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W20"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 19:20, 11 May 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30524429 -->
== Tech News: 2026-21 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W21"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/21|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* The Abstract Wikipedia team has identified five potential pilot wikis to assess their interest in adopting abstract articles on their wikis. The pilots are Malayalam, Bengali, Dagbani, Arabic, and Indonesian Wikipedia. The feedback period will be open until May 22. If your community is interested in becoming a pilot, [[m:Talk:Abstract Wikipedia|let us know on Meta]].
'''Updates for editors'''
* An experiment to show [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Experience/Reading lists|Reading Lists]] to logged-out readers on mobile web will launch on May 18 across German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Dutch, Turkish, and Urdu Wikipedias, and will run for one month. The effort supports broader goals of helping readers save and organize articles for later reading, while encouraging habits that could lead to future Wikipedia contributions.
* To support a bookmark button in the Reading List beta feature, the "Tools > Action" menu has been updated to display icons, including the watch star indicator that helps editors identify temporarily watched articles. The icons now also match those used on mobile, improving consistency across platforms. The change is currently limited to the actions menu and mainly affects editors with privileged user rights. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T426008]
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/VisualEditor/Suggestion Mode|Suggestion Mode]] was released as an [[w:en:A/B test|A/B test]] for newcomer editors on the mobile website at [[phab:T421189|~15 Wikipedias]]. The experiment will measure the impact that Suggestion Mode has on the proportion of newcomer mobile web edit sessions that result in constructive (un-reverted) article edits. The experiment will also evaluate the feature's impact on editor retention, and monitor changes in revert and block rates.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:27}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:27|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, an issue in the Wikipedia Android app where images could sometimes fail to load after opening a recommended reading list notification, has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T418231]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikidata Platform|Wikidata Platform team]] has published its [[d:Special:MyLanguage/Wikidata:SPARQL query service/WDQS backend update/Backend Replacement|backend replacement recommendation]] and accompanying [[wikitech:Wikidata Query Service/WDQS Architecture re-design|technical architecture]] for the migration of the Wikidata Query Service (WDQS) away from Blazegraph. Feedback is invited until May 25th 2026, especially on potential gaps and impacts on advanced use cases. Wikidata community members and WDQS users are also encouraged to help identify high-impact tools and workflows that may need attention on [[d:Wikidata:SPARQL query service/WDQS backend update/High-Impact Use Cases|this page]]. Feedback can be shared on the [[d:Wikidata talk:SPARQL query service/WDQS backend update|Migration talk page]] or during the [[d:Special:MyLanguage/Wikidata:Blazegraph Migration Office Hours|next office hour]]. See the [[d:Special:MyLanguage/Wikidata:Wikidata Platform team/Newsletter|WDP team newsletter]] for more details.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.47/wmf.3|MediaWiki]]
'''In depth'''
* On English, French, Japanese, and a few other Wikipedias, there was a [[diffblog:2025/09/02/better-detecting-bots-and-replacing-our-captcha/|trial of hCaptcha]], a third-party bot detection service. The trial showed that hCaptcha effectively detects and deters some bad-faith automated activity, on its own and by giving [[w:en:Wikipedia:Village pump (technical)/Archive 225#Introducing SuggestedInvestigations|checkusers and stewards]] signals to look into. Because the results were positive, hCaptcha will be rolled out across all wikis over the next few weeks. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Product Safety and Integrity/Anti-abuse signals/hCaptcha|See the hCaptcha project page]] for technical information about the implementation and privacy protections. [[diffblog:2026/05/04/better-detecting-bots-and-replacing-our-captcha-part-2/|Learn more]].
* The latest Community Tech update is now available, with progress across several Community Wishlist initiatives, including Reading Lists expansion from the mobile app to the website, new language support for "Who Wrote That" and the Personal Dashboard, improvements to 3D rendering and Charts, and upcoming work on talk page sorting, audio playback, and editing workflows. The update also shares current priorities, wishlist status trends, and opportunities for community feedback on future focus areas and the Wikimedia Foundation’s 2026–2027 Annual Plan. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist/Updates#May 13, 2026: Latest updates from the Community Tech team|Read the full newsletter for details]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/21|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W21"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 20:21, 18 May 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30539262 -->
== Tech News: 2026-22 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W22"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/22|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* Following a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Contributors/Account Creation Experiments#LOWM|successful account creation experiment]], an improved logged-out edit warning message will be deployed to all Wikimedia wikis in the first week of June. The change will only affect logged-out users on mobile web who open an editing session. The updated experience is designed to encourage account creation more clearly, while still allowing users to edit with temporary accounts. Results from the experiment showed a significant increase in account creation, with a 27% relative lift among users shown the updated message. As expected, as more people funnel into account creation, temporary accounts decreased by a relative 16%. The experiment did not show any significant changes in constructive edit rates or other monitored contributor metrics. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T424595]
'''Updates for editors'''
* For security reasons, members of certain user groups are [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Mandatory two-factor authentication for users with some extended rights|required to have two-factor authentication]] (2FA) enabled. Members of these groups will be unable to disable the last 2FA method on their account, and it will be impossible to add users without 2FA to these groups. Users will still be able to add new authentication methods or remove them, as long as at least one method is continuously enabled. In the next few weeks, users without 2FA will be removed from these groups. Notably, this applies to bureaucrats. See the linked tasks for deployment schedules. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T423119][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T423120]
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/WMDE Technical Wishes|WMDE Technical Wishes]] will run an [[w:en:A/B testing|A/B test]] on [[:phab:T415904|10 wikis]], testing [[m:WMDE Technical Wishes/References/Reference Previews|potential improvements for Reference Previews]]. The experiment will run for ~2 weeks at the end of May / beginning of June and will affect 10% of desktop readers on the participating wikis.
* After two successful experiments, the Reader Growth team is rolling out an [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Growth/Image Browsing|Image Browsing]] beta feature for all Wikipedias on mobile on May 25. This means that anyone who has all beta features on by default will start to see this feature, and others can check the box to turn it on in their preferences. The beta feature will include a carousel of all an article's images at the top of the article, with controls for editors to [[mw:Readers/Reader_Growth/Image_Browsing#Phase_2.1_beta_feature|exclude images from the article's carousel or to exclude an article from the feature entirely]].
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:30}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:30|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, three dimensional STL files were being rendered incorrectly by the media viewer 3D extension which is now fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T416723]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* The legacy CSS classes <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>tleft</nowiki></code></bdi> and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>tright</nowiki></code></bdi> have been replaced with <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>floatleft</nowiki></code></bdi> and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>floatright</nowiki></code></bdi> as the former do not work consistently across all MediaWiki platforms, notably mobile web and mobile apps. Projects relying on these classes are encouraged to review related usage and plan for migration. Please note that <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>floatleft</nowiki></code></bdi> and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>floatright</nowiki></code></bdi> may also be deprecated in future, although there are currently no plans to do so. [[phab:T426452|Read more]].
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.47/wmf.4|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/22|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W22"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 21:52, 25 May 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30584502 -->
== Tech News: 2026-23 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W23"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/23|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Experience|Reader Experience team]] is conducting an experiment to show the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Experience/Reading lists|reading lists]] feature, which is still in development, to logged-out mobile readers to test whether it encourages account creation at a higher rate compared to the watchstar button. The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Experience/Reading lists#Experiment timeline|experiment]] was launched on May 18th on German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Dutch, Turkish, and Urdu wikis, and it will run for a month.
* The Wikimedia Apps team released [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/Explore Feed Refresh/Phase 1|Phase 1]] of the redesigned Home Feed to the Android Beta app. The new Home Feed includes a refreshed "Community" tab and a personalized "For You" tab featuring daily updated reading recommendations. The redesign is part of a broader effort to improve content discovery and create more engaging learning experiences in the Wikipedia apps.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:18}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:18|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, an issue where images could fail to load for some suggested edits on [[w:Special:Homepage|Special:Homepage]], leaving the thumbnail stuck in a loading state, has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T424048]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.47/wmf.5|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/23|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W23"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 21:08, 1 June 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30613639 -->
== Tech News: 2026-24 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W24"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/24|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* Wikimedia Enterprise has increased the free usage limits for its API offerings. The monthly request limit for the On-demand API has increased from 5,000 to 50,000 requests, while the Snapshot API limit has increased from 15 to 30 requests per month. In addition, Structured Contents snapshots are now available for free accounts. These changes expand access to Wikimedia Enterprise data for developers, researchers, and organizations using Wikimedia content. [https://enterprise.wikimedia.com/blog/enhanced-free-api]
'''Updates for editors'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Apps/Team/Explore Feed Refresh/Phase 1|refreshed Explore Feed]], now called the Home Feed, is rolling out to 50% of users of the Wikipedia Android app. The Home Feed helps readers discover relevant content through two new tabs: ''Community'' and ''For You''. The Community tab provides a scrollable feed of curated content and updates from the broader Wikimedia community and movement, while the ''For You'' tab offers a full-screen, swipeable experience that shows content tailored to a user's interests. The redesign is part of a broader effort to improve discovery and enhance the learning experience in the Wikipedia app.
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/iOS/"Which came first?" Game|Which came first?]] daily trivia game is now available in the beta version of the Wikipedia iOS app in English, German, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and Turkish. The game uses historical events from Wikipedia's "On This Day" content and challenges readers to guess which of two events happened first. The game was previously released on Android. Communities interested in making the game available in their languages can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Apps/Team/Games#Game availability by language|read the instructions and requirements]].
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/WMDE Technical Wishes/Sub-referencing|Sub-referencing]], a new MediaWiki feature that allows editors to reuse references with different details, will begin rolling out to Wikimedia wikis following a successful pilot phase. Deployment will start on 8 June for most [[wikitech:Deployments/Train#Wednesday|Group 1 wikis]] and French Wikipedia, with additional Wikipedia language editions receiving the feature over the coming months. Communities are encouraged to prepare by checking for [https://translatewiki.net/w/i.php?title=Special%3ATranslate&group=ext-cite&language=en&action_source=search&filter=%21translated&optional=1&action=translate untranslated Cite extension messages] in their language and reviewing any use of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reference Tooltips|Reference Tooltips]], which may require [[:phab:T416304#11668731|updates]] to support the new functionality. Wikis using [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Reference Previews|Reference Previews]] do not need to take any action. Communities may also wish to create the ''cite-tracking-category-ref-details'' [[Special:TrackingCategories|tracking category]] as a hidden category using <code><nowiki>__HIDDENCAT__</nowiki></code> (or a dedicated template), and connect it to the corresponding Wikidata item [[d:Q129764848]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T425662]
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Growth/Mobile page previews#Experimentation|Page Previews experiment]] on mobile web has concluded. The team decided not to roll out the feature after the results showed no statistically significant impact on reader retention, as the primary success metric was retention improvement. Page Previews, which are already available on desktop and in the apps, display a thumbnail, lead paragraph, and link to the full article when readers tap a blue link. The experiment tested this experience on mobile web across six Wikipedias.
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Codex/Design/Icons|user interface icon library]] will be [[phab:T399175|updated later this week or next week]]. Most of the ~300 icons have been slightly refined and ~30 new icons have been added. These changes improve the icons to make them more consistent and comprehensible, and provide more visual balance when they are used in groups.
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Universal Language Selector|Universal Language Selector]] (ULS) interface in MediaWiki, which helps users select content in other languages, has been updated. The new version improves speed and accessibility, and users of Wikimedia projects can now pin languages for quicker language switching. The deployment to Wikimedia sites will happen gradually in the coming weeks. You can test it now as a beta feature by selecting [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures|beta features]] in your profile preferences and share your feedback on [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Universal Language Selector/New ULS|the project page]].
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:21}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:21|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, an issue where the Pageviews Analysis dashboard on pageviews.wmcloud.org stopped updating graph data in May 2026, affecting all users, has been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T427171]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* The function signature for <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>mw.util.addPortletLink()</nowiki></code></bdi> has been simplified. Developers can now pass a configuration object instead of a list of positional parameters when creating portlet links. The previous function signature remains supported for backwards compatibility. For example, instead of: <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>mw.util.addPortletLink('p-cactions', '#', 'Stub', 'ca-stubtag', 'Add a stub tag to this page');</nowiki></code></bdi> use <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>mw.util.addPortletLink('p-cactions', { href: '#', text: 'Stub', id: 'ca-stubtag', tooltip: 'Add a stub tag to this page' });</nowiki></code></bdi>. Script maintainers are encouraged to review existing uses of <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>addPortletLink()</nowiki></code></bdi> and update them where appropriate. This change will be available on all wikis from 11 June. Thanks to community volunteer Gerges for contributing this improvement. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T427945]
* '''Community Wishlist discussion''': Product & Technology [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist/Updates#May 20, 2026: Community Tech becomes a program|introduced changes]] meant to increase the number and complexity of wishes fulfilled, including the disbanding of the Community Tech team. They are [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist/Updates|engaging in discussions]] about a [[m:Talk:Community Wishlist#Proposed direction for Wishlist|proposed direction for the wishlist]] from community members. Includes ways to structure annual voting, better tracking of wishes, removing focus areas, and [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist/Updates|staffing updates]].
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.47/wmf.6|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/24|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W24"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 21:30, 8 June 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30650573 -->
== Tech News: 2026-25 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W25"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/25|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Growth|Reader Growth team]] has launched an [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Growth/Image Browsing|Image Browsing]] beta feature on the mobile web version of all Wikipedias. The feature shows an image carousel at the top of articles with 3 or more images. Editors can configure this feature with the following controls: to hide a specific image from a page, either use <code>class=notpageimage</code> excluding it from thumbnail previews, or <code>class=noviewer</code> excluding it from MediaViewer. The carousel can also be disabled from a page entirely, with the magic word <code><nowiki>__NOMEDIAVIEWERCAROUSEL__</nowiki></code>. To submit feedback or flag bugs, please visit the [[mw:Talk:Readers/Reader Growth/Image Browsing|project page]].
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Tables#class="wikitable"|Wikitables]] can now be [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Sortable tables#Forcing the initial sort direction|sorted in descending order]] on the first click by adding <code dir=ltr>data-sort-order="desc"</code> to the header cell. Previously, by default, clicking a column header for the first time sorts it in ascending order. This addition to a Wikitable gives it more control and flexibility, while the default behavior for subsequent clicks remains unchanged. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T398416]
'''Updates for editors'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Article guidance|Article guidance]] feature is currently being tested with some editors creating new articles on the Simple English, French, and Turkish Wikipedias. The experiment will soon begin on the Arabic and Bangla Wikipedias as well. [[w:simple:Special:NewArticle|This feature]] gives editors community-curated guidance to help them create articles that follow community standards. Experienced editors can continue creating or adapting outlines for specific article types that are commonly created by less experienced contributors. The outlines guide less experienced editors in creating high-quality articles. A quick guide to markups used in outlines can be found on [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Article guidance/Test feature guide#Markups in outlines|this page]]. [[w:simple:Wikipedia:Article Guidance|Example outlines]] that can be adapted and instructions for how to adapt them are on [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Article guidance#Adapting a sample outline in a Wikipedia|this section]] of the project page.
* Wikis that wish to replace the "indefinitely" button in Special:Block for temporary accounts (for example, wikis that block temporary users only until account expiration) will be able to do so by creating [[MediaWiki:ipb-indefinite-expiry-temporary-account]] with the block duration they want. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T427125]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:41}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:41|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* By the end of June, a valid user-agent string will be required for automated dumps downloads from the dumps.wikimedia.org website. Automated requests that provide a generic or empty user-agent will be blocked. This [[phab:T400119|extends enforcement]] of the long standing [[foundation:Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Wikimedia Foundation User-Agent Policy|user-agent policy]]. Access to dumps through Wikimedia Cloud Services will not change.
* The roll out of global [[mw:Wikimedia APIs/Rate limits|API rate limits]] is now complete, with limits enforced across all APIs and at the documented levels for all groups. Bots running in Toolforge/WMCS or with the bot user right on any wiki remain exempt. All bots should continue to follow the documented best practices to avoid being rate limited.
* The [https://api.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page API Portal wiki] will be read only starting this week (June 15-18). The following week (June 22-25), all API Portal wiki URLs will redirect to [[mw:Wikimedia APIs|Wikimedia APIs on mediawiki.org]]. Learn more on the [[wikitech:API Portal/Deprecation|project page]].
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.47/wmf.7|MediaWiki]]
'''Meetings and events'''
* On June 17th at 6pm UTC the WMF will be holding Discord call focused on a code review. We've heard through the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Developer Satisfaction Survey/2026|Developer Satisfaction Survey]] that volunteers are struggling with code review and we'd like to discuss these experiences with the goal of surfacing workable solutions. You can join the call [https://discord.gg/wikipedia?event=1514727511102062664 via the Wikimedia Community Discord server].
* The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Conferencia Wikimedia de América Latina 2026|Latin American Wikimedia Conference]] will host a regional hackathon that will bring together the Wikimedia movement’s technical community including developers, system administrators, data scientists, and users with extended rights. Interested technical contributors can [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf4osJzTHBJjQbYJk7TMVEJjTEQv7IgtsUDfP-o-qTgeRQQxw/viewform apply for a scholarship] to participate until June 21 at midnight (Bolivia time, UTC-4).
* Sign up for Wikimania Team Challenges to join this special event. The Team challenges will take place online and in person from July 21 to 22, before Wikimania conference. Everyone is welcome, regardless of skills or Wikimania registration. Teams will work on 10 important challenges supporting the Wikimedia community. For details, visit [[wmania:Special:MyLanguage/2026:Team challenges|the Team Challenges page]] and [https://wikimedia.eventyay.com/wm/teamchallenges/ register there]. Registration closes on June 20th at 11pm UTC.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/25|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W25"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 16:48, 15 June 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30689604 -->
== Tech News: 2026-26 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W26"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/26|Translations]] are available.
'''Weekly highlight'''
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Feature summary|Growth features]] are [[phab:T418115|now available at Wikidata]]. This update enables access to Mentorship ([[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Growth/Mentorship|if configured]]), Impact module, the Help Panel, and a simplified Newcomer Homepage (without Suggested Edits). Wikidata administrators are still configuring the features through Community Configuration.
'''Updates for editors'''
* The special page [[{{#special:RangeCalculator}}]] has been created. It allows users to find an IP range without needing to rely on external tools. Until now, this tool was only available to CheckUsers. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T268429]
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/WMDE Technical Wishes/Sub-referencing|Sub-referencing]] is a new MediaWiki feature that allows editors to reuse references with different details. It will be deployed to most small and medium-sized Wikipedia language versions on June 23. The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/WMDE Technical Wishes/Sub-referencing#deployment|FAQ]] lists possible actions to take on your wiki to support the deployment. Check the [[:phab:T414094|rollout plan]] for the next deployment steps. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T428902]
* Starting next week, users will get a notification when they are blocked or unblocked from editing, or if this block changes. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T100974]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:32}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:32|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* Starting next week, abuse filters that are set to "require CAPTCHA verification" will begin to also affect users with the <code>skipcaptcha</code> right, which includes most autoconfirmed users. Bots are exempted. This change only affects edits that trigger an abuse filter. The <code>skipcaptcha</code> right will continue to exempt users from having to solve CAPTCHAs in the ordinary course of using the wikis. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T402595]
* Reference documentation for the [[wikitech:Machine_Learning/LiftWing/API|Lift Wing API]] has moved from the API Portal to the interactive [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?api=lift-wing&title=Special%3ARestSandbox REST Sandbox].
* The API Portal wiki is now closed. For API documentation, see [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_APIs|Wikimedia APIs on mediawiki.org]]. All API Portal wiki URLs (https://api.wikimedia.org/wiki/) will redirect to the mediawiki.org page starting June 22. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T427537]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.47/wmf.8|MediaWiki]]
'''Meetings and events'''
* Join an online call on 25 June at 2:30pm UTC to meet the current Wikimedia interns for [[mw:Google_Summer_of_Code/2026|Google Summer of Code]] and [[mw:Outreachy/Round_32|Outreachy]]. Interns will provide an overview of their projects and a brief demo of their work so far. Attendees are encouraged to [[mw:event:Google_Summer_of_Code/Summer_2026_June_Internship_open_session|share ideas and connections in their community]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/26|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W26"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 13:05, 23 June 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:Trizek (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30722494 -->
== Tech News: 2026-27 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W27"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/27|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* As part of the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Contributors/Account Creation Experiments|Account Creation Experiments]], the Growth team tested adding a user account icon in the mobile web header for logged-out users, providing direct access to "Create account" and "Log in" actions. The experiment increased account creation by about 20% without negatively affecting edit quality or constructive edit rates. The feature will now be rolled out to all Wikimedia Foundation wikis on mobile web in the first week of July. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T428220]
* After a [[phab:T426248|successful experiment]], logged-in users who did not [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Email_confirmation|confirm their email address]] when their account was created see a new banner asking them to complete that process. This helps reduce the risk that users get locked out of their account, and makes account email addresses overall more reliable. This is part of the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Product Safety and Integrity/Account Security|Account Security]] project. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T428292]
* An update to [[Special:Search|Search]] is refining how the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>-prefix:</nowiki></code></bdi> behaves when used to exclude results. Previously, using <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>-prefix:</nowiki></code></bdi> with negation could unintentionally broaden search results by adding the namespaces included in the search scope, leading to confusing behavior for users expecting a straightforward exclusion filter. With the update, <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>-prefix:</nowiki></code></bdi> will now strictly exclude matching page titles as intended and may display a warning if the relevant namespace has not been explicitly selected. The behavior of <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>prefix:</nowiki></code></bdi> without negation however remains unchanged. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T427443]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:33}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:33|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, an issue where reviewers using the Page Curation toolbar were not automatically subscribed to talk page discussions they started has now been fixed. Reviewers will now receive notifications when someone replies to those discussions. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T329346]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* Starting June 29th, automated downloads from the dumps.wikimedia.org website will be subject to the [[Foundation:Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Wikimedia Foundation User-Agent Policy|user-agent policy]]. Automated requests that provide a generic or empty user-agent will be blocked. Access to dumps through Wikimedia Cloud Services remains unaffected. This is a follow up to the announcement made in the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/25|2026/25 issue of Tech News]].
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.47/wmf.9|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/27|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W27"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 11:48, 29 June 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30744833 -->
== Tech News: 2026-28 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W28"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/28|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:34}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:34|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, an issue where the search bar results on Wikidata, showed English results instead of using the correct language fallback for users of language variants, has now been fixed. Search suggestions will now follow the expected language fallback chain. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T429769]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* In preparation for [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Event:Celebrate Women|Celebrate Women campaign]] planned for March 2027, the Wikimedia Foundation’s [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation/Advancement/Community Growth/Content Enablement|Content Enablement team]] has launched a 22-question survey to better understand technical contributions by women+ (anyone who identifies as a woman) across Wikimedia projects. The survey takes approximately 15–20 minutes to complete and will remain open until 20 July 2026. The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Celebrate Women/Technical contributions survey|questions]] are also available on-wiki for review in advance.
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Score|Score extension]] now supports rendering music scores as SVG images in addition to PNG, addressing a long-standing [[:phab:T49578|feature request]] and resolving historical image quality issues. Both formats are now provided to clients, with PNG in the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>src</nowiki></code></bdi> attribute and SVG in the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>srcset</nowiki></code></bdi> attribute.
* The new [[wikitech:Parsoid|Parsoid]] parser [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Parsoid/Parser_Unification/Updates|continues to be deployed to additional wikis]], making it easier to introduce new reading and editing features. It was enabled on French Wikipedia, bringing total progress to covering 78.9% of Wikipedia page views. Rollout to English Wikipedia desktop will progress through this week.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.47/wmf.10|MediaWiki]]
'''In depth'''
* The Wikimedia Hackathon 2026 [[diffblog:2026/06/29/wikimedia-hackathon-2026-building-collaborating-and-shaping-the-future-together/|recap blog post]] is now live. It highlights the projects, sessions, and social activities from this year’s event, and shares initial plans for the 2027 Wikimedia Hackathon.
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/28|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W28"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 13:57, 6 July 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30773578 -->
== Tech News: 2026-29 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W29"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/29|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Revise_Tone|Revise Tone]] helps newcomers identify passages in Wikipedia articles that may contain non-encyclopedic language and encourages them to consider revising the tone. The feature was [[w:en:A/B_testing|A/B tested]] on the Arabic, English, French, and Portuguese Wikipedias, where newcomer task completion rates [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Revise_Tone#Experiment_Results|increased by 38.7%]] compared to the default Copyedit task, with no decrease in edit quality. The test ended on July 9, and the feature is now available for everyone on these wikis, configurable via Community Configuration. [[phab:T426364|The plan]] is to release Revise Tone to more wikis.
* The community configuration that allows [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Growth/Mentorship#Automated mentor list cleanup|automatic removal of inactive mentors]] based on configurable criteria will be enabled on Thursday 16, [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Deployment|on some wikis]] to keep mentor lists up to date. Mentors are experienced contributors who opt in to help new users on-wiki through the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Feature summary|Growth Features]]. Administrators can now prepare the settings via [[w:Special:CommunityConfiguration/Mentorship|Special:CommunityConfiguration/Mentorship]]; they will take effect starting Thursday.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:38}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:38|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, an issue where some users of the Wikipedia Android app were logged out immediately after signing in, preventing them from staying logged in and editing pages, has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T316916]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* Editing a page via user scripts or gadgets was causing watchlist labels that the user had assigned to that page to reset. This has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T423778]
* To work around a Safari bug (see [[phab:T425211]]), on Parsoid-enabled wikis, wikilink hrefs now use absolute urls instead of protocol-relative urls. REST API output remains unchanged and continue to use protocol-relative urls. Gadgets, user scripts, bots, and CSS might need to be adapted if they relied on the presence of protocol-relative urls in wikilink hrefs. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T431358]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.47/wmf.11|MediaWiki]]
'''In depth'''
* The Wikimedia Foundation’s Experiment Platform Team has published a blog post reflecting on its first year of structured experimentation. It highlights successful experiments such as Paste Check, Reference Check, and Tone Check, which improved editing outcomes and have been rolled out to more users, as well as experiments that did not lead to product changes. [[diffblog:2026/07/07/moving-the-needle-how-we-test-new-ideas-across-wikimedia-projects|Read more]].
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/29|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W29"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 16:11, 13 July 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30804401 -->
== Tech News: 2026-31 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W31"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/31|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* [[File:Maki-gift-15.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Wishlist item]] [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/ContentTranslation|Content Translation]] now supports dark mode, fulfilling a [[m:Community Wishlist/W544|Community Wishlist request]]. This brings the tool in line with the accessibility features available in the Vector 2022 and Minerva skins, helping reduce visual fatigue for users translating content. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T367077]
* DiscussionTools' source mode and the 2017 wikitext editor will now offer autocomplete for links (<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>[[</nowiki></code></bdi>), templates (<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>{{</nowiki></code></bdi>), HTML and parser tags (<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki><</nowiki></code></bdi>), and magic words (<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>__</nowiki></code></bdi>), making it quicker and easier to insert links, templates, and other wiki markup while editing. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T432400]
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Growth/Mobile page previews|Readers Growth team]] has concluded its experiment with mobile page previews and will not roll out the feature. Page Previews are a pop-up bottom sheet that appears when readers tap a blue link, showing a thumbnail, lead paragraph, and an option to open the article. The experiment showed flat retention and negative indicator metrics, suggesting that mobile web readers preferred navigating directly to linked articles rather than using page previews.
* The Reader Experience team has seen encouraging early results from the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Experience/Reading lists|Reading Lists feature]], with 93% of participating users reporting that it was useful. Reading Lists help active readers save articles for future reading and support their learning goals on Wikimedia projects. The team plans further improvements before expanding the feature to more users.
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/Explore Feed Refresh|Explore Feed Refresh]] initiative was tested with new and casual Wikipedia app readers. The refreshed feed helps readers discover new and relevant content. After a 10.5% increase in engagement with the feed, Wikimedia Apps team has decided to scale the Home Feed redesign to iOS with the learnings from the Android release applied.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:23}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:23|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, an issue where subject names in the Article Guidance feature were displayed with incorrect capitalization on French Wikipedia, has now been fixed. Subject names will now follow the correct capitalization rules for the language. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T427201]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* After running several [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Contributors/Account Creation Experiments|Account Creation Experiments]] to improve registration completion rates, a new version of the username field on [[Special:CreateAccount|Create Account]] has been rolled out. It includes [[:c:File:Create account - July 2026 updates.png|a popover summarizing the username policy]] to provide clearer guidance during account creation. As part of this change, the messages <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>createacct-helpusername</nowiki></code></bdi> and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>createacct-username-help</nowiki></code></bdi> that several communities have configured will no longer be used. If communities want to customize the guidance shown in the new popover, they can instead edit the following messages: <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>createacct-username-policy-popover-bullet1</nowiki></code></bdi>, <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>createacct-username-policy-popover-bullet2</nowiki></code></bdi>, and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>createacct-username-policy-popover-bullet3</nowiki></code></bdi>. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T430604]
* Later this week, the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror|CodeMirror syntax highlighter]] will offer [[w:en:Theme (computing)|themes]]. The themes can be picked from a dropdown menu in the full [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror#CodeMirror preferences|CodeMirror preferences]] dialog. For wikitext, available themes are default, colorblind-friendly (previously the colorblind preference option on [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-editing]]) and no-highlighting. For code languages (i.e., CSS/JavaScript/JSON/Vue/Lua), there are several themes available. These same themes will eventually be available for wikitext, too. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T163533]
* From now on, wikis can restrict editing in the "User" namespace to only the page owner and certain user groups. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:$wgRestrictUserPageEditing|Read the configuration documentation]] to learn more.
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.47/wmf.14|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/31|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W31"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 18:49, 27 July 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30856308 -->
== Tech News: 2026-32 ==
<section begin="technews-2026-W32"/><div class="plainlinks">
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/32|Translations]] are available.
'''Updates for editors'''
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Experience|Reader Experience team]] has developed a [https://82db7c8d4b.catalyst.wmcloud.org/w/index.php?title=Regent%27s_Park&uselang=de patch demo] that wraps the page toolbar onto two lines when there is not enough horizontal space for all the buttons. This aims to reduce crowding in the Vector 2022 toolbar, which can occur on some language Wikipedias at certain screen widths. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T429518]
* The Reader Experience team is planning to launch [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Experience/Reading lists|Reading Lists]], a [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist Survey 2021/Mobile and apps/Have Apps reading lists available on Destop/Mobile|Community Wishlist item]], which is currently available to try in beta, as a full feature in September. Before then, volunteer translator help is needed for [https://translatewiki.net/w/i.php?title=Special%3ATranslate&group=ext-readinglists&filter=&action=translate string translations] into a number of languages. The feature supports reading and learning goals on Wikipedia.
* Next week, the table of contents on Wikimedia Commons file pages will be improved by consolidating the file page table of contents with the page table of contents. This will make it easier to understand a file page’s structure, navigate to specific sections, and share links to individual sections. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T332644]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] View all {{formatnum:24}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:24|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, an issue where some [[w:TIFF|TIFF]] images failed to load after clicking their thumbnail, causing a broken image to be displayed instead of the full-size image, has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T429326]
'''Updates for technical contributors'''
* The variable and function selector in AbuseFilter has been updated to support search and autocomplete. It will allow filter maintainers to find the desired variable or function more quickly. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T323698]
* The MJPEG and VP8 formats are removed from the video player. The MP4 format (MPEG-4 Part 2) is added instead, which provides higher quality videos to older iPhone devices. It may take a few weeks to retroactively update all existing videos. The default format for modern devices stays the same (VP9/WebM). [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T358266]
* [[File:Reload icon with two arrows.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Recurrent item]] Detailed code updates later this week: [[mw:MediaWiki 1.47/wmf.15|MediaWiki]]
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]] • [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/32|Translate]] • [[m:Tech|Get help]] • [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''
</div><section end="technews-2026-W32"/>
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 19:46, 3 August 2026 (UTC)
<!-- Message sent by User:STei (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=30872536 -->
fntb9ame79hk2w2hjm64d6nkeu93vsj
User talk:IanVG
3
274033
2820547
2817659
2026-08-04T08:56:27Z
MediaWiki message delivery
983498
/* Wikimedians for Sustainable Development - July 2026 Newsletter */ new section
2820547
wikitext
text/x-wiki
{{Robelbox|theme=9|title=Welcome!|width=100%}}
<div style="{{Robelbox/pad}}">
'''Hello and [[Wikiversity:Welcome|Welcome]] to [[Wikiversity:What is Wikiversity|Wikiversity]] IanVG!''' You can [[Wikiversity:Contact|contact us]] with [[Wikiversity:Questions|questions]] at the [[Wikiversity:Colloquium|colloquium]] or [[User talk:Dave Braunschweig|me personally]] when you need [[Help:Contents|help]]. Please remember to [[Wikiversity:Signature|sign and date]] your finished comments when [[Wikiversity:Who are Wikiversity participants?|participating]] in [[Wikiversity:Talk page|discussions]]. The signature icon [[File:OOUI JS signature icon LTR.svg]] above the edit window makes it simple. All users are expected to abide by our [[Wikiversity:Privacy policy|Privacy]], [[Wikiversity:Civility|Civility]], and the [[Foundation:Terms of Use|Terms of Use]] policies while at Wikiversity.
To [[Wikiversity:Introduction|get started]], you may
<!-- The Left column -->
<div style="width:50.0%; float:left">
* [[Help:guides|Take a guided tour]] and learn [[Help:Editing|to edit]].
* Visit a (kind of) [[Wikiversity:Random|random project]].
* [[Wikiversity:Browse|Browse]] Wikiversity, or visit a portal corresponding to your educational level: [[Portal: Pre-school Education|pre-school]], [[Portal: Primary Education|primary]], [[Portal:Secondary Education|secondary]], [[Portal:Tertiary Education|tertiary]], [[Portal:Non-formal Education|non-formal education]].
* Find out about [[Wikiversity:Research|research]] activities on Wikiversity.
* [[Wikiversity:Introduction explore|Explore]] Wikiversity with the links to your left.
</div>
<!-- The Right column -->
<div style="width:50.0%; float:left">
* Enable VisualEditor under [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures|Beta]] settings to make article editing easier.
* Read an [[Wikiversity:Wikiversity teachers|introduction for teachers]] and find out [[Help:How to write an educational resource|how to write an educational resource]] for Wikiversity.
* Give [[Wikiversity:Feedback|feedback]] about your initial observations.
* Discuss Wikiversity issues or ask questions at the [[Wikiversity:Colloquium|colloquium]].
* [[Wikiversity:Chat|Chat]] with other Wikiversitans on [[:freenode:wikiversity|<kbd>#wikiversity</kbd>]].
</div>
<br clear="both"/>
You do not need to be an educator to edit. You only need to [[Wikiversity:Be bold|be bold]] to contribute and to experiment with the [[wikiversity:sandbox|sandbox]] or [[special:mypage|your userpage]]. See you around Wikiversity! --[[User:Dave Braunschweig|Dave Braunschweig]] ([[User talk:Dave Braunschweig|discuss]] • [[Special:Contributions/Dave Braunschweig|contribs]]) 23:06, 27 April 2021 (UTC)</div>
<!-- Template:Welcome -->
{{Robelbox/close}}
== Thank you Dave! ==
Well, I am obviously replying far too late, but thank you @[[User:Dave Braunschweig|Dave Braunschweig]] for your kind words. [[User:IanVG|IanVG]] ([[User talk:IanVG|discuss]] • [[Special:Contributions/IanVG|contribs]]) 22:25, 29 July 2025 (UTC)
== Possible copyright problem ==
FYI, I just tagged [[Introduction to thermodynamics/Extensive and intensive properties]] for a possible copyright problem: CC NonCommercial not compatible with CC-BY-SA. --[[User:Dan Polansky|Dan Polansky]] ([[User talk:Dan Polansky|discuss]] • [[Special:Contributions/Dan Polansky|contribs]]) 17:41, 8 November 2025 (UTC)
:Hey @[[User:Dan Polansky|Dan Polansky]]! Thanks a ton, I didn't know that the Non-Commercial part of the license their work was licensed under led to that kind of copyright issue! Thanks for education and help :-). I haven't yet reached out, but I'm going to look for a format email that maybe someone else has already written on the wikipedia to help with this. [[User:IanVG|IanVG]] ([[User talk:IanVG|discuss]] • [[Special:Contributions/IanVG|contribs]]) 21:27, 12 November 2025 (UTC)
::Okay, just sent an email it looks something like:
::Dear Dr. Claire Yu Yan,
::I wanted to let you know that I enjoyed your Introduction to Engineering Thermodynamics at https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/thermo1/, which I found while researching for the free, online and open learning resources on "Wikiversity" (sister project of "Wikipedia"); I thought that your information on the subject is worthy of inclusion in our living and growing document.
::Wikiversity (
::https://www.wikiversity.org
::) is a Wikimedia Foundation project that is collaboratively edited by volunteers from around the world. Our goal is to create and host a living, and diverse set of learning resources, learning projects and research for use by teachers, students and researchers. It is not only available at no charge, but also freely distributed. It is one of many projects of the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation.
::We can only use your material if you are willing to grant permission for it to be used under terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. This means that although you retain the copyright and authorship of your own work, you are granting permission for all others (not just Wikipedia) to use, copy, and share your materials freely—and even potentially use them commercially—as long as they do not try to claim the copyright themselves, or try to prevent others from using or copying them freely. You can read this license in full at:
::(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_4.0_International_License)
::Please note that your contributions may not remain intact as submitted; this license, and the collaborative nature of our project, also entitles others to edit, alter, and update them at will, i.e., to keep up with new information, or suit the text to a different purpose. However, the license also expressly protects authors "from being considered responsible for modifications made by others" while ensuring that those authors get credit for their work. There is more information on our copyright policy at:
::(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Copyrights)
::We choose the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License because it is the best available tool for ensuring that our encyclopedia is and can remain free for all to use, and for providing credit to everyone who donates text and images. It may or may not be compatible with your goals in creating the materials available on your website — that is your choice. Please be assured that if you do not grant permission, your materials will **not** be used at Wikipedia; we have a very strict policy against copyright violations.
::If you do agree to grant permission, we will credit you for your work in the resulting article's references section, by stating it was based on your work and is used with your permission, and by providing a link back to your website.
::You are obviously an expert in your field, and we invite your active collaboration in writing and editing articles on this subject and any others that might be attractive to you. If you are interested, please see:
::([[Wikiversity:Introduction|https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Wikiversity:Introduction]]) for more information!
::Thank you for your time; we look forward to your reply.
::Kindly,
::<My name> [[User:IanVG|IanVG]] ([[User talk:IanVG|discuss]] • [[Special:Contributions/IanVG|contribs]]) 21:48, 12 November 2025 (UTC)
== Wikimedians for Sustainable Development - January 2026 Newsletter ==
<div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">This is our fifty first newsletter. This issue has news related to SDG 15.<div style="column-count:2; column-width: 400px;">
; User group news
* The [[m:Wikimedians for Sustainable Development/Reports/2025|annual report for 2025]] was published.
* [[m:Wikimedians for Sustainable Development/Next meeting|Next user group meeting]] is 22 February.
* The drafting of the [[m:Wikimedians for Sustainable Development/Annual plan 2026|2026 annual plan]] is under way, please help.
; Other news
* [https://diff.wikimedia.org/2026/01/09/winning-images-of-the-special-category-human-rights-and-environment-from-wiki-loves-earth-2025%F0%9F%A4%9D/ Winning images of the special category “Human Rights and Environment” from Wiki Loves Earth 2025🤝] (SDG 15)
This message was sent with [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Global_message_delivery|Global message delivery]] by <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[m:User:Ainali|Ainali]] ([[m:User talk:Ainali|talk]])</bdi> 14:22, 4 February 2026 (UTC) • [[m:Wikimedians for Sustainable Development/Newsletter|Contribute]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Wikimedians for Sustainable Development newsletter|Manage subscription]]
</div>
</div>
<!-- Message sent by User:Ainali@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Wikimedians_for_Sustainable_Development_newsletter&oldid=29928029 -->
== Wikimedians for Sustainable Development - February 2026 Newsletter ==
<div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">This is our fifty second newsletter. This issue has news related to SDG 4, 5, 10, 13, 15, 16 and 17.<div style="column-count:2; column-width: 400px;">
; User group news
* A proposal for a climate and sustainability meetup at Wikimania has been submitted. Keep your fingers crossed it gets accepted!
; Other news
* [https://metabase.wikibase.cloud Metabase], a project to create a [[m:Movement Strategy/Initiatives/Knowledge Base|movement-wide knowledgebase for activities and initiatives]], now has the property [https://metabase.wikibase.cloud/wiki/Property:P109 relates to sustainable development goal, target or indicator] and all the Sustainable Development Goals, Targets and Indicators. This makes it possible to make sure that your projects and initiative that supports these are marked as doing so and also find previous efforts related to them.
* [https://diff.wikimedia.org/2026/02/11/wiki-for-botanists-why-thematic-engagement-matters/ Wiki for Botanists: Why thematic engagement matters] (SDG 15)
* [https://diff.wikimedia.org/2026/02/15/influence-of-seasonal-and-eco-climatic-factors-on-butterfly-diversity-insights-from-wiki-loves-butterfly/ Influence of Seasonal and Eco-climatic Factors on Butterfly Diversity: Insights from Wiki Loves Butterfly] (SDG 15)
* [https://diff.wikimedia.org/2026/02/15/african-women-in-climate-action-a-continued-editing-journey-through-the-edither-africa-contest-2026/ African Women in Climate Action: A Continued Editing Journey through the EditHer Africa Contest 2026] (SDG 5 & 13)
; Events
* March is Women's History Month and also has the Internaltional Women's day, so there are plenty of related events. Check out [[m:Special:AllEvents|Special:AllEvents]] to find some near you. (SDG 5)
* [[m:Wiki Loves Ramadan 2026|Wiki Loves Ramadan 2026]] (SDG 16)
* [[d:Wikidata:WikiProject_India/Events/International_Mother_Language_Day_2026_Datathon|International Mother Language Day 2026 Datathon]] (SDG 4, 10 &17)
This message was sent with [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Global_message_delivery|Global message delivery]] by <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[m:User:Ainali|Ainali]] ([[m:User talk:Ainali|talk]])</bdi> 12:13, 2 March 2026 (UTC) • [[m:Wikimedians for Sustainable Development/Newsletter|Contribute]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Wikimedians for Sustainable Development newsletter|Manage subscription]]
</div>
</div>
<!-- Message sent by User:Ainali@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Wikimedians_for_Sustainable_Development_newsletter&oldid=29928029 -->
== Wikimedians for Sustainable Development - March 2026 Newsletter ==
<div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">This is our fifty third newsletter. This issue has news related to SDG 15.<div style="column-count:2; column-width: 400px;">
; User group news
* There is now a [[c:Template:User Wikimedians for Sustainable Development|user box template on Wikimedia Commons]] that you can use to show that you are participant of the user group. There were already user boxes on [[m:Template:User Wikimedians for Sustainable Development|Meta]], [[d:Template:User Wikimedians for Sustainable Development|Wikidata]], [[w:en:Template:User Wikimedians for Sustainable Development|English]] and [[w:sv:Mall:Användare Wikimedians for Sustainable Development|Swedish]] Wikipedia. If your home wiki uses user boxes but lacks one, feel free to copy any of these to it.
; Other news
* [https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2026/03/02/the-winners-of-wiki-loves-earth-2025/ “Cinematic intensity”: The winners of Wiki Loves Earth 2025] (SDG 15)
* [https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00940-y Scientists should join collaborative online editing communities for biodiversity] (SDG 15)
This message was sent with [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Global_message_delivery|Global message delivery]] by <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[m:User:Ainali|Ainali]] ([[m:User talk:Ainali|talk]])</bdi> 11:26, 1 April 2026 (UTC) • [[m:Wikimedians for Sustainable Development/Newsletter|Contribute]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Wikimedians for Sustainable Development newsletter|Manage subscription]]
</div>
</div>
<!-- Message sent by User:Ainali@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Wikimedians_for_Sustainable_Development_newsletter&oldid=30155800 -->
== Wikimedians for Sustainable Development - April 2026 Newsletter ==
<div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">This is our fifty fourth newsletter. This issue has news related to SDG 2, 5, 6, 7, 13 and 15.<div style="column-count:2; column-width: 400px;">
; News
* [[diffblog:2026/04/15/from-lens-to-knowledge-citizen-science-through-wiki-loves-butterfly/|From Lens to Knowledge: Citizen Science through Wiki Loves Butterfly]] (SDG 15)
* [[outreach:GLAM/Newsletter/March 2026/Contents/Biodiversity Heritage Library report|Wikidata type specimen data model]] (SDG 15)
* [[outreach:GLAM/Newsletter/March 2026/Contents/Macedonia report|Edit-a-thon "Women Botanists" and “Plants Around Us: Veles” workshop]] (SDG 5 & 15)
; Events
* Ongoing: [[w:en:Wikipedia:100 Days 100 Edits|100 Days 100 Edits]] (SDG 13)
* Ongoing: [[m:Wiki for Sustainable Futures 2026|Wiki for Sustainable Futures 2026]] (SDG 2, 6 & 7)
* May 9-10: [[w:sv:Wikipedia:Projekt naturgeografi/Fotosafari: Fåglar i Skåne 2026|Bird photography trip]] in south Sweden (SDG 15)
* May 30: [[w:sv:Wikipedia:Skrivstuga/Biologisk mångfald|Editathon about biodiversity]] in Stockholm (SDG 15)
This message was sent with [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Global_message_delivery|Global message delivery]] by <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[m:User:Ainali|Ainali]] ([[m:User talk:Ainali|talk]])</bdi> 12:47, 6 May 2026 (UTC) • [[m:Wikimedians for Sustainable Development/Newsletter|Contribute]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Wikimedians for Sustainable Development newsletter|Manage subscription]]
</div>
</div>
<!-- Message sent by User:Ainali@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Wikimedians_for_Sustainable_Development_newsletter&oldid=30472224 -->
== Wikimedians for Sustainable Development - May 2026 Newsletter ==
<div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">This is our fifty fifth newsletter. This issue has news related to SDG 2, 6, 7, 13 and 15.<div style="column-count:2; column-width: 400px;">
; News
* [[diffblog:2026/05/19/wikimedia-projects-and-the-climate-crisis-how-wiki-for-sustainable-futures-2026-is-being-built/|Wikimedia Projects and the Climate Crisis: How Wiki for Sustainable Futures 2026 Is Being BuiltWikimedia Projects and the Climate Crisis: How Wiki for Sustainable Futures 2026 Is Being Built]] (SDG 2 & 6 & 7 & 13)
* [https://wikiedu.org/blog/2026/05/21/earth-day-every-day-preserving-biodiversity-on-wikipedia/ Earth Day, Every Day: Preserving Biodiversity on Wikipedia] (SDG 15)
*[[diffblog:ar/2026/05/29/%d8%a7%d9%86%d8%b7%d9%84%d8%a7%d9%82-%d9%85%d8%b3%d8%a7%d8%a8%d9%82%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a8%d9%8a%d8%a6%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d8%b1%d8%a8%d9%8a%d8%a9-2026-%d9%85%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%af%d8%b1%d8%a9/|Launch of the Arabic Environmental Contest 2026: an ambitious initiative to enrich environmental content]] (SDG 2 & 6 & 7)
* [https://wikimedia.org.au/wiki/From_the_field_to_the_free_web From the field to the free web] (SDG 15)
This message was sent with [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Global_message_delivery|Global message delivery]] by <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[m:User:Ainali|Ainali]] ([[m:User talk:Ainali|talk]])</bdi> 17:47, 1 June 2026 (UTC) • [[m:Wikimedians for Sustainable Development/Newsletter|Contribute]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Wikimedians for Sustainable Development newsletter|Manage subscription]]
</div>
</div>
<!-- Message sent by User:Ainali@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Wikimedians_for_Sustainable_Development_newsletter&oldid=30606764 -->
== Wikimedians for Sustainable Development - June 2026 Newsletter ==
<div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">This is our fifty sixth newsletter. This issue has news related to SDG 4, 5 and 10.<div style="column-count:2; column-width: 400px;">
; In the news
* [[diffblog:2026/06/08/reading-wikipedia-in-the-classroom-in-wa-ghana-empowering-educators-with-media-and-information-literacy-skills/|Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom in Wa, Ghana: Empowering Educators with Media and Information Literacy Skills]] (SDG 4)
* [[diffblog:2026/06/12/amplifying-womens-stories-and-indigenous-knowledge-feminism-and-folklore-2026-in-the-igbo-community/|Amplifying Women’s Stories and Indigenous Knowledge: Feminism and Folklore 2026 in the Igbo Community]] (SDG 5)
* [[diffblog:2026/06/13/artfeminism-network-organizers-at-eseap-conference-2026/|Art+Feminism Network Organizers at ESEAP Conference 2026]] (SDG 5)
* [[diffblog:2026/06/14/a-reflection-on-what-i-learned-at-my-first-international-womens-day-celebration/|A Reflection on What I Learned at My First International Women’s Day Celebration]] (SDG 5)
* [[diffblog:2026/06/16/from-mentee-to-builder-my-six-months-in-the-eduwiki-hub-mentorship-program/|From Mentee to Builder: My Six Months in the EduWiki Hub Mentorship Program]] (SDG 4)
* [[diffblog:2026/06/16/building-skills-and-confidence-during-my-three-month-journey-through-the-on-wiki-skill-program-organized-by-africa-wiki-women/|Building Skills and Confidence During My Three-Month Journey Through the On Wiki Skill Program Organized by Africa Wiki Women]] (SDG 5)
* [[diffblog:2026/06/17/why-the-eduwiki-starter-kit-matters-for-the-future-of-education/|Why the EduWiki Starter Kit Matters for the Future of Education]] (SDG 4)
* [[diffblog:2026/06/17/empowering-new-editors-to-bridge-the-gender-gap-my-experience-as-a-mentor-in-the-edither-africa-april-2026-contest/|Empowering New Editors to Bridge the Gender Gap: My Experience as a Mentor in the EditHer Africa April 2026 Contest]] (SDG 5)
* [[diffblog:2026/06/18/visible-women-edit-a-thon-piloting-a-collaborative-approach-to-free-knowledge-in-hong-kong/|Visible Women Edit-a-thon: Piloting a Collaborative Approach to Free Knowledge in Hong Kong]] (SDG 5)
* [[diffblog:2026/06/23/guiding-new-voices-training-women-in-wikidata-during-the-april-edither-africa-contest/|Guiding New Voices: Training Women in Wikidata during the April EditHer Africa Contest]] (SDG 5)
* [[diffblog:2026/06/23/wikimedia-community-usergroup-botswana-in-collaboration-with-art-and-feminism-on-wikidata-mobile-training-2026/|Wikimedia Community Usergroup Botswana in collaboration with Art and Feminism on Wikidata Mobile Training 2026]] (SDG 5)
; Events
* 10-18 July: [[m:Event:Wikiwomen Camp 2026|Wikiwomen Camp 2026]] (SDG 5)
* 14 July [[w:de:Veranstaltung:Queers & Frauen 14.07.2026|Queers & Frauen]] (SDG 5 & 10)
* 21-25 July: Wikimania is coming up and there are plenty of sessions related to sustainable development. There is now a dedicated page for those sessions at [[wikimania:2026:Program/SDG related sessions]].
* 23 July: [[m:Event:From Constitution to Community — Documenting Queer Rights Movements|From Constitution to Community — Documenting Queer Rights Movements]] (SDG 10)
* 14 July [[w:de:Veranstaltung:Queers & Frauen 28.07.2026|Queers & Frauen]] (SDG 5 & 10)
This message was sent with [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Global_message_delivery|Global message delivery]] by <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[m:User:Ainali|Ainali]] ([[m:User talk:Ainali|talk]])</bdi> 19:20, 3 July 2026 (UTC) • [[m:Wikimedians for Sustainable Development/Newsletter|Contribute]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Wikimedians for Sustainable Development newsletter|Manage subscription]]
</div>
</div>
<!-- Message sent by User:Ainali@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Wikimedians_for_Sustainable_Development_newsletter&oldid=30633243 -->
== Wikimedians for Sustainable Development - July 2026 Newsletter ==
<div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">This is our fifty seventh newsletter. This issue has news related to SDG 5, 6, 15 and 16.<div style="column-count:2; column-width: 400px;">
; News
* [[diffblog:2026/07/04/photowalk-at-the-purbachal-reserve-forest/|Photowalk at the Purbachal Reserve Forest]] (SDG 15)
* [[diffblog:2026/07/13/welcoming-women-into-wikimedia-tech-a-guide-based-on-lived-experiences/|Welcoming Women+ into Wikimedia Tech: A Guide Based on Lived Experiences]] (SDG 5)
* [[diffblog:2026/07/14/empowering-youth-through-knowledge-wikipedia-for-freedom-of-elections-in-armenia/|Empowering Youth Through Knowledge: “Wikipedia for Freedom of Elections” in Armenia]] (SDG 16)
* [[diffblog:2026/07/19/water-for-life-knowledge-for-all-how-wikiverse-botswana-is-showcasing-africas-water-story-through-the-africa-wiki-challenge-2026/|Water for Life, Knowledge for All: How WikiVerse Botswana is Showcasing Africa’s Water Story Through the Africa Wiki Challenge 2026]] (SDG 6)
* Wikimania: There were so many sessions and posters related to the SDGs, they can't all be listed here. But on [[wikimania:2026:Program/SDG related sessions|this Wikimania page]] you can find them all and the session pages have links to the recordings.
This message was sent with [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Global_message_delivery|Global message delivery]] by <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[m:User:Ainali|Ainali]] ([[m:User talk:Ainali|talk]])</bdi> 08:56, 4 August 2026 (UTC)• [[m:Wikimedians for Sustainable Development/Newsletter|Contribute]] • [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Wikimedians for Sustainable Development newsletter|Manage subscription]]
</div>
</div>
<!-- Message sent by User:Ainali@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Wikimedians_for_Sustainable_Development_newsletter&oldid=30853204 -->
436cbdnpexzps3mpycdq5aqrb04m1hf
Bully Metric Timestamps
0
305659
2820461
2820366
2026-08-04T02:21:11Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* The Heliosphere */
2820461
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
[[File:Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg|thumb|right|450px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 5:''' TBD.]]
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
5rgrzi15skkqs1e77zfl2m0tv5r2wnr
2820462
2820461
2026-08-04T02:21:37Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820462
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
[[File:Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg|thumb|right|200px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 5:''' TBD.]]
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
sakgqfbliw5fxwpdn1lul0rkdu6fx7j
2820463
2820462
2026-08-04T02:24:44Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820463
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 400
|cWidth = 100
|cHeight = 100
|oTop = 50
|oLeft = 120
|Location = right
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
0v47rp8eua5i1uusq71ptzxuxdy429b
2820464
2820463
2026-08-04T02:25:03Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820464
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 400
|cWidth = 100
|cHeight = 100
|oTop = 50
|oLeft = 120
|Location = left
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
oef3k5jmx36zend53dw4dkd2ap2i7ws
2820465
2820464
2026-08-04T02:25:38Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820465
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 400
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 50
|oLeft = 120
|Location = left
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
j8i7mv3pio2txls1nv4y58ce8diqy38
2820466
2820465
2026-08-04T02:25:54Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820466
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 400
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 50
|oLeft = 120
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
6pcm5zhk8jw7n32pvu6j35rxuzra2sr
2820467
2820466
2026-08-04T02:26:29Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820467
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 50
|oLeft = 120
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 400
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 50
|oLeft = 120
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
hdgz2ptsz2f6xkvw5dthm6rtbrggajp
2820468
2820467
2026-08-04T02:26:53Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820468
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 300
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 50
|oLeft = 120
|Location = left
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 400
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 50
|oLeft = 120
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
kn5dia7t5i2mdpg3b7gy891b0pxhs5s
2820469
2820468
2026-08-04T02:27:32Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820469
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 300
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 400
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 50
|oLeft = 120
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
7v1wqden2nvhcp0gkj2f1oyyars6v4g
2820470
2820469
2026-08-04T02:27:50Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820470
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 400
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 50
|oLeft = 120
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
6bi3wjb9turhl8guyf9h06y99p7bxsk
2820471
2820470
2026-08-04T02:28:26Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820471
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 600
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 50
|oLeft = 120
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
jtw5l3vmuicxulc56xlcl0f7aeqq77i
2820472
2820471
2026-08-04T02:28:42Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820472
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 600
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 100
|oLeft = 150
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
t2w6spjzrbrgcso89swkuinuirwe2ur
2820473
2820472
2026-08-04T02:29:15Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820473
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 800
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 130
|oLeft = 170
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
csz6tfh4lhifkigqhwypiui3no4lovo
2820474
2820473
2026-08-04T02:29:37Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820474
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 600
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 130
|oLeft = 170
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
8zb03k42xmwcy4afbyjvt0my7e3xz17
2820475
2820474
2026-08-04T02:29:50Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820475
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 630
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 130
|oLeft = 170
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
s936s1g6t23cv4suv69v85bcxmm49ye
2820476
2820475
2026-08-04T02:30:03Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820476
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 660
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 130
|oLeft = 170
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
f8rutl1mgbx037njmhhofxgo943e47x
2820477
2820476
2026-08-04T02:30:23Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820477
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 660
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 130
|oLeft = 180
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
h1zya65blw55pwgjkyche2xeu50w090
2820478
2820477
2026-08-04T02:30:34Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820478
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 660
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 130
|oLeft = 200
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
hr8f278z3st1ju7cmzhisn0l6jy9xuj
2820479
2820478
2026-08-04T02:30:52Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820479
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 660
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 130
|oLeft = 250
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
264cqemnf32621gm7cdynqhjtku37gb
2820480
2820479
2026-08-04T02:31:07Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820480
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 700
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 130
|oLeft = 240
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
blj1e97ejsz8jln6sbxscvamqnwsh47
2820481
2820480
2026-08-04T02:31:49Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820481
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 150
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 700
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 130
|oLeft = 240
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
1whdnvo410326v25vgpis7l5l4p2fru
2820482
2820481
2026-08-04T02:32:11Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820482
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 180
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 700
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 130
|oLeft = 240
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
p72kx80l05632dcy746csapy7hh4dqy
2820483
2820482
2026-08-04T02:32:40Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820483
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 800
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 130
|oLeft = 240
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
bb3rd4cv2f72i3mmc14f0udw9oifqen
2820484
2820483
2026-08-04T02:33:00Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820484
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 800
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 150
|oLeft = 250
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
3e4qpc2e6tz6svs5vwasb2pkz6gg7ov
2820485
2820484
2026-08-04T02:35:22Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820485
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{Gallery
|width=700 |height=400 |noborder=yes
|align=center
|File:Bully_Astronomical_Coordinates.slide_1.svg
|
|File:Bully_Astronomical_Coordinates.slide_2.svg
|
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
|
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 800
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 150
|oLeft = 250
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
|
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
m4vplb9i63tx3051d3o5dbmqwu1x70a
2820486
2820485
2026-08-04T02:35:44Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820486
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{Gallery
|width=700 |height=400 |noborder=yes
|align=center
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
|
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 800
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 150
|oLeft = 250
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
|
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
g2os41kxbjx6oriflhikrygpx5lftq8
2820487
2820486
2026-08-04T02:35:56Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820487
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{Gallery
|width=700 |height=400 |noborder=yes
|align=center
|
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
|
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 800
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 150
|oLeft = 250
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
|
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
fpy8a0u7f7wdir71zav6m6e4hr3qwg0
2820488
2820487
2026-08-04T02:36:21Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820488
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{Gallery
|width=700 |height=400 |noborder=yes
|align=center
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
|
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 800
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 150
|oLeft = 250
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
|
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
l9ikdr7t1wo7s1zxrvn2mflglsm1njk
2820489
2820488
2026-08-04T02:36:53Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820489
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{Gallery
|width=700 |height=400 |noborder=yes
|align=center
|File:Bully_Astronomical_Coordinates.slide_1.svg
|
|File:Bully_Astronomical_Coordinates.slide_2.svg
|
}}
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 800
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 150
|oLeft = 250
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
4es6kzgivyn2ietexj2eb9ztrokww11
2820490
2820489
2026-08-04T02:37:28Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820490
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{Gallery
|width=700 |height=400 |noborder=yes
|align=center
|File:Bully_Astronomical_Coordinates.slide_1.svg
|
|
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
|
}}
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 800
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 150
|oLeft = 250
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
qs5uviqphf0vwr2ixj6i3sb1qha3v6z
2820491
2820490
2026-08-04T02:37:45Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820491
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{Gallery
|width=700 |height=400 |noborder=yes
|align=center
|File:Bully_Astronomical_Coordinates.slide_1.svg
|
|{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
|
}}
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 800
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 150
|oLeft = 250
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
lw5vcn7uvzf3mr02wmuicpbqnea9ml5
2820492
2820491
2026-08-04T02:38:16Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820492
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{Gallery
|width=700 |height=400 |noborder=yes
|align=center
|{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
|
}}
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 800
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 150
|oLeft = 250
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
1a8yodalgwglzc9fr859uchgw5h1d92
2820493
2820492
2026-08-04T02:39:04Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820493
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{{Gallery
|width=700 |height=400 |noborder=yes
|align=center
|
|{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
|
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 800
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 150
|oLeft = 250
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
}}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
hwv5449b1f1fs54f598rvdxvk4bqytv
2820494
2820493
2026-08-04T02:41:00Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820494
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 800
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 150
|oLeft = 250
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
ki47d6vgpozchci4gyujoh9k2g0v06p
2820495
2820494
2026-08-04T02:44:57Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820495
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 800
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 150
|oLeft = 250
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
nn2u7fm2igx1ezyv4lnxxc9e7yuzddp
2820496
2820495
2026-08-04T02:46:36Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820496
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 800
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 200
|oLeft = 250
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
9uv0uctum8228qulgqhbsih89tvos2q
2820497
2820496
2026-08-04T02:46:54Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820497
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 800
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 200
|oLeft = 350
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
0fh1ovmc0p9fkwpedn6tnt1qdujisxa
2820498
2820497
2026-08-04T02:47:07Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820498
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 900
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 200
|oLeft = 350
|Location = center
|Description = This is a localized CSS crop.
}}
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
24nx8v2m5y65szi30xgt31m9s5magwj
2820499
2820498
2026-08-04T02:53:48Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820499
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 900
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 200
|oLeft = 350
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
cka561i8o8mnfd6rmfmgui9esvkwlip
2820500
2820499
2026-08-04T02:54:53Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820500
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 200
|oLeft = 350
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
rj6wnsgo76d03ip6lbzf4am23uycuoz
2820501
2820500
2026-08-04T02:55:03Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820501
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1000
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 200
|oLeft = 350
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
h8pnesikkybqpq7oes9s5v5donbdqnn
2820502
2820501
2026-08-04T02:55:19Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820502
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1000
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 300
|oLeft = 350
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
0pkgqp62w27s2to9rm889kx0jktxn2l
2820503
2820502
2026-08-04T02:55:35Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820503
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1000
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 280
|oLeft = 380
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
sb656a83ek1wp59xiysd2oxoyp6570u
2820504
2820503
2026-08-04T02:55:50Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820504
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1000
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 280
|oLeft = 390
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
hnm5uf269uxruj7rx0n2v2lu4cghtw7
2820505
2820504
2026-08-04T02:56:08Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820505
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 280
|oLeft = 390
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
mdbbxug9ioevhaapaopy0ki3ificdi1
2820506
2820505
2026-08-04T02:56:22Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820506
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 280
|oLeft = 400
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
a44uuajwir8gyjgto0do9ozy7p3jgmb
2820507
2820506
2026-08-04T02:56:33Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820507
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 280
|oLeft = 450
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
bxkjzx6xvlgx6vaze9enocemauj4owu
2820508
2820507
2026-08-04T02:57:01Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820508
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 280
|oLeft = 500
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
gwugjgkp5ri739fsoe2wmptufn6k39f
2820509
2820508
2026-08-04T02:57:17Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820509
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 290
|oLeft = 500
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
3c33yvj9ysv1jnf3389j8scevqrusx9
2820510
2820509
2026-08-04T02:57:27Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820510
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 300
|oLeft = 500
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
iaw9sib4u225fiedznl6gtbjns6ukld
2820511
2820510
2026-08-04T02:57:38Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820511
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 310
|oLeft = 500
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
qwt3gwbgfide21yjt9j0420im6buw2l
2820512
2820511
2026-08-04T02:57:50Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820512
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 320
|oLeft = 500
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
ciruuhrai2do2izlmi2rly45opx5wge
2820513
2820512
2026-08-04T02:59:45Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820513
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 320
|oLeft = 500
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
h67ueyr5o7rxtobgd376t0ilp68ay8b
2820514
2820513
2026-08-04T03:00:29Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820514
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 320
|oLeft = 500
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
aft6kfc8dmnwn7o8atw0i5wph3aw6uq
2820515
2820514
2026-08-04T03:01:51Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820515
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 320
|oLeft = 500
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:Pleiades_detail_map.png|thumb|right|300px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3:''' TBD.]]
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
k2isdzumbmq78e5k4da7hx3444fe42c
2820516
2820515
2026-08-04T03:03:39Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820516
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 320
|oLeft = 500
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|-
| colspan = 3; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:Pleiades_detail_map.png|thumb|right|300px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3:''' TBD.]]
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
ap6jhnmce26lwnbgnurxzl14eedswoj
2820517
2820516
2026-08-04T03:03:56Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820517
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 320
|oLeft = 500
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|-
| colspan = 2; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:Pleiades_detail_map.png|thumb|right|500px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3:''' TBD.]]
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
qdqf6lb8xv3ywyhrfd4gzos949msxa5
2820518
2820517
2026-08-04T03:04:43Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820518
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 320
|oLeft = 500
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|-
| colspan = 2; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:Pleiades_detail_map.png|thumb|right|800px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3:''' TBD.]]
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
r07530fohofmds1hr5wnekn4xbg7shv
2820519
2820518
2026-08-04T03:09:50Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820519
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 320
|oLeft = 500
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|-
| colspan = 2; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:M45map.jpg|thumb|right|800px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3:''' TBD.]]
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
qpo1xk1f63ngl6e2blolbhtenb6w0bp
2820520
2820519
2026-08-04T03:13:09Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820520
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 320
|oLeft = 500
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|-
| colspan = 2; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:M45map.jpg|thumb|right|700px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3:''' TBD.]]
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
dg2ujq5z9vcnyb9wt2nywtipc70yyjx
2820521
2820520
2026-08-04T03:13:29Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820521
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 320
|oLeft = 500
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|-
| colspan = 2; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:M45map.jpg|thumb|right|600px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3:''' TBD.]]
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
rlx0z5f5w27vk2y08r95tvn2nqlpbdw
2820522
2820521
2026-08-04T03:17:54Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820522
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 320
|oLeft = 500
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|-
| colspan = 2; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:M45map.jpg|thumb|right|500px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3:''' TBD.]]
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
0bncjvacwnt8x2ceexc1rcjlmjj3ca6
2820523
2820522
2026-08-04T03:21:53Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820523
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1200
|cWidth = 230
|cHeight = 230
|oTop = 320
|oLeft = 500
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|-
| colspan = 2; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:M45map.jpg|thumb|right|500px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3:''' TBD.]]
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
au4un68ik7h8y1d6ln5b4ai7v1xhzep
2820524
2820523
2026-08-04T03:22:45Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820524
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1300
|cWidth = 230
|cHeight = 230
|oTop = 320
|oLeft = 500
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|-
| colspan = 2; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:M45map.jpg|thumb|right|500px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3:''' TBD.]]
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
ms2c6s6dfd4vt4fywms62aqawu8vdp9
2820525
2820524
2026-08-04T03:23:10Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820525
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1300
|cWidth = 230
|cHeight = 230
|oTop = 350
|oLeft = 600
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|-
| colspan = 2; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:M45map.jpg|thumb|right|500px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3:''' TBD.]]
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
mds1zacoxnrz8bwqqb6on1qhgrek965
2820526
2820525
2026-08-04T03:23:23Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820526
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1400
|cWidth = 230
|cHeight = 230
|oTop = 350
|oLeft = 600
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|-
| colspan = 2; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:M45map.jpg|thumb|right|500px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3:''' TBD.]]
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
4wupftapb93oadoj5t3w5ltglqmrbv2
2820527
2820526
2026-08-04T03:24:28Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820527
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1500
|cWidth = 230
|cHeight = 230
|oTop = 350
|oLeft = 600
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|-
| colspan = 2; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:M45map.jpg|thumb|right|500px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3:''' TBD.]]
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
jz6c8txrvhiwzmedeqigv1z5ftq5lwe
2820528
2820527
2026-08-04T03:25:09Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820528
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1500
|cWidth = 230
|cHeight = 230
|oTop = 400
|oLeft = 600
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|-
| colspan = 2; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:M45map.jpg|thumb|right|500px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3:''' TBD.]]
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
q36z8mwlmd84ws1gnlime6236e9o4eq
2820529
2820528
2026-08-04T03:25:26Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820529
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1500
|cWidth = 230
|cHeight = 230
|oTop = 400
|oLeft = 650
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|-
| colspan = 2; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:M45map.jpg|thumb|right|500px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3:''' TBD.]]
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
pmx6gnp6nyx101zyedzarmlndq555k3
2820530
2820529
2026-08-04T03:26:31Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820530
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1600
|cWidth = 230
|cHeight = 230
|oTop = 400
|oLeft = 650
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|-
| colspan = 2; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:M45map.jpg|thumb|right|500px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3:''' TBD.]]
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
7qru93gyhthfglk9qsu3m0666xbsczv
2820531
2820530
2026-08-04T03:26:48Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820531
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1600
|cWidth = 230
|cHeight = 230
|oTop = 450
|oLeft = 650
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|-
| colspan = 2; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:M45map.jpg|thumb|right|500px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3:''' TBD.]]
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
n1ve8189b3ekv5nqye3zs6bwlzep8js
2820532
2820531
2026-08-04T03:27:06Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820532
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1700
|cWidth = 230
|cHeight = 230
|oTop = 450
|oLeft = 650
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|-
| colspan = 2; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:M45map.jpg|thumb|right|500px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3:''' TBD.]]
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
p7rclks19zw0vpoxch1r7lyzch27lj3
2820533
2820532
2026-08-04T03:27:28Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820533
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1700
|cWidth = 230
|cHeight = 230
|oTop = 550
|oLeft = 650
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|-
| colspan = 2; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:M45map.jpg|thumb|right|500px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3:''' TBD.]]
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
d13jgmnezj9scglzyypz6utamw4kts8
2820534
2820533
2026-08-04T03:27:47Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820534
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1700
|cWidth = 230
|cHeight = 230
|oTop = 500
|oLeft = 650
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|-
| colspan = 2; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:M45map.jpg|thumb|right|500px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3:''' TBD.]]
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
j6f01oiz7bvwjwy3cwjfh0xchw4c9kv
2820535
2820534
2026-08-04T03:28:05Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820535
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1700
|cWidth = 230
|cHeight = 230
|oTop = 500
|oLeft = 700
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|-
| colspan = 2; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:M45map.jpg|thumb|right|500px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3:''' TBD.]]
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
8r53bry9r95pycwlzumilmktoof96jh
2820536
2820535
2026-08-04T03:28:26Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820536
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1800
|cWidth = 230
|cHeight = 230
|oTop = 500
|oLeft = 700
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|-
| colspan = 2; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:M45map.jpg|thumb|right|500px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3:''' TBD.]]
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
e5qrbs4qb7s66cqsuyqwwmf36j09g5i
2820537
2820536
2026-08-04T03:28:44Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820537
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1800
|cWidth = 230
|cHeight = 230
|oTop = 500
|oLeft = 800
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|-
| colspan = 2; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:M45map.jpg|thumb|right|500px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3:''' TBD.]]
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
lt62n19smqd0e5txvtocu0rrdrebq3r
2820538
2820537
2026-08-04T03:29:04Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820538
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1800
|cWidth = 230
|cHeight = 230
|oTop = 500
|oLeft = 780
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|-
| colspan = 2; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:M45map.jpg|thumb|right|500px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3:''' TBD.]]
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
r9emgjzewg95aw44ccconzixo8mtc4v
2820539
2820538
2026-08-04T03:34:30Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820539
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| colspan = 2; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:Magnitude_illustration.svg|thumb|right|500px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3:''' TBD.]]
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1800
|cWidth = 230
|cHeight = 230
|oTop = 500
|oLeft = 780
|Location = center
|Description = The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|-
| colspan = 2; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:M45map.jpg|thumb|right|500px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3:''' TBD.]]
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
0plx1hf1zu2s299nct6w4g0vgntnzzl
2820540
2820539
2026-08-04T03:37:13Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820540
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| colspan = 2; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:Magnitude_illustration.svg|thumb|right|500px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3a:''' An SVG illustration of magnitude in astronomy.]]
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = '''Figure 3b:''' The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1800
|cWidth = 230
|cHeight = 230
|oTop = 500
|oLeft = 780
|Location = center
|Description = '''Figure 3c:''' The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|-
| colspan = 2; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:M45map.jpg|thumb|right|500px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3d:''' TBD.]]
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
ne2h0f985vnx7zvn462rc68jickkodu
2820541
2820540
2026-08-04T03:40:46Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820541
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| colspan = 2; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:Magnitude_illustration.svg|thumb|right|600px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3a:''' An SVG illustration of magnitude in astronomy.]]
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = '''Figure 3b:''' The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1800
|cWidth = 230
|cHeight = 230
|oTop = 500
|oLeft = 780
|Location = center
|Description = '''Figure 3c:''' The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|-
| colspan = 2; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:M45map.jpg|thumb|right|500px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3d:''' TBD.]]
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
8q1ab75bkvc79yktzklfnjahlojxfqn
2820542
2820541
2026-08-04T03:42:54Z
Unitfreak
695864
/* Naked Eye Stars */
2820542
wikitext
text/x-wiki
<small>[[Bully_Metric|Bully Metric Main Page]]<br />
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamps|Bully Metric Timestamps Main Page]]<br />
[https://unitfreak.github.io/Bully-Row-Timestamps/Java_Bully.html Current Bully Timestamp (GitHub)]<br /> </small>
The '''Bully Metric Timestamp''' system is an alternative timekeeping framework that utilizes the orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way Galaxy to mark the passage of time. A new successive Bully timestamp is realized each time the Sun advances by approximately one solar radius along its path through the Galaxy. Using '''12-digit''' [[w:hexadecimal|hexadecimal]] timestamps, the Bully system has enough unique identifiers to span the entire history of the universe—from the Big Bang into the far-distant future. The total capacity of the system is:
 
:<math>16^{12} \times 3,055 \text{ sec} \approx 27.25 \text{ billion years}</math>
 
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_1_Timestamp.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun advancing a distance equal to its own radius along its galactic trajectory over a period of 3055 seconds.|'''Figure 1:''' Motion of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps.]]
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a very fast speed, roughly 227.7 kilometers per second (km/s), which equals approximately 0.076% of the speed of light. Even though the Sun is moving very quickly, it is also physically immense. The radius of the Sun (<math>R_\odot</math>) is 695,700 kilometers. Dividing the solar radius by the galactic orbital velocity, we find that it takes approximately '''3055 seconds''' for the Sun to travel a distance equal to its own radius:
 
:<math>\Delta t = \frac{695,700 \text{ km}}{227.7 \text{ km/s}} \approx 3055 \text{ seconds}</math>
 
'''Figure 1''' illustrates the physical movement of the Sun between two successive Bully timestamps. Timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. The sequential timestamp, '''8209 2800 0001''', occurred 3,055 seconds later at '''12:50:55 TAI on June 21, 1998''' (where TAI is International Atomic Time). As visually shown in Figure 1, the Sun orbited a distance of one solar radius during this 3,055 second time period.
=== The Heliosphere ===
The heliosphere, it turns out, is not actually a sphere. As shown in '''Figure 2''', the heliosphere is a vast, oblong, tailed, bubble-like region that extends from the Sun into the surrounding space. The heliosphere is somewhat analogous to Earth's atmosphere, except that Earth's atmosphere is a comparatively thin layer of gas that remains near the Earth's surface. By comparison, the heliosphere is a plasma that is constantly blasted out into space due to the extreme heat and energy of the Sun.
[[File:Bully_Metric_Galactic_Orbit_65536_Timestamps.png|thumb|right|450px|alt=Diagram showing the Sun traveling through the oblong shape of the heliosphere over a span of 16 to the 4th power timestamps.|'''Figure 2:''' Motion of the Sun during the passage of 16<sup>4</sup> Bully timestamps.]]
The heliosphere is very large. It is so vast that if it were truly spherical, its diameter would be on an order of magnitude similar to '''16<sup>4</sup> (65,536) solar radii'''. The digit in the '''fifth position''' in a Bully timestamp represents the time required for the Sun to orbit for '''6.344 years''', which covers a distance of approximately '''65,536 solar radii''', or roughly the diameter of one spherical heliosphere. Figure 2 illustrates the orbit of the Sun (Sun not drawn to scale) over a period of 6.344 years.
As explained previously, timestamp '''8209 2800 0000''' is defined to have occurred at exactly '''12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998'''. Timestamp '''8209 2801 0000''' therefore occurred roughly 6.344 years later at '''18:34:40 TAI on October 24, 2004'''.
Incidentally, the Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed into the heliosheath, as shown in Figure 2, on December 16th 2004. Both Voyager spacecraft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) have since crossed entirely out of the heliosphere and entered the surrounding interstellar space.
=== Naked Eye Stars ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; background: transparent;"
|-
| colspan = 2; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:Magnitude_illustration.svg|thumb|right|500px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3a:''' An SVG illustration of magnitude in astronomy.]]
|-
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 200
|cWidth = 200
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 0
|Location = left
|Description = '''Figure 3b:''' The combined apparent magnitude of the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) is approximately 1.6.
}}
| style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Pleiades_over_Arizona.jpg
|bSize = 1800
|cWidth = 230
|cHeight = 230
|oTop = 500
|oLeft = 780
|Location = center
|Description = '''Figure 3c:''' The 9 star cluster is composed of 1 third-magnitude star, 5 fourth-magnitude stars, 2 fifth-magnitude stars, and 1 sixth magnitude star.
}}
|-
| colspan = 2; style="border: none; padding: 10px;" |
[[File:M45map.jpg|thumb|right|500px|alt=TBD.|'''Figure 3d:''' TBD.]]
|}
== The Galactic Calendar ==
[[File:Sun_in_orbit_around_Galactic_Centre.gif|thumb|right|300px|alt=Diagram showing multiple stars moving along their respective orbital paths around the galactic center over a span of 250 million years.|'''Figure 3:''' Stars orbiting around the Galactic center during a 250 million-year time period.]]
A '''galactic year''', also known as a '''cosmic year''', is the duration of time required for the Sun (or any other star) to orbit once around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The duration of the galactic year is not a fixed constant, but rather, it depends on the path that a particular star follows as it orbits (see Figure 3). Stars closer to the center will orbit much more quickly than those on the outer edges. The stars shown in '''Figure 3''' all eventually localized near the Sun despite having vastly different historical orbital trajectories, visually illustrating the long-term uncertainty of galactic orbits.
=== Bully Galactic Years ===
If the Sun followed a perfectly circular orbit around the Milky Way, as estimated in the text in the lower right corner of '''Figure 4''', the radius of that orbit would be approximately 26,000 light-years. The time required for the Sun to complete one full circular orbit would be calculated by dividing the orbital circumference by the orbital speed:
 
:<math>\begin{aligned}
\Delta t &= \frac{2\pi \times 26,000 \text{ light-years}}{230 \text{ km/s}} \\
&\approx 213 \text{ million years}
\end{aligned}</math>
 
[[File:Motion_of_Sun,_Earth_and_Moon_around_the_Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Diagram showing the intertwined orbital paths of the Earth and Moon as they accompany the Sun on its massive orbit around the Milky Way center.|'''Figure 4:''' Motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon around the Milky Way Galaxy.]]
 
Within the context of the Bully timekeeping system, a '''Bully galactic year''' is defined to have a duration of exactly '''2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamps''' (approximately 213 million years). While this is not identical to a true, observed galactic year, it should be noted that the true long-term trajectory of the Sun is inherently chaotic and unpredictable over deep time. Therefore, this fixed power-of-two value serves as a reasonable approximation.
=== Bully Galactic Year 65 ===
Since the Bully system utilizes hexadecimal notation and a Bully Galactic Year spans 2<sup>41</sup> Bully timestamp intervals, the positional values of the highest digits map directly to large cosmic eras:
* The '''twelfth digit''' (the far-left position) scales in increments of 8 Bully Galactic Years:
**<math>\frac{16^{11}}{2^{41}} = 8</math>.
* The '''eleventh digit''' scales in increments of half a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{10}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{2}</math>.
* The '''tenth digit''' scales in increments of one-thirty-second of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{9}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{32}</math>.
* The '''ninth digit''' scales in increments of one five-hundred-and-twelfth of a Bully Galactic Year:
**<math>\frac{16^{8}}{2^{41}} = \frac{1}{512}</math>.
Any timestamp in the range '''8200 0000 0000''' through '''83FF FFFF FFFF''' indicates that the system is recording time within the '''65th Bully Galactic Year''' of the Universe. However, the Sun (and our solar system) did not come into existence until approximately 44 Bully Galactic Years after the Big Bang, meaning our solar system is only '''21 Bully Galactic Years old'''.
=== Galactic Weeks ===
A '''Galactic Week''' can be thought of as the approximate duration of time required for the Sun to orbit '''6.9 degrees''' around the galactic center (approximately 4.1 million years), so that 52 Galactic Weeks is equivalent to one Galactic Year. The following table (see Figure 5) illustrates the division of one Galactic Year's worth of Bully timestamps into 52 equal portions. Galactic Year "65" begins with Bully timestamp '''8200 0000 0000''' and ends with timestamp '''83FF FFFF FFFF'''. We are currently nearing the end of the '''1st Quarter, Galactic Week 0 (8200 0000 0000 - 8209 D89D 89D7)'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 5: Bully Galactic Year 65
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Galactic <br /> Year 65
|| {{nowrap|1st Quarter}} || {{nowrap|2nd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|3rd Quarter}} || {{nowrap|4th Quarter}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 0}} || {{nowrap|8200 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8280 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8300 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|8380 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 1}} || {{nowrap|8209 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8289 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8309 D89D 89D8}} || {{nowrap|8389 D89D 89D8}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 2}} || {{nowrap|8213 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8293 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8313 B13B 13B1}} || {{nowrap|8393 B13B 13B1}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 3}} || {{nowrap|821D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|829D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|831D 89D8 9D89}} || {{nowrap|839D 89D8 9D89}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 4}} || {{nowrap|8227 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|82A7 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|8327 6276 2762}} || {{nowrap|83A7 6276 2762}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 5}} || {{nowrap|8231 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|82B1 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|8331 3B13 B13B}} || {{nowrap|83B1 3B13 B13B}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 6}} || {{nowrap|823B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|82BB 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|833B 13B1 3B13}} || {{nowrap|83BB 13B1 3B13}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 7}} || {{nowrap|8244 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|82C4 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|8344 EC4E C4EC}} || {{nowrap|83C4 EC4E C4EC}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 8}} || {{nowrap|824E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|82CE C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|834E C4EC 4EC4}} || {{nowrap|83CE C4EC 4EC4}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 9}} || {{nowrap|8258 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|82D8 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|8358 9D89 D89D}} || {{nowrap|83D8 9D89 D89D}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 10}} || {{nowrap|8262 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|82E2 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|8362 7627 6276}} || {{nowrap|83E2 7627 6276}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 11}} || {{nowrap|826C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|82EC 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|836C 4EC4 EC4E}} || {{nowrap|83EC 4EC4 EC4E}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|Week 12}} || {{nowrap|8276 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|82F6 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|8376 2762 7627}} || {{nowrap|83F6 2762 7627}}
|}
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About Galactic Years and The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
==== The Metonic Cycle ====
The '''Metonic cycle''' is a period of approximately 19 solar years, after which the moon's phases recur on the same days of the year. For example, a New Moon occurred on July 23 in 1998, and nineteen years later, in 2017, a New Moon again occurred on July 23. The last four hex digits of the Bully timestamp cycle approximately three times per Metonic cycle as illustrated in the following list:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
July 23 New Moon Metonic Cycles
* July 23, 1998 on 8209 280'''0 038B'''
* July 23, 2017 on 8209 280'''3 0238'''
* July 23, 2036 on 8209 280'''6 00EA'''
* July 23, 2055 on 8209 280'''8 FF9B'''
* July 23, 2074 on 8209 280'''B FE45'''
* July 23, 2093 on 8209 280'''E FCE6'''
</div>
[[Bully_Metric_Metonic_cycle|Learn More About the Metonic Cycle in Bully Timestamps]]
== Bully Timestamp Realization ==
Each Bully timestamp is '''realized''' exactly 3055 seconds TAI after the previous one. However, since atomic clocks did not exist prior to the 1950's, any assignment of Bully timestamps prior to 1958 should be viewed as an '''estimate''' of how time might have transpired in the past, rather than an actual realization of Bully time. Similarly, any assignment of future timestamps should be viewed as an estimate of what may occur, rather than a realization. Bully timestamps should only be considered "realized" when time is measured with an accuracy of <math>{10}^{-10}</math>. There have been over 700,000 realized Bully timestamps during the era of modern atomic time keeping (1958 AD ... present).
[[Bully_Metric_Realized_Timestamps|Learn More About Realized Bully Timestamps]]
=== Time Estimation Divisions ===
[[File:History-of-the-Universe With Bully Timestamps.jpg|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 1: History of the Universe with a few example Bully timestamps shown in red.]]
For the purpose of time estimation, the Bully system's time range is divided into three distinct sets:
==== First Set ====
* ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate time during the universe's formative period ('''Figure 1'''), spanning roughly 3 billion years beginning with the Big Bang. The following list highlights key events from selected timestamps during this formative era:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* First timestamp: ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Cosmic_inflation|Cosmic Inflation]]
** [[w:Baryogenesis|Baryogenesis]]
** [[w:Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis|Nucleosynthesis]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0000 EA00 0000}}''
** [[w:Decoupling_(cosmology)|Decoupling]]
** [[w:Recombination_(cosmology)|Recombination]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0100 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Star_formation|First Star Formation]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|0297 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:MoM-z14|Oldest Observed Galaxy]]
</div>
==== Second Set ====
* ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'': Used to estimate cosmic look-back time ('''Figure 2'''), spanning from approximately 10.4 billion years ago to exactly 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998. Key milestones from the presolar through geological eras include:
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|3B00 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Murchison_meteorite|Oldest Presolar Grains]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5720 9000 0000}}''
** [[w:Hadean|Hadean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|5C2A 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Archean|Archean Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|6A8C 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Proterozoic|Proterozoic Eon Begins]]
* Approximately: ''{{mono|7D56 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Phanerozoic|Phanerozoic Eon Begins]]
</div>
[[File:Geologic time scale - spiral - ICS colours (light) - path text.svg|frame|center|text-bottom|alt=Geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.|thumb|Figure 2: The geologic time scale, proportionally represented as a [[w:Logarithmic_spiral|log-spiral]] with some major events in Earth's history. A [[w:megaannum|megaannum]]
(Ma) represents one million (10<sup>6</sup>) years.]]
==== Third Set ====
* ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'': Used to estimate (and realize) future events. This set begins at precisely 12:00:00 TAI on June 21, 1998, and progresses forward for approximately 13.4 billion years.
<div style="background-color: #f0f4f7; padding: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #009688;">
* Approximately: ''{{mono|B000 0000 0000}}''
** [[w:Sun#Life_phases|Death of Sun (main-sequence)]]
</div>
=== Time Estimation Using Cosmic Redshift ===
In [[w:physics|physics]], a '''redshift''' is an increase in [[w:wavelength|wavelength]] (or a decrease in [[w:frequency|frequency]]) of [[w:electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic radiation]]. Cosmological redshifts are driven directly by the [[w:expansion of the universe|expansion of the universe]]. The redshift value is denoted by {{math|''z''}}, where the ratio of observed to emitted wavelength is {{math|1 + ''z''}}.
If the original wavelength of a radiation source is known, its cosmological redshift can reveal the light travel time. However, mapping redshift precisely to elapsed time requires an exact cosmological model. Ongoing measurement tension surrounding the [[w:Hubble constant|Hubble constant]] introduces uncertainty into calculations of the exact [[w:Age of the universe|age of the universe]] and distant stars.
This cosmological uncertainty directly affects the accuracy of assigning Bully timestamps. The table in Figure 3 contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. One column applies the local distance ladder framework from the '''SH0ES Team''' (corresponding to a younger universe estimate of 12.7 Gyr). The other utilizes cosmic microwave background data from the '''Planck Collaboration''' (yielding an older universe estimate of approximately 13.8 Gyr). Larger z values correspond with the more distant past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 3: Bully Timestamps for Selected Redshift Values Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Redshift z <br /> (z = ∞ to 2)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = ∞ || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0000 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 18.0 || {{nowrap|01CC 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|01F4 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 15.0 || {{nowrap|0253 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0287 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 12.0 || {{nowrap|032D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|0374 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 9.0 || {{nowrap|04B5 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|051E 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 6.0 || {{nowrap|0809 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|08BB 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 3.0 || {{nowrap|1285 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1420 0000 0000}}
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | z = 2.0 || {{nowrap|1C4D 0000 0000}} || {{nowrap|1EC2 0000 0000}}
|}
The forward-progressing timestamps ''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'' are illustrated in Figure 4 (bottom of figure). By convention, these timestamps are assumed to begin at the Big Bang and progress forward for approximately three billion years.
[[File:Redshift-by-universe-age-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 4: Age of the Universe plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
Timestamps ''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' through ''{{mono|8200 0000 0000}}'' (top of Figure 4) measure "lookback" time anchored at timestamp ''8209 2800 0000''. Because the total age of the universe is unfixed, the precise mathematical relationship between universal age and lookback time remains indefinite. Two different possible universe ages are shown with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
The data illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as is shown in Figure 4, but Figure 5 plots against lookback time on the x-axis, so in this plot the universe age is unfixed with the Planck Collaboration shown in red and the SH0ES Team shown in blue.
[[File:Redshift-by-lookback-time-H0-comparison.png|frame|center|alt=A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.|Figure 5: A cosmic lookback plot showing Bully timestamps mapped to cosmic redshift.]]
The table in Figure 6 is similar to the table in Figure 3, in that it contrasts two estimation tracks based on competing cosmological datasets. However, whereas the data in Figure 3 was for large z values, Figure 6 shows small z values. Smaller z values correspond with the recent past.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; max-width:800px; font-size: small; font-family: monospace, monospace;"
|+ Figure 6: Redshift Values for Selected Bully Timestamps Given Different Universe Age Estimates
|- style="background-color: #eaecf0; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"
! style="padding: 10px; font-size: large;" | Bully Timestamp <br /> (z = 1 to 0)
|| SHOES Team <br /> (12.7 Gyr) || Planck Collaboration <br /> (13.8 Gyr)
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|4000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.925134 || z = 0.796535
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|6000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.342787 || z = 0.308619
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8000 0000 0000}} || z = 0.016418 || z = 0.015093
|- style="font-size:small:small;background-color:#ffffff;”
| style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #eaecf0;" | {{nowrap|8209 2800 0000}} || z ≈ 0.000000 || z ≈ 0.000000
|}
=== Time Estimation Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations ===
What does it mean when cosmologists state that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old? According to Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, time passes differently for each observer depending on their path through spacetime and the gravitational forces in their vicinity. How, then, can the universe have a single age? Shouldn't its age depend entirely on the observer's frame of reference?
The "age of the universe" cited by cosmologists is actually its maximum possible age. Among all paths an observer could take through spacetime, one specific trajectory maximizes elapsed time. This privileged frame of reference belongs to an observer who remains at rest relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and resides in a region of space with negligible matter. We will refer to this as the "CMB rest frame."
Importantly, Bully timestamps are divided into three distinct sets, with only the first set (''{{mono|0000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|1FFF FFFF FFFF}}'') utilizing the CMB rest frame. Timestamps in the third set (''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|FFFF FFFF FFFF}}'') are realized using atomic clocks at sea level on Earth. Due to relativistic time dilation, these terrestrial clocks run slower than identically constructed clocks placed at rest in empty space. All "realized" Bully timestamps from 1958 to the present conform to Earth's sea-level frame of reference.
Furthermore, the "estimated" Bully timestamps in the second set (''{{mono|2000 0000 0000}}'' — ''{{mono|8209 2800 0000}}'') are typically derived from the radioactive decay of samples found on or within the Earth; thus, these samples decay at a rate comparable to Earth's sea-level frame. The oldest timestamps in this second set come from presolar grains, which formed in different star systems prior to the emergence of our solar system. Because some of these samples may have traveled through space in frames of reference drastically different from Earth's current sea-level frame, the accuracy of these cosmic estimates is inherently limited.
[[Bully_Metric_CMB_Stabilized_Timestamps| Learn More About Relativistic and Cosmological Considerations]]
== Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Time ==
Local clocks and calendars reflect '''contextualized time''', which uses region-specific offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to align with physical reality. This time is "contextual" because it provides an intuitive sense of conditions at some specific geographic location; for instance, a traveler arriving in London at 4:00 a.m. can instinctively expect darkness and quiet streets. To maintain this alignment with Earth's natural cycles, UTC requires periodic "leaps" (seconds and years). In '''Figure 10''', the light blue line represents Earth's irregular rotation ('''UT1'''), while the dark blue line shows '''UTC''', which is manually adjusted with leap seconds to track UT1.
In contrast, standards such as International Atomic Time ('''TAI'''), Terrestrial Time ('''TT'''), and '''GPS time''' are '''decontextualized'''. They are independent of Earth's rotation, meaning they do not correspond to "true time" at any specific geographical location. Represented by the black lines in '''Figure 10''', these standards track a continuous, uniform interval measured by atomic clocks. This uninterrupted linearity is vital for scientific and technical systems, where the discontinuities introduced by leap seconds could lead to critical errors or system failures.
[[File:Bully Timestamps in relation to modern time keeping.png|frame|center|text-bottom|Figure 10: Modern Time Keeping]]
The various decontextualized standards currently in use are effectively "frozen" in the astronomical conditions present at the time of their deployment. Because long-term changes in Earth's motion are unpredictable, each system launched with a different initial offset. For example, when GPS was launched in 1980, the '''Delta T''' adjustment (TT-UTC) exceeded 51 seconds. In contrast, the 1972 LORAN-C upgrade began with an adjustment closer to 42 seconds. This historical discrepancy results in a permanent nine-second offset between GPS and LORAN-C. Similarly, LORAN-C remains offset from TAI (deployed in 1958) by exactly ten seconds.
The Bully timestamp system, shown on the far-right axis of '''Figure 10''', follows the same uniform, decontextualized logic as TAI and TT but avoids this "legacy offset" confusion. Unlike existing standards, Bully timestamps are not linked to others by a constant, arbitrary time offset. This independence ensures they are uniquely recognizable and impossible to misinterpret.
[[Bully_Metric_Timestamp_units|Learn More About Contextualized vs Decontextualized time]]
== Why do we need Bully timestamps? ==
All the timestamps in '''Figure 11''' refer to one single, simultaneous moment in time. The left frame illustrates the fragmentation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through time zones. For instance, on June 21, 1998, a UTC time of 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra, Ghana, was simultaneously 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. These time zone offsets are not based on science, but on '''political mandates''' that have resulted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_offsets 38 distinct UTC offsets], including confusing half- and quarter-hour increments.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"
|+ Figure 11: UTC Time Zones vs. Bully Timestamps.
|-
! Selected UTC Time Zones !! [https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/Transformations_between_Time_Systems Decontextualized timestamps]
|-
| rowspan = 3 |
[[File:Timezone-boundary-builder_release_2023d.png|thumb|upright=1.0|
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 pm (JST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 7:59:29 pm (CST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 2:59:29 pm (EEST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 12:59:29 pm (IST)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 11:59:29 am (GMT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 8:59:29 am (BRT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 4:59:29 am (PDT)</br>
June 21, 1998 at 1:59:29 am (HST)</br>
]]
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:32.184 (TT)<br/>
06/21/1998 12:00:00 (TAI)<br/>
06/21/1998 11:59:42 (GPS)
]]
|-
! Bully Timestamp
|-
||
[[File:WorldMap-Blank-Noborders.svg|thumb|8209 2800 0000 (+ 0.000 sec)]]
|}
==== Legacy Decontextualized Timestamps ====
The decontextualized timestamps (TAI, TT, GPS) in the upper-right frame of '''Figure 11''' attempt to solve the UTC geographic fragmentation problem, yet they remain "cluttered" by Gregorian formatting. Applying a Gregorian date—which is built to track the Sun—to an atomic standard is a '''category error'''. Seeing three different timestamps share the same date while differing by several "leap" seconds is intellectually disorienting because the date has been stripped of its astronomical meaning. In these technical contexts, the Gregorian format is an artificial mask applied for convenience, hiding the true linear nature of time.
For scientific and technical applications, TAI and TT are often expressed via '''Modified Julian Date (MJD)'''—a continuous count of SI days since a fixed epoch. While MJD avoids Gregorian irregularities, it remains "tethered" to the 86,400-second day, a unit that is astronomically meaningless when decontextualized. Similarly, '''GPS time''' relies on a week-based count (since January 6, 1980), forcing a technical system to conform to an arbitrary seven-day cycle. Both systems are cumbersome "hybrids" that attempt to measure linear time using units designed for Earth’s rotation.
==== Decontextualized Bully Timestamps ====
The '''Bully Timestamp''', shown in the lower-right frame of '''Figure 11''', breaks the Gregorian formatting tether. It is a single, unique identifier that applies simultaneously to all locations on Earth because it is never adjusted for geography or orbital drift. For example, Bully timestamp {{mono|8209 2800 0000}} was realized at the exact moment the UTC based clock read 11:59:29 a.m. in Accra and 8:59:29 p.m. in Tokyo. By discarding the baggage of weeks, days, and hours, the Bully timestamp emerges as the least ambiguous format for representing universal, decontextualized time.
Click on the below links for a comparison of current time in six time standards (local, UTC, GPS, Loran, and TAI), all displayed using traditional Gregorian format:
[http://www.leapsecond.com/m/gps.htm LeapSecond.com]
[https://www.ipses.com/eng/in-depth-analysis/standard-of-time-definition ipses.com]
[http://www.csgnetwork.com/multitimedisp.html csgnetwork.com]
== The Foundations of Bully Metric ==
The Bully Timestamp System was derived from the orbital periods of major Solar System bodies. Specifically, the duration of Earth's '''sidereal year''' (~31,558,150 seconds) is roughly equal to <math>10,330 \times 3,055</math> SI seconds. This foundational constant—3,055 seconds—serves as the building block for the Bully timestamp system.
The name "Bully" is a dual-reference to the massive astronomical objects that define our local spacetime. In an archaic sense, "bully" means '''"beautiful" or "excellent,"''' describing the celestial harmony of the cosmos. In the modern sense, it refers to the '''dominance and gravitational influence''' of "bullies" like [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* Sagittarius A*], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Sun], and giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. These massive bodies dictate the motion of everything around them, serving as the physical anchors for the Bully Metric system.
* [[Bully_Metric_Foundations|Learn More About The Foundations of Bully Metric]]
* [[Bully_Metric_Astronomical_Coordinates|Learn More About The Bully Metric Coordinate System]]
== The Bully Mnemonic ==
<math display="block"> {1 \, Sidereal \, Year} = {31,558,150 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> {1 \, Tropical \, Year} = {31,556,926 \, Seconds} </math>
<math display="block"> 1 \, Great \, Year \approx 25,824 \, Sidereal \, Years \approx 25,825 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
<math display="block">{1 \, Galactic \, Year} \approx 8264 \, Great \, Year \approx 213,417,800 \, Tropical \, Years </math>
The '''Bully Mnemonic''' is a technique for remembering the exact number of seconds that occur in Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year sidereal year] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year tropical year], a good approximation of the Earth's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year Great Year], and a rough approximation of the Solar System's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_year galactic year]. Click on the following link to learn more about the Bully Mnemonic and the role it plays in the mathematical foundation of Bully timestamps.
* [[Bully Mnemonic |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic]]
* [[Bully Mnemonic Extension |Learn More About The Bully Mnemonic Extension]]
ne2h0f985vnx7zvn462rc68jickkodu
Motivation and emotion/Book/2026
0
323153
2820460
2819728
2026-08-03T23:56:35Z
U3222012
2968463
2820460
wikitext
text/x-wiki
{{/Banner}}
==Motivation==
# [[/Adolescent risk-taking and reward-system development/]] - How does reward circuit maturation influence adolescent sensation-seeking and impulsive behaviours? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Akrasia/]] - Why do people act against their better judgement? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Artificial intelligence and academic motivation/]] - How does artificial intelligence influence students’ motivation to learn, engage, and achieve? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Attachment styles and relatedness motivation/]] - How do attachment styles affect the need for relatedness? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Automaticity and goal pursuit/]] - How do habits and environmental cues drive unconscious goal pursuit? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Basal ganglia and motivation/]] - What is the role of the basal ganglia in motivated behaviour? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Building therapeutic alliance/]] - What psychological factors contribute to the development of a strong therapeutic alliance? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Charismatic leadership and follower motivation/]] - How does charismatic leadership inspire follower motivation? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Citizen science motivation/]] - What motivates participation in citizen science projects? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Competence motivation in self-determination theory/]] - How does the need for competence function within self-determination theory to shape motivation and behaviour? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Consumer emotion measurement/]] - How can consumer emotion be measured? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Creative inspiration and effort/]] - How do inspiration and effort interact during the creative process? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Deliberative vs implemental mindset/]] - What are the motivational and cognitive differences between deliberative and implemental mindsets? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Developing a growth mindset/]] - How can a growth mindset be cultivated and sustained? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Dopamine and reward prediction/]] - How does dopamine affect the anticipation of rewards and subsequent emotional responses? {{ME-By|U3228742}}
# [[/Effort regulation and cost-benefit decision-making/]] - How is effort dynamically adjusted based on changing cost-benefit analysis during goal pursuit? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/End-of-history illusion and motivation/]] - How does the EOHI influence motivation and what strategies mitigate its impact? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/ERG theory and motivation/]] - What is Alderfer's ERG theory and how does it explain human motivation? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Epistemic motivation and the need for cognitive closure/]] - How does epistematic motivation and the need for cognitive closure influence our lives? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Exercise gamification motivation/]] - How can gamification affect exercise motivation and behaviour? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Expectancy–value theory of educational motivation/]] - What is expectancy–value theory and how can it be applied to understand and enhance educational motivation? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Extended process model of emotion regulation/]] – What is the extended process model and how does it explain how people regulate emotions? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Feedback literacy/]] - What is feedback literacy, why does it matter, and how can it be developed? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Fogg behaviour model/]] - How can the FBM be applied to understanding and changing behaviour? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Functional motives theory and environmental activism/]] - How does functional motives theory explain the motivations behind environmental activism? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Future orientation and criminal behaviour/]] - How does future orientation influence the risk of criminal activity? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Game of dice task and decision-making/]] - What does the game of dice task reveal about risk-based decision-making? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Gender and achievement motivation/]] - How does gender shape where, how, and under what conditions achievement motivation is expressed? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Generativity/]] - What is generativity and how does it impact behaviour and life outcomes? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Getting started/]] - Why is task initiation difficult and how to overcome it? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Goal striving dynamics/]] - What is the role of pushing and coasting in goal striving? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Hygiene motivation/]] - What motivates maintenance of personal hygiene? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Hypothalamus and homeostatic motivation/]] - How do hypothalamic circuits regulate hunger, thirst, and other survival-related motivations? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Impulsivity versus sensation-seeking/]] - What is the distinction between impulsivity and sensation-seeking and how does this affect behaviour? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Indigenous Australian role models and motivation/]] - How do role models influence aspirations, identity development, and motivation among Indigenous Australians? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Interrogation and compliance/]] - What psychological processes influence resistance and compliance during interrogation? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Investment model of commitment and social motivation/]] - How does the investment model of commitment relate to social motivation? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Lifelong learning motivation/]] - What motivates lifelong learning? {{ME-By|U3280251}}
# [[/Machiavellian motivation/]] - What is the motivational role of Machiavellianism? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Mesolimbic pathway and addiction motivation/]] - What role does the ventral tegmental area to nucleus accumbens pathway play in addictive behaviours? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Metacognitive monitoring and productivity/]] - How does metacognitive monitoring influence goal attainment and productivity? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Mindsets and stigma/]] - What role do growth versus fixed mindsets play in prejudice and stigma? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Motivations for using sex work services/]] - What motivates use of sex work services? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Motivating virtual teams/]] – How can motivation in virtual teams be optimised? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Motivational effects of incarceration on Indigenous Australians/]] - What are the motivational effects of incarcertation on Indigenous Australians?{{ME-By|U3183521}}
# [[/Need to love and be loved/]] - How does the desire to give and receive love influence motivation? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Non-residential energy conservation motivation/]] - How can non-residential building energy conservation be motivated and behaviour changed? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Occupational violence, emotion, and coping/]] - What are the emotional impacts of occupational violence and how can employees cope? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Overconfidence in decision-making/]] - How does overconfidence bias affect judgement and decision-making? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Parental educational aspirations and student achievement/]] - How do parental aspirations shape children’s academic motivation and performance? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Parental motivations for homeschooling/]] - What motivates parents to homeschool their children? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Perfectionism and procrastination/]] - What is the role of perfectionism in procrastination and what can be done about it? - u3222012
# [[/Pleasure anticipation and dopamine/]] - How does the brain's reward system generate motivation through expected rather than experienced pleasure? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Possible selves and goal pursuit/]] - How do possible selves influence motivation and goal-directed behaviour? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Power motivation in leadership/]] - How does power motivation influence leadership styles and effectiveness? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Prevention versus promotion mindset/]] - What are the motivational differences between prevention and promotion mindsets? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Protection motivation theory and environmental behaviour/]] - How does protection motivation theory explain engagement in pro-environmental behaviour? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Relatedness motivation in self-determination theory/]] - How does the need for relatedness function within self-determination theory to shape motivation and behaviour? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Retirement motivation/]] - What motivates retirement from work? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Role-play and communication skills training/]] - How does role-play facilitate the development of effective communication skills? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Scarcity versus abundance mindset/]] - How do scarcity and abundance mindsets develop and what are the motivational consequences? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Self-concept and motivation/]] - How does self-concept relate to motivation? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Self-determination theory and dementia care/]] - How can autonomy, competence, and relatedness be supported in people living with dementia? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Self-determination theory and military veteran reintegration/]] - How do autonomy, competence, and relatedness shape psychological adjustment after military service? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Self-determination theory and physical activity/]] - How do autonomy, competence, and relatedness predict engagement in physical activity and exercise adherence? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Self-determination theory and social media use/]] - How do basic psychological needs explain patterns of social media engagement? {{ME-By|U3237996}}
# [[/Sensation-seeking and dopamine/]] - What is the neurobiological relationship between sensation-seeking and dopamine? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Sex differences in sexual arousal patterns/]] - How do patterns of sexual arousal differ between males and females? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Sex work motivation/]] - What motivates sex work and how does this impact worker experiences? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Social dominance and power motivation/]] - What is the relationship between social dominance and power motivation? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Subcortical structures and motivational drive/]] - How do subcortical brain regions generate basic motivational impulses and energy? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Sun exposure and protection motivation/]] - What motivates sun exposure and protection behaviours? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Surrender motivation/]] - What is the motivational state of surrender and what are its impacts? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/The quiet ego and motivation/]] - How does a quiet ego balance self-interest with concern for others? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Thermoregulation and motivation/]] - How does the drive to maintain body temperature influence behaviour? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Tonic-phasic model of dopamine regulation/]] - What is the tonic/phasic model of dopamine regulation and how does affect behaviour? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Types of impulsivity/]] - What are the different types of impulsivity and how do they affect motivation? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Value congruence and motivation/]] - How does alignment between personal and situational values influence motivation? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Volunteer counsellor motivation/]] - What motivates people to become and remain volunteer counsellors? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Windfall gain effect/]] - How doe unexpected wealth influence behaviour and decision-making? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Youth environmental activism motivation/]] - What motivates young people to engage in environmental activism? {{ME-By|User Name}}
==Emotion==
# [[/Active versus passive social media use/]] - How do different patterns of social media engagement influence emotions and psychological wellbeing? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Adaptive versus maladaptive self-reflection/]] – When does self-reflection promote wellbeing and when does it contribute to psychological distress? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Affect heuristic/]] - What is the affect heuristic and how does it influence decision making? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Alcohol use for emotion regulation/]] - Why and how do people use alcohol to regulate their emotions? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Apocalyptic fear/]] - What is apocalyptic fear, what are its consequences, and how can it be dealt with? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Awe and the diminished self/]] - How does awe diminish the self and how can this be applied? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Awe and nature/]] - What is the relationship between awe and nature? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Biofeedback and emotion regulation/]] - How does biofeedback help individuals monitor and regulate their emotional states? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Body neutrality and emotional well-being/]] - How does a body-neutral perspective affect emotional well-being? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Breathing exercises and relaxation/]] - How can breathing exercises promote relaxation? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Cancer screening and emotion/]] - How do emotions such as fear, anxiety, and relief influence cancer screening uptake? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Cognitive hardiness and stress resilience/]] – How does cognitive hardiness promote resilience to stress and adversity? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Cognitive versus affective empathy/]] - What are the differences between cognitive and affective empathy and how do they contribute to prosociality? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Dark empathy/]] - What is dark empathy, what are its consequences, and what can be done to address it? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Dreams and emotional problem-solving/]] - How do REM dreams contribute to emotional processing and adaptive coping? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Durability bias in affective forecasting/]] - What role does durability bias play in affective forecasting? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Eco-emotions/]] - What are eco-emotions, how do they influence behaviour, and how can they be managed? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Emotional effects of incarceration on Indigenous Australians/]] - What are the emotional effects of incarcertation on Indigenous Australians?{{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Emotional expressivity/]] – What is emotional expressivity, why does it matter, and how can it be developed? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Emotional flooding in relationships/]] - Why does emotional flooding occur, how does it affect relationships, and what can be done about it? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Emotional intelligence and emotional wellbeing/]] - How does emotional intelligence affect emotional wellbeing? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Emotional role-playing/]] - How does role-playing influence emotional experience, expression, and regulation? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Emotion detection using artificial intelligence/]] - How can emotion be detected using artificial intelligence? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Emotion dysregulation/]] – What is emotion dysregulation, what are its consequences, and how can it be managed? {{ME-By|U3285438}}
# [[/Emotion regulation ability and strategy/]] – How do ability and strategy differ in shaping emotion regulation? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Emotion regulation through exercise/]] - How do people use exercise to regulate their emotional states? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Emotions in activism/]] - How do emotions motivate, shape, and sustain activism? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Empathy fatigue and emotional exhaustion/]] - How does sustained empathic engagement contribute to emotional exhaustion? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Enjoyment and learning/]] - How does enjoyment influence learning? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Environmental volunteering and wellbeing/]] - How does participation in environmental volunteering influence volunteers' subjective wellbeing? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Excitement as an emotion/]] - What is the emotional excitement and how does it influence behaviour and wellbeing? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Fear extinction/]] - What psychological and neural processes underlie the extinction of fear responses? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Focalism in affective forecasting/]] - What is focalism and how does it bias predictions about future emotional experiences? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Gloatrage/]] - What is gloatrage, what causes it, and what are its consequences? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Human trust of robots/]] - What psychological factors shape human trust of robots? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Identify exploration through role-playing games/]] - How do role-playing games facilitate identity exploration and self-discovery? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Indigenous Australian funeral practices and grieving/]] - How do Indigenous Australian funeral practices assist with grieving? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Interpersonal psychotherapy and emotion/]] - How does interpersonal psychotherapy improve emotional wellbeing through changes in relationships? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Introjection and guilt-based motivation/]] - What role do shame and guilt play in introjected forms of behavioural regulation? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Irritability/]] - What is irritability, what causes it, what are its consequences, and how can it be managed? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Love styles and relationships/]] - How do love styles influence relationship satisfaction and stability? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Melatonin and seasonal mood/]] - What role does melatonin play in seasonal mood changes? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Mental health first aid and helping behaviour/]] - What motivates people to recognise, approach, and support someone with a mental health problem? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Mindfulness and nature connectedness/]] - How does mindfulness influence nature connectedness? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Mood and cognitive performance/]] – How do different mood states impact attention, memory, and problem solving? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Moodiness/]] - What is moodiness, why does it occur, and how can it be managed? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Neurobiology of love/]] - What neural systems and biochemical processes underlie love? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Neurofeedback and emotional regulation/]] - How can neurofeedback influence enhance emotional regulation? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Nitrous oxide and emotion/]] - How does nitrous oxide influence emotional experience and mood? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Noise and emotion/]] - How do different types of noise affect emotional experience and wellbeing? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Opponent process theory and emotion/]] - What role do opposing affective states play in emotional experience? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Outdoor play and children's emotional well-being/]] - How does outdoor play influence children's emotional well-being? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Phubbing and emotion/]] - What are the emotional causes and consequences of phubbing? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Positive emotion dysregulation/]] - What is positive emotion dysregulation and how does it affect psychological functioning? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Psychological preparation for natural disasters/]] - How can people psychologically prepare for natural disasters? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Psychological safety and feedback uptake/]] - How does psychological safety influence openness to feedback? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Reflected glory/]] - What is reflected glory and what are its pros and cons? {{ME-By|Username}}
# [[/Remote work and well-being/]] - How does remote work influence employee well-being? {{ME-By|Username}}
# [[/Responsiveness and interpersonal trust/]] - How does responsiveness foster trust in relationships? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Romantic jealousy/]] - Why does romantic jealousy occur, what are its impacts, and how can it be managed? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Secondary trauma in healthcare workers/]] - What are the emotional consequences of secondary trauma in healthcare settings? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Seasonal affective disorder/]] - What is SAD, why does it occur, and how can it be managed? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Self-blame and emotion/]] – How does self-blame influence emotional responses to negative events? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Self-disclosure and emotional intimacy/]] – How does self-disclosure foster emotional closeness in relationships? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Self-stigma and emotion/]] - How does self-stigma impact emotional well-being? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Social connection and emotion regulation/]] - How do social relationships help people emotions? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Socioemotional selectivity theory and wellbeing in ageing/]] - How do social and emotional experiences affect wellbeing as people age? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Spirituality and resilience/]] - What is the relationship between spirituality and psychological resilience? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Subjective wellbeing homeostasis theory/]] - How does homeostatic theory explain the stability and regulation of subjective wellbeing? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Technology-based pain management/]] - How can technology-based tools alter pain perception and pain management? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Theory of positive disintegration and personal growth/]] - What is the TPD and how can it be applied to personal growth? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Time perception in mood disorders/]] - How do anxiety and depression alter the subjective experience of time? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Trust in artificial intelligence/]] - What psychological factors shape human trust of artificial intelligence systems? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Trust rebuilding after trauma/]] - How can trauma survivors develop trust in similar situations again? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Volunteer wellbeing/]] - How does volunteering affect volunteer's subjective wellbeing? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Wayfinding and affective experience/]] - How do emotions influence navigation and spatial behaviour? {{ME-By|User Name}}
==Motivation and emotion==
# [[/Boredom and interest/]] - How do boredom and interest shape emotional and motivational states? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Falling in love/]] - What motivational and emotional processes underlie romantic attraction and falling in love? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Life purpose and well-being/]] - How does a sense of purpose contribute to well-being and how can it be cultivated? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Moral emotions and ethical behaviour/]] - How do moral emotions motivate ethical and prosocial action? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Oxytocin as a neuromodulator/]] - What are the motivational and emotional effects of oxytocin as a neuromodulator? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Reward prediction error/]] - How does discrepancy between expected and actual rewards influence learning, emotion, and motivation? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Reinforcement sensitivity theory/]] – How does reinforcement sensitivity theory explain individual differences in motivation and emotion? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Reward prediction error/]] - How do reward prediction errors influence learning, emotion, and motivation? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Social and emotional well-being in Indigenous Australians/]] - How does the holistic social and emotional well-being model reframe Indigenous Australian health and well-being? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Strengths-based Indigenous Australian psychology/]] - How can strengths-based perspectives enhance understanding of Indigenous motivation and emotion? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Warm-glow giving/]] - Why does giving feel good and how does this influence prosocial behaviour? {{ME-By|User Name}}
# [[/Wisdom, motivation, and emotion/]] - How do motivational and emotional processes contribute to wisdom? {{ME-By|User Name}}
[[Category:Motivation and emotion/Book/2026]]
88vxlh8hx3jrw7oj2rda2r5t6wz634v
Philippines
0
329042
2820545
2805290
2026-08-04T06:23:19Z
CarlessParking
3064444
/* */
2820545
wikitext
text/x-wiki
{{collection}}
The Philippines is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia with the city of Manila as its capital. In the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of 7,641 islands which are broadly categorized in three main geographical divisions from north to south: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The Philippines is bounded by the South China Sea to the west, the Philippine Sea to the east, and the Celebes Sea to the south. It shares maritime borders with Taiwan to the north, Japan to the northeast, Palau to the east and southeast, Indonesia to the south, Malaysia to the southwest, Vietnam to the west, and China to the northwest.<ref>[[Wikipedia: Philippines]]</ref>
==See also==
* [[Comparative law and justice/Philippines]]
* [[Southeast Asian Languages/Philippine Languages]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Philippines]]
l92ldbc7zw2szt37vv4s3gefz2dy97x
2820546
2820545
2026-08-04T06:23:42Z
CarlessParking
3064444
/* */
2820546
wikitext
text/x-wiki
{{collection}}
The '''Philippines''' is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia with the city of Manila as its capital. In the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of 7,641 islands which are broadly categorized in three main geographical divisions from north to south: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The Philippines is bounded by the South China Sea to the west, the Philippine Sea to the east, and the Celebes Sea to the south. It shares maritime borders with Taiwan to the north, Japan to the northeast, Palau to the east and southeast, Indonesia to the south, Malaysia to the southwest, Vietnam to the west, and China to the northwest.<ref>[[Wikipedia: Philippines]]</ref>
==See also==
* [[Comparative law and justice/Philippines]]
* [[Southeast Asian Languages/Philippine Languages]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Philippines]]
cqqfk5isw6ub3vb31t4a7i5fj411nz5
Media Literacy and You/Deterrence without threat
0
329638
2820448
2820447
2026-08-03T12:05:00Z
DavidMCEddy
218607
/* Bibliography */ add Duhamel
2820448
wikitext
text/x-wiki
[[File:Nukes or nonviolence.png|thumb|Nuclear war or nonviolent noncooperation?]]
:''Humanity is one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation. ... This is madness. We must reverse course.''
: -- [[w:António Guterres|UN Secretary General António Guterres]] (2022)<ref>Jacobsen (2024), BBC (2022).</ref>
:This book is a combination instruction manual on [[w:Media literacy|media literacy]] and an invitation to you to support collaborative / crowd-sourced research on how to improve the world's understanding of media literacy and how to accelerate its understanding and use globally for the betterment of humanity.
Part I of this book on ''[[Media Literacy and You]]'' discusses "The media and political economy". Except in times of terror, massive lawlessness or war, most humans place a high priority on their financial situation, the primary focus of Part I. Part II on "The media and war" focuses on security concerns starting with this chapter on "Deterrence without threat".
== Introduction ==
Every individual and group has a right and an obligation to defend itself. Unfortunately, when most humans<ref>We distinguish here between "humans" and "people" or "persons", because under current US law, corporations are "people" and money is speech, per the US Supreme Court decision in ''[[w:Citizens United v. FEC|Citizens United v. FEC]]'' (2010) and many other judicial rulings and US law such as the [[w:Patriot Act|Patriot Act]] of 2001.</ref> think of defense, they often think of violent responses to provocations.
However, there is a growing body of research documenting
:(a) how most uses of violence are counterproductive, and
:(b) there are usually nonviolent options to violence that would more effectively promote broadly shared peace and prosperity for the long term.
This research is rarely discussed by major media outlets, because it would offend the "people"<ref>We put "people" in quotes in this essay, because that term includes corporations under current US law.</ref> who control most of the money for the media: Nonviolence threatens their ability to get compliance from security forces. As a result, many elites prefer to use force to the detriment of the bottom 99 percent of humanity. As discussed below, a military posture that supports projecting force beyond one’s own borders may be as likely to ''provoke'' as ''prevent'' an attack.<ref>For example, Lebow (2025) cites some of his previous work with others to support the claim that large militaries have been "more provocative than preventative in" their effects. And Lebow (2024) insists that, "Policymakers respond more instinctively than analytically in deciding that some policy is or is not in the national interest." See also Lebow et al. (2023).</ref>
This chapter outlines a 3-part strategy that research suggests would more likely lead to better outcomes for the vast majority of humans:
# Citizen-directed subsidies for local news nonprofits with firewall(s) to prevent political interference in the content.
# Training in nonviolent noncooperation for anyone willing to listen.
# Forbid uses of force beyond one’s own borders and covert interference in foreign countries.
We now discuss each of these briefly.
== 1. Citizen-directed subsidies for local news nonprofits with firewall(s) to prevent political interference in the content. ==
It seems that
:''Primary drivers of every major conflict include differences between the media that the different parties find crecible.''
In a recent interview with [[w:Fordham University|Fordham University]] Professor Emerita of Communications Robin Andersen,<ref name=Andersen><!--Robin Andersen-->{{cite Q|Q132982358}}</ref> she agreed with this claim and added:
:''We only have enemies of our very own making.''
The media are involved in this, because:
:''The major media create the stage upon which politicians read their lines.''<ref>In 1791 James Madison, who represented part of Virginia in the US House of Representatives 1789-1801 and later became the 4th President of the US (1809-1819), said, "Public opinion sets bounds to every government, and is the real sovereign in every free one." Quoted from the ''[[w:National Gazette|National Gazette]]'' (published 1791-1793) by Schmeller (2009, p. 36) and Sauer (2016, p. 5). Sauer described how the American Revolutionaries, especially the first four US presidents, planted stories in newspapers to build support for how they dealt with the [[w:Barbary corsairs|Barbary pirates]], who were seizing merchant ships, raiding European coastal towns and villages, and selling European captives into slavery. The first two US presidents, [[w:George Washington|Washington]] and [[w:John Adams|Adams]], used that support for protecting US shipping and citizens by paying tribute to government leaders in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. The next two presidents, [[w:Thomas Jefferson|Jefferson]] and [[w:James Madison|Madison]], convinced Congress to fund a navy and marines to fight the [[w:Barbary Wars|Barbary Wars]]. This included the [[w:Battle of Derna (1805)|Battle of Derna]] (April-May 1805), memorialized in the [[w:Marines' Hymn|Marines' Hymn]], which mentions actions "to the shores of Tripoli". Sauer described how the policies were sold to the public via planted stories in the different partisan newspapers.</ref>
This works because (a) virtually everyone thinks they know more than they do ([[w:Overconfidence effect|overconfidence effect]]), and (b) virtually everyone prefers information and sources consistent with preconceptions ([[w:confirmation bias|confirmation bias]]).
Also, in many, perhaps all, countries, the primary constituency for foreign and military policy is the people with foreign business interests. Many of these people also control substantial portions of the money for the media, which have too often encourage questionable and counterproductive uses of military force.<ref>If we [[w:follow the money|follow the money]], we might find that "watchdogs generally protect the people who feed them", as discussed in the 2025-09-25 interview with British journalist and media reform activist Dan Hind discussing how the British [[Media Reform Coalition challenges anti-democratic media bias in the UK]].</ref>
=== Examples ===
A leader in documenting the role of the media in armed conflict is Robin Andersen,<ref>e.g., Andersen (2006, 2026).</ref> but she is not alone. For example, [[w:University of Denver|University of Denver]] journalism professor Kareem El Damanhoury<ref name=Daman><!--Kareem El Damanhoury-->{{cite Q|Q113752441}}</ref> has compared how [[w:Gaza Strip|Gaza]] has been framed differently by [[w:Al Jazeera Media Network|Al Jazeera]], the [[w:BBC|BBC]]<ref>El Damanhoury et al. (2025).</ref> and [[w:Fox News|Fox]].<ref>El Damanhoury and Saleh (2024).</ref><ref>Some of El Damanhoury's work in this regard [[Differences between media outlets including coverage of Gaza|is reviewed in a 2025-11-20 interview with him]].</ref>
==== World War I ====
Andersen's (2006) ''A Century of Media, A Century of War'' begins with a discussion of "The birth of war propaganda" in "The Great War and the Fight between Good and Evil".<ref>Andersen (2006, ch. 1)</ref>
A more detailed but compatible discussion of the media and [[w:World War I|World War I]] is given by [[w:John Maxwell Hamilton|John Maxwell Hamilton]]. Among other things, he said: {{quote|
The first iron law of propaganda is that only the enemy does it.<ref>Hamilton (2020, p. 642). See also the [[John Maxwell Hamilton on American propaganda|2025-12-11 interview with Hamilton]].</ref>}}
[[File:MB Walker - German bayoneting children - Life - July 25, 1915.png|thumb|left|Figure 1. Stories of German soldiers impaling children on their bayonets were widely reported during the war. However, no credible evidence was found to support these claims when questions were raised after the war.<ref>{{cite web|title=Alleged German atrocities: Bryce report|url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/firstworldwar/spotlights/p_alleged_german.htm|publisher=The National Archives|access-date=13 July 2014}}</ref>]]
Andersen (2006, pp. 8-9) said, {{quote|
James Bryce, the former British ambassador to the United States, ... helped prepare a sixty-one page ''Report on the Committee on alleged German Outrages'', which was translated into thirty languages and was said to be based on twelve hundred depositions ... included gruesome and titillating details of how German soldiers publicly raped Belgian girls in the marketplace at Liege and bayonetted a two-year-old child. ... [A]fter the war a Belgian commission of inquiry found no evidence for any major accusation in the report. ...}}
{{quote|
German propagandists, on the other hand, ... "bungled, because they were naïve: they thought the success of the war depended almost solely on military strategy and therefore they tended to neglect propaganda." ... Thus, when German soldiers shot some Allied nurses who had carried weapons, they admitted it openly. The Allies reported the incident as an atrocity and featured it in press propaganda. When French troops shot German nurses under similar circumstances, the Germans failed to exploit it.}}
==== Jonathan Swift 1710 ====
This is not limited to World War I. In 1710, [[w:Jonathan Swift|Jonathan Swift]] reportedly said, "Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after ... like a physician, who hath found out an infallible medicine, after the patient is dead."<ref name=Swift>Excerpted from a line in [[Wikiquote:Jonathan Swift]] consulted 2026-04-13.</ref>
==== The Marines' Hymn ====
The [[w:Marines' Hymn|Marine Corps Hymn]] begins, {{quote|
From the Halls of Montezuma
To the shores of Tripoli;
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land, and sea.}}
The "[[w:Battle of Chapultepec|Halls of Montezuma]]" refer to the [[w:Mexican–American War|Mexican–American War]], which was fought to expand slavery first into [[w:Texas|Texas]] -- and supporters of slavery hoped that would help expand slavery further west. The "[[w:Battle of Derna (1805)|shores of Tripoli]]" were part of the [[w:Barbary Wars|Barbary Wars]], which were fought to reduce the need to pay (a) tribute to the [[w:Barbary Coast|Barbary or Berber]] states of [[w:Morocco|Morocco]], [[w:Algeria|Algeria]], [[w:Tunisia|Tunisia]], and [[w:Libya|Libya]] or (b) ransom to [[w:Barbary corsairs|Barbary pirates]], who were otherwise capturing Christians and selling them into slavery.
Did the bottom 99 percent of the US population of that time benefit? Or did these wars (and any tribute and ransom paid by the US government before the Barbary wars) constitute a hidden transfer of wealth from the poor to the wealthy?
A partial answer to this question is that [[w:tariff|tariff]]s on imported goods covered between 80 and 95 percent of all federal revenue up to 1860, and [[w:excise|excise taxes]] on only a few goods, such as whiskey, rum, tobacco, snuff and refined sugar, made up nearly all the rest.<ref>See the section on "[[w:Excise tax in the United States#Historical background|Historical background]]" in the Wikipedia article on "[[w:Excise tax in the United States|Excise tax in the United States]]", accessed 2026-05-26.</ref> The money raised from taxes on income during the Civil War, visible in Figure 3 above, were apparently negligible as a portion of federal revenue during the Barbary Wars and the Mexican-American War.
==== Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: "Betray the nation or do not get elected." ====
Regarding the [[w:Vietnam War|Vietnam War]], former president [[w:Dwight D. Eisenhower|Eisenhower]] wrote in his autobiography, which appeared in 1963 (he left the presidency 1961-01-20), that he had never communicated {{quote|
with a person knowledgeable in Indochinese affairs [including Vietnam] who did not agree that had elections been held as of the time of the fighting [leading to the defeat of the French in 1954], possibly 80 per cent of the population would have voted for the Communist [[w:Ho Chi Minh|Ho Chi Minh]].<ref>Eisenhower (1963, p. 372).</ref>}}
[[w:Joseph McCarthy|Joseph McCarthy]], who had been elected to the US Senate in 1946 and "experienced a meteoric rise in national profile beginning on February 9, 1950, when he gave a" speech during which he said something like, "The [[w:United States Secretary of State|State Department]] is infested with communists. I have here in my hand a list of 205—a list of names that were made known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping policy in the State Department." McCarthy's mostly baseless claims went largely unchallenged in the media, including accusing the Democrats of "twenty years of treason" for having been allied with the Soviet Union, which took the bulk of casualties during World War II.
By the end of 1953 with (Republican) Eisenhower as president roughly 11 months, McCarthy was complaining about "''21'' years of treason", complaining that Eisenhower was not sufficiently aggressive in rooting out the communists who McCarthy claimed were in the government.<ref>Fried (1997, p. 179).</ref>
Then the French were defeated by Vietnamese communists 1954-05-07 in the [[w:Battle of Dien Bien Phu|Battle of Dien Bien Phu]]. The [[w:1954 Geneva Conference|1954 Geneva Conference]], which had begun eleven days earlier, 1954-04-26, concluded 1954-07-21 with the "Geneva Accords of 1954".<ref>The [[w:Battle of Dien Bien Phu|Battle of Dien Bien Phu]], 1954-05-07, effectively ended the [[w:First Indochina War|French Indochina War]]. This led to the [[w:1954 Geneva Conference|Geneva accords of 1954]], officially dated 1954-07-20 but actually signed the following morning. Those accords took effect on three different dates, July 27 and August 1 and 11 in three different sectors of Vietnam. See <!--Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities in Vietnam-->{{cite Q|Q139676410}}</ref> Those accords called for UN-supervised elections for July of 1956, when Eisenhower would presumably be campaigning for reelection. Eisenhower doubtless knew that he might lose his bid for re-election in 1956, if the Communist Ho Chi Minh won elections in July of that year.
:''The consistent suppression of honest portrayal in the major media of that day of the perspective of anyone whom Eisenhower considered "knowledgeable in Indochinese affairs" gave him -- and his successors [[w:John F. Kennedy|Kennedy]], [[w:Lyndon B. Johnson|Johnson]], and [[w:Richard Nixon|Nixon]] -- the choice between betraying the nation or not getting elected.''
In this environment, the [[w:Operation 34A|US initiated a series of clandestine operations against North Vietnam]] including infiltrating CIA-recruited spies and supporting attacks against North Vietnam by South Vietnamese commandos.<ref>Paterson (2008).</ref> This included a raid 1964-07-30 by South Vietnamese commandos on the island of Hòn Mê, roughly 300 km (180 miles) north of the [[w:Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone|Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone]] in the [[w:Gulf of Tonkin|Gulf of Tonkin]], covered by [[w:DESOTO patrol|US naval vessels]] patrolling in that area. Then during a dark and stormy night six days later, US naval vessels opened fire on radar snow, and President Johnson requested and received Congressional approval of the [[w:Gulf of Tonkin Resolution|Gulf of Tonkin Resolution]]; then-[[w:United States Secretary of Defense|US Secretary of Defense]] [[w:Robert McNamara|McNamara]] claimed those attacks were "unprovoked".<ref>Karnow (1983, p. 375). See also the section on [[w:Gulf of Tonkin Resolution#Congress votes|Congress votes]]" in the Wikipedia article on [[w:Gulf of Tonkin Resolution|Gulf of Tonkin Resolution]], accessed 2026-05-14.</ref>
In this media environment, only two officials in the US Congress voted against the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: [[w:Ernest Gruening|Ernest Gruening]] (D-AK) and [[w:Wayne Morse|Wayne Morse]] (D-OR). Gruening lost in his next primary campaign to [[w:Mike Gravel|Mike Gravel]], and Morse lost in his next general election campaign to [[w:Bob Packwood|Bob Packwood]]. These results support the previous claim that the major media give politicians the choice:
:''Betray the nation, or do not get elected.''
That resolution became the primary authorization for the US war in Vietnam until Congress ended the funding.
==== Was the Vietnam War lost in Washington or by media biases? ====
[[w:John Mueller|John Mueller]], prolific author, Professor Emeritus of international relations at [[w:Ohio State University|Ohio State University]] and Senior Fellow at the [[w:Cato Institute|Cato Institute]], said that the most effective thing the US did to win the [[w:Cold War|Cold War]] was —
:''nothing'':
Between the [[w:Fall of Saigon|Fall of Saigon]] in 1975 and the inauguration of [[w:Ronald Reagan|Ronald Reagan]] as President of the US, the US "went into a sort of containment funk: it effectively adopted a policy of complacency (or perhaps of appeasement) as it watched from the sidelines as the Soviet Union … opportunistically gathered a set of Third World countries into its imperial embrace: Angola in 1976, Mozambique and Ethiopia in 1977, South Yemen and Afghanistan in 1978, Grenada and Nicaragua in 1979."<ref>Mueller (2021, p. 59).</ref> Nearly all became major economic and political drains on the Soviets with Afghanistan being the worst. And their Warsaw Pact allies in Eastern Europe became a severe economic drain and psychic problem.<ref>Mueller and Graves (2023).</ref>
President Reagan, inaugurated 1981-01-20, had a very different vision of the role of the US in foreign relations from his predecessor, [[w:Jimmy Carter|Jimmy Carter]]. In 1983-06-21 Reagan insisted, "We cannot permit the Soviet-Cuban-Nicaraguan axis to take over Central America", because the consequences would include "a tidal wave of refugees ... 'feet people' ... swarming into our country."<ref>Clines (1983).</ref>
Other sources<ref>e.g., Andersen (2006, Part II).</ref> insist the opposite, that the vast majority of deaths in Central America during the Reagan years were poor humans petitioning nonviolently for a redress of grievances, suppressed by terrorist / death squads supported by the Reagan administration largely in violation of laws passed by Congress and signed by President Reagan. On 1986-10-05 [[w:Corporate Air Services HPF821|a Nicaraguan soldier with a surface to air missile shot down a C-123]] cargo aircraft carrying supplies to the Contra roughly 35 miles (56 km) north of Costa Rica. Documents found in the wreckage and a confession by the sole survivor led to the [[w:Iran–Contra affair|Iran-Contra hearings]] the following year, during which Lt. Col. [[w:Oliver North|Oliver North]] insisted, "We didn't lose the war in Vietnam ..., we lost it in this city."<ref>Andersen (2006, p. 137). See also, Wikipedia, "[[w:Stab-in-the-back myth|Stab-in-the-back myth]]", accessed 2026-05-13.</ref>
The previous section on the "Gulf of Tonkin Resolution" provides an alternative narrative of the Vietnam War: If as Eisenhower claimed, "possibly 80 per cent of the [Vietnamese] population would have voted for the Communist [[w:Ho Chi Minh|Ho Chi Minh]]" if elections had been held there, it's hard to imagine how anyone else could have won without aggressive action that actually ''improved'' the lives of Vietnamese peasants in the South. US-led efforts there were officially designed to win "[[w:Hearts and Minds (Vietnam War)|Hearts and Minds]]" but were implemented with such coercion that the result was the opposite. A cynic might say that it is hard to win people's hearts and minds by killing them.
====Richard Barlow and nuclear proliferation====
There is also documentation that the US helped Pakistan get nuclear weapons and destroyed the career of an intelligence analyst, [[w:Richard Barlow (intelligence analyst)|Richard Barlow]], for telling his managers they should not lie to Congress about it. Barlow has insisted that neither Pakistan nor North Korea would have nuclear weapons and Iran would not have a nuclear weapons program today, if the US had followed its own laws. Barlow’s claims, including his punishment by administration officials, have been reported in major media outlets<ref>e.g., Stein (2013). See also Wikipedia, "[[w:Richard Barlow (intelligence analyst)|Richard Barlow (intelligence analyst)]]", accessed 2026-05-06.</ref> but not in a way that would seriously limit the ability — and need — for administration officials to lie to Congress.
If Barlow's claims are accurate, it suggests that US government officials violated US obligations under the [[w:Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons|Non-Proliferation Treaty]] (NPT).<ref>Per the [[w:Treaty Clause|Treaty Clause]] of the US Constitution, a treaty negotiated by the President and approved by the Senate has "the force of federal law."</ref>
==== Nayirah testimony and the 1990-1991 Gulf War ====
A more recent example is the 1990-10-10 testimony by [[w:Nayirah testimony|Nayirah al-Ṣabaḥ to the US Congressional Human Rights Caucus]], two months after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. She claimed to have seen Iraqi soldiers taking premature babies out of incubators in a maternity ward before looting the incubators and leaving the babies to die on the floor after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait; she said she had been a volunteer nurse in the hospital at that time.
The failure of journalists, including with the ''[[w:NBC Nightly News|NBC Nightly News]]'', to adequate check facts behind this and other atrocity stories helped convince the US public to support the US-led invasion of Iraq in 1990-1991. Nayirah's statements were widely publicized and cited numerous times in the United States Senate and by American president George H. W. Bush to contribute to the rationale for pursuing military action against Iraq. It was later revealed that she was the daughter of Kuwaiti ambassador to the US, [[w:Saud Nasser Al-Saud Al-Sabah|Saud Nasser Al-Saud Al-Sabah]], "Reps. [[w:Tom Lantos|Tom Lantos]] and [[w:John Porter (Illinois politician)|John Edward Porter]], who sponsored the congressional hearings, had started a group called the Congressional Human Rights Foundation that had received $50,000 from Citizens for a Free Kuwait, as well as free office space in [[w:Hill & Knowlton|Hill and Knowlton]]'s Washington headquarters",<ref>Rowse (1992).</ref> and the public relations firm Hill and Knowlton had made a video while coaching her rehearsing her perjury and used that to prepare a video press release "that eventually reached a total audience of about thirty-five million", 14 percent of the [[w:Demographic history of the United States|US population of 249 million per the census then in process]], with portions aired on the ''[[w:NBC Nightly News|NBC Nightly News]]'' the night after the testimony.<ref>Andersen (2006, pp. 170-171).</ref>
==== 1998 Embassy bombings and September 11 ====
As another example, there is substantial documentation available today that [[1998 Embassy bombings and September 11|the suicide mass murders of September 11, 2001]], likely would not have occurred if the US had treated the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania as law enforcement issues. Muslim clerics all over the world initially condemned those acts. Al-Qaeda was dead. Their funding had largely dried up. And bin Laden was scheduled to be extradited the following month to Saudi Arabia to be prosecuted for treason, where he would likely have been convicted and executed. Mayer (2008, p. 114) claimed those embassy bombings were motivated as retaliation for US support for torture.<ref>For more on torture, see the the section on [[#Make media responsible for harms|Make media responsible for harms]] below.</ref>
But it seemed questionable at best whether major media executives in the US would have given favorable coverage to such a diplomatic solution. Instead, the US bombed a pharmaceutical plant in Sudan and al-Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan. Then Muslim public opinion turned 180 degrees to conclude, "Bin Laden is right: The US ''is'' an evil empire." The US became bin Laden’s only indispensable ally, according to the CIA agent responsible for tracking bin Laden at that time.<ref>Scheuer (2004, p. xv).</ref> Leading Saudis started supporting al-Qaeda, including some working for the Saudi embassy and consulates in the US. Only one country seems to have been involved in the preparations for the September 11 attacks, and that was Saudi Arabia. But Saudis were friends of the Bush family, and a crisis is a terrible thing to waste.<ref>Romer (2009).</ref>
:''Did the US invade Afghanistan and Iraq on grounds that senior journalists and leading media executives should have known at the time were questionable and likely fraudulent — to the detriment of nearly everyone except the "people" who control most of the money for the media?''
:In particular, was Iraqi president [[w:Saddam Hussein|Saddam Hussein]] really a bigger threat to the US after he invaded Kuwait in 1990 or after the [[w:September 11 attacks|suicide mass murders of September 11, 2001]] than he was during the 1980s, when the US supported him [[w:Iran-Iraq War|killing Iranians]] or [[w:Anfal campaign|his own native Kurds]]?
On 2003-05-29 [[w:BBC|BBC]] journalist [[w:Andrew Gilligan|Andrew Gilligan]] reported that the [[w:Tony Blaire|Blair government]] had "sexed up" [[w:September Dossier|intelligence reports]] issued the previous September to justify supporting the 2003-03-20 [[w:Iraq War|US-led invasion of Iraq]], two months before Gilligan's report. This led to the [[w:Hutton Inquiry|Hutton Inquiry]], which led to the resignations of Gilligan and the BBC's chairman and the firing of the BBC's director-general. However, the British public expressed so many reservations about the Hutton Inquiry that a follow-up investigation was ordered in 2009. This became the "[[w:Iraq Inquiry|Iraq Inquiry]]", whose 2016-07-06 report essentially validated what Gilligan had said just over 13 years earlier. This provides one more example of the 1710 maxim of Jonathan Swift that, "Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after ... like a physician, who hath found out an infallible medicine, after the patient is dead."<ref name=Swift/>
====Ukraine war====
Page 1 of the 2023-05-04 edition of ''[[w:Le Monde Diplomatique|Le Monde Diplomatique]]'' carried a headline:
:One year after the invasion of Ukraine: The media, vanguard of the war party,<ref>Halimi and Rimbert (2023) in the French-language original.</ref>
consistent with Andersen (2006).
=== Make media responsible for harms ===
How might the world be different if injured parties could successfully sue major media for harms that result from government policies contradicted by evidence reasonably available to the major media outlets?
For example, how might the world be different if:
* combat veterans or their families could successfully sue major media outlets for biased reporting that stampede the nation into ill advised and counterproductive uses of military force on grounds that leading media personalities should have known at the time were questionable and likely fraudulent?
* Vietnamese or Afghanis or Iraqis or Palestinians or victims in other countries could win similar lawsuits?
* immigrants could sue major media outlets for failing to publish reasonable summaries of the available research that says that immigrants on average are more entrepreneurial<ref>Aghion et al. (2022, pp. 266-270).</ref> and no more likely to engage in criminal activities than native born, benefitting both the sending and receiving countries?<ref>The Wikipedia article on "[[w:Immigration|Immigration]] cites research saying, "that migration can be beneficial both to the receiving and sending countries. The academic literature provides mixed findings for the relationship between immigration and crime worldwide. ... [P]ublic perception often exaggerates the connection between immigration and crime, influenced by sensationalised media coverage and political rhetoric." The Wikipedia article on [[w:Immigration and crime|Immigration and crime]] notes that in some countries immigrants are over-represented in prison populations due to violations of immigration law or anti-immigrant biases in criminal justice. The Wikipedia article on "[[w:Sanctuary city|Sanctuary city]]" says that, "Some studies on the relationship between sanctuary status and crime have found that sanctuary policies either have no effect on crime or that sanctuary cities have lower crime rates and stronger economies than comparable non-sanctuary cities." All references 2026-05-26.</ref>
* humans tortured by the US could sue the major media for suppressing honest discussion of the research that documents that torture is more likely counterproductive? An important report of the efficacy of torture was published in 1631 by [[w:Friedrich Spee|Friedrich Spee]], a German Jesuit priest and professor. A few years earlier, the Duke of Brunswick had invited Spee and another famous Jesuit scholar to supervise a continuation of the torture of a confessed witch. The Jesuits had previously told the Duke, "The Inquisitors are doing their duty. They are arresting only people who have been implicated by the confession of other witches." The Duke then led the Jesuits to a woman being stretched on the rack and asked her, "You are a confessed witch. I suspect these two men of being warlocks. What do you say? Another turn of the rack, executioners." "No, no!" screamed the woman. "You are quite right. I have often seen .. . They can turn themselves into goats, wolves ... Several witches have had children by them. ... The children had heads like toads and legs like spiders."<ref>Pinker (2011, pp. 138-139). Mannix (1964, pp. 134-135). Mackay ( 2009, p. 320).</ref> Crudely similar comments about the counterproductive nature of torture were made by Generals [[w:Stanley McChrystal|Stanley McChrystal]] (2013) and [[w:David Petraeus|David Petraeus]],<ref>DePaulo (2008).</ref> who held command positions in Iraq and Afghanistan. The major media in the US has provided ample coverage of, e.g., comments by Donald Trump supporting torture (McCarthy 2016), while largely suppressing honest discussion of the research on it.
Might the world be safer and more prosperous if major media outlets and their executives and journalists could be successfully sued when their biased reporting have substantive negative consequences? Might [[w:Freedom of information|the public's right to receive diverse information]] be advanced in this way, recognizing that false information disseminated by major media outlets can lead to substantive harms, similar to "[[w:Shouting fire in a crowded theater|shouting ''fire'' in a crowded theater]]", while the same information disseminated by minor outlets would ''not'' produce such harms?
Lawsuits of this nature could be facilitated by "group libel" laws. Activists were working to pass such laws in the 1940s. By 1950 those campaigns had been abandoned, according to Barbas (2023).<ref>See also Calvert et al. (2023, pp. 178ff).</ref>
[[w:Yael Eisenstat|Yaël Eisenstat]] agrees that under [[w:Section 230|Section 230]] of Title 47 of the US Code, "No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider." However, Eisenstat insists that [[Online platforms' effects on public health, safety and democracy|"an interactive computer service" ''can'' be held liable when their algorithms have substantive negative consequences]], as in the jury verdicts against Meta in New Mexico<ref>Allyn (2026).</ref> and against Meta and Google in Los Angeles.<ref>McQue (2026).</ref> She said, "those technologies, if they are, in the end, contributing to an illegal activity or to harm, that's what we should be addressing. ... The ultimate goal is not to shut down every social media company. The ultimate goal is to figure out what a safer online experience looks like and what accountability looks like when something unsafe happens."
=== in sum ===
You, dear reader, can help overcome these problems by talking, as suggested in the exercises below and the rest of this book. If you can help others become less angry and more willing to agree to disagree agreeably with others, that should reduce the risk of war and improve the prospects for progress on other major problems facing humanity today.
==2. Training in nonviolent noncooperation for anyone willing to listen ==
A major driver of the current conflict between India and Pakistan is mistreatment of Muslims in India. Simulations of a nuclear war between India and Pakistan suggest that such a war would likely produce a nuclear autumn lasting years during which 40 percent of humanity would starve to death if they did not die of something else sooner. Over 90 percent of those would be in countries not involved in the nuclear exchange.<ref>Xia et al. (2022). See also Wikiversity, "[[Responding to a nuclear attack]]", accessed 2026-05-05.</ref>
The recent "[[w:2025 India–Pakistan conflict|2025 India–Pakistan conflict]]" was a response by India to violence in Indian-administered [[w:Kashmir|Kashmir]] by terrorists allegedly supported by Pakistan. India would have had much more difficulty justifying violent repression of ''nonviolent'' protests, especially if a more diverse media ecology gave such protests more and more sympathetic coverage.
During the [[w:Great Depression|Great Depression]], ethnic Germans in the [[w:Sudetenland|Sudetenland]] region of [[w:Czechoslovakia|Czechoslovakia]] were harder hit by increasing trade barriers than their non-German neighbors. They were therefore more open to populist and extremist movements such as fascism, communism and German irredentism.<ref>Wikipedia, "[[w:Sudetenland|Sudetenland]]", esp. the section on "[[w: Sudetenland#Within the Czechoslovak Republic (1918–1938)|Within the Czechoslovak Republic (1918–1938)]]", accessed 2026-05-05.</ref> If those ethnic Germans had used nonviolent noncooperation to highlight their grievances, and if Czechoslovakia at that time had had a substantially more diverse media system, it seems likely that they could have gotten reasonable redress of grievances. If so, it would have been harder for Hitler to use that as an excuse to invade Czechoslovakia, as he did in 1938.<ref>Wikipedia, "[[w:Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945)|Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945)]]", accessed 2026-05-05.</ref>
An ideal settlement of the current Russo-Ukraine war might include training in nonviolent noncooperation made more effective through a more diverse media culture as suggested above. A substantial portion of the Ukrainian population, especially the Ukrainian military, are reported to be vicious anti-Russian Nazis, and the Ukrainian government has outlawed many uses of non-Ukrainian languages, especially Russian.<ref>Horton (2024).</ref> A campaign of nonviolent noncooperation with a vigorous, diverse adversarial press would likely make it harder for Ukraine to continue any persecution of Russian speakers. It would also make it harder for major media in the US and Western Europe to suppress honest discussion of anti-Russian racism in Ukraine. Swanson (2022) said that the [[w:Baltic states|Baltic states]] have implemented such training in preparations for a possible Russian invasion; they might be asked to support such training in Ukraine (and elsewhere).<ref>Swanson (2022).</ref>
Organizations offering training in [[w:Nonviolent resistance|nonviolent noncooperation]] include [[w:Nonviolence International|Nonviolence International]] and the [[w:Highlander Research and Education Center|Highlander Research and Education Center]].
=== Civil resistance deters fracking ===
Duhamel (2013) claimed that well-advertised planning and training in nonviolent noncooperation helped deter oil companies from attempting hydraulic fracturing in [[w:Quebec|Quebec Province]] in [[w:Canada|Canada]]. Deterring a foreign invasion is different, but the same principle should apply: It's clear from many sources that elites consider nonviolence a threat; it's a felony to teach nonviolence to someone whom the US State Department claims supports a "foreign terrorist organization", discussed in the next section.
=== Life in prison for teaching nonviolence ===
Per the US Supreme Court decision in ''[[w:Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project|Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project]]'' (2010), teaching nonviolence to anyone whom the US State Department claims supports a foreign terrorist organization is "[[w:Providing material support for terrorism|providing material support for terrorism]]", which is a felony under the USA [[w:Patriot Act|Patriot Act]] of 2001. Moreover, if the State Department claims that the death of any "person" resulted from the activities of the designated foreign terrorist organization, the penalty can be life in prison, where "person" is defined in the Patriot Act as "any individual or entity capable of holding a legal or beneficial interest in property".<ref>The treatment of [[w:Sami Al-Arian|Sami Al-Arian]] is worth noting in discussing the Patriot Act. Al-Arian is a Kuwaiti-born political activist of Palestinian origin, who earned a doctorate in Electrical Sciences and Systems Engineering at [[w:North Carolina State University|North Carolina State]] in 1985 and taught computer engineering at [[w:University of South Florida|University of South Florida]] (USF) beginning in 1986. He was granted permanent resident status in 1989. In 1993 he earned a Distinguished Teacher Award as a tenured associate professor at USF. He was an [[w:imam|imam]] in a local [[w:mosque|mosque]] and led in other initiatives to promote dialogue and public policy initiatives between the West and Middle East. On September 26, 2001, he appeared on ''[[w:The O'Reilly Factor|The O'Reilly Factor]]'' where he was confronted with a 1988 recording of him shouting "death to Israel". Al-Arian replied that "Death to Israel" meant "death to occupation, ... apartheid, ...oppression," whereupon O'Reilly cut him off and called for the [[w:Central Intelligence Agency|Central Intelligence Agency]] to investigate him. Al-Arian spent most of the next 14 years between that 2001 interview and 2015 in detention, much of it in solitary confinement. This period included a 2005 trial that ended with acquittal on 8 counts and a hung jury on another 9. In 2015 he was deported to Turkey. In 2017, he founded the Center for Islam and Global Affairs at [[w:Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University|Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University]] in Istanbul, Turkey, which he directs. What has been the impact of treatment of Al-Arian on the well-being of the bottom 99 percent of the US and world population?</ref>
How did these provisions get written into the Patriot Act?
That's a question that deserves research, perhaps by asking elected officials in the US Congress and lobbying for their repeal. A speculation consistent with the thesis of this book is that nonviolence terrifies those who control most of they money for the media, because it threatens their ability to get their security forces to follow orders.
==3. Forbid uses of force beyond one’s own borders and covert interference in foreign countries ==
:''[[w:Si vis pacem, para bellum|If you want peace, prepare for war.]]''
: -- ''[[w:De Re Militari|De Re Militari]]'' by [[w:Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus|Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus]] (fourth or fifth century AD)
The record of history is now clear: Those who prepared for war often got war initiated when one party claimed they were being attacked or about to be attacked and believed they would fare better by attacking. Sometimes this occurred when the media environment convinced leaders that their political futures required them to clandestinely provoke foreign entities to do things that could then be denounced as unprovoked to justify military escalation, as mentioned in the previous section.
Samuelson (2025) summarized quantitative analyses of 60 insurgencies since World War II, whose findings included the complete absence of success with counterinsurgencies without large force ratios (at least four, and most often more than ten, times the force of the insurgents) and without "providing a path toward peaceful addressing of grievances". He also noted that, "Brutality toward the civilian population ... tends to inflame the insurgency."<ref>Samuelson (2025) summarized Lawrence (2015).</ref> His analysis gave a pessimistic prognosis for the [[w:Gaza war|Gaza war]] that began 2023-10-07. His conclusions are consistent with the history of the current [[w:Russo-Ukrainian war|Russo-Ukrainian war]], the [[w:Vietnam War|Vietnam War]], the [[w:Graveyard of empires|First, Second, and Third Anglo-Afghan Wars (1839-1919), the Soviet-Afghan War (1979–1989), the US-led War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)]], the 2001-2011 [[w:Iraq War|Iraq War]], and others.
A key point is that invaders often to lose unless they enter with overwhelming force like Germany in the early stages of World War II: The [[w:Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945)|Czechoslovaks]], [[w:Invasion of Poland|Poles]], [[w:France during World War II|French]], and others were not prepared to fight the Germans, but the [[w:Soviet Union in World War II|Soviets]] were. [[w:Adolf Hitler|Hitler]] doubtless knew that the [[w:Switzerland during World War I and World War II|Swiss]] were prepared to fight, so he attacked other countries first. While fighting the [[w:Russo-Ukrainian war#Full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine (2022)|Russian invasion]] that began 2022-02-24, [[w:Defense industry of Ukraine|Ukraine has developed]] military drones that are highly effective relative to the cost, as witnessed by sales of such to Gulf Arab states,<ref>Sharawi and Shapiro (2026).</ref> illustrating the point that foreign invaders often encounter vastly more resistance than they expect -- and should expect highly effective resistance if they invade a country prepared to fight on their own territory.
The rest of this section discusses weaknesses with standard deterrence theory.
===Deterrence theory and nuclear Armageddon===
Standard [[w:Deterrence theory|deterrence theory]] assumes that one's opponents are rational and do not want [[w:Armageddon|Armageddon]]. The record of history summarized above raises questions about this assumption: In World War I, even the "winners" arguably lost more than they gained -- doubtless excepting a few merchants, who made fortunes from what they sold. Many of the other military decisions discussed above seem to have been driven more by the media than military necessity.
Beyond that, at least some portions of the [[w:Islamic State|Islamic State]] reportedly violates this assumption, because it "not only believes in the literal meaning of the coming Armageddon – it sees itself as its chief protagonist."<ref>Misra (2015).</ref> Some [[w:Christian nationalism|Christian nationalists]] promoted to command positions by [[w:United States Secretary of Defense|US Secretary of Defense]] [[w:Pete Hegseth|Hegseth]] and President Trump also seem to believe that Armageddon might be desirable. On 2026-03-03 the [[w:Military Religious Freedom Foundation|Military Religious Freedom Foundation]] said they had received over 200 complaints from over 50 different US military installations with comments like, "President Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth", per an email from one [[w:Non-commissioned officer|NCO]].<ref>Nick Mordowanec (2026).</ref> With Hegseth holding monthly Christian worship services in the Pentagon during business hours,<ref>Black (2025), Mayes-Osterman (2025). See also the section on "[[w:Pete Hegseth#Pentagon Christian worship services and "biblically sanctioned war"|Pentagon Christian worship services and "biblically sanctioned war"]] in the Wikipedia article on [[w:Pete Hegseth|Pete Hegseth]], accessed 2026-05-14.</ref> this suggests that Hegseth could have appointed enough Christian nationalists to key positions to initiate nuclear attacks on Iran or Russia, claiming that President Trump had ordered such whether he had or not.<ref>The [[w:Gold Codes|Gold Codes]] carried in the "[[w:nuclear football|nuclear football]]" required by the [[w:Permissive action link|permissive action link]]s would ''not'' prevent Hegseth and a few others appointed by him from initiating nuclear Armageddon, according to Ellsberg, who had been a nuclear war planner for presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon, before releasing the ''[[w:Pentagon Papers|Pentagon Papers]]''. Ellsberg (2017, p. 69) insisted that the security provided by those Gold Codes were a hoax, because otherwise a single nuclear detonation on Washington, DC, when both the president and vice president were in town "would would definitively block any authorized, coordinated nuclear response to that or any subsequent nuclear attack."</ref>
The biggest risk today may be the risk of [[w:Nuclear holocaust|nuclear Armageddon]], which seems on average to grow over time consistent with experience with "[[w:system accidents|system accidents]]" in other fields: It is naive to assume that any system as complex as military command, control and communications systems never fail. And managers of complex systems subject to rare, catastrophic failures "learn" from experience that they can take ever greater risks, because they have "safely" done so in the past — until there is a catastrophe:<ref>Kahneman and Klein (2009) found that expert intuition, when it exists, is learned from frequent, rapid, high quality feedback. With anything nuclear, mishaps are so rare that managers develop "expert intuition" that they can "safely" ignore safety concerns -- until there is a catastrophe. See also Sagan (1993).</ref>
Veterans for Peace (2022) recommend global reduction and rapid elimination of nuclear weapons "to reduce the real risk of nuclear confrontation through accidental launch or miscalculated escalation".
==== National security tariffs ====
Free trade agreements supported by the [[w:World Trade Organization|World Trade Organization]] allow exemptions for national security and other objectives. [[Responding to a nuclear attack|Even a minor nuclear war between India and Pakistan would have a negative impact on the entirety of humanity]]. It might therefore be sensible for parties to the [[w:Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons|Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons]] (TPNW) to institute gradually increasing tariffs on nuclear weapon states, not so great as to seriously impact the economy of the nation applying such tariffs but aggressive enough to gradually wean their economy from reliance on trade with nuclear-weapon states that refuse to support the TPNW.
See also the chapter below on [[/Media Literacy and You/Responding to a nuclear attack/|Responding to a nuclear attack]].
===Research on the effectiveness of deterrence and implications===
Lebow and others have provided substantial documentation of case studies claiming that leaders are often not rational, and deterrence based on threatening use of military force beyond one’s own borders has been ''as likely to provoke as prevent'' undesired behavior.<ref>Lebow (2025, 2024), Lebow et al. (2023).</ref> The most obvious portions of this threat can be entirely eliminated by policies clearly and effectively forbidding use of force beyond one’s own borders. This can be signaled in at least three ways:
* Eliminate all weapon systems like missiles and aircraft with a range of more than, e.g., a hundred miles or 200 kilometers with the possible exception of surveillance only aircraft that cannot be easily configured to carry [[w:Materiel#Military|ordnance]], e.g., explosives. Similarly eliminate nuclear weapons, which few if any countries would want to use for military defense inside their own borders.
* Supply a national guard and reserves with weapons, training, and rules of engagement that prohibit projecting force beyond one’s own borders. Train them also in development and use of improvised explosive devices and other tactics and devices like low cost military drones.
:Afghanistan is said to be the "[[w:Graveyard of empires|Graveyard of empires]]". They defeated the British three times (1839–1842, 1878–1880, 1919), the Soviet Union (1979–1989), and the US (2001–2021). Each victory came with foreign supplies, but any foreign troops helping Afghanis were primarily under the command of local leaders.
:The [[w:2003 invasion of Iraq|2003 invasion of Iraq]] might have produced [[w:Nation-building|nation-building]] more like the experience of [[w:Nation-building#Germany and Japan after World War II|Germany and Japan after World War II]] if the US had mandated a vigorous adversarial press instead of strict censorship, according to McChesney and Nichols.<ref>McChesney and Nichols (2010, Appendix II. Ike, MacArthur and the Forging of Free and Independent Press, pp. 241-254).</ref> This claim by McChesney and Nichols was not endorsed by [[News from Germany 1900-1945 and implications for today#After the war in Germany vs. Iraq|University of British Columbia History professor Heidi Tworek]], who said the democratization efforts in Germany and Japan after World War II were more complicated than that implied by that brief discussion by McChesney and Nichols.<ref>The 2025-07-03 interview with Tworek is available at "[[News from Germany 1900-1945 and implications for today]]", accessed 2026-05-14.</ref> However, the research by Usher and Kim-Leffingwell (2022) and the related research on news deserts summarized in the preface to this ''[[Media Literacy and You]]'' book largely supports those claims by McChesney and Nichols.
:[[w:Defense industry of Ukraine|Ukraine has become a world leader in military drones]], many of which are dramatically cheaper than alternatives. Most of those have limited range but have been useful for reconnaissance and delivery of ordnance and improving targeting of, e.g., surface to air missiles.
:[[w:Eliot A. Cohen|Eliot Cohen]], who served as a special advisor to [[w:United States Secretary of State|US Secretary of State]] [[w:Condoleezza Rice|Condoleezza Rice]] from 2007 to 2009, wrote, "As the United States discovered in Iraq and Afghanistan, no matter how large, technologically advanced, and proficient an army is, motivated insurgents can still inflict casualties in the tens of thousands."<ref>Cohen (2022), cited from Horton (2024, p. 1026).</ref> Cohen recommended we "Arm the Ukranians now". Horton said that the neoconservatives learned from Iraq War II and Afghanistan that the US "should fight like those who defeated them."<ref>Horton (2024, p. 1026).</ref>
:Leading economist [[w:Jeffrey Sachs|Jeffrey Sachs]] addressed the European Parliament 2025-02-19, claiming that the tragedy that befell Serbia in 1999 and subsequent US uses of force in Iraq and Syria, plus wars in Africa including Syria, Somalia and Libya and the current wars in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war, "are to a very significant extent the result of deeply misguided US policies."<ref>Sachs (2025-02).</ref> He said that Europe should craft its own foreign and military policies, independent of the US. ''[[w:Le Monde Diplomatique|Le Monde Diplomatique]]'' noted that Sachs' speech has circulated among social media since ''but has yet to be seriously discussed by major European media.''<ref>Sachs (2025-04; emphasis added).</ref>
* Change the laws of government secrecy so government officials cannot secretly interfere in the internal affairs of foreign countries or otherwise project force outside their own borders. This might be achieved in the US in part by requiring anyone with information about questionable actions by government officials to provide such documentation to one or more congressional oversight bodies while also allowing any current or former government employee or contractor to file suit in any US federal jurisdiction if they feel they have been punished for refusing to support questionable activities. In addition, federal judges should be authorized to subpoena classified government documents that may be relevant to any case in their jurisdiction and declassify them subject to appellate review if they believe the national interest would be better served by declassification.
:If the law is changed without a substantive [[#1. Citizen-directed subsidies for local news nonprofits with firewall(s) to prevent political interference in the content.|citizen-directed subsidies for local news nonprofits with firewall(s) to prevent political interference]], as discussed above, the change could be merely cosmetic and unconvincing to local public officials and potential adversaries.
:Connelly (2023) noted that US government secrecy has in the past encouraged administration officials to do things to provoke actions by foreign entities that can then be denounced as “unprovoked” to stampede the US Congress and the public into supporting counterproductive uses of military force, as discussed above.<ref>See also Connelly et al. (2023).</ref> A more diverse media culture should make it harder for administration officials to lie to the public and to Congress — and harder to punish government employees who tell their managers that they should not lie to Congress, as they reportedly did to [[#Richard Barlow and nuclear proliferation|Richard Barlow]], mentioned above.
:The Barlow case and many others explain why the US should, e.g., give federal judges the authority to subpoena classified documents and declassify them if they believe the public good is better served from declassification than continued secrecy.<ref>See, e.g., the 2025-05-08 interview with Seth Stern and Lauren Harper discussing what the "[[Freedom of the Press Foundation says...]]", Graves (2014), and [[w:Moynihan Commission on Government Secrecy|Moynihan Commission on Government Secrecy]], accessed 2026-05-06. Graves (2021) recommends "Congressional Gold Medals for" Barlow and whistleblowers.</ref>
These policies would make it hard for any foreign leader to justify an attack for multiple reasons: First, it would be difficult to convince their supporters that such an attack is necessary. Second, a rational foreign leader might be hesitant to invade a country that is prepared to fight a guerrilla war. Germany reportedly considered invading [[w:Switzerland during World War I and World War II|Switzerland during both World Wars I and II]] and decided against it in part because Switzerland had large, well-trained ready reserves, who were ready to fight. Belgium seemed to be an easier route.<ref>Documented in Wikipedia, "[[w:Switzerland during World War I and World War II|Switzerland during World War I and World War II]]", accessed 2026-05-06. Switzerland also has many mountains, which make it easier to defend, but the capabilities of the Swiss military also influenced the German decision to avoid Switzerland.</ref> Third, even if foreign invaders defeat the guerrillas, they should not assume that their invading forces would continue to follow orders. [[w:Rescue of the Danish Jews|Ninety-nine percent of Danish Jews reportedly survived World War II]] because of Danish noncooperation ''supported by a German diplomat''.<ref>Wikipedia, "[[w:Rescue of the Danish Jews|Rescue of the Danish Jews]]", accessed 2026-05-06.</ref>
With policies like these in place, it would be hard for foreign leaders to convince their supporters of a need to attack, as [[w:2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|Putin did when invading Ukraine in 2022]],<ref>The Wikipedia article on "[[w:2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]]", accessed 2026-05-06, includes a paragraph saying, 'In July 2021, Putin published an essay "On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians", in which he called Ukraine "historically Russian lands" and claimed there is "no historical basis" for the "idea of Ukrainian people as a nation separate from the Russians"'. Putin was accused of promoting Russian imperialism, historical revisionism and disinformation. Writing in 2024, Michael McFaul and Robert Person described this essay as representing not only "cynical propaganda" but also Putin's "deeply held and internalized beliefs". See the Wikipedia article for references supporting those claims.</ref> as [[w:2025 India–Pakistan crisis|India did when attacking Pakistan in 2025]], and as [[w:Invasion of Poland|Hitler did when invading Poland in 1939]], to name only three examples.
=== If we continue to base deterrence on threats ===
There are now calls for Europe to get their own nuclear weapons,<ref>Burgard (2025).</ref> while Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, South Korea and Taiwan have been suggested as other candidates for acquiring nuclear weapons should they feel a sufficient need.<ref>Ruehl (2024).</ref>
It is difficult to imagine how the number of nuclear weapon states could be increased without increasing the risks of a nuclear war, consistent with the discussion of "[[w:system accident|system accident]]s" earlier in this chapter.
Secondarily, intelligence services with information on political corruption including attempts to intimidate and murder journalists should not be allowed to keep that information secret: They should be required to find ways to leak that information to journalists. Such attacks on journalists in their own country should be exposed and prosecuted if the evidence seems likely to obtain a conviction. Intelligence services with information about such attacks in other countries should be required to find ways to leak it to competent journalists without identifying their sources and methods: Doing so would likely reduce political corruption worldwide and with that the risks of war.
== Collateral damage ==
The research cited above supports the claim that,
:''[[w:Collateral damage|Collateral damage]] that our designated enemies commit prove to us that they are subhuman or criminally misled.''
:''Meanwhile, collateral damage that we commit is unfortunate but necessary -- from our perspective. However, it proves to our designated enemies that we are subhuman or criminally misled.''
This observation supports this entire program of deterrence without threat:
* Forbidding use of force beyond one’s own borders and covert interference in foreign countries would automatically reduce collateral damage. It would also avoid uses of force that seem not to contribute to broadly shared peace and prosperity, according to research cited above.
* The effectiveness of nonviolent noncooperation rests in part on its near universal avoidance of collateral damage.
* Citizen-directed subsidies for local news nonprofits with firewall(s) to prevent political interference in the content should make it much harder for major media to convince the public to do things contrary to their best interests, like invading or interfering covertly in foreign countries.
== Call for help ==
Do you, dear reader, know other serious research not cited herein that might improve this analysis? If yes, you can help improve this discussion by adding comments with citations -- or by adding such citation(s) to the "Discuss" page associated with this chapter, suggesting someone else revise the chapter appropriately.
There are plenty of contrary claims in the major media, but the lead author of this chapter is not aware of any that are based on serious research.
In the absence of such research, the current author finds it difficult to imagine any national defense policies that carry a greater risk of nuclear Armageddon than our current policies, as discussed in the next chapter of this book on ''[[Media Literacy and You]]'' on "[[Media Literacy and You/Responding to a nuclear attack|Responding to a nuclear attack]]". That chapter, in sum, claims that the ''worst'' response to a nuclear attack would be nuclear response, because it would escalate a catastrophe killing millions of humans to one killing ''billions'', possibly 80 percent of humanity in a war between the US and Russia that lofts so much smoke from burning cities to the stratosphere where it covers the globe depressing crop yields for years during with 99 percent of the humans in the US, Europe and Russia would starve to death if they did not die of something else sooner. Moreover, the record of "[[w:System accident|system accident]]s" suggests that the chances of such a war before the end of this century is substantially greater than the 40 percent median estimate based on history mentioned in a presentation on "[[Time to nuclear Armageddon]]" delivered to the 2019 Joint Statistical Meetings.
This chapter is being written in the hopes of inspiring action to improve the prospects for broadly shared peace and prosperity for the long term.
== Exercises ==
1. Disconfirmation bias: Brainstorm your biggest concerns about a current or possible future war.
:1.1. Select the one that is of greatest concern to you currently.
::One issue that may not be a major concern for many but might elicit a broad consensus for action would be a campaign to ask elected officials in the US Congress to explain how we benefit from the provisions of the USA Patriot Act of 2001 that authorize [[#life in prison for teaching nonviolence|life in prison for teaching nonviolence]].
:1.2. Who are your designated enemies?
:1.3. Research what your designated enemies are saying about your biggest concern.
:1.4. Under what circumstances would you support what you see your designated enemies advocating or doing?
::If you cannot see such circumstances, expand your research: Look for more sources that support your designated enemies.
2. Interacting: Ask others if you can share what you've learned about that conflict. If they say, "No", don't push it. If they agree, share what you've learned in a friendly supportive manner without saying that anything is "true".
::''Show me someone who knows the truth, and I will show you someone who is dangerous.''
:2.1. The primary goal in this is ''not'' to convince anyone that you are right and they are wrong but to lower the level of anger and increase the level of tolerance for dissenting views.
:2.2. Another goal is to comfortably enjoy civil conversations of this nature, agreeing to disagree agreeably and building trusting relationships that support collaboration on issues of common concern.
:2.3. After becoming adept at building collaborations on issues of common concern, you might consider teaching this important skill and approach to issues.
3. Teaching: Each one teach two, as discussed in the section on "[[Media Literacy and You#Text and self-help book and point of discuss|Text and self-help book and point of discuss]]" in the preface to this book.
<!--== See also ==-->
== Notes ==
{{reflist}}
== Bibliography ==
* <!--Philippe Aghion, Céline Antonin, and Simon Bunel (2022) The Power of Creative Destruction: Economic Upheaval and the Wealth of Nations-->{{cite Q|Q139874218}}
* <!--Bobby Allyn (2026-03-25) "Jury finds Meta and Google negligent in social media harms trial-->{{cite Q|Q139572103}}
* <!--BBC (2022-08-01) "Nuclear annihilation just one miscalculation away, UN chief warns"-->{{cite Q|Q139596165|author=BBC}}
* <!--Elizabeth Black (2026-05-22) "Hegseth hosts first monthly Christian service in Pentagon"-->{{cite Q|Q139791642}}
* <!--Hans Günter Brauch, ed, Towards Rethinking Politics, Policy and Polity in the Anthropocene: Multidisciplinary Perspectives (Springer, pp. 225-234).-->{{cite Q|Q134488491|author= Hans Günter Brauch, ed.}}
* <!--Jan Philipp Burgard (2025-04-08) “Opinion | Europe Needs Its Own Nukes”, Politico-->{{cite Q|Q134465922}}
* <!--Clay Calvert, Dan V. Kozlowski, and Derigan Silver (2023) Mass Media Law, 22nd ed.-->{{cite Q|Q135455067}}
* <!--Francis X. Clines (1983-06-21) "Reagan says his opponents risk Central American influx"-->{{cite Q|Q139790146}}
* <!--Eliot Cohen (2022-02-23) “Arm the Ukrainians Now”, The Atlantic-->{{cite Q|Q139679796}}
* <!--Philippe Duhamel (2013-09-26) Civil resistance as deterrent to fracking: Part One, They shale not pass-->{{cite Q|Q140833946}}
* <!--Albert Fried (1997) McCarthyism: the great American Red scare: a documentary history-->{{cite Q|Q106659308}}
* <!--Matthew Connelly (2023) The Declassification Engine: What History Reveals About America’s Top Secrets (Pantheon).->{{cite Q|Q116786691}}
* <!--Matthew Connelly, Douglas A. Samuelson, and Spencer Graves (2023-03-14) “Does US government secrecy threaten national security?”, Radio Active Magazine on KKFI-->{{cite Q|Q125582094}}
* <!--Lisa DePaulo (2008-10-31) "Leader of the Year: Right Man, Right Time"-->{{cite Q|Q114039844}}
* <!--Dwight D. Eisenhower (1063) Mandate for Change-->{{cite Q|Q61945939}}
* <!--Daniel Ellsberg (2017) The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a nuclear war planner (Bloomsbury)-->{{cite Q|Q64226035}}
* <!--Spencer Graves (2021-10-28) " Congressional Gold Medals for Assange, Hale, Barlow, Winner, Manning, Edmonds, Sterling, Drake, Snowden, Ellsberg"-->{{cite Q|Q125570226}}
* <!--Spencer Graves (2014-07-18) “Restrict secrecy more than data collection”, San José Peace & Justice Center-->{{cite Q|Q106512569}}
* <!-- Serge Halimi and Serge Halimi (2023-03) "Un an après l'invasion de l'Ukraine, une débâcle du journalisme: Les médias, avant-guarde du parti de la guerre"-->{{cite Q|Q118225389}}
* <!--John Maxwell Hamilton (2020) Manipulating the Masses: Woodrow Wilson and the Birth of American Propaganda-->{{cite Q|Q137342282}}
* <!--Scott Horton (2024) Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine (Libertarian Inst.)00>{{cite Q|Q139565338}}
* <!--Annie Jacobsen (2024-04-10) "'Nuclear war happens in seconds and minutes, not days and weeks': How I researched the end of the world"-->{{cite Q|Q139596142}}
* <!-- Kahneman and Klein (2009) Conditions for intuitive expertise: a failure to disagree-->{{cite Q|Q35001791}}
* <!--Stanley Karnow (1983) Vietnam: A History-->{{cite Q|Q108903453}}
* <!--Christopher A. Lawrence (2015) America's Modern Wars: Understanding Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam-->{{cite Q|Q136130919}}
* <!--Richard Ned Lebow (2024) “Are Leaders Rational?”, Critical Review, 36:4, 465-482.-->{{cite Q|Q134487607}}
* <!--Richard Ned Lebow (2025) “Thinking Politically About the Anthropocene”, ch. 5 in Hans Günter Brauch, ed, Towards Rethinking Politics, Policy and Polity in the Anthropocene: Multidisciplinary Perspectives (Springer, pp. 225-234).-->{{cite Q|Q134488569|Author=Richard Ned Lebow}}
* <!--Richard Ned Lebow, Douglas A. Samuelson, and Spencer Graves (2023-11-28), “Richard Ned Lebow on national defense including deterrence”, Radio Active Magazine-->{{cite Q|Q124351846}}
* <!-- Charles Mackay (1841/2009) Memoirs of extraordinary popular delusions and the madness of crowds-->{{cite Q|Q116897625}}
* <!-- Daniel P. Mannix (1964) The history of torture-->{{cite Q|Q116896896}}
* <!--Jane Mayer (2008) Dark side : the inside story of how the war on terror turned into a war on American ideals (Doubleday)-->{{cite Q|Q1681286}}
* <!--Cybele Mayes-Osterman (2025-12-18) Pete Hegseth pushes his Christian faith in Pentagon prayer services-->{{cite Q|Q139791710}}
* <!--Tom McCarthy (2016-02-07) “Donald Trump: I’d bring back ‘a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding'”, The Guardian-->{{cite Q|Q134462630}}
* <!-- McChesney and Nichols (2010) The Death and Life of American Journalism-->{{cite Q|Q104888067}}
* <!--Stanley A. McChrystal (2013). My share of the task: A memoir (Penguin)-->{{cite Q|Q135406522}}
* <!--Katie McQue (2026-04-24) " Meta ordered to pay $375m after being found liable in child exploitation case-->{{cite Q|Q139572337}}
* <!--Amalendu Misra (2015-11-19) “What does Islamic State actually want?”, The Conversation-->{{cite Q|Q134487571}}
* <!--Nick Mordowanec (2026-03-03) " Commanders Accused of Framing Iran War as Biblical Mandate, Jesus' 'Return'"-->{{cite Q|Q138840951}}
* <!--John Mueller (2021) The Stupidity of War: American Foreign Policy and the Case for Complacency (Cambridge U. Pr.,)-->{{cite Q|Q113702723}}
* <!--Mueller and Graves (2023-04-06) "The Stupidity of War and the Exaggeration of Threat"-->{{cite Q|Q139789709}}
* <!--Pat Paterson (2008-02) "The Truth About Tonkin"-->{{cite Q|Q133449570}}
* <!--Steven Pinker (2011) The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined (Viking Press, pp. 138-139)-->{{cite Q|Q60412312}}
* <!--Paul Romer (2009-07-31) "A Terrible Thing to Waste"-->{{cite Q|Q139676537}}
* <!--Arthur E. (Ted) Rowse (1992-09) "Kuwaitgate - killing of Kuwaiti babies by Iraqi soldiers exaggerated-->{{cite Q|Q123698876}}
* <!--John P. Ruehl (2025-11-01) “Which Countries Are on the Brink of Going Nuclear?”, Peninsula Peace & Justice Center-->{{cite Q|Q134465827}}
* <!--Jeffrey Sachs (2025-04) “File: The trap of major rearmament: Geopolitics of peace (in French: “Dossier : Le piège du grand réarmement: Géopolitique de la paix”), Le Monde Diplomatique (https://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/2025/04/SACHS/68242).-->{{cite Q|Q134463099}}
* <!--Jeffrey Sachs (2025-02) “Jeffrey Sachs: Speech at European Parliament on February 19, 2025”: Edited transcript and YouTube video (https://newkontinent.org/jeffrey-sachs-speech-at-european-parliament-on-february-19-2025/)-->{{cite Q|Q134463038}}
* <!--Scott Sagan (1993) The limits of safety: Organizations, Accidents, and Nuclear Weapons (Princeton U. Pr.)-->{{cite Q|Q136765429}}
* <!--Douglas A. Samuelson (2025-09-26) " Assessing Israel’s Approach in Gaza"-->{{cite Q|Q138843324}}
* <!--Amanda Sauer (2016-05-09) "Political Agenda Setting in Early America: The Barbary Wars"-->{{cite Q|Q139589295}}
* <!--Michael Scheuer (2004) Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror (Brassey’s).-->{{cite Q|Q6006645}}
* <!--Mark Schmeller (2009) "The Political Economy of Opinion: Public Credit and Concepts of Public Opinion in the Age of Federalism"-->{{cite Q|Q139589348}}
* <!--Ahmad Sharawi and Dimitriy Shapiro (2026-04-01) "Ukraine Agrees to Mutually Beneficial Defense Deals With Gulf Arab States"-->{{cite Q|Q139948808}}
* <!--Jeff Stein (2013-12-04) “The Perils of Whistle-Blowing”, Newsweek-->{{cite Q|Q63257553}}
* <!--David Swanson (2022-03-15) " 30 Nonviolent Things Russia Could Have Done and 30 Nonviolent Things Ukraine Could Do"-->{{cite Q|Q134465808}}
* <!--Veterans For Peace Nuclear Posture Review-->{{cite Q|Q111141993|author=Veterans for Peace}}
* <!-- Xia et al. (2022) Global food insecurity and famine ... from a nuclear war ...-->{{cite Q| Q113732668}}
[[Category:Media literacy]]
[[Category:Communication]]
[[Category:Political science]]
[[Category:Law]]
[[Category:Psychology]]
[[Category:Sociology]]
[[Category:War History]]
[[Category:Media Literacy and You]]
<!--
https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Wikiversity:Category_Review
-->
7ue6if3vq7axg5r19kin94v3rxxdso2
2820449
2820448
2026-08-03T13:17:12Z
DavidMCEddy
218607
/* 2. Training in nonviolent noncooperation for anyone willing to listen */
2820449
wikitext
text/x-wiki
[[File:Nukes or nonviolence.png|thumb|Nuclear war or nonviolent noncooperation?]]
:''Humanity is one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation. ... This is madness. We must reverse course.''
: -- [[w:António Guterres|UN Secretary General António Guterres]] (2022)<ref>Jacobsen (2024), BBC (2022).</ref>
:This book is a combination instruction manual on [[w:Media literacy|media literacy]] and an invitation to you to support collaborative / crowd-sourced research on how to improve the world's understanding of media literacy and how to accelerate its understanding and use globally for the betterment of humanity.
Part I of this book on ''[[Media Literacy and You]]'' discusses "The media and political economy". Except in times of terror, massive lawlessness or war, most humans place a high priority on their financial situation, the primary focus of Part I. Part II on "The media and war" focuses on security concerns starting with this chapter on "Deterrence without threat".
== Introduction ==
Every individual and group has a right and an obligation to defend itself. Unfortunately, when most humans<ref>We distinguish here between "humans" and "people" or "persons", because under current US law, corporations are "people" and money is speech, per the US Supreme Court decision in ''[[w:Citizens United v. FEC|Citizens United v. FEC]]'' (2010) and many other judicial rulings and US law such as the [[w:Patriot Act|Patriot Act]] of 2001.</ref> think of defense, they often think of violent responses to provocations.
However, there is a growing body of research documenting
:(a) how most uses of violence are counterproductive, and
:(b) there are usually nonviolent options to violence that would more effectively promote broadly shared peace and prosperity for the long term.
This research is rarely discussed by major media outlets, because it would offend the "people"<ref>We put "people" in quotes in this essay, because that term includes corporations under current US law.</ref> who control most of the money for the media: Nonviolence threatens their ability to get compliance from security forces. As a result, many elites prefer to use force to the detriment of the bottom 99 percent of humanity. As discussed below, a military posture that supports projecting force beyond one’s own borders may be as likely to ''provoke'' as ''prevent'' an attack.<ref>For example, Lebow (2025) cites some of his previous work with others to support the claim that large militaries have been "more provocative than preventative in" their effects. And Lebow (2024) insists that, "Policymakers respond more instinctively than analytically in deciding that some policy is or is not in the national interest." See also Lebow et al. (2023).</ref>
This chapter outlines a 3-part strategy that research suggests would more likely lead to better outcomes for the vast majority of humans:
# Citizen-directed subsidies for local news nonprofits with firewall(s) to prevent political interference in the content.
# Training in nonviolent noncooperation for anyone willing to listen.
# Forbid uses of force beyond one’s own borders and covert interference in foreign countries.
We now discuss each of these briefly.
== 1. Citizen-directed subsidies for local news nonprofits with firewall(s) to prevent political interference in the content. ==
It seems that
:''Primary drivers of every major conflict include differences between the media that the different parties find crecible.''
In a recent interview with [[w:Fordham University|Fordham University]] Professor Emerita of Communications Robin Andersen,<ref name=Andersen><!--Robin Andersen-->{{cite Q|Q132982358}}</ref> she agreed with this claim and added:
:''We only have enemies of our very own making.''
The media are involved in this, because:
:''The major media create the stage upon which politicians read their lines.''<ref>In 1791 James Madison, who represented part of Virginia in the US House of Representatives 1789-1801 and later became the 4th President of the US (1809-1819), said, "Public opinion sets bounds to every government, and is the real sovereign in every free one." Quoted from the ''[[w:National Gazette|National Gazette]]'' (published 1791-1793) by Schmeller (2009, p. 36) and Sauer (2016, p. 5). Sauer described how the American Revolutionaries, especially the first four US presidents, planted stories in newspapers to build support for how they dealt with the [[w:Barbary corsairs|Barbary pirates]], who were seizing merchant ships, raiding European coastal towns and villages, and selling European captives into slavery. The first two US presidents, [[w:George Washington|Washington]] and [[w:John Adams|Adams]], used that support for protecting US shipping and citizens by paying tribute to government leaders in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. The next two presidents, [[w:Thomas Jefferson|Jefferson]] and [[w:James Madison|Madison]], convinced Congress to fund a navy and marines to fight the [[w:Barbary Wars|Barbary Wars]]. This included the [[w:Battle of Derna (1805)|Battle of Derna]] (April-May 1805), memorialized in the [[w:Marines' Hymn|Marines' Hymn]], which mentions actions "to the shores of Tripoli". Sauer described how the policies were sold to the public via planted stories in the different partisan newspapers.</ref>
This works because (a) virtually everyone thinks they know more than they do ([[w:Overconfidence effect|overconfidence effect]]), and (b) virtually everyone prefers information and sources consistent with preconceptions ([[w:confirmation bias|confirmation bias]]).
Also, in many, perhaps all, countries, the primary constituency for foreign and military policy is the people with foreign business interests. Many of these people also control substantial portions of the money for the media, which have too often encourage questionable and counterproductive uses of military force.<ref>If we [[w:follow the money|follow the money]], we might find that "watchdogs generally protect the people who feed them", as discussed in the 2025-09-25 interview with British journalist and media reform activist Dan Hind discussing how the British [[Media Reform Coalition challenges anti-democratic media bias in the UK]].</ref>
=== Examples ===
A leader in documenting the role of the media in armed conflict is Robin Andersen,<ref>e.g., Andersen (2006, 2026).</ref> but she is not alone. For example, [[w:University of Denver|University of Denver]] journalism professor Kareem El Damanhoury<ref name=Daman><!--Kareem El Damanhoury-->{{cite Q|Q113752441}}</ref> has compared how [[w:Gaza Strip|Gaza]] has been framed differently by [[w:Al Jazeera Media Network|Al Jazeera]], the [[w:BBC|BBC]]<ref>El Damanhoury et al. (2025).</ref> and [[w:Fox News|Fox]].<ref>El Damanhoury and Saleh (2024).</ref><ref>Some of El Damanhoury's work in this regard [[Differences between media outlets including coverage of Gaza|is reviewed in a 2025-11-20 interview with him]].</ref>
==== World War I ====
Andersen's (2006) ''A Century of Media, A Century of War'' begins with a discussion of "The birth of war propaganda" in "The Great War and the Fight between Good and Evil".<ref>Andersen (2006, ch. 1)</ref>
A more detailed but compatible discussion of the media and [[w:World War I|World War I]] is given by [[w:John Maxwell Hamilton|John Maxwell Hamilton]]. Among other things, he said: {{quote|
The first iron law of propaganda is that only the enemy does it.<ref>Hamilton (2020, p. 642). See also the [[John Maxwell Hamilton on American propaganda|2025-12-11 interview with Hamilton]].</ref>}}
[[File:MB Walker - German bayoneting children - Life - July 25, 1915.png|thumb|left|Figure 1. Stories of German soldiers impaling children on their bayonets were widely reported during the war. However, no credible evidence was found to support these claims when questions were raised after the war.<ref>{{cite web|title=Alleged German atrocities: Bryce report|url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/firstworldwar/spotlights/p_alleged_german.htm|publisher=The National Archives|access-date=13 July 2014}}</ref>]]
Andersen (2006, pp. 8-9) said, {{quote|
James Bryce, the former British ambassador to the United States, ... helped prepare a sixty-one page ''Report on the Committee on alleged German Outrages'', which was translated into thirty languages and was said to be based on twelve hundred depositions ... included gruesome and titillating details of how German soldiers publicly raped Belgian girls in the marketplace at Liege and bayonetted a two-year-old child. ... [A]fter the war a Belgian commission of inquiry found no evidence for any major accusation in the report. ...}}
{{quote|
German propagandists, on the other hand, ... "bungled, because they were naïve: they thought the success of the war depended almost solely on military strategy and therefore they tended to neglect propaganda." ... Thus, when German soldiers shot some Allied nurses who had carried weapons, they admitted it openly. The Allies reported the incident as an atrocity and featured it in press propaganda. When French troops shot German nurses under similar circumstances, the Germans failed to exploit it.}}
==== Jonathan Swift 1710 ====
This is not limited to World War I. In 1710, [[w:Jonathan Swift|Jonathan Swift]] reportedly said, "Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after ... like a physician, who hath found out an infallible medicine, after the patient is dead."<ref name=Swift>Excerpted from a line in [[Wikiquote:Jonathan Swift]] consulted 2026-04-13.</ref>
==== The Marines' Hymn ====
The [[w:Marines' Hymn|Marine Corps Hymn]] begins, {{quote|
From the Halls of Montezuma
To the shores of Tripoli;
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land, and sea.}}
The "[[w:Battle of Chapultepec|Halls of Montezuma]]" refer to the [[w:Mexican–American War|Mexican–American War]], which was fought to expand slavery first into [[w:Texas|Texas]] -- and supporters of slavery hoped that would help expand slavery further west. The "[[w:Battle of Derna (1805)|shores of Tripoli]]" were part of the [[w:Barbary Wars|Barbary Wars]], which were fought to reduce the need to pay (a) tribute to the [[w:Barbary Coast|Barbary or Berber]] states of [[w:Morocco|Morocco]], [[w:Algeria|Algeria]], [[w:Tunisia|Tunisia]], and [[w:Libya|Libya]] or (b) ransom to [[w:Barbary corsairs|Barbary pirates]], who were otherwise capturing Christians and selling them into slavery.
Did the bottom 99 percent of the US population of that time benefit? Or did these wars (and any tribute and ransom paid by the US government before the Barbary wars) constitute a hidden transfer of wealth from the poor to the wealthy?
A partial answer to this question is that [[w:tariff|tariff]]s on imported goods covered between 80 and 95 percent of all federal revenue up to 1860, and [[w:excise|excise taxes]] on only a few goods, such as whiskey, rum, tobacco, snuff and refined sugar, made up nearly all the rest.<ref>See the section on "[[w:Excise tax in the United States#Historical background|Historical background]]" in the Wikipedia article on "[[w:Excise tax in the United States|Excise tax in the United States]]", accessed 2026-05-26.</ref> The money raised from taxes on income during the Civil War, visible in Figure 3 above, were apparently negligible as a portion of federal revenue during the Barbary Wars and the Mexican-American War.
==== Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: "Betray the nation or do not get elected." ====
Regarding the [[w:Vietnam War|Vietnam War]], former president [[w:Dwight D. Eisenhower|Eisenhower]] wrote in his autobiography, which appeared in 1963 (he left the presidency 1961-01-20), that he had never communicated {{quote|
with a person knowledgeable in Indochinese affairs [including Vietnam] who did not agree that had elections been held as of the time of the fighting [leading to the defeat of the French in 1954], possibly 80 per cent of the population would have voted for the Communist [[w:Ho Chi Minh|Ho Chi Minh]].<ref>Eisenhower (1963, p. 372).</ref>}}
[[w:Joseph McCarthy|Joseph McCarthy]], who had been elected to the US Senate in 1946 and "experienced a meteoric rise in national profile beginning on February 9, 1950, when he gave a" speech during which he said something like, "The [[w:United States Secretary of State|State Department]] is infested with communists. I have here in my hand a list of 205—a list of names that were made known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping policy in the State Department." McCarthy's mostly baseless claims went largely unchallenged in the media, including accusing the Democrats of "twenty years of treason" for having been allied with the Soviet Union, which took the bulk of casualties during World War II.
By the end of 1953 with (Republican) Eisenhower as president roughly 11 months, McCarthy was complaining about "''21'' years of treason", complaining that Eisenhower was not sufficiently aggressive in rooting out the communists who McCarthy claimed were in the government.<ref>Fried (1997, p. 179).</ref>
Then the French were defeated by Vietnamese communists 1954-05-07 in the [[w:Battle of Dien Bien Phu|Battle of Dien Bien Phu]]. The [[w:1954 Geneva Conference|1954 Geneva Conference]], which had begun eleven days earlier, 1954-04-26, concluded 1954-07-21 with the "Geneva Accords of 1954".<ref>The [[w:Battle of Dien Bien Phu|Battle of Dien Bien Phu]], 1954-05-07, effectively ended the [[w:First Indochina War|French Indochina War]]. This led to the [[w:1954 Geneva Conference|Geneva accords of 1954]], officially dated 1954-07-20 but actually signed the following morning. Those accords took effect on three different dates, July 27 and August 1 and 11 in three different sectors of Vietnam. See <!--Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities in Vietnam-->{{cite Q|Q139676410}}</ref> Those accords called for UN-supervised elections for July of 1956, when Eisenhower would presumably be campaigning for reelection. Eisenhower doubtless knew that he might lose his bid for re-election in 1956, if the Communist Ho Chi Minh won elections in July of that year.
:''The consistent suppression of honest portrayal in the major media of that day of the perspective of anyone whom Eisenhower considered "knowledgeable in Indochinese affairs" gave him -- and his successors [[w:John F. Kennedy|Kennedy]], [[w:Lyndon B. Johnson|Johnson]], and [[w:Richard Nixon|Nixon]] -- the choice between betraying the nation or not getting elected.''
In this environment, the [[w:Operation 34A|US initiated a series of clandestine operations against North Vietnam]] including infiltrating CIA-recruited spies and supporting attacks against North Vietnam by South Vietnamese commandos.<ref>Paterson (2008).</ref> This included a raid 1964-07-30 by South Vietnamese commandos on the island of Hòn Mê, roughly 300 km (180 miles) north of the [[w:Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone|Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone]] in the [[w:Gulf of Tonkin|Gulf of Tonkin]], covered by [[w:DESOTO patrol|US naval vessels]] patrolling in that area. Then during a dark and stormy night six days later, US naval vessels opened fire on radar snow, and President Johnson requested and received Congressional approval of the [[w:Gulf of Tonkin Resolution|Gulf of Tonkin Resolution]]; then-[[w:United States Secretary of Defense|US Secretary of Defense]] [[w:Robert McNamara|McNamara]] claimed those attacks were "unprovoked".<ref>Karnow (1983, p. 375). See also the section on [[w:Gulf of Tonkin Resolution#Congress votes|Congress votes]]" in the Wikipedia article on [[w:Gulf of Tonkin Resolution|Gulf of Tonkin Resolution]], accessed 2026-05-14.</ref>
In this media environment, only two officials in the US Congress voted against the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: [[w:Ernest Gruening|Ernest Gruening]] (D-AK) and [[w:Wayne Morse|Wayne Morse]] (D-OR). Gruening lost in his next primary campaign to [[w:Mike Gravel|Mike Gravel]], and Morse lost in his next general election campaign to [[w:Bob Packwood|Bob Packwood]]. These results support the previous claim that the major media give politicians the choice:
:''Betray the nation, or do not get elected.''
That resolution became the primary authorization for the US war in Vietnam until Congress ended the funding.
==== Was the Vietnam War lost in Washington or by media biases? ====
[[w:John Mueller|John Mueller]], prolific author, Professor Emeritus of international relations at [[w:Ohio State University|Ohio State University]] and Senior Fellow at the [[w:Cato Institute|Cato Institute]], said that the most effective thing the US did to win the [[w:Cold War|Cold War]] was —
:''nothing'':
Between the [[w:Fall of Saigon|Fall of Saigon]] in 1975 and the inauguration of [[w:Ronald Reagan|Ronald Reagan]] as President of the US, the US "went into a sort of containment funk: it effectively adopted a policy of complacency (or perhaps of appeasement) as it watched from the sidelines as the Soviet Union … opportunistically gathered a set of Third World countries into its imperial embrace: Angola in 1976, Mozambique and Ethiopia in 1977, South Yemen and Afghanistan in 1978, Grenada and Nicaragua in 1979."<ref>Mueller (2021, p. 59).</ref> Nearly all became major economic and political drains on the Soviets with Afghanistan being the worst. And their Warsaw Pact allies in Eastern Europe became a severe economic drain and psychic problem.<ref>Mueller and Graves (2023).</ref>
President Reagan, inaugurated 1981-01-20, had a very different vision of the role of the US in foreign relations from his predecessor, [[w:Jimmy Carter|Jimmy Carter]]. In 1983-06-21 Reagan insisted, "We cannot permit the Soviet-Cuban-Nicaraguan axis to take over Central America", because the consequences would include "a tidal wave of refugees ... 'feet people' ... swarming into our country."<ref>Clines (1983).</ref>
Other sources<ref>e.g., Andersen (2006, Part II).</ref> insist the opposite, that the vast majority of deaths in Central America during the Reagan years were poor humans petitioning nonviolently for a redress of grievances, suppressed by terrorist / death squads supported by the Reagan administration largely in violation of laws passed by Congress and signed by President Reagan. On 1986-10-05 [[w:Corporate Air Services HPF821|a Nicaraguan soldier with a surface to air missile shot down a C-123]] cargo aircraft carrying supplies to the Contra roughly 35 miles (56 km) north of Costa Rica. Documents found in the wreckage and a confession by the sole survivor led to the [[w:Iran–Contra affair|Iran-Contra hearings]] the following year, during which Lt. Col. [[w:Oliver North|Oliver North]] insisted, "We didn't lose the war in Vietnam ..., we lost it in this city."<ref>Andersen (2006, p. 137). See also, Wikipedia, "[[w:Stab-in-the-back myth|Stab-in-the-back myth]]", accessed 2026-05-13.</ref>
The previous section on the "Gulf of Tonkin Resolution" provides an alternative narrative of the Vietnam War: If as Eisenhower claimed, "possibly 80 per cent of the [Vietnamese] population would have voted for the Communist [[w:Ho Chi Minh|Ho Chi Minh]]" if elections had been held there, it's hard to imagine how anyone else could have won without aggressive action that actually ''improved'' the lives of Vietnamese peasants in the South. US-led efforts there were officially designed to win "[[w:Hearts and Minds (Vietnam War)|Hearts and Minds]]" but were implemented with such coercion that the result was the opposite. A cynic might say that it is hard to win people's hearts and minds by killing them.
====Richard Barlow and nuclear proliferation====
There is also documentation that the US helped Pakistan get nuclear weapons and destroyed the career of an intelligence analyst, [[w:Richard Barlow (intelligence analyst)|Richard Barlow]], for telling his managers they should not lie to Congress about it. Barlow has insisted that neither Pakistan nor North Korea would have nuclear weapons and Iran would not have a nuclear weapons program today, if the US had followed its own laws. Barlow’s claims, including his punishment by administration officials, have been reported in major media outlets<ref>e.g., Stein (2013). See also Wikipedia, "[[w:Richard Barlow (intelligence analyst)|Richard Barlow (intelligence analyst)]]", accessed 2026-05-06.</ref> but not in a way that would seriously limit the ability — and need — for administration officials to lie to Congress.
If Barlow's claims are accurate, it suggests that US government officials violated US obligations under the [[w:Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons|Non-Proliferation Treaty]] (NPT).<ref>Per the [[w:Treaty Clause|Treaty Clause]] of the US Constitution, a treaty negotiated by the President and approved by the Senate has "the force of federal law."</ref>
==== Nayirah testimony and the 1990-1991 Gulf War ====
A more recent example is the 1990-10-10 testimony by [[w:Nayirah testimony|Nayirah al-Ṣabaḥ to the US Congressional Human Rights Caucus]], two months after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. She claimed to have seen Iraqi soldiers taking premature babies out of incubators in a maternity ward before looting the incubators and leaving the babies to die on the floor after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait; she said she had been a volunteer nurse in the hospital at that time.
The failure of journalists, including with the ''[[w:NBC Nightly News|NBC Nightly News]]'', to adequate check facts behind this and other atrocity stories helped convince the US public to support the US-led invasion of Iraq in 1990-1991. Nayirah's statements were widely publicized and cited numerous times in the United States Senate and by American president George H. W. Bush to contribute to the rationale for pursuing military action against Iraq. It was later revealed that she was the daughter of Kuwaiti ambassador to the US, [[w:Saud Nasser Al-Saud Al-Sabah|Saud Nasser Al-Saud Al-Sabah]], "Reps. [[w:Tom Lantos|Tom Lantos]] and [[w:John Porter (Illinois politician)|John Edward Porter]], who sponsored the congressional hearings, had started a group called the Congressional Human Rights Foundation that had received $50,000 from Citizens for a Free Kuwait, as well as free office space in [[w:Hill & Knowlton|Hill and Knowlton]]'s Washington headquarters",<ref>Rowse (1992).</ref> and the public relations firm Hill and Knowlton had made a video while coaching her rehearsing her perjury and used that to prepare a video press release "that eventually reached a total audience of about thirty-five million", 14 percent of the [[w:Demographic history of the United States|US population of 249 million per the census then in process]], with portions aired on the ''[[w:NBC Nightly News|NBC Nightly News]]'' the night after the testimony.<ref>Andersen (2006, pp. 170-171).</ref>
==== 1998 Embassy bombings and September 11 ====
As another example, there is substantial documentation available today that [[1998 Embassy bombings and September 11|the suicide mass murders of September 11, 2001]], likely would not have occurred if the US had treated the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania as law enforcement issues. Muslim clerics all over the world initially condemned those acts. Al-Qaeda was dead. Their funding had largely dried up. And bin Laden was scheduled to be extradited the following month to Saudi Arabia to be prosecuted for treason, where he would likely have been convicted and executed. Mayer (2008, p. 114) claimed those embassy bombings were motivated as retaliation for US support for torture.<ref>For more on torture, see the the section on [[#Make media responsible for harms|Make media responsible for harms]] below.</ref>
But it seemed questionable at best whether major media executives in the US would have given favorable coverage to such a diplomatic solution. Instead, the US bombed a pharmaceutical plant in Sudan and al-Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan. Then Muslim public opinion turned 180 degrees to conclude, "Bin Laden is right: The US ''is'' an evil empire." The US became bin Laden’s only indispensable ally, according to the CIA agent responsible for tracking bin Laden at that time.<ref>Scheuer (2004, p. xv).</ref> Leading Saudis started supporting al-Qaeda, including some working for the Saudi embassy and consulates in the US. Only one country seems to have been involved in the preparations for the September 11 attacks, and that was Saudi Arabia. But Saudis were friends of the Bush family, and a crisis is a terrible thing to waste.<ref>Romer (2009).</ref>
:''Did the US invade Afghanistan and Iraq on grounds that senior journalists and leading media executives should have known at the time were questionable and likely fraudulent — to the detriment of nearly everyone except the "people" who control most of the money for the media?''
:In particular, was Iraqi president [[w:Saddam Hussein|Saddam Hussein]] really a bigger threat to the US after he invaded Kuwait in 1990 or after the [[w:September 11 attacks|suicide mass murders of September 11, 2001]] than he was during the 1980s, when the US supported him [[w:Iran-Iraq War|killing Iranians]] or [[w:Anfal campaign|his own native Kurds]]?
On 2003-05-29 [[w:BBC|BBC]] journalist [[w:Andrew Gilligan|Andrew Gilligan]] reported that the [[w:Tony Blaire|Blair government]] had "sexed up" [[w:September Dossier|intelligence reports]] issued the previous September to justify supporting the 2003-03-20 [[w:Iraq War|US-led invasion of Iraq]], two months before Gilligan's report. This led to the [[w:Hutton Inquiry|Hutton Inquiry]], which led to the resignations of Gilligan and the BBC's chairman and the firing of the BBC's director-general. However, the British public expressed so many reservations about the Hutton Inquiry that a follow-up investigation was ordered in 2009. This became the "[[w:Iraq Inquiry|Iraq Inquiry]]", whose 2016-07-06 report essentially validated what Gilligan had said just over 13 years earlier. This provides one more example of the 1710 maxim of Jonathan Swift that, "Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after ... like a physician, who hath found out an infallible medicine, after the patient is dead."<ref name=Swift/>
====Ukraine war====
Page 1 of the 2023-05-04 edition of ''[[w:Le Monde Diplomatique|Le Monde Diplomatique]]'' carried a headline:
:One year after the invasion of Ukraine: The media, vanguard of the war party,<ref>Halimi and Rimbert (2023) in the French-language original.</ref>
consistent with Andersen (2006).
=== Make media responsible for harms ===
How might the world be different if injured parties could successfully sue major media for harms that result from government policies contradicted by evidence reasonably available to the major media outlets?
For example, how might the world be different if:
* combat veterans or their families could successfully sue major media outlets for biased reporting that stampede the nation into ill advised and counterproductive uses of military force on grounds that leading media personalities should have known at the time were questionable and likely fraudulent?
* Vietnamese or Afghanis or Iraqis or Palestinians or victims in other countries could win similar lawsuits?
* immigrants could sue major media outlets for failing to publish reasonable summaries of the available research that says that immigrants on average are more entrepreneurial<ref>Aghion et al. (2022, pp. 266-270).</ref> and no more likely to engage in criminal activities than native born, benefitting both the sending and receiving countries?<ref>The Wikipedia article on "[[w:Immigration|Immigration]] cites research saying, "that migration can be beneficial both to the receiving and sending countries. The academic literature provides mixed findings for the relationship between immigration and crime worldwide. ... [P]ublic perception often exaggerates the connection between immigration and crime, influenced by sensationalised media coverage and political rhetoric." The Wikipedia article on [[w:Immigration and crime|Immigration and crime]] notes that in some countries immigrants are over-represented in prison populations due to violations of immigration law or anti-immigrant biases in criminal justice. The Wikipedia article on "[[w:Sanctuary city|Sanctuary city]]" says that, "Some studies on the relationship between sanctuary status and crime have found that sanctuary policies either have no effect on crime or that sanctuary cities have lower crime rates and stronger economies than comparable non-sanctuary cities." All references 2026-05-26.</ref>
* humans tortured by the US could sue the major media for suppressing honest discussion of the research that documents that torture is more likely counterproductive? An important report of the efficacy of torture was published in 1631 by [[w:Friedrich Spee|Friedrich Spee]], a German Jesuit priest and professor. A few years earlier, the Duke of Brunswick had invited Spee and another famous Jesuit scholar to supervise a continuation of the torture of a confessed witch. The Jesuits had previously told the Duke, "The Inquisitors are doing their duty. They are arresting only people who have been implicated by the confession of other witches." The Duke then led the Jesuits to a woman being stretched on the rack and asked her, "You are a confessed witch. I suspect these two men of being warlocks. What do you say? Another turn of the rack, executioners." "No, no!" screamed the woman. "You are quite right. I have often seen .. . They can turn themselves into goats, wolves ... Several witches have had children by them. ... The children had heads like toads and legs like spiders."<ref>Pinker (2011, pp. 138-139). Mannix (1964, pp. 134-135). Mackay ( 2009, p. 320).</ref> Crudely similar comments about the counterproductive nature of torture were made by Generals [[w:Stanley McChrystal|Stanley McChrystal]] (2013) and [[w:David Petraeus|David Petraeus]],<ref>DePaulo (2008).</ref> who held command positions in Iraq and Afghanistan. The major media in the US has provided ample coverage of, e.g., comments by Donald Trump supporting torture (McCarthy 2016), while largely suppressing honest discussion of the research on it.
Might the world be safer and more prosperous if major media outlets and their executives and journalists could be successfully sued when their biased reporting have substantive negative consequences? Might [[w:Freedom of information|the public's right to receive diverse information]] be advanced in this way, recognizing that false information disseminated by major media outlets can lead to substantive harms, similar to "[[w:Shouting fire in a crowded theater|shouting ''fire'' in a crowded theater]]", while the same information disseminated by minor outlets would ''not'' produce such harms?
Lawsuits of this nature could be facilitated by "group libel" laws. Activists were working to pass such laws in the 1940s. By 1950 those campaigns had been abandoned, according to Barbas (2023).<ref>See also Calvert et al. (2023, pp. 178ff).</ref>
[[w:Yael Eisenstat|Yaël Eisenstat]] agrees that under [[w:Section 230|Section 230]] of Title 47 of the US Code, "No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider." However, Eisenstat insists that [[Online platforms' effects on public health, safety and democracy|"an interactive computer service" ''can'' be held liable when their algorithms have substantive negative consequences]], as in the jury verdicts against Meta in New Mexico<ref>Allyn (2026).</ref> and against Meta and Google in Los Angeles.<ref>McQue (2026).</ref> She said, "those technologies, if they are, in the end, contributing to an illegal activity or to harm, that's what we should be addressing. ... The ultimate goal is not to shut down every social media company. The ultimate goal is to figure out what a safer online experience looks like and what accountability looks like when something unsafe happens."
=== in sum ===
You, dear reader, can help overcome these problems by talking, as suggested in the exercises below and the rest of this book. If you can help others become less angry and more willing to agree to disagree agreeably with others, that should reduce the risk of war and improve the prospects for progress on other major problems facing humanity today.
==2. Training in nonviolent noncooperation for anyone willing to listen ==
A major driver of the current conflict between India and Pakistan is mistreatment of Muslims in India. Simulations of a nuclear war between India and Pakistan suggest that such a war would likely produce a nuclear autumn lasting years during which 40 percent of humanity would starve to death if they did not die of something else sooner. Over 90 percent of those would be in countries not involved in the nuclear exchange.<ref>Xia et al. (2022). See also Wikiversity, "[[Responding to a nuclear attack]]", accessed 2026-05-05.</ref>
The recent "[[w:2025 India–Pakistan conflict|2025 India–Pakistan conflict]]" was a response by India to violence in Indian-administered [[w:Kashmir|Kashmir]] by terrorists allegedly supported by Pakistan. India would have had much more difficulty justifying violent repression of ''nonviolent'' protests, especially if a more diverse media ecology gave such protests more and more sympathetic coverage.
During the [[w:Great Depression|Great Depression]], ethnic Germans in the [[w:Sudetenland|Sudetenland]] region of [[w:Czechoslovakia|Czechoslovakia]] were harder hit by increasing trade barriers than their non-German neighbors. They were therefore more open to populist and extremist movements such as fascism, communism and German irredentism.<ref>Wikipedia, "[[w:Sudetenland|Sudetenland]]", esp. the section on "[[w: Sudetenland#Within the Czechoslovak Republic (1918–1938)|Within the Czechoslovak Republic (1918–1938)]]", accessed 2026-05-05.</ref> If those ethnic Germans had used nonviolent noncooperation to highlight their grievances, and if Czechoslovakia at that time had had a substantially more diverse media system, it seems likely that they could have gotten reasonable redress of grievances. If so, it would have been harder for Hitler to use that as an excuse to invade Czechoslovakia, as he did in 1938.<ref>Wikipedia, "[[w:Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945)|Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945)]]", accessed 2026-05-05.</ref>
In 1940, during World War II, Germany invade Denmark, which had previously declared neutrality. The Germans allowed [[w:1943 Danish Folketing election|Danish parliamentary elections in 1943]]. A Danish Nazi party won on 2.1% of the votes.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rigsdagsvalgene i Marts og April 1943|url=http://www.dst.dk/pukora/epub/upload/20217/valg1943.pdf|date=|publisher=Danmarks Statistic|accessdate=11 February 2021}}</ref> [[w:Rescue of the Danish Jews|The Danes ignored Nazi orders to ship Danish Jews to the death camps.]] When the Germans decided to round up the Jews themselves, a German diplomat leaked those plans to the Danish government, and nearly all Danish Jews escaped to neutral Sweden; 99% of Denmark's Jewish population survived the Holocaust.
An ideal settlement of the current Russo-Ukraine war might include training in nonviolent noncooperation made more effective through a more diverse media culture as suggested above. A substantial portion of the Ukrainian population, especially the Ukrainian military, are reported to be vicious anti-Russian Nazis, and the Ukrainian government has outlawed many uses of non-Ukrainian languages, especially Russian.<ref>Horton (2024).</ref> A campaign of nonviolent noncooperation with a vigorous, diverse adversarial press would likely make it harder for Ukraine to continue any persecution of Russian speakers. It would also make it harder for major media in the US and Western Europe to suppress honest discussion of anti-Russian racism in Ukraine. Swanson (2022) said that the [[w:Baltic states|Baltic states]] have implemented such training in preparations for a possible Russian invasion; they might be asked to support such training in Ukraine (and elsewhere).<ref>Swanson (2022).</ref>
Organizations offering training in [[w:Nonviolent resistance|nonviolent noncooperation]] include [[w:Nonviolence International|Nonviolence International]] and the [[w:Highlander Research and Education Center|Highlander Research and Education Center]].
=== Civil resistance deters fracking ===
Duhamel (2013) claimed that well-advertised planning and training in nonviolent noncooperation helped deter oil companies from attempting hydraulic fracturing in [[w:Quebec|Quebec Province]] in [[w:Canada|Canada]]. Deterring a foreign invasion is different, but the same principle should apply: It's clear from many sources that elites consider nonviolence a threat; it's a felony to teach nonviolence to someone whom the US State Department claims supports a "foreign terrorist organization", discussed in the next section.
=== Life in prison for teaching nonviolence ===
Per the US Supreme Court decision in ''[[w:Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project|Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project]]'' (2010), teaching nonviolence to anyone whom the US State Department claims supports a foreign terrorist organization is "[[w:Providing material support for terrorism|providing material support for terrorism]]", which is a felony under the USA [[w:Patriot Act|Patriot Act]] of 2001. Moreover, if the State Department claims that the death of any "person" resulted from the activities of the designated foreign terrorist organization, the penalty can be life in prison, where "person" is defined in the Patriot Act as "any individual or entity capable of holding a legal or beneficial interest in property".<ref>The treatment of [[w:Sami Al-Arian|Sami Al-Arian]] is worth noting in discussing the Patriot Act. Al-Arian is a Kuwaiti-born political activist of Palestinian origin, who earned a doctorate in Electrical Sciences and Systems Engineering at [[w:North Carolina State University|North Carolina State]] in 1985 and taught computer engineering at [[w:University of South Florida|University of South Florida]] (USF) beginning in 1986. He was granted permanent resident status in 1989. In 1993 he earned a Distinguished Teacher Award as a tenured associate professor at USF. He was an [[w:imam|imam]] in a local [[w:mosque|mosque]] and led in other initiatives to promote dialogue and public policy initiatives between the West and Middle East. On September 26, 2001, he appeared on ''[[w:The O'Reilly Factor|The O'Reilly Factor]]'' where he was confronted with a 1988 recording of him shouting "death to Israel". Al-Arian replied that "Death to Israel" meant "death to occupation, ... apartheid, ...oppression," whereupon O'Reilly cut him off and called for the [[w:Central Intelligence Agency|Central Intelligence Agency]] to investigate him. Al-Arian spent most of the next 14 years between that 2001 interview and 2015 in detention, much of it in solitary confinement. This period included a 2005 trial that ended with acquittal on 8 counts and a hung jury on another 9. In 2015 he was deported to Turkey. In 2017, he founded the Center for Islam and Global Affairs at [[w:Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University|Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University]] in Istanbul, Turkey, which he directs. What has been the impact of treatment of Al-Arian on the well-being of the bottom 99 percent of the US and world population?</ref>
How did these provisions get written into the Patriot Act?
That's a question that deserves research, perhaps by asking elected officials in the US Congress and lobbying for their repeal. A speculation consistent with the thesis of this book is that nonviolence terrifies those who control most of they money for the media, because it threatens their ability to get their security forces to follow orders.
==3. Forbid uses of force beyond one’s own borders and covert interference in foreign countries ==
:''[[w:Si vis pacem, para bellum|If you want peace, prepare for war.]]''
: -- ''[[w:De Re Militari|De Re Militari]]'' by [[w:Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus|Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus]] (fourth or fifth century AD)
The record of history is now clear: Those who prepared for war often got war initiated when one party claimed they were being attacked or about to be attacked and believed they would fare better by attacking. Sometimes this occurred when the media environment convinced leaders that their political futures required them to clandestinely provoke foreign entities to do things that could then be denounced as unprovoked to justify military escalation, as mentioned in the previous section.
Samuelson (2025) summarized quantitative analyses of 60 insurgencies since World War II, whose findings included the complete absence of success with counterinsurgencies without large force ratios (at least four, and most often more than ten, times the force of the insurgents) and without "providing a path toward peaceful addressing of grievances". He also noted that, "Brutality toward the civilian population ... tends to inflame the insurgency."<ref>Samuelson (2025) summarized Lawrence (2015).</ref> His analysis gave a pessimistic prognosis for the [[w:Gaza war|Gaza war]] that began 2023-10-07. His conclusions are consistent with the history of the current [[w:Russo-Ukrainian war|Russo-Ukrainian war]], the [[w:Vietnam War|Vietnam War]], the [[w:Graveyard of empires|First, Second, and Third Anglo-Afghan Wars (1839-1919), the Soviet-Afghan War (1979–1989), the US-led War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)]], the 2001-2011 [[w:Iraq War|Iraq War]], and others.
A key point is that invaders often to lose unless they enter with overwhelming force like Germany in the early stages of World War II: The [[w:Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945)|Czechoslovaks]], [[w:Invasion of Poland|Poles]], [[w:France during World War II|French]], and others were not prepared to fight the Germans, but the [[w:Soviet Union in World War II|Soviets]] were. [[w:Adolf Hitler|Hitler]] doubtless knew that the [[w:Switzerland during World War I and World War II|Swiss]] were prepared to fight, so he attacked other countries first. While fighting the [[w:Russo-Ukrainian war#Full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine (2022)|Russian invasion]] that began 2022-02-24, [[w:Defense industry of Ukraine|Ukraine has developed]] military drones that are highly effective relative to the cost, as witnessed by sales of such to Gulf Arab states,<ref>Sharawi and Shapiro (2026).</ref> illustrating the point that foreign invaders often encounter vastly more resistance than they expect -- and should expect highly effective resistance if they invade a country prepared to fight on their own territory.
The rest of this section discusses weaknesses with standard deterrence theory.
===Deterrence theory and nuclear Armageddon===
Standard [[w:Deterrence theory|deterrence theory]] assumes that one's opponents are rational and do not want [[w:Armageddon|Armageddon]]. The record of history summarized above raises questions about this assumption: In World War I, even the "winners" arguably lost more than they gained -- doubtless excepting a few merchants, who made fortunes from what they sold. Many of the other military decisions discussed above seem to have been driven more by the media than military necessity.
Beyond that, at least some portions of the [[w:Islamic State|Islamic State]] reportedly violates this assumption, because it "not only believes in the literal meaning of the coming Armageddon – it sees itself as its chief protagonist."<ref>Misra (2015).</ref> Some [[w:Christian nationalism|Christian nationalists]] promoted to command positions by [[w:United States Secretary of Defense|US Secretary of Defense]] [[w:Pete Hegseth|Hegseth]] and President Trump also seem to believe that Armageddon might be desirable. On 2026-03-03 the [[w:Military Religious Freedom Foundation|Military Religious Freedom Foundation]] said they had received over 200 complaints from over 50 different US military installations with comments like, "President Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth", per an email from one [[w:Non-commissioned officer|NCO]].<ref>Nick Mordowanec (2026).</ref> With Hegseth holding monthly Christian worship services in the Pentagon during business hours,<ref>Black (2025), Mayes-Osterman (2025). See also the section on "[[w:Pete Hegseth#Pentagon Christian worship services and "biblically sanctioned war"|Pentagon Christian worship services and "biblically sanctioned war"]] in the Wikipedia article on [[w:Pete Hegseth|Pete Hegseth]], accessed 2026-05-14.</ref> this suggests that Hegseth could have appointed enough Christian nationalists to key positions to initiate nuclear attacks on Iran or Russia, claiming that President Trump had ordered such whether he had or not.<ref>The [[w:Gold Codes|Gold Codes]] carried in the "[[w:nuclear football|nuclear football]]" required by the [[w:Permissive action link|permissive action link]]s would ''not'' prevent Hegseth and a few others appointed by him from initiating nuclear Armageddon, according to Ellsberg, who had been a nuclear war planner for presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon, before releasing the ''[[w:Pentagon Papers|Pentagon Papers]]''. Ellsberg (2017, p. 69) insisted that the security provided by those Gold Codes were a hoax, because otherwise a single nuclear detonation on Washington, DC, when both the president and vice president were in town "would would definitively block any authorized, coordinated nuclear response to that or any subsequent nuclear attack."</ref>
The biggest risk today may be the risk of [[w:Nuclear holocaust|nuclear Armageddon]], which seems on average to grow over time consistent with experience with "[[w:system accidents|system accidents]]" in other fields: It is naive to assume that any system as complex as military command, control and communications systems never fail. And managers of complex systems subject to rare, catastrophic failures "learn" from experience that they can take ever greater risks, because they have "safely" done so in the past — until there is a catastrophe:<ref>Kahneman and Klein (2009) found that expert intuition, when it exists, is learned from frequent, rapid, high quality feedback. With anything nuclear, mishaps are so rare that managers develop "expert intuition" that they can "safely" ignore safety concerns -- until there is a catastrophe. See also Sagan (1993).</ref>
Veterans for Peace (2022) recommend global reduction and rapid elimination of nuclear weapons "to reduce the real risk of nuclear confrontation through accidental launch or miscalculated escalation".
==== National security tariffs ====
Free trade agreements supported by the [[w:World Trade Organization|World Trade Organization]] allow exemptions for national security and other objectives. [[Responding to a nuclear attack|Even a minor nuclear war between India and Pakistan would have a negative impact on the entirety of humanity]]. It might therefore be sensible for parties to the [[w:Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons|Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons]] (TPNW) to institute gradually increasing tariffs on nuclear weapon states, not so great as to seriously impact the economy of the nation applying such tariffs but aggressive enough to gradually wean their economy from reliance on trade with nuclear-weapon states that refuse to support the TPNW.
See also the chapter below on [[/Media Literacy and You/Responding to a nuclear attack/|Responding to a nuclear attack]].
===Research on the effectiveness of deterrence and implications===
Lebow and others have provided substantial documentation of case studies claiming that leaders are often not rational, and deterrence based on threatening use of military force beyond one’s own borders has been ''as likely to provoke as prevent'' undesired behavior.<ref>Lebow (2025, 2024), Lebow et al. (2023).</ref> The most obvious portions of this threat can be entirely eliminated by policies clearly and effectively forbidding use of force beyond one’s own borders. This can be signaled in at least three ways:
* Eliminate all weapon systems like missiles and aircraft with a range of more than, e.g., a hundred miles or 200 kilometers with the possible exception of surveillance only aircraft that cannot be easily configured to carry [[w:Materiel#Military|ordnance]], e.g., explosives. Similarly eliminate nuclear weapons, which few if any countries would want to use for military defense inside their own borders.
* Supply a national guard and reserves with weapons, training, and rules of engagement that prohibit projecting force beyond one’s own borders. Train them also in development and use of improvised explosive devices and other tactics and devices like low cost military drones.
:Afghanistan is said to be the "[[w:Graveyard of empires|Graveyard of empires]]". They defeated the British three times (1839–1842, 1878–1880, 1919), the Soviet Union (1979–1989), and the US (2001–2021). Each victory came with foreign supplies, but any foreign troops helping Afghanis were primarily under the command of local leaders.
:The [[w:2003 invasion of Iraq|2003 invasion of Iraq]] might have produced [[w:Nation-building|nation-building]] more like the experience of [[w:Nation-building#Germany and Japan after World War II|Germany and Japan after World War II]] if the US had mandated a vigorous adversarial press instead of strict censorship, according to McChesney and Nichols.<ref>McChesney and Nichols (2010, Appendix II. Ike, MacArthur and the Forging of Free and Independent Press, pp. 241-254).</ref> This claim by McChesney and Nichols was not endorsed by [[News from Germany 1900-1945 and implications for today#After the war in Germany vs. Iraq|University of British Columbia History professor Heidi Tworek]], who said the democratization efforts in Germany and Japan after World War II were more complicated than that implied by that brief discussion by McChesney and Nichols.<ref>The 2025-07-03 interview with Tworek is available at "[[News from Germany 1900-1945 and implications for today]]", accessed 2026-05-14.</ref> However, the research by Usher and Kim-Leffingwell (2022) and the related research on news deserts summarized in the preface to this ''[[Media Literacy and You]]'' book largely supports those claims by McChesney and Nichols.
:[[w:Defense industry of Ukraine|Ukraine has become a world leader in military drones]], many of which are dramatically cheaper than alternatives. Most of those have limited range but have been useful for reconnaissance and delivery of ordnance and improving targeting of, e.g., surface to air missiles.
:[[w:Eliot A. Cohen|Eliot Cohen]], who served as a special advisor to [[w:United States Secretary of State|US Secretary of State]] [[w:Condoleezza Rice|Condoleezza Rice]] from 2007 to 2009, wrote, "As the United States discovered in Iraq and Afghanistan, no matter how large, technologically advanced, and proficient an army is, motivated insurgents can still inflict casualties in the tens of thousands."<ref>Cohen (2022), cited from Horton (2024, p. 1026).</ref> Cohen recommended we "Arm the Ukranians now". Horton said that the neoconservatives learned from Iraq War II and Afghanistan that the US "should fight like those who defeated them."<ref>Horton (2024, p. 1026).</ref>
:Leading economist [[w:Jeffrey Sachs|Jeffrey Sachs]] addressed the European Parliament 2025-02-19, claiming that the tragedy that befell Serbia in 1999 and subsequent US uses of force in Iraq and Syria, plus wars in Africa including Syria, Somalia and Libya and the current wars in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war, "are to a very significant extent the result of deeply misguided US policies."<ref>Sachs (2025-02).</ref> He said that Europe should craft its own foreign and military policies, independent of the US. ''[[w:Le Monde Diplomatique|Le Monde Diplomatique]]'' noted that Sachs' speech has circulated among social media since ''but has yet to be seriously discussed by major European media.''<ref>Sachs (2025-04; emphasis added).</ref>
* Change the laws of government secrecy so government officials cannot secretly interfere in the internal affairs of foreign countries or otherwise project force outside their own borders. This might be achieved in the US in part by requiring anyone with information about questionable actions by government officials to provide such documentation to one or more congressional oversight bodies while also allowing any current or former government employee or contractor to file suit in any US federal jurisdiction if they feel they have been punished for refusing to support questionable activities. In addition, federal judges should be authorized to subpoena classified government documents that may be relevant to any case in their jurisdiction and declassify them subject to appellate review if they believe the national interest would be better served by declassification.
:If the law is changed without a substantive [[#1. Citizen-directed subsidies for local news nonprofits with firewall(s) to prevent political interference in the content.|citizen-directed subsidies for local news nonprofits with firewall(s) to prevent political interference]], as discussed above, the change could be merely cosmetic and unconvincing to local public officials and potential adversaries.
:Connelly (2023) noted that US government secrecy has in the past encouraged administration officials to do things to provoke actions by foreign entities that can then be denounced as “unprovoked” to stampede the US Congress and the public into supporting counterproductive uses of military force, as discussed above.<ref>See also Connelly et al. (2023).</ref> A more diverse media culture should make it harder for administration officials to lie to the public and to Congress — and harder to punish government employees who tell their managers that they should not lie to Congress, as they reportedly did to [[#Richard Barlow and nuclear proliferation|Richard Barlow]], mentioned above.
:The Barlow case and many others explain why the US should, e.g., give federal judges the authority to subpoena classified documents and declassify them if they believe the public good is better served from declassification than continued secrecy.<ref>See, e.g., the 2025-05-08 interview with Seth Stern and Lauren Harper discussing what the "[[Freedom of the Press Foundation says...]]", Graves (2014), and [[w:Moynihan Commission on Government Secrecy|Moynihan Commission on Government Secrecy]], accessed 2026-05-06. Graves (2021) recommends "Congressional Gold Medals for" Barlow and whistleblowers.</ref>
These policies would make it hard for any foreign leader to justify an attack for multiple reasons: First, it would be difficult to convince their supporters that such an attack is necessary. Second, a rational foreign leader might be hesitant to invade a country that is prepared to fight a guerrilla war. Germany reportedly considered invading [[w:Switzerland during World War I and World War II|Switzerland during both World Wars I and II]] and decided against it in part because Switzerland had large, well-trained ready reserves, who were ready to fight. Belgium seemed to be an easier route.<ref>Documented in Wikipedia, "[[w:Switzerland during World War I and World War II|Switzerland during World War I and World War II]]", accessed 2026-05-06. Switzerland also has many mountains, which make it easier to defend, but the capabilities of the Swiss military also influenced the German decision to avoid Switzerland.</ref> Third, even if foreign invaders defeat the guerrillas, they should not assume that their invading forces would continue to follow orders. [[w:Rescue of the Danish Jews|Ninety-nine percent of Danish Jews reportedly survived World War II]] because of Danish noncooperation ''supported by a German diplomat''.<ref>Wikipedia, "[[w:Rescue of the Danish Jews|Rescue of the Danish Jews]]", accessed 2026-05-06.</ref>
With policies like these in place, it would be hard for foreign leaders to convince their supporters of a need to attack, as [[w:2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|Putin did when invading Ukraine in 2022]],<ref>The Wikipedia article on "[[w:2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]]", accessed 2026-05-06, includes a paragraph saying, 'In July 2021, Putin published an essay "On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians", in which he called Ukraine "historically Russian lands" and claimed there is "no historical basis" for the "idea of Ukrainian people as a nation separate from the Russians"'. Putin was accused of promoting Russian imperialism, historical revisionism and disinformation. Writing in 2024, Michael McFaul and Robert Person described this essay as representing not only "cynical propaganda" but also Putin's "deeply held and internalized beliefs". See the Wikipedia article for references supporting those claims.</ref> as [[w:2025 India–Pakistan crisis|India did when attacking Pakistan in 2025]], and as [[w:Invasion of Poland|Hitler did when invading Poland in 1939]], to name only three examples.
=== If we continue to base deterrence on threats ===
There are now calls for Europe to get their own nuclear weapons,<ref>Burgard (2025).</ref> while Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, South Korea and Taiwan have been suggested as other candidates for acquiring nuclear weapons should they feel a sufficient need.<ref>Ruehl (2024).</ref>
It is difficult to imagine how the number of nuclear weapon states could be increased without increasing the risks of a nuclear war, consistent with the discussion of "[[w:system accident|system accident]]s" earlier in this chapter.
Secondarily, intelligence services with information on political corruption including attempts to intimidate and murder journalists should not be allowed to keep that information secret: They should be required to find ways to leak that information to journalists. Such attacks on journalists in their own country should be exposed and prosecuted if the evidence seems likely to obtain a conviction. Intelligence services with information about such attacks in other countries should be required to find ways to leak it to competent journalists without identifying their sources and methods: Doing so would likely reduce political corruption worldwide and with that the risks of war.
== Collateral damage ==
The research cited above supports the claim that,
:''[[w:Collateral damage|Collateral damage]] that our designated enemies commit prove to us that they are subhuman or criminally misled.''
:''Meanwhile, collateral damage that we commit is unfortunate but necessary -- from our perspective. However, it proves to our designated enemies that we are subhuman or criminally misled.''
This observation supports this entire program of deterrence without threat:
* Forbidding use of force beyond one’s own borders and covert interference in foreign countries would automatically reduce collateral damage. It would also avoid uses of force that seem not to contribute to broadly shared peace and prosperity, according to research cited above.
* The effectiveness of nonviolent noncooperation rests in part on its near universal avoidance of collateral damage.
* Citizen-directed subsidies for local news nonprofits with firewall(s) to prevent political interference in the content should make it much harder for major media to convince the public to do things contrary to their best interests, like invading or interfering covertly in foreign countries.
== Call for help ==
Do you, dear reader, know other serious research not cited herein that might improve this analysis? If yes, you can help improve this discussion by adding comments with citations -- or by adding such citation(s) to the "Discuss" page associated with this chapter, suggesting someone else revise the chapter appropriately.
There are plenty of contrary claims in the major media, but the lead author of this chapter is not aware of any that are based on serious research.
In the absence of such research, the current author finds it difficult to imagine any national defense policies that carry a greater risk of nuclear Armageddon than our current policies, as discussed in the next chapter of this book on ''[[Media Literacy and You]]'' on "[[Media Literacy and You/Responding to a nuclear attack|Responding to a nuclear attack]]". That chapter, in sum, claims that the ''worst'' response to a nuclear attack would be nuclear response, because it would escalate a catastrophe killing millions of humans to one killing ''billions'', possibly 80 percent of humanity in a war between the US and Russia that lofts so much smoke from burning cities to the stratosphere where it covers the globe depressing crop yields for years during with 99 percent of the humans in the US, Europe and Russia would starve to death if they did not die of something else sooner. Moreover, the record of "[[w:System accident|system accident]]s" suggests that the chances of such a war before the end of this century is substantially greater than the 40 percent median estimate based on history mentioned in a presentation on "[[Time to nuclear Armageddon]]" delivered to the 2019 Joint Statistical Meetings.
This chapter is being written in the hopes of inspiring action to improve the prospects for broadly shared peace and prosperity for the long term.
== Exercises ==
1. Disconfirmation bias: Brainstorm your biggest concerns about a current or possible future war.
:1.1. Select the one that is of greatest concern to you currently.
::One issue that may not be a major concern for many but might elicit a broad consensus for action would be a campaign to ask elected officials in the US Congress to explain how we benefit from the provisions of the USA Patriot Act of 2001 that authorize [[#life in prison for teaching nonviolence|life in prison for teaching nonviolence]].
:1.2. Who are your designated enemies?
:1.3. Research what your designated enemies are saying about your biggest concern.
:1.4. Under what circumstances would you support what you see your designated enemies advocating or doing?
::If you cannot see such circumstances, expand your research: Look for more sources that support your designated enemies.
2. Interacting: Ask others if you can share what you've learned about that conflict. If they say, "No", don't push it. If they agree, share what you've learned in a friendly supportive manner without saying that anything is "true".
::''Show me someone who knows the truth, and I will show you someone who is dangerous.''
:2.1. The primary goal in this is ''not'' to convince anyone that you are right and they are wrong but to lower the level of anger and increase the level of tolerance for dissenting views.
:2.2. Another goal is to comfortably enjoy civil conversations of this nature, agreeing to disagree agreeably and building trusting relationships that support collaboration on issues of common concern.
:2.3. After becoming adept at building collaborations on issues of common concern, you might consider teaching this important skill and approach to issues.
3. Teaching: Each one teach two, as discussed in the section on "[[Media Literacy and You#Text and self-help book and point of discuss|Text and self-help book and point of discuss]]" in the preface to this book.
<!--== See also ==-->
== Notes ==
{{reflist}}
== Bibliography ==
* <!--Philippe Aghion, Céline Antonin, and Simon Bunel (2022) The Power of Creative Destruction: Economic Upheaval and the Wealth of Nations-->{{cite Q|Q139874218}}
* <!--Bobby Allyn (2026-03-25) "Jury finds Meta and Google negligent in social media harms trial-->{{cite Q|Q139572103}}
* <!--BBC (2022-08-01) "Nuclear annihilation just one miscalculation away, UN chief warns"-->{{cite Q|Q139596165|author=BBC}}
* <!--Elizabeth Black (2026-05-22) "Hegseth hosts first monthly Christian service in Pentagon"-->{{cite Q|Q139791642}}
* <!--Hans Günter Brauch, ed, Towards Rethinking Politics, Policy and Polity in the Anthropocene: Multidisciplinary Perspectives (Springer, pp. 225-234).-->{{cite Q|Q134488491|author= Hans Günter Brauch, ed.}}
* <!--Jan Philipp Burgard (2025-04-08) “Opinion | Europe Needs Its Own Nukes”, Politico-->{{cite Q|Q134465922}}
* <!--Clay Calvert, Dan V. Kozlowski, and Derigan Silver (2023) Mass Media Law, 22nd ed.-->{{cite Q|Q135455067}}
* <!--Francis X. Clines (1983-06-21) "Reagan says his opponents risk Central American influx"-->{{cite Q|Q139790146}}
* <!--Eliot Cohen (2022-02-23) “Arm the Ukrainians Now”, The Atlantic-->{{cite Q|Q139679796}}
* <!--Philippe Duhamel (2013-09-26) Civil resistance as deterrent to fracking: Part One, They shale not pass-->{{cite Q|Q140833946}}
* <!--Albert Fried (1997) McCarthyism: the great American Red scare: a documentary history-->{{cite Q|Q106659308}}
* <!--Matthew Connelly (2023) The Declassification Engine: What History Reveals About America’s Top Secrets (Pantheon).->{{cite Q|Q116786691}}
* <!--Matthew Connelly, Douglas A. Samuelson, and Spencer Graves (2023-03-14) “Does US government secrecy threaten national security?”, Radio Active Magazine on KKFI-->{{cite Q|Q125582094}}
* <!--Lisa DePaulo (2008-10-31) "Leader of the Year: Right Man, Right Time"-->{{cite Q|Q114039844}}
* <!--Dwight D. Eisenhower (1063) Mandate for Change-->{{cite Q|Q61945939}}
* <!--Daniel Ellsberg (2017) The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a nuclear war planner (Bloomsbury)-->{{cite Q|Q64226035}}
* <!--Spencer Graves (2021-10-28) " Congressional Gold Medals for Assange, Hale, Barlow, Winner, Manning, Edmonds, Sterling, Drake, Snowden, Ellsberg"-->{{cite Q|Q125570226}}
* <!--Spencer Graves (2014-07-18) “Restrict secrecy more than data collection”, San José Peace & Justice Center-->{{cite Q|Q106512569}}
* <!-- Serge Halimi and Serge Halimi (2023-03) "Un an après l'invasion de l'Ukraine, une débâcle du journalisme: Les médias, avant-guarde du parti de la guerre"-->{{cite Q|Q118225389}}
* <!--John Maxwell Hamilton (2020) Manipulating the Masses: Woodrow Wilson and the Birth of American Propaganda-->{{cite Q|Q137342282}}
* <!--Scott Horton (2024) Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine (Libertarian Inst.)00>{{cite Q|Q139565338}}
* <!--Annie Jacobsen (2024-04-10) "'Nuclear war happens in seconds and minutes, not days and weeks': How I researched the end of the world"-->{{cite Q|Q139596142}}
* <!-- Kahneman and Klein (2009) Conditions for intuitive expertise: a failure to disagree-->{{cite Q|Q35001791}}
* <!--Stanley Karnow (1983) Vietnam: A History-->{{cite Q|Q108903453}}
* <!--Christopher A. Lawrence (2015) America's Modern Wars: Understanding Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam-->{{cite Q|Q136130919}}
* <!--Richard Ned Lebow (2024) “Are Leaders Rational?”, Critical Review, 36:4, 465-482.-->{{cite Q|Q134487607}}
* <!--Richard Ned Lebow (2025) “Thinking Politically About the Anthropocene”, ch. 5 in Hans Günter Brauch, ed, Towards Rethinking Politics, Policy and Polity in the Anthropocene: Multidisciplinary Perspectives (Springer, pp. 225-234).-->{{cite Q|Q134488569|Author=Richard Ned Lebow}}
* <!--Richard Ned Lebow, Douglas A. Samuelson, and Spencer Graves (2023-11-28), “Richard Ned Lebow on national defense including deterrence”, Radio Active Magazine-->{{cite Q|Q124351846}}
* <!-- Charles Mackay (1841/2009) Memoirs of extraordinary popular delusions and the madness of crowds-->{{cite Q|Q116897625}}
* <!-- Daniel P. Mannix (1964) The history of torture-->{{cite Q|Q116896896}}
* <!--Jane Mayer (2008) Dark side : the inside story of how the war on terror turned into a war on American ideals (Doubleday)-->{{cite Q|Q1681286}}
* <!--Cybele Mayes-Osterman (2025-12-18) Pete Hegseth pushes his Christian faith in Pentagon prayer services-->{{cite Q|Q139791710}}
* <!--Tom McCarthy (2016-02-07) “Donald Trump: I’d bring back ‘a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding'”, The Guardian-->{{cite Q|Q134462630}}
* <!-- McChesney and Nichols (2010) The Death and Life of American Journalism-->{{cite Q|Q104888067}}
* <!--Stanley A. McChrystal (2013). My share of the task: A memoir (Penguin)-->{{cite Q|Q135406522}}
* <!--Katie McQue (2026-04-24) " Meta ordered to pay $375m after being found liable in child exploitation case-->{{cite Q|Q139572337}}
* <!--Amalendu Misra (2015-11-19) “What does Islamic State actually want?”, The Conversation-->{{cite Q|Q134487571}}
* <!--Nick Mordowanec (2026-03-03) " Commanders Accused of Framing Iran War as Biblical Mandate, Jesus' 'Return'"-->{{cite Q|Q138840951}}
* <!--John Mueller (2021) The Stupidity of War: American Foreign Policy and the Case for Complacency (Cambridge U. Pr.,)-->{{cite Q|Q113702723}}
* <!--Mueller and Graves (2023-04-06) "The Stupidity of War and the Exaggeration of Threat"-->{{cite Q|Q139789709}}
* <!--Pat Paterson (2008-02) "The Truth About Tonkin"-->{{cite Q|Q133449570}}
* <!--Steven Pinker (2011) The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined (Viking Press, pp. 138-139)-->{{cite Q|Q60412312}}
* <!--Paul Romer (2009-07-31) "A Terrible Thing to Waste"-->{{cite Q|Q139676537}}
* <!--Arthur E. (Ted) Rowse (1992-09) "Kuwaitgate - killing of Kuwaiti babies by Iraqi soldiers exaggerated-->{{cite Q|Q123698876}}
* <!--John P. Ruehl (2025-11-01) “Which Countries Are on the Brink of Going Nuclear?”, Peninsula Peace & Justice Center-->{{cite Q|Q134465827}}
* <!--Jeffrey Sachs (2025-04) “File: The trap of major rearmament: Geopolitics of peace (in French: “Dossier : Le piège du grand réarmement: Géopolitique de la paix”), Le Monde Diplomatique (https://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/2025/04/SACHS/68242).-->{{cite Q|Q134463099}}
* <!--Jeffrey Sachs (2025-02) “Jeffrey Sachs: Speech at European Parliament on February 19, 2025”: Edited transcript and YouTube video (https://newkontinent.org/jeffrey-sachs-speech-at-european-parliament-on-february-19-2025/)-->{{cite Q|Q134463038}}
* <!--Scott Sagan (1993) The limits of safety: Organizations, Accidents, and Nuclear Weapons (Princeton U. Pr.)-->{{cite Q|Q136765429}}
* <!--Douglas A. Samuelson (2025-09-26) " Assessing Israel’s Approach in Gaza"-->{{cite Q|Q138843324}}
* <!--Amanda Sauer (2016-05-09) "Political Agenda Setting in Early America: The Barbary Wars"-->{{cite Q|Q139589295}}
* <!--Michael Scheuer (2004) Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror (Brassey’s).-->{{cite Q|Q6006645}}
* <!--Mark Schmeller (2009) "The Political Economy of Opinion: Public Credit and Concepts of Public Opinion in the Age of Federalism"-->{{cite Q|Q139589348}}
* <!--Ahmad Sharawi and Dimitriy Shapiro (2026-04-01) "Ukraine Agrees to Mutually Beneficial Defense Deals With Gulf Arab States"-->{{cite Q|Q139948808}}
* <!--Jeff Stein (2013-12-04) “The Perils of Whistle-Blowing”, Newsweek-->{{cite Q|Q63257553}}
* <!--David Swanson (2022-03-15) " 30 Nonviolent Things Russia Could Have Done and 30 Nonviolent Things Ukraine Could Do"-->{{cite Q|Q134465808}}
* <!--Veterans For Peace Nuclear Posture Review-->{{cite Q|Q111141993|author=Veterans for Peace}}
* <!-- Xia et al. (2022) Global food insecurity and famine ... from a nuclear war ...-->{{cite Q| Q113732668}}
[[Category:Media literacy]]
[[Category:Communication]]
[[Category:Political science]]
[[Category:Law]]
[[Category:Psychology]]
[[Category:Sociology]]
[[Category:War History]]
[[Category:Media Literacy and You]]
<!--
https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Wikiversity:Category_Review
-->
f6ylsv1ktkodc5nkkuemq5okav1nkr0
2820450
2820449
2026-08-03T13:20:02Z
DavidMCEddy
218607
/* 2. Training in nonviolent noncooperation for anyone willing to listen */ wdsmth
2820450
wikitext
text/x-wiki
[[File:Nukes or nonviolence.png|thumb|Nuclear war or nonviolent noncooperation?]]
:''Humanity is one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation. ... This is madness. We must reverse course.''
: -- [[w:António Guterres|UN Secretary General António Guterres]] (2022)<ref>Jacobsen (2024), BBC (2022).</ref>
:This book is a combination instruction manual on [[w:Media literacy|media literacy]] and an invitation to you to support collaborative / crowd-sourced research on how to improve the world's understanding of media literacy and how to accelerate its understanding and use globally for the betterment of humanity.
Part I of this book on ''[[Media Literacy and You]]'' discusses "The media and political economy". Except in times of terror, massive lawlessness or war, most humans place a high priority on their financial situation, the primary focus of Part I. Part II on "The media and war" focuses on security concerns starting with this chapter on "Deterrence without threat".
== Introduction ==
Every individual and group has a right and an obligation to defend itself. Unfortunately, when most humans<ref>We distinguish here between "humans" and "people" or "persons", because under current US law, corporations are "people" and money is speech, per the US Supreme Court decision in ''[[w:Citizens United v. FEC|Citizens United v. FEC]]'' (2010) and many other judicial rulings and US law such as the [[w:Patriot Act|Patriot Act]] of 2001.</ref> think of defense, they often think of violent responses to provocations.
However, there is a growing body of research documenting
:(a) how most uses of violence are counterproductive, and
:(b) there are usually nonviolent options to violence that would more effectively promote broadly shared peace and prosperity for the long term.
This research is rarely discussed by major media outlets, because it would offend the "people"<ref>We put "people" in quotes in this essay, because that term includes corporations under current US law.</ref> who control most of the money for the media: Nonviolence threatens their ability to get compliance from security forces. As a result, many elites prefer to use force to the detriment of the bottom 99 percent of humanity. As discussed below, a military posture that supports projecting force beyond one’s own borders may be as likely to ''provoke'' as ''prevent'' an attack.<ref>For example, Lebow (2025) cites some of his previous work with others to support the claim that large militaries have been "more provocative than preventative in" their effects. And Lebow (2024) insists that, "Policymakers respond more instinctively than analytically in deciding that some policy is or is not in the national interest." See also Lebow et al. (2023).</ref>
This chapter outlines a 3-part strategy that research suggests would more likely lead to better outcomes for the vast majority of humans:
# Citizen-directed subsidies for local news nonprofits with firewall(s) to prevent political interference in the content.
# Training in nonviolent noncooperation for anyone willing to listen.
# Forbid uses of force beyond one’s own borders and covert interference in foreign countries.
We now discuss each of these briefly.
== 1. Citizen-directed subsidies for local news nonprofits with firewall(s) to prevent political interference in the content. ==
It seems that
:''Primary drivers of every major conflict include differences between the media that the different parties find crecible.''
In a recent interview with [[w:Fordham University|Fordham University]] Professor Emerita of Communications Robin Andersen,<ref name=Andersen><!--Robin Andersen-->{{cite Q|Q132982358}}</ref> she agreed with this claim and added:
:''We only have enemies of our very own making.''
The media are involved in this, because:
:''The major media create the stage upon which politicians read their lines.''<ref>In 1791 James Madison, who represented part of Virginia in the US House of Representatives 1789-1801 and later became the 4th President of the US (1809-1819), said, "Public opinion sets bounds to every government, and is the real sovereign in every free one." Quoted from the ''[[w:National Gazette|National Gazette]]'' (published 1791-1793) by Schmeller (2009, p. 36) and Sauer (2016, p. 5). Sauer described how the American Revolutionaries, especially the first four US presidents, planted stories in newspapers to build support for how they dealt with the [[w:Barbary corsairs|Barbary pirates]], who were seizing merchant ships, raiding European coastal towns and villages, and selling European captives into slavery. The first two US presidents, [[w:George Washington|Washington]] and [[w:John Adams|Adams]], used that support for protecting US shipping and citizens by paying tribute to government leaders in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. The next two presidents, [[w:Thomas Jefferson|Jefferson]] and [[w:James Madison|Madison]], convinced Congress to fund a navy and marines to fight the [[w:Barbary Wars|Barbary Wars]]. This included the [[w:Battle of Derna (1805)|Battle of Derna]] (April-May 1805), memorialized in the [[w:Marines' Hymn|Marines' Hymn]], which mentions actions "to the shores of Tripoli". Sauer described how the policies were sold to the public via planted stories in the different partisan newspapers.</ref>
This works because (a) virtually everyone thinks they know more than they do ([[w:Overconfidence effect|overconfidence effect]]), and (b) virtually everyone prefers information and sources consistent with preconceptions ([[w:confirmation bias|confirmation bias]]).
Also, in many, perhaps all, countries, the primary constituency for foreign and military policy is the people with foreign business interests. Many of these people also control substantial portions of the money for the media, which have too often encourage questionable and counterproductive uses of military force.<ref>If we [[w:follow the money|follow the money]], we might find that "watchdogs generally protect the people who feed them", as discussed in the 2025-09-25 interview with British journalist and media reform activist Dan Hind discussing how the British [[Media Reform Coalition challenges anti-democratic media bias in the UK]].</ref>
=== Examples ===
A leader in documenting the role of the media in armed conflict is Robin Andersen,<ref>e.g., Andersen (2006, 2026).</ref> but she is not alone. For example, [[w:University of Denver|University of Denver]] journalism professor Kareem El Damanhoury<ref name=Daman><!--Kareem El Damanhoury-->{{cite Q|Q113752441}}</ref> has compared how [[w:Gaza Strip|Gaza]] has been framed differently by [[w:Al Jazeera Media Network|Al Jazeera]], the [[w:BBC|BBC]]<ref>El Damanhoury et al. (2025).</ref> and [[w:Fox News|Fox]].<ref>El Damanhoury and Saleh (2024).</ref><ref>Some of El Damanhoury's work in this regard [[Differences between media outlets including coverage of Gaza|is reviewed in a 2025-11-20 interview with him]].</ref>
==== World War I ====
Andersen's (2006) ''A Century of Media, A Century of War'' begins with a discussion of "The birth of war propaganda" in "The Great War and the Fight between Good and Evil".<ref>Andersen (2006, ch. 1)</ref>
A more detailed but compatible discussion of the media and [[w:World War I|World War I]] is given by [[w:John Maxwell Hamilton|John Maxwell Hamilton]]. Among other things, he said: {{quote|
The first iron law of propaganda is that only the enemy does it.<ref>Hamilton (2020, p. 642). See also the [[John Maxwell Hamilton on American propaganda|2025-12-11 interview with Hamilton]].</ref>}}
[[File:MB Walker - German bayoneting children - Life - July 25, 1915.png|thumb|left|Figure 1. Stories of German soldiers impaling children on their bayonets were widely reported during the war. However, no credible evidence was found to support these claims when questions were raised after the war.<ref>{{cite web|title=Alleged German atrocities: Bryce report|url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/firstworldwar/spotlights/p_alleged_german.htm|publisher=The National Archives|access-date=13 July 2014}}</ref>]]
Andersen (2006, pp. 8-9) said, {{quote|
James Bryce, the former British ambassador to the United States, ... helped prepare a sixty-one page ''Report on the Committee on alleged German Outrages'', which was translated into thirty languages and was said to be based on twelve hundred depositions ... included gruesome and titillating details of how German soldiers publicly raped Belgian girls in the marketplace at Liege and bayonetted a two-year-old child. ... [A]fter the war a Belgian commission of inquiry found no evidence for any major accusation in the report. ...}}
{{quote|
German propagandists, on the other hand, ... "bungled, because they were naïve: they thought the success of the war depended almost solely on military strategy and therefore they tended to neglect propaganda." ... Thus, when German soldiers shot some Allied nurses who had carried weapons, they admitted it openly. The Allies reported the incident as an atrocity and featured it in press propaganda. When French troops shot German nurses under similar circumstances, the Germans failed to exploit it.}}
==== Jonathan Swift 1710 ====
This is not limited to World War I. In 1710, [[w:Jonathan Swift|Jonathan Swift]] reportedly said, "Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after ... like a physician, who hath found out an infallible medicine, after the patient is dead."<ref name=Swift>Excerpted from a line in [[Wikiquote:Jonathan Swift]] consulted 2026-04-13.</ref>
==== The Marines' Hymn ====
The [[w:Marines' Hymn|Marine Corps Hymn]] begins, {{quote|
From the Halls of Montezuma
To the shores of Tripoli;
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land, and sea.}}
The "[[w:Battle of Chapultepec|Halls of Montezuma]]" refer to the [[w:Mexican–American War|Mexican–American War]], which was fought to expand slavery first into [[w:Texas|Texas]] -- and supporters of slavery hoped that would help expand slavery further west. The "[[w:Battle of Derna (1805)|shores of Tripoli]]" were part of the [[w:Barbary Wars|Barbary Wars]], which were fought to reduce the need to pay (a) tribute to the [[w:Barbary Coast|Barbary or Berber]] states of [[w:Morocco|Morocco]], [[w:Algeria|Algeria]], [[w:Tunisia|Tunisia]], and [[w:Libya|Libya]] or (b) ransom to [[w:Barbary corsairs|Barbary pirates]], who were otherwise capturing Christians and selling them into slavery.
Did the bottom 99 percent of the US population of that time benefit? Or did these wars (and any tribute and ransom paid by the US government before the Barbary wars) constitute a hidden transfer of wealth from the poor to the wealthy?
A partial answer to this question is that [[w:tariff|tariff]]s on imported goods covered between 80 and 95 percent of all federal revenue up to 1860, and [[w:excise|excise taxes]] on only a few goods, such as whiskey, rum, tobacco, snuff and refined sugar, made up nearly all the rest.<ref>See the section on "[[w:Excise tax in the United States#Historical background|Historical background]]" in the Wikipedia article on "[[w:Excise tax in the United States|Excise tax in the United States]]", accessed 2026-05-26.</ref> The money raised from taxes on income during the Civil War, visible in Figure 3 above, were apparently negligible as a portion of federal revenue during the Barbary Wars and the Mexican-American War.
==== Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: "Betray the nation or do not get elected." ====
Regarding the [[w:Vietnam War|Vietnam War]], former president [[w:Dwight D. Eisenhower|Eisenhower]] wrote in his autobiography, which appeared in 1963 (he left the presidency 1961-01-20), that he had never communicated {{quote|
with a person knowledgeable in Indochinese affairs [including Vietnam] who did not agree that had elections been held as of the time of the fighting [leading to the defeat of the French in 1954], possibly 80 per cent of the population would have voted for the Communist [[w:Ho Chi Minh|Ho Chi Minh]].<ref>Eisenhower (1963, p. 372).</ref>}}
[[w:Joseph McCarthy|Joseph McCarthy]], who had been elected to the US Senate in 1946 and "experienced a meteoric rise in national profile beginning on February 9, 1950, when he gave a" speech during which he said something like, "The [[w:United States Secretary of State|State Department]] is infested with communists. I have here in my hand a list of 205—a list of names that were made known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping policy in the State Department." McCarthy's mostly baseless claims went largely unchallenged in the media, including accusing the Democrats of "twenty years of treason" for having been allied with the Soviet Union, which took the bulk of casualties during World War II.
By the end of 1953 with (Republican) Eisenhower as president roughly 11 months, McCarthy was complaining about "''21'' years of treason", complaining that Eisenhower was not sufficiently aggressive in rooting out the communists who McCarthy claimed were in the government.<ref>Fried (1997, p. 179).</ref>
Then the French were defeated by Vietnamese communists 1954-05-07 in the [[w:Battle of Dien Bien Phu|Battle of Dien Bien Phu]]. The [[w:1954 Geneva Conference|1954 Geneva Conference]], which had begun eleven days earlier, 1954-04-26, concluded 1954-07-21 with the "Geneva Accords of 1954".<ref>The [[w:Battle of Dien Bien Phu|Battle of Dien Bien Phu]], 1954-05-07, effectively ended the [[w:First Indochina War|French Indochina War]]. This led to the [[w:1954 Geneva Conference|Geneva accords of 1954]], officially dated 1954-07-20 but actually signed the following morning. Those accords took effect on three different dates, July 27 and August 1 and 11 in three different sectors of Vietnam. See <!--Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities in Vietnam-->{{cite Q|Q139676410}}</ref> Those accords called for UN-supervised elections for July of 1956, when Eisenhower would presumably be campaigning for reelection. Eisenhower doubtless knew that he might lose his bid for re-election in 1956, if the Communist Ho Chi Minh won elections in July of that year.
:''The consistent suppression of honest portrayal in the major media of that day of the perspective of anyone whom Eisenhower considered "knowledgeable in Indochinese affairs" gave him -- and his successors [[w:John F. Kennedy|Kennedy]], [[w:Lyndon B. Johnson|Johnson]], and [[w:Richard Nixon|Nixon]] -- the choice between betraying the nation or not getting elected.''
In this environment, the [[w:Operation 34A|US initiated a series of clandestine operations against North Vietnam]] including infiltrating CIA-recruited spies and supporting attacks against North Vietnam by South Vietnamese commandos.<ref>Paterson (2008).</ref> This included a raid 1964-07-30 by South Vietnamese commandos on the island of Hòn Mê, roughly 300 km (180 miles) north of the [[w:Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone|Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone]] in the [[w:Gulf of Tonkin|Gulf of Tonkin]], covered by [[w:DESOTO patrol|US naval vessels]] patrolling in that area. Then during a dark and stormy night six days later, US naval vessels opened fire on radar snow, and President Johnson requested and received Congressional approval of the [[w:Gulf of Tonkin Resolution|Gulf of Tonkin Resolution]]; then-[[w:United States Secretary of Defense|US Secretary of Defense]] [[w:Robert McNamara|McNamara]] claimed those attacks were "unprovoked".<ref>Karnow (1983, p. 375). See also the section on [[w:Gulf of Tonkin Resolution#Congress votes|Congress votes]]" in the Wikipedia article on [[w:Gulf of Tonkin Resolution|Gulf of Tonkin Resolution]], accessed 2026-05-14.</ref>
In this media environment, only two officials in the US Congress voted against the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: [[w:Ernest Gruening|Ernest Gruening]] (D-AK) and [[w:Wayne Morse|Wayne Morse]] (D-OR). Gruening lost in his next primary campaign to [[w:Mike Gravel|Mike Gravel]], and Morse lost in his next general election campaign to [[w:Bob Packwood|Bob Packwood]]. These results support the previous claim that the major media give politicians the choice:
:''Betray the nation, or do not get elected.''
That resolution became the primary authorization for the US war in Vietnam until Congress ended the funding.
==== Was the Vietnam War lost in Washington or by media biases? ====
[[w:John Mueller|John Mueller]], prolific author, Professor Emeritus of international relations at [[w:Ohio State University|Ohio State University]] and Senior Fellow at the [[w:Cato Institute|Cato Institute]], said that the most effective thing the US did to win the [[w:Cold War|Cold War]] was —
:''nothing'':
Between the [[w:Fall of Saigon|Fall of Saigon]] in 1975 and the inauguration of [[w:Ronald Reagan|Ronald Reagan]] as President of the US, the US "went into a sort of containment funk: it effectively adopted a policy of complacency (or perhaps of appeasement) as it watched from the sidelines as the Soviet Union … opportunistically gathered a set of Third World countries into its imperial embrace: Angola in 1976, Mozambique and Ethiopia in 1977, South Yemen and Afghanistan in 1978, Grenada and Nicaragua in 1979."<ref>Mueller (2021, p. 59).</ref> Nearly all became major economic and political drains on the Soviets with Afghanistan being the worst. And their Warsaw Pact allies in Eastern Europe became a severe economic drain and psychic problem.<ref>Mueller and Graves (2023).</ref>
President Reagan, inaugurated 1981-01-20, had a very different vision of the role of the US in foreign relations from his predecessor, [[w:Jimmy Carter|Jimmy Carter]]. In 1983-06-21 Reagan insisted, "We cannot permit the Soviet-Cuban-Nicaraguan axis to take over Central America", because the consequences would include "a tidal wave of refugees ... 'feet people' ... swarming into our country."<ref>Clines (1983).</ref>
Other sources<ref>e.g., Andersen (2006, Part II).</ref> insist the opposite, that the vast majority of deaths in Central America during the Reagan years were poor humans petitioning nonviolently for a redress of grievances, suppressed by terrorist / death squads supported by the Reagan administration largely in violation of laws passed by Congress and signed by President Reagan. On 1986-10-05 [[w:Corporate Air Services HPF821|a Nicaraguan soldier with a surface to air missile shot down a C-123]] cargo aircraft carrying supplies to the Contra roughly 35 miles (56 km) north of Costa Rica. Documents found in the wreckage and a confession by the sole survivor led to the [[w:Iran–Contra affair|Iran-Contra hearings]] the following year, during which Lt. Col. [[w:Oliver North|Oliver North]] insisted, "We didn't lose the war in Vietnam ..., we lost it in this city."<ref>Andersen (2006, p. 137). See also, Wikipedia, "[[w:Stab-in-the-back myth|Stab-in-the-back myth]]", accessed 2026-05-13.</ref>
The previous section on the "Gulf of Tonkin Resolution" provides an alternative narrative of the Vietnam War: If as Eisenhower claimed, "possibly 80 per cent of the [Vietnamese] population would have voted for the Communist [[w:Ho Chi Minh|Ho Chi Minh]]" if elections had been held there, it's hard to imagine how anyone else could have won without aggressive action that actually ''improved'' the lives of Vietnamese peasants in the South. US-led efforts there were officially designed to win "[[w:Hearts and Minds (Vietnam War)|Hearts and Minds]]" but were implemented with such coercion that the result was the opposite. A cynic might say that it is hard to win people's hearts and minds by killing them.
====Richard Barlow and nuclear proliferation====
There is also documentation that the US helped Pakistan get nuclear weapons and destroyed the career of an intelligence analyst, [[w:Richard Barlow (intelligence analyst)|Richard Barlow]], for telling his managers they should not lie to Congress about it. Barlow has insisted that neither Pakistan nor North Korea would have nuclear weapons and Iran would not have a nuclear weapons program today, if the US had followed its own laws. Barlow’s claims, including his punishment by administration officials, have been reported in major media outlets<ref>e.g., Stein (2013). See also Wikipedia, "[[w:Richard Barlow (intelligence analyst)|Richard Barlow (intelligence analyst)]]", accessed 2026-05-06.</ref> but not in a way that would seriously limit the ability — and need — for administration officials to lie to Congress.
If Barlow's claims are accurate, it suggests that US government officials violated US obligations under the [[w:Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons|Non-Proliferation Treaty]] (NPT).<ref>Per the [[w:Treaty Clause|Treaty Clause]] of the US Constitution, a treaty negotiated by the President and approved by the Senate has "the force of federal law."</ref>
==== Nayirah testimony and the 1990-1991 Gulf War ====
A more recent example is the 1990-10-10 testimony by [[w:Nayirah testimony|Nayirah al-Ṣabaḥ to the US Congressional Human Rights Caucus]], two months after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. She claimed to have seen Iraqi soldiers taking premature babies out of incubators in a maternity ward before looting the incubators and leaving the babies to die on the floor after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait; she said she had been a volunteer nurse in the hospital at that time.
The failure of journalists, including with the ''[[w:NBC Nightly News|NBC Nightly News]]'', to adequate check facts behind this and other atrocity stories helped convince the US public to support the US-led invasion of Iraq in 1990-1991. Nayirah's statements were widely publicized and cited numerous times in the United States Senate and by American president George H. W. Bush to contribute to the rationale for pursuing military action against Iraq. It was later revealed that she was the daughter of Kuwaiti ambassador to the US, [[w:Saud Nasser Al-Saud Al-Sabah|Saud Nasser Al-Saud Al-Sabah]], "Reps. [[w:Tom Lantos|Tom Lantos]] and [[w:John Porter (Illinois politician)|John Edward Porter]], who sponsored the congressional hearings, had started a group called the Congressional Human Rights Foundation that had received $50,000 from Citizens for a Free Kuwait, as well as free office space in [[w:Hill & Knowlton|Hill and Knowlton]]'s Washington headquarters",<ref>Rowse (1992).</ref> and the public relations firm Hill and Knowlton had made a video while coaching her rehearsing her perjury and used that to prepare a video press release "that eventually reached a total audience of about thirty-five million", 14 percent of the [[w:Demographic history of the United States|US population of 249 million per the census then in process]], with portions aired on the ''[[w:NBC Nightly News|NBC Nightly News]]'' the night after the testimony.<ref>Andersen (2006, pp. 170-171).</ref>
==== 1998 Embassy bombings and September 11 ====
As another example, there is substantial documentation available today that [[1998 Embassy bombings and September 11|the suicide mass murders of September 11, 2001]], likely would not have occurred if the US had treated the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania as law enforcement issues. Muslim clerics all over the world initially condemned those acts. Al-Qaeda was dead. Their funding had largely dried up. And bin Laden was scheduled to be extradited the following month to Saudi Arabia to be prosecuted for treason, where he would likely have been convicted and executed. Mayer (2008, p. 114) claimed those embassy bombings were motivated as retaliation for US support for torture.<ref>For more on torture, see the the section on [[#Make media responsible for harms|Make media responsible for harms]] below.</ref>
But it seemed questionable at best whether major media executives in the US would have given favorable coverage to such a diplomatic solution. Instead, the US bombed a pharmaceutical plant in Sudan and al-Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan. Then Muslim public opinion turned 180 degrees to conclude, "Bin Laden is right: The US ''is'' an evil empire." The US became bin Laden’s only indispensable ally, according to the CIA agent responsible for tracking bin Laden at that time.<ref>Scheuer (2004, p. xv).</ref> Leading Saudis started supporting al-Qaeda, including some working for the Saudi embassy and consulates in the US. Only one country seems to have been involved in the preparations for the September 11 attacks, and that was Saudi Arabia. But Saudis were friends of the Bush family, and a crisis is a terrible thing to waste.<ref>Romer (2009).</ref>
:''Did the US invade Afghanistan and Iraq on grounds that senior journalists and leading media executives should have known at the time were questionable and likely fraudulent — to the detriment of nearly everyone except the "people" who control most of the money for the media?''
:In particular, was Iraqi president [[w:Saddam Hussein|Saddam Hussein]] really a bigger threat to the US after he invaded Kuwait in 1990 or after the [[w:September 11 attacks|suicide mass murders of September 11, 2001]] than he was during the 1980s, when the US supported him [[w:Iran-Iraq War|killing Iranians]] or [[w:Anfal campaign|his own native Kurds]]?
On 2003-05-29 [[w:BBC|BBC]] journalist [[w:Andrew Gilligan|Andrew Gilligan]] reported that the [[w:Tony Blaire|Blair government]] had "sexed up" [[w:September Dossier|intelligence reports]] issued the previous September to justify supporting the 2003-03-20 [[w:Iraq War|US-led invasion of Iraq]], two months before Gilligan's report. This led to the [[w:Hutton Inquiry|Hutton Inquiry]], which led to the resignations of Gilligan and the BBC's chairman and the firing of the BBC's director-general. However, the British public expressed so many reservations about the Hutton Inquiry that a follow-up investigation was ordered in 2009. This became the "[[w:Iraq Inquiry|Iraq Inquiry]]", whose 2016-07-06 report essentially validated what Gilligan had said just over 13 years earlier. This provides one more example of the 1710 maxim of Jonathan Swift that, "Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after ... like a physician, who hath found out an infallible medicine, after the patient is dead."<ref name=Swift/>
====Ukraine war====
Page 1 of the 2023-05-04 edition of ''[[w:Le Monde Diplomatique|Le Monde Diplomatique]]'' carried a headline:
:One year after the invasion of Ukraine: The media, vanguard of the war party,<ref>Halimi and Rimbert (2023) in the French-language original.</ref>
consistent with Andersen (2006).
=== Make media responsible for harms ===
How might the world be different if injured parties could successfully sue major media for harms that result from government policies contradicted by evidence reasonably available to the major media outlets?
For example, how might the world be different if:
* combat veterans or their families could successfully sue major media outlets for biased reporting that stampede the nation into ill advised and counterproductive uses of military force on grounds that leading media personalities should have known at the time were questionable and likely fraudulent?
* Vietnamese or Afghanis or Iraqis or Palestinians or victims in other countries could win similar lawsuits?
* immigrants could sue major media outlets for failing to publish reasonable summaries of the available research that says that immigrants on average are more entrepreneurial<ref>Aghion et al. (2022, pp. 266-270).</ref> and no more likely to engage in criminal activities than native born, benefitting both the sending and receiving countries?<ref>The Wikipedia article on "[[w:Immigration|Immigration]] cites research saying, "that migration can be beneficial both to the receiving and sending countries. The academic literature provides mixed findings for the relationship between immigration and crime worldwide. ... [P]ublic perception often exaggerates the connection between immigration and crime, influenced by sensationalised media coverage and political rhetoric." The Wikipedia article on [[w:Immigration and crime|Immigration and crime]] notes that in some countries immigrants are over-represented in prison populations due to violations of immigration law or anti-immigrant biases in criminal justice. The Wikipedia article on "[[w:Sanctuary city|Sanctuary city]]" says that, "Some studies on the relationship between sanctuary status and crime have found that sanctuary policies either have no effect on crime or that sanctuary cities have lower crime rates and stronger economies than comparable non-sanctuary cities." All references 2026-05-26.</ref>
* humans tortured by the US could sue the major media for suppressing honest discussion of the research that documents that torture is more likely counterproductive? An important report of the efficacy of torture was published in 1631 by [[w:Friedrich Spee|Friedrich Spee]], a German Jesuit priest and professor. A few years earlier, the Duke of Brunswick had invited Spee and another famous Jesuit scholar to supervise a continuation of the torture of a confessed witch. The Jesuits had previously told the Duke, "The Inquisitors are doing their duty. They are arresting only people who have been implicated by the confession of other witches." The Duke then led the Jesuits to a woman being stretched on the rack and asked her, "You are a confessed witch. I suspect these two men of being warlocks. What do you say? Another turn of the rack, executioners." "No, no!" screamed the woman. "You are quite right. I have often seen .. . They can turn themselves into goats, wolves ... Several witches have had children by them. ... The children had heads like toads and legs like spiders."<ref>Pinker (2011, pp. 138-139). Mannix (1964, pp. 134-135). Mackay ( 2009, p. 320).</ref> Crudely similar comments about the counterproductive nature of torture were made by Generals [[w:Stanley McChrystal|Stanley McChrystal]] (2013) and [[w:David Petraeus|David Petraeus]],<ref>DePaulo (2008).</ref> who held command positions in Iraq and Afghanistan. The major media in the US has provided ample coverage of, e.g., comments by Donald Trump supporting torture (McCarthy 2016), while largely suppressing honest discussion of the research on it.
Might the world be safer and more prosperous if major media outlets and their executives and journalists could be successfully sued when their biased reporting have substantive negative consequences? Might [[w:Freedom of information|the public's right to receive diverse information]] be advanced in this way, recognizing that false information disseminated by major media outlets can lead to substantive harms, similar to "[[w:Shouting fire in a crowded theater|shouting ''fire'' in a crowded theater]]", while the same information disseminated by minor outlets would ''not'' produce such harms?
Lawsuits of this nature could be facilitated by "group libel" laws. Activists were working to pass such laws in the 1940s. By 1950 those campaigns had been abandoned, according to Barbas (2023).<ref>See also Calvert et al. (2023, pp. 178ff).</ref>
[[w:Yael Eisenstat|Yaël Eisenstat]] agrees that under [[w:Section 230|Section 230]] of Title 47 of the US Code, "No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider." However, Eisenstat insists that [[Online platforms' effects on public health, safety and democracy|"an interactive computer service" ''can'' be held liable when their algorithms have substantive negative consequences]], as in the jury verdicts against Meta in New Mexico<ref>Allyn (2026).</ref> and against Meta and Google in Los Angeles.<ref>McQue (2026).</ref> She said, "those technologies, if they are, in the end, contributing to an illegal activity or to harm, that's what we should be addressing. ... The ultimate goal is not to shut down every social media company. The ultimate goal is to figure out what a safer online experience looks like and what accountability looks like when something unsafe happens."
=== in sum ===
You, dear reader, can help overcome these problems by talking, as suggested in the exercises below and the rest of this book. If you can help others become less angry and more willing to agree to disagree agreeably with others, that should reduce the risk of war and improve the prospects for progress on other major problems facing humanity today.
==2. Training in nonviolent noncooperation for anyone willing to listen ==
A major driver of the current conflict between India and Pakistan is mistreatment of Muslims in India. Simulations of a nuclear war between India and Pakistan suggest that such a war would likely produce a nuclear autumn lasting years during which 40 percent of humanity would starve to death if they did not die of something else sooner. Over 90 percent of those would be in countries not involved in the nuclear exchange.<ref>Xia et al. (2022). See also Wikiversity, "[[Responding to a nuclear attack]]", accessed 2026-05-05.</ref>
The recent "[[w:2025 India–Pakistan conflict|2025 India–Pakistan conflict]]" was a response by India to violence in Indian-administered [[w:Kashmir|Kashmir]] by terrorists allegedly supported by Pakistan. India would have had much more difficulty justifying violent repression of ''nonviolent'' protests, especially if a more diverse media ecology gave such protests more and more sympathetic coverage.
During the [[w:Great Depression|Great Depression]], ethnic Germans in the [[w:Sudetenland|Sudetenland]] region of [[w:Czechoslovakia|Czechoslovakia]] were harder hit by increasing trade barriers than their non-German neighbors. They were therefore more open to populist and extremist movements such as fascism, communism and German irredentism.<ref>Wikipedia, "[[w:Sudetenland|Sudetenland]]", esp. the section on "[[w: Sudetenland#Within the Czechoslovak Republic (1918–1938)|Within the Czechoslovak Republic (1918–1938)]]", accessed 2026-05-05.</ref> If those ethnic Germans had used nonviolent noncooperation to highlight their grievances, and if Czechoslovakia at that time had had a substantially more diverse media system, it seems likely that they could have gotten reasonable redress of grievances. If so, it would have been harder for Hitler to use that as an excuse to invade Czechoslovakia, as he did in 1938.<ref>Wikipedia, "[[w:Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945)|Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945)]]", accessed 2026-05-05.</ref>
In 1940, during World War II, Germany invade Denmark, which had previously declared neutrality. The Germans allowed [[w:1943 Danish Folketing election|Danish parliamentary elections in 1943]]. A Danish Nazi party won on 2.1% of the votes.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rigsdagsvalgene i Marts og April 1943|url=http://www.dst.dk/pukora/epub/upload/20217/valg1943.pdf|date=|publisher=Danmarks Statistic|accessdate=11 February 2021}}</ref> When the Nazis ordered the Danes [[w:Rescue of the Danish Jews|to ship their Jews to the death camps, the Danes ignored those orders.]] When the Germans decided to do it themselves, a German diplomat leaked that decision, and nearly all Danish Jews escaped to neutral Sweden; 99% of Denmark's Jewish population survived the Holocaust.
An ideal settlement of the current Russo-Ukraine war might include training in nonviolent noncooperation made more effective through a more diverse media culture as suggested above. A substantial portion of the Ukrainian population, especially the Ukrainian military, are reported to be vicious anti-Russian Nazis, and the Ukrainian government has outlawed many uses of non-Ukrainian languages, especially Russian.<ref>Horton (2024).</ref> A campaign of nonviolent noncooperation with a vigorous, diverse adversarial press would likely make it harder for Ukraine to continue any persecution of Russian speakers. It would also make it harder for major media in the US and Western Europe to suppress honest discussion of anti-Russian racism in Ukraine. Swanson (2022) said that the [[w:Baltic states|Baltic states]] have implemented such training in preparations for a possible Russian invasion; they might be asked to support such training in Ukraine (and elsewhere).<ref>Swanson (2022).</ref>
Organizations offering training in [[w:Nonviolent resistance|nonviolent noncooperation]] include [[w:Nonviolence International|Nonviolence International]] and the [[w:Highlander Research and Education Center|Highlander Research and Education Center]].
=== Civil resistance deters fracking ===
Duhamel (2013) claimed that well-advertised planning and training in nonviolent noncooperation helped deter oil companies from attempting hydraulic fracturing in [[w:Quebec|Quebec Province]] in [[w:Canada|Canada]]. Deterring a foreign invasion is different, but the same principle should apply: It's clear from many sources that elites consider nonviolence a threat; it's a felony to teach nonviolence to someone whom the US State Department claims supports a "foreign terrorist organization", discussed in the next section.
=== Life in prison for teaching nonviolence ===
Per the US Supreme Court decision in ''[[w:Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project|Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project]]'' (2010), teaching nonviolence to anyone whom the US State Department claims supports a foreign terrorist organization is "[[w:Providing material support for terrorism|providing material support for terrorism]]", which is a felony under the USA [[w:Patriot Act|Patriot Act]] of 2001. Moreover, if the State Department claims that the death of any "person" resulted from the activities of the designated foreign terrorist organization, the penalty can be life in prison, where "person" is defined in the Patriot Act as "any individual or entity capable of holding a legal or beneficial interest in property".<ref>The treatment of [[w:Sami Al-Arian|Sami Al-Arian]] is worth noting in discussing the Patriot Act. Al-Arian is a Kuwaiti-born political activist of Palestinian origin, who earned a doctorate in Electrical Sciences and Systems Engineering at [[w:North Carolina State University|North Carolina State]] in 1985 and taught computer engineering at [[w:University of South Florida|University of South Florida]] (USF) beginning in 1986. He was granted permanent resident status in 1989. In 1993 he earned a Distinguished Teacher Award as a tenured associate professor at USF. He was an [[w:imam|imam]] in a local [[w:mosque|mosque]] and led in other initiatives to promote dialogue and public policy initiatives between the West and Middle East. On September 26, 2001, he appeared on ''[[w:The O'Reilly Factor|The O'Reilly Factor]]'' where he was confronted with a 1988 recording of him shouting "death to Israel". Al-Arian replied that "Death to Israel" meant "death to occupation, ... apartheid, ...oppression," whereupon O'Reilly cut him off and called for the [[w:Central Intelligence Agency|Central Intelligence Agency]] to investigate him. Al-Arian spent most of the next 14 years between that 2001 interview and 2015 in detention, much of it in solitary confinement. This period included a 2005 trial that ended with acquittal on 8 counts and a hung jury on another 9. In 2015 he was deported to Turkey. In 2017, he founded the Center for Islam and Global Affairs at [[w:Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University|Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University]] in Istanbul, Turkey, which he directs. What has been the impact of treatment of Al-Arian on the well-being of the bottom 99 percent of the US and world population?</ref>
How did these provisions get written into the Patriot Act?
That's a question that deserves research, perhaps by asking elected officials in the US Congress and lobbying for their repeal. A speculation consistent with the thesis of this book is that nonviolence terrifies those who control most of they money for the media, because it threatens their ability to get their security forces to follow orders.
==3. Forbid uses of force beyond one’s own borders and covert interference in foreign countries ==
:''[[w:Si vis pacem, para bellum|If you want peace, prepare for war.]]''
: -- ''[[w:De Re Militari|De Re Militari]]'' by [[w:Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus|Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus]] (fourth or fifth century AD)
The record of history is now clear: Those who prepared for war often got war initiated when one party claimed they were being attacked or about to be attacked and believed they would fare better by attacking. Sometimes this occurred when the media environment convinced leaders that their political futures required them to clandestinely provoke foreign entities to do things that could then be denounced as unprovoked to justify military escalation, as mentioned in the previous section.
Samuelson (2025) summarized quantitative analyses of 60 insurgencies since World War II, whose findings included the complete absence of success with counterinsurgencies without large force ratios (at least four, and most often more than ten, times the force of the insurgents) and without "providing a path toward peaceful addressing of grievances". He also noted that, "Brutality toward the civilian population ... tends to inflame the insurgency."<ref>Samuelson (2025) summarized Lawrence (2015).</ref> His analysis gave a pessimistic prognosis for the [[w:Gaza war|Gaza war]] that began 2023-10-07. His conclusions are consistent with the history of the current [[w:Russo-Ukrainian war|Russo-Ukrainian war]], the [[w:Vietnam War|Vietnam War]], the [[w:Graveyard of empires|First, Second, and Third Anglo-Afghan Wars (1839-1919), the Soviet-Afghan War (1979–1989), the US-led War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)]], the 2001-2011 [[w:Iraq War|Iraq War]], and others.
A key point is that invaders often to lose unless they enter with overwhelming force like Germany in the early stages of World War II: The [[w:Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945)|Czechoslovaks]], [[w:Invasion of Poland|Poles]], [[w:France during World War II|French]], and others were not prepared to fight the Germans, but the [[w:Soviet Union in World War II|Soviets]] were. [[w:Adolf Hitler|Hitler]] doubtless knew that the [[w:Switzerland during World War I and World War II|Swiss]] were prepared to fight, so he attacked other countries first. While fighting the [[w:Russo-Ukrainian war#Full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine (2022)|Russian invasion]] that began 2022-02-24, [[w:Defense industry of Ukraine|Ukraine has developed]] military drones that are highly effective relative to the cost, as witnessed by sales of such to Gulf Arab states,<ref>Sharawi and Shapiro (2026).</ref> illustrating the point that foreign invaders often encounter vastly more resistance than they expect -- and should expect highly effective resistance if they invade a country prepared to fight on their own territory.
The rest of this section discusses weaknesses with standard deterrence theory.
===Deterrence theory and nuclear Armageddon===
Standard [[w:Deterrence theory|deterrence theory]] assumes that one's opponents are rational and do not want [[w:Armageddon|Armageddon]]. The record of history summarized above raises questions about this assumption: In World War I, even the "winners" arguably lost more than they gained -- doubtless excepting a few merchants, who made fortunes from what they sold. Many of the other military decisions discussed above seem to have been driven more by the media than military necessity.
Beyond that, at least some portions of the [[w:Islamic State|Islamic State]] reportedly violates this assumption, because it "not only believes in the literal meaning of the coming Armageddon – it sees itself as its chief protagonist."<ref>Misra (2015).</ref> Some [[w:Christian nationalism|Christian nationalists]] promoted to command positions by [[w:United States Secretary of Defense|US Secretary of Defense]] [[w:Pete Hegseth|Hegseth]] and President Trump also seem to believe that Armageddon might be desirable. On 2026-03-03 the [[w:Military Religious Freedom Foundation|Military Religious Freedom Foundation]] said they had received over 200 complaints from over 50 different US military installations with comments like, "President Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth", per an email from one [[w:Non-commissioned officer|NCO]].<ref>Nick Mordowanec (2026).</ref> With Hegseth holding monthly Christian worship services in the Pentagon during business hours,<ref>Black (2025), Mayes-Osterman (2025). See also the section on "[[w:Pete Hegseth#Pentagon Christian worship services and "biblically sanctioned war"|Pentagon Christian worship services and "biblically sanctioned war"]] in the Wikipedia article on [[w:Pete Hegseth|Pete Hegseth]], accessed 2026-05-14.</ref> this suggests that Hegseth could have appointed enough Christian nationalists to key positions to initiate nuclear attacks on Iran or Russia, claiming that President Trump had ordered such whether he had or not.<ref>The [[w:Gold Codes|Gold Codes]] carried in the "[[w:nuclear football|nuclear football]]" required by the [[w:Permissive action link|permissive action link]]s would ''not'' prevent Hegseth and a few others appointed by him from initiating nuclear Armageddon, according to Ellsberg, who had been a nuclear war planner for presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon, before releasing the ''[[w:Pentagon Papers|Pentagon Papers]]''. Ellsberg (2017, p. 69) insisted that the security provided by those Gold Codes were a hoax, because otherwise a single nuclear detonation on Washington, DC, when both the president and vice president were in town "would would definitively block any authorized, coordinated nuclear response to that or any subsequent nuclear attack."</ref>
The biggest risk today may be the risk of [[w:Nuclear holocaust|nuclear Armageddon]], which seems on average to grow over time consistent with experience with "[[w:system accidents|system accidents]]" in other fields: It is naive to assume that any system as complex as military command, control and communications systems never fail. And managers of complex systems subject to rare, catastrophic failures "learn" from experience that they can take ever greater risks, because they have "safely" done so in the past — until there is a catastrophe:<ref>Kahneman and Klein (2009) found that expert intuition, when it exists, is learned from frequent, rapid, high quality feedback. With anything nuclear, mishaps are so rare that managers develop "expert intuition" that they can "safely" ignore safety concerns -- until there is a catastrophe. See also Sagan (1993).</ref>
Veterans for Peace (2022) recommend global reduction and rapid elimination of nuclear weapons "to reduce the real risk of nuclear confrontation through accidental launch or miscalculated escalation".
==== National security tariffs ====
Free trade agreements supported by the [[w:World Trade Organization|World Trade Organization]] allow exemptions for national security and other objectives. [[Responding to a nuclear attack|Even a minor nuclear war between India and Pakistan would have a negative impact on the entirety of humanity]]. It might therefore be sensible for parties to the [[w:Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons|Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons]] (TPNW) to institute gradually increasing tariffs on nuclear weapon states, not so great as to seriously impact the economy of the nation applying such tariffs but aggressive enough to gradually wean their economy from reliance on trade with nuclear-weapon states that refuse to support the TPNW.
See also the chapter below on [[/Media Literacy and You/Responding to a nuclear attack/|Responding to a nuclear attack]].
===Research on the effectiveness of deterrence and implications===
Lebow and others have provided substantial documentation of case studies claiming that leaders are often not rational, and deterrence based on threatening use of military force beyond one’s own borders has been ''as likely to provoke as prevent'' undesired behavior.<ref>Lebow (2025, 2024), Lebow et al. (2023).</ref> The most obvious portions of this threat can be entirely eliminated by policies clearly and effectively forbidding use of force beyond one’s own borders. This can be signaled in at least three ways:
* Eliminate all weapon systems like missiles and aircraft with a range of more than, e.g., a hundred miles or 200 kilometers with the possible exception of surveillance only aircraft that cannot be easily configured to carry [[w:Materiel#Military|ordnance]], e.g., explosives. Similarly eliminate nuclear weapons, which few if any countries would want to use for military defense inside their own borders.
* Supply a national guard and reserves with weapons, training, and rules of engagement that prohibit projecting force beyond one’s own borders. Train them also in development and use of improvised explosive devices and other tactics and devices like low cost military drones.
:Afghanistan is said to be the "[[w:Graveyard of empires|Graveyard of empires]]". They defeated the British three times (1839–1842, 1878–1880, 1919), the Soviet Union (1979–1989), and the US (2001–2021). Each victory came with foreign supplies, but any foreign troops helping Afghanis were primarily under the command of local leaders.
:The [[w:2003 invasion of Iraq|2003 invasion of Iraq]] might have produced [[w:Nation-building|nation-building]] more like the experience of [[w:Nation-building#Germany and Japan after World War II|Germany and Japan after World War II]] if the US had mandated a vigorous adversarial press instead of strict censorship, according to McChesney and Nichols.<ref>McChesney and Nichols (2010, Appendix II. Ike, MacArthur and the Forging of Free and Independent Press, pp. 241-254).</ref> This claim by McChesney and Nichols was not endorsed by [[News from Germany 1900-1945 and implications for today#After the war in Germany vs. Iraq|University of British Columbia History professor Heidi Tworek]], who said the democratization efforts in Germany and Japan after World War II were more complicated than that implied by that brief discussion by McChesney and Nichols.<ref>The 2025-07-03 interview with Tworek is available at "[[News from Germany 1900-1945 and implications for today]]", accessed 2026-05-14.</ref> However, the research by Usher and Kim-Leffingwell (2022) and the related research on news deserts summarized in the preface to this ''[[Media Literacy and You]]'' book largely supports those claims by McChesney and Nichols.
:[[w:Defense industry of Ukraine|Ukraine has become a world leader in military drones]], many of which are dramatically cheaper than alternatives. Most of those have limited range but have been useful for reconnaissance and delivery of ordnance and improving targeting of, e.g., surface to air missiles.
:[[w:Eliot A. Cohen|Eliot Cohen]], who served as a special advisor to [[w:United States Secretary of State|US Secretary of State]] [[w:Condoleezza Rice|Condoleezza Rice]] from 2007 to 2009, wrote, "As the United States discovered in Iraq and Afghanistan, no matter how large, technologically advanced, and proficient an army is, motivated insurgents can still inflict casualties in the tens of thousands."<ref>Cohen (2022), cited from Horton (2024, p. 1026).</ref> Cohen recommended we "Arm the Ukranians now". Horton said that the neoconservatives learned from Iraq War II and Afghanistan that the US "should fight like those who defeated them."<ref>Horton (2024, p. 1026).</ref>
:Leading economist [[w:Jeffrey Sachs|Jeffrey Sachs]] addressed the European Parliament 2025-02-19, claiming that the tragedy that befell Serbia in 1999 and subsequent US uses of force in Iraq and Syria, plus wars in Africa including Syria, Somalia and Libya and the current wars in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war, "are to a very significant extent the result of deeply misguided US policies."<ref>Sachs (2025-02).</ref> He said that Europe should craft its own foreign and military policies, independent of the US. ''[[w:Le Monde Diplomatique|Le Monde Diplomatique]]'' noted that Sachs' speech has circulated among social media since ''but has yet to be seriously discussed by major European media.''<ref>Sachs (2025-04; emphasis added).</ref>
* Change the laws of government secrecy so government officials cannot secretly interfere in the internal affairs of foreign countries or otherwise project force outside their own borders. This might be achieved in the US in part by requiring anyone with information about questionable actions by government officials to provide such documentation to one or more congressional oversight bodies while also allowing any current or former government employee or contractor to file suit in any US federal jurisdiction if they feel they have been punished for refusing to support questionable activities. In addition, federal judges should be authorized to subpoena classified government documents that may be relevant to any case in their jurisdiction and declassify them subject to appellate review if they believe the national interest would be better served by declassification.
:If the law is changed without a substantive [[#1. Citizen-directed subsidies for local news nonprofits with firewall(s) to prevent political interference in the content.|citizen-directed subsidies for local news nonprofits with firewall(s) to prevent political interference]], as discussed above, the change could be merely cosmetic and unconvincing to local public officials and potential adversaries.
:Connelly (2023) noted that US government secrecy has in the past encouraged administration officials to do things to provoke actions by foreign entities that can then be denounced as “unprovoked” to stampede the US Congress and the public into supporting counterproductive uses of military force, as discussed above.<ref>See also Connelly et al. (2023).</ref> A more diverse media culture should make it harder for administration officials to lie to the public and to Congress — and harder to punish government employees who tell their managers that they should not lie to Congress, as they reportedly did to [[#Richard Barlow and nuclear proliferation|Richard Barlow]], mentioned above.
:The Barlow case and many others explain why the US should, e.g., give federal judges the authority to subpoena classified documents and declassify them if they believe the public good is better served from declassification than continued secrecy.<ref>See, e.g., the 2025-05-08 interview with Seth Stern and Lauren Harper discussing what the "[[Freedom of the Press Foundation says...]]", Graves (2014), and [[w:Moynihan Commission on Government Secrecy|Moynihan Commission on Government Secrecy]], accessed 2026-05-06. Graves (2021) recommends "Congressional Gold Medals for" Barlow and whistleblowers.</ref>
These policies would make it hard for any foreign leader to justify an attack for multiple reasons: First, it would be difficult to convince their supporters that such an attack is necessary. Second, a rational foreign leader might be hesitant to invade a country that is prepared to fight a guerrilla war. Germany reportedly considered invading [[w:Switzerland during World War I and World War II|Switzerland during both World Wars I and II]] and decided against it in part because Switzerland had large, well-trained ready reserves, who were ready to fight. Belgium seemed to be an easier route.<ref>Documented in Wikipedia, "[[w:Switzerland during World War I and World War II|Switzerland during World War I and World War II]]", accessed 2026-05-06. Switzerland also has many mountains, which make it easier to defend, but the capabilities of the Swiss military also influenced the German decision to avoid Switzerland.</ref> Third, even if foreign invaders defeat the guerrillas, they should not assume that their invading forces would continue to follow orders. [[w:Rescue of the Danish Jews|Ninety-nine percent of Danish Jews reportedly survived World War II]] because of Danish noncooperation ''supported by a German diplomat''.<ref>Wikipedia, "[[w:Rescue of the Danish Jews|Rescue of the Danish Jews]]", accessed 2026-05-06.</ref>
With policies like these in place, it would be hard for foreign leaders to convince their supporters of a need to attack, as [[w:2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|Putin did when invading Ukraine in 2022]],<ref>The Wikipedia article on "[[w:2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]]", accessed 2026-05-06, includes a paragraph saying, 'In July 2021, Putin published an essay "On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians", in which he called Ukraine "historically Russian lands" and claimed there is "no historical basis" for the "idea of Ukrainian people as a nation separate from the Russians"'. Putin was accused of promoting Russian imperialism, historical revisionism and disinformation. Writing in 2024, Michael McFaul and Robert Person described this essay as representing not only "cynical propaganda" but also Putin's "deeply held and internalized beliefs". See the Wikipedia article for references supporting those claims.</ref> as [[w:2025 India–Pakistan crisis|India did when attacking Pakistan in 2025]], and as [[w:Invasion of Poland|Hitler did when invading Poland in 1939]], to name only three examples.
=== If we continue to base deterrence on threats ===
There are now calls for Europe to get their own nuclear weapons,<ref>Burgard (2025).</ref> while Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, South Korea and Taiwan have been suggested as other candidates for acquiring nuclear weapons should they feel a sufficient need.<ref>Ruehl (2024).</ref>
It is difficult to imagine how the number of nuclear weapon states could be increased without increasing the risks of a nuclear war, consistent with the discussion of "[[w:system accident|system accident]]s" earlier in this chapter.
Secondarily, intelligence services with information on political corruption including attempts to intimidate and murder journalists should not be allowed to keep that information secret: They should be required to find ways to leak that information to journalists. Such attacks on journalists in their own country should be exposed and prosecuted if the evidence seems likely to obtain a conviction. Intelligence services with information about such attacks in other countries should be required to find ways to leak it to competent journalists without identifying their sources and methods: Doing so would likely reduce political corruption worldwide and with that the risks of war.
== Collateral damage ==
The research cited above supports the claim that,
:''[[w:Collateral damage|Collateral damage]] that our designated enemies commit prove to us that they are subhuman or criminally misled.''
:''Meanwhile, collateral damage that we commit is unfortunate but necessary -- from our perspective. However, it proves to our designated enemies that we are subhuman or criminally misled.''
This observation supports this entire program of deterrence without threat:
* Forbidding use of force beyond one’s own borders and covert interference in foreign countries would automatically reduce collateral damage. It would also avoid uses of force that seem not to contribute to broadly shared peace and prosperity, according to research cited above.
* The effectiveness of nonviolent noncooperation rests in part on its near universal avoidance of collateral damage.
* Citizen-directed subsidies for local news nonprofits with firewall(s) to prevent political interference in the content should make it much harder for major media to convince the public to do things contrary to their best interests, like invading or interfering covertly in foreign countries.
== Call for help ==
Do you, dear reader, know other serious research not cited herein that might improve this analysis? If yes, you can help improve this discussion by adding comments with citations -- or by adding such citation(s) to the "Discuss" page associated with this chapter, suggesting someone else revise the chapter appropriately.
There are plenty of contrary claims in the major media, but the lead author of this chapter is not aware of any that are based on serious research.
In the absence of such research, the current author finds it difficult to imagine any national defense policies that carry a greater risk of nuclear Armageddon than our current policies, as discussed in the next chapter of this book on ''[[Media Literacy and You]]'' on "[[Media Literacy and You/Responding to a nuclear attack|Responding to a nuclear attack]]". That chapter, in sum, claims that the ''worst'' response to a nuclear attack would be nuclear response, because it would escalate a catastrophe killing millions of humans to one killing ''billions'', possibly 80 percent of humanity in a war between the US and Russia that lofts so much smoke from burning cities to the stratosphere where it covers the globe depressing crop yields for years during with 99 percent of the humans in the US, Europe and Russia would starve to death if they did not die of something else sooner. Moreover, the record of "[[w:System accident|system accident]]s" suggests that the chances of such a war before the end of this century is substantially greater than the 40 percent median estimate based on history mentioned in a presentation on "[[Time to nuclear Armageddon]]" delivered to the 2019 Joint Statistical Meetings.
This chapter is being written in the hopes of inspiring action to improve the prospects for broadly shared peace and prosperity for the long term.
== Exercises ==
1. Disconfirmation bias: Brainstorm your biggest concerns about a current or possible future war.
:1.1. Select the one that is of greatest concern to you currently.
::One issue that may not be a major concern for many but might elicit a broad consensus for action would be a campaign to ask elected officials in the US Congress to explain how we benefit from the provisions of the USA Patriot Act of 2001 that authorize [[#life in prison for teaching nonviolence|life in prison for teaching nonviolence]].
:1.2. Who are your designated enemies?
:1.3. Research what your designated enemies are saying about your biggest concern.
:1.4. Under what circumstances would you support what you see your designated enemies advocating or doing?
::If you cannot see such circumstances, expand your research: Look for more sources that support your designated enemies.
2. Interacting: Ask others if you can share what you've learned about that conflict. If they say, "No", don't push it. If they agree, share what you've learned in a friendly supportive manner without saying that anything is "true".
::''Show me someone who knows the truth, and I will show you someone who is dangerous.''
:2.1. The primary goal in this is ''not'' to convince anyone that you are right and they are wrong but to lower the level of anger and increase the level of tolerance for dissenting views.
:2.2. Another goal is to comfortably enjoy civil conversations of this nature, agreeing to disagree agreeably and building trusting relationships that support collaboration on issues of common concern.
:2.3. After becoming adept at building collaborations on issues of common concern, you might consider teaching this important skill and approach to issues.
3. Teaching: Each one teach two, as discussed in the section on "[[Media Literacy and You#Text and self-help book and point of discuss|Text and self-help book and point of discuss]]" in the preface to this book.
<!--== See also ==-->
== Notes ==
{{reflist}}
== Bibliography ==
* <!--Philippe Aghion, Céline Antonin, and Simon Bunel (2022) The Power of Creative Destruction: Economic Upheaval and the Wealth of Nations-->{{cite Q|Q139874218}}
* <!--Bobby Allyn (2026-03-25) "Jury finds Meta and Google negligent in social media harms trial-->{{cite Q|Q139572103}}
* <!--BBC (2022-08-01) "Nuclear annihilation just one miscalculation away, UN chief warns"-->{{cite Q|Q139596165|author=BBC}}
* <!--Elizabeth Black (2026-05-22) "Hegseth hosts first monthly Christian service in Pentagon"-->{{cite Q|Q139791642}}
* <!--Hans Günter Brauch, ed, Towards Rethinking Politics, Policy and Polity in the Anthropocene: Multidisciplinary Perspectives (Springer, pp. 225-234).-->{{cite Q|Q134488491|author= Hans Günter Brauch, ed.}}
* <!--Jan Philipp Burgard (2025-04-08) “Opinion | Europe Needs Its Own Nukes”, Politico-->{{cite Q|Q134465922}}
* <!--Clay Calvert, Dan V. Kozlowski, and Derigan Silver (2023) Mass Media Law, 22nd ed.-->{{cite Q|Q135455067}}
* <!--Francis X. Clines (1983-06-21) "Reagan says his opponents risk Central American influx"-->{{cite Q|Q139790146}}
* <!--Eliot Cohen (2022-02-23) “Arm the Ukrainians Now”, The Atlantic-->{{cite Q|Q139679796}}
* <!--Philippe Duhamel (2013-09-26) Civil resistance as deterrent to fracking: Part One, They shale not pass-->{{cite Q|Q140833946}}
* <!--Albert Fried (1997) McCarthyism: the great American Red scare: a documentary history-->{{cite Q|Q106659308}}
* <!--Matthew Connelly (2023) The Declassification Engine: What History Reveals About America’s Top Secrets (Pantheon).->{{cite Q|Q116786691}}
* <!--Matthew Connelly, Douglas A. Samuelson, and Spencer Graves (2023-03-14) “Does US government secrecy threaten national security?”, Radio Active Magazine on KKFI-->{{cite Q|Q125582094}}
* <!--Lisa DePaulo (2008-10-31) "Leader of the Year: Right Man, Right Time"-->{{cite Q|Q114039844}}
* <!--Dwight D. Eisenhower (1063) Mandate for Change-->{{cite Q|Q61945939}}
* <!--Daniel Ellsberg (2017) The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a nuclear war planner (Bloomsbury)-->{{cite Q|Q64226035}}
* <!--Spencer Graves (2021-10-28) " Congressional Gold Medals for Assange, Hale, Barlow, Winner, Manning, Edmonds, Sterling, Drake, Snowden, Ellsberg"-->{{cite Q|Q125570226}}
* <!--Spencer Graves (2014-07-18) “Restrict secrecy more than data collection”, San José Peace & Justice Center-->{{cite Q|Q106512569}}
* <!-- Serge Halimi and Serge Halimi (2023-03) "Un an après l'invasion de l'Ukraine, une débâcle du journalisme: Les médias, avant-guarde du parti de la guerre"-->{{cite Q|Q118225389}}
* <!--John Maxwell Hamilton (2020) Manipulating the Masses: Woodrow Wilson and the Birth of American Propaganda-->{{cite Q|Q137342282}}
* <!--Scott Horton (2024) Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine (Libertarian Inst.)00>{{cite Q|Q139565338}}
* <!--Annie Jacobsen (2024-04-10) "'Nuclear war happens in seconds and minutes, not days and weeks': How I researched the end of the world"-->{{cite Q|Q139596142}}
* <!-- Kahneman and Klein (2009) Conditions for intuitive expertise: a failure to disagree-->{{cite Q|Q35001791}}
* <!--Stanley Karnow (1983) Vietnam: A History-->{{cite Q|Q108903453}}
* <!--Christopher A. Lawrence (2015) America's Modern Wars: Understanding Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam-->{{cite Q|Q136130919}}
* <!--Richard Ned Lebow (2024) “Are Leaders Rational?”, Critical Review, 36:4, 465-482.-->{{cite Q|Q134487607}}
* <!--Richard Ned Lebow (2025) “Thinking Politically About the Anthropocene”, ch. 5 in Hans Günter Brauch, ed, Towards Rethinking Politics, Policy and Polity in the Anthropocene: Multidisciplinary Perspectives (Springer, pp. 225-234).-->{{cite Q|Q134488569|Author=Richard Ned Lebow}}
* <!--Richard Ned Lebow, Douglas A. Samuelson, and Spencer Graves (2023-11-28), “Richard Ned Lebow on national defense including deterrence”, Radio Active Magazine-->{{cite Q|Q124351846}}
* <!-- Charles Mackay (1841/2009) Memoirs of extraordinary popular delusions and the madness of crowds-->{{cite Q|Q116897625}}
* <!-- Daniel P. Mannix (1964) The history of torture-->{{cite Q|Q116896896}}
* <!--Jane Mayer (2008) Dark side : the inside story of how the war on terror turned into a war on American ideals (Doubleday)-->{{cite Q|Q1681286}}
* <!--Cybele Mayes-Osterman (2025-12-18) Pete Hegseth pushes his Christian faith in Pentagon prayer services-->{{cite Q|Q139791710}}
* <!--Tom McCarthy (2016-02-07) “Donald Trump: I’d bring back ‘a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding'”, The Guardian-->{{cite Q|Q134462630}}
* <!-- McChesney and Nichols (2010) The Death and Life of American Journalism-->{{cite Q|Q104888067}}
* <!--Stanley A. McChrystal (2013). My share of the task: A memoir (Penguin)-->{{cite Q|Q135406522}}
* <!--Katie McQue (2026-04-24) " Meta ordered to pay $375m after being found liable in child exploitation case-->{{cite Q|Q139572337}}
* <!--Amalendu Misra (2015-11-19) “What does Islamic State actually want?”, The Conversation-->{{cite Q|Q134487571}}
* <!--Nick Mordowanec (2026-03-03) " Commanders Accused of Framing Iran War as Biblical Mandate, Jesus' 'Return'"-->{{cite Q|Q138840951}}
* <!--John Mueller (2021) The Stupidity of War: American Foreign Policy and the Case for Complacency (Cambridge U. Pr.,)-->{{cite Q|Q113702723}}
* <!--Mueller and Graves (2023-04-06) "The Stupidity of War and the Exaggeration of Threat"-->{{cite Q|Q139789709}}
* <!--Pat Paterson (2008-02) "The Truth About Tonkin"-->{{cite Q|Q133449570}}
* <!--Steven Pinker (2011) The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined (Viking Press, pp. 138-139)-->{{cite Q|Q60412312}}
* <!--Paul Romer (2009-07-31) "A Terrible Thing to Waste"-->{{cite Q|Q139676537}}
* <!--Arthur E. (Ted) Rowse (1992-09) "Kuwaitgate - killing of Kuwaiti babies by Iraqi soldiers exaggerated-->{{cite Q|Q123698876}}
* <!--John P. Ruehl (2025-11-01) “Which Countries Are on the Brink of Going Nuclear?”, Peninsula Peace & Justice Center-->{{cite Q|Q134465827}}
* <!--Jeffrey Sachs (2025-04) “File: The trap of major rearmament: Geopolitics of peace (in French: “Dossier : Le piège du grand réarmement: Géopolitique de la paix”), Le Monde Diplomatique (https://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/2025/04/SACHS/68242).-->{{cite Q|Q134463099}}
* <!--Jeffrey Sachs (2025-02) “Jeffrey Sachs: Speech at European Parliament on February 19, 2025”: Edited transcript and YouTube video (https://newkontinent.org/jeffrey-sachs-speech-at-european-parliament-on-february-19-2025/)-->{{cite Q|Q134463038}}
* <!--Scott Sagan (1993) The limits of safety: Organizations, Accidents, and Nuclear Weapons (Princeton U. Pr.)-->{{cite Q|Q136765429}}
* <!--Douglas A. Samuelson (2025-09-26) " Assessing Israel’s Approach in Gaza"-->{{cite Q|Q138843324}}
* <!--Amanda Sauer (2016-05-09) "Political Agenda Setting in Early America: The Barbary Wars"-->{{cite Q|Q139589295}}
* <!--Michael Scheuer (2004) Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror (Brassey’s).-->{{cite Q|Q6006645}}
* <!--Mark Schmeller (2009) "The Political Economy of Opinion: Public Credit and Concepts of Public Opinion in the Age of Federalism"-->{{cite Q|Q139589348}}
* <!--Ahmad Sharawi and Dimitriy Shapiro (2026-04-01) "Ukraine Agrees to Mutually Beneficial Defense Deals With Gulf Arab States"-->{{cite Q|Q139948808}}
* <!--Jeff Stein (2013-12-04) “The Perils of Whistle-Blowing”, Newsweek-->{{cite Q|Q63257553}}
* <!--David Swanson (2022-03-15) " 30 Nonviolent Things Russia Could Have Done and 30 Nonviolent Things Ukraine Could Do"-->{{cite Q|Q134465808}}
* <!--Veterans For Peace Nuclear Posture Review-->{{cite Q|Q111141993|author=Veterans for Peace}}
* <!-- Xia et al. (2022) Global food insecurity and famine ... from a nuclear war ...-->{{cite Q| Q113732668}}
[[Category:Media literacy]]
[[Category:Communication]]
[[Category:Political science]]
[[Category:Law]]
[[Category:Psychology]]
[[Category:Sociology]]
[[Category:War History]]
[[Category:Media Literacy and You]]
<!--
https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Wikiversity:Category_Review
-->
8gxvw16evvlly5gygnnsl9mkkahhge8
2820451
2820450
2026-08-03T13:21:01Z
DavidMCEddy
218607
/* 2. Training in nonviolent noncooperation for anyone willing to listen */ wdemth
2820451
wikitext
text/x-wiki
[[File:Nukes or nonviolence.png|thumb|Nuclear war or nonviolent noncooperation?]]
:''Humanity is one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation. ... This is madness. We must reverse course.''
: -- [[w:António Guterres|UN Secretary General António Guterres]] (2022)<ref>Jacobsen (2024), BBC (2022).</ref>
:This book is a combination instruction manual on [[w:Media literacy|media literacy]] and an invitation to you to support collaborative / crowd-sourced research on how to improve the world's understanding of media literacy and how to accelerate its understanding and use globally for the betterment of humanity.
Part I of this book on ''[[Media Literacy and You]]'' discusses "The media and political economy". Except in times of terror, massive lawlessness or war, most humans place a high priority on their financial situation, the primary focus of Part I. Part II on "The media and war" focuses on security concerns starting with this chapter on "Deterrence without threat".
== Introduction ==
Every individual and group has a right and an obligation to defend itself. Unfortunately, when most humans<ref>We distinguish here between "humans" and "people" or "persons", because under current US law, corporations are "people" and money is speech, per the US Supreme Court decision in ''[[w:Citizens United v. FEC|Citizens United v. FEC]]'' (2010) and many other judicial rulings and US law such as the [[w:Patriot Act|Patriot Act]] of 2001.</ref> think of defense, they often think of violent responses to provocations.
However, there is a growing body of research documenting
:(a) how most uses of violence are counterproductive, and
:(b) there are usually nonviolent options to violence that would more effectively promote broadly shared peace and prosperity for the long term.
This research is rarely discussed by major media outlets, because it would offend the "people"<ref>We put "people" in quotes in this essay, because that term includes corporations under current US law.</ref> who control most of the money for the media: Nonviolence threatens their ability to get compliance from security forces. As a result, many elites prefer to use force to the detriment of the bottom 99 percent of humanity. As discussed below, a military posture that supports projecting force beyond one’s own borders may be as likely to ''provoke'' as ''prevent'' an attack.<ref>For example, Lebow (2025) cites some of his previous work with others to support the claim that large militaries have been "more provocative than preventative in" their effects. And Lebow (2024) insists that, "Policymakers respond more instinctively than analytically in deciding that some policy is or is not in the national interest." See also Lebow et al. (2023).</ref>
This chapter outlines a 3-part strategy that research suggests would more likely lead to better outcomes for the vast majority of humans:
# Citizen-directed subsidies for local news nonprofits with firewall(s) to prevent political interference in the content.
# Training in nonviolent noncooperation for anyone willing to listen.
# Forbid uses of force beyond one’s own borders and covert interference in foreign countries.
We now discuss each of these briefly.
== 1. Citizen-directed subsidies for local news nonprofits with firewall(s) to prevent political interference in the content. ==
It seems that
:''Primary drivers of every major conflict include differences between the media that the different parties find crecible.''
In a recent interview with [[w:Fordham University|Fordham University]] Professor Emerita of Communications Robin Andersen,<ref name=Andersen><!--Robin Andersen-->{{cite Q|Q132982358}}</ref> she agreed with this claim and added:
:''We only have enemies of our very own making.''
The media are involved in this, because:
:''The major media create the stage upon which politicians read their lines.''<ref>In 1791 James Madison, who represented part of Virginia in the US House of Representatives 1789-1801 and later became the 4th President of the US (1809-1819), said, "Public opinion sets bounds to every government, and is the real sovereign in every free one." Quoted from the ''[[w:National Gazette|National Gazette]]'' (published 1791-1793) by Schmeller (2009, p. 36) and Sauer (2016, p. 5). Sauer described how the American Revolutionaries, especially the first four US presidents, planted stories in newspapers to build support for how they dealt with the [[w:Barbary corsairs|Barbary pirates]], who were seizing merchant ships, raiding European coastal towns and villages, and selling European captives into slavery. The first two US presidents, [[w:George Washington|Washington]] and [[w:John Adams|Adams]], used that support for protecting US shipping and citizens by paying tribute to government leaders in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. The next two presidents, [[w:Thomas Jefferson|Jefferson]] and [[w:James Madison|Madison]], convinced Congress to fund a navy and marines to fight the [[w:Barbary Wars|Barbary Wars]]. This included the [[w:Battle of Derna (1805)|Battle of Derna]] (April-May 1805), memorialized in the [[w:Marines' Hymn|Marines' Hymn]], which mentions actions "to the shores of Tripoli". Sauer described how the policies were sold to the public via planted stories in the different partisan newspapers.</ref>
This works because (a) virtually everyone thinks they know more than they do ([[w:Overconfidence effect|overconfidence effect]]), and (b) virtually everyone prefers information and sources consistent with preconceptions ([[w:confirmation bias|confirmation bias]]).
Also, in many, perhaps all, countries, the primary constituency for foreign and military policy is the people with foreign business interests. Many of these people also control substantial portions of the money for the media, which have too often encourage questionable and counterproductive uses of military force.<ref>If we [[w:follow the money|follow the money]], we might find that "watchdogs generally protect the people who feed them", as discussed in the 2025-09-25 interview with British journalist and media reform activist Dan Hind discussing how the British [[Media Reform Coalition challenges anti-democratic media bias in the UK]].</ref>
=== Examples ===
A leader in documenting the role of the media in armed conflict is Robin Andersen,<ref>e.g., Andersen (2006, 2026).</ref> but she is not alone. For example, [[w:University of Denver|University of Denver]] journalism professor Kareem El Damanhoury<ref name=Daman><!--Kareem El Damanhoury-->{{cite Q|Q113752441}}</ref> has compared how [[w:Gaza Strip|Gaza]] has been framed differently by [[w:Al Jazeera Media Network|Al Jazeera]], the [[w:BBC|BBC]]<ref>El Damanhoury et al. (2025).</ref> and [[w:Fox News|Fox]].<ref>El Damanhoury and Saleh (2024).</ref><ref>Some of El Damanhoury's work in this regard [[Differences between media outlets including coverage of Gaza|is reviewed in a 2025-11-20 interview with him]].</ref>
==== World War I ====
Andersen's (2006) ''A Century of Media, A Century of War'' begins with a discussion of "The birth of war propaganda" in "The Great War and the Fight between Good and Evil".<ref>Andersen (2006, ch. 1)</ref>
A more detailed but compatible discussion of the media and [[w:World War I|World War I]] is given by [[w:John Maxwell Hamilton|John Maxwell Hamilton]]. Among other things, he said: {{quote|
The first iron law of propaganda is that only the enemy does it.<ref>Hamilton (2020, p. 642). See also the [[John Maxwell Hamilton on American propaganda|2025-12-11 interview with Hamilton]].</ref>}}
[[File:MB Walker - German bayoneting children - Life - July 25, 1915.png|thumb|left|Figure 1. Stories of German soldiers impaling children on their bayonets were widely reported during the war. However, no credible evidence was found to support these claims when questions were raised after the war.<ref>{{cite web|title=Alleged German atrocities: Bryce report|url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/firstworldwar/spotlights/p_alleged_german.htm|publisher=The National Archives|access-date=13 July 2014}}</ref>]]
Andersen (2006, pp. 8-9) said, {{quote|
James Bryce, the former British ambassador to the United States, ... helped prepare a sixty-one page ''Report on the Committee on alleged German Outrages'', which was translated into thirty languages and was said to be based on twelve hundred depositions ... included gruesome and titillating details of how German soldiers publicly raped Belgian girls in the marketplace at Liege and bayonetted a two-year-old child. ... [A]fter the war a Belgian commission of inquiry found no evidence for any major accusation in the report. ...}}
{{quote|
German propagandists, on the other hand, ... "bungled, because they were naïve: they thought the success of the war depended almost solely on military strategy and therefore they tended to neglect propaganda." ... Thus, when German soldiers shot some Allied nurses who had carried weapons, they admitted it openly. The Allies reported the incident as an atrocity and featured it in press propaganda. When French troops shot German nurses under similar circumstances, the Germans failed to exploit it.}}
==== Jonathan Swift 1710 ====
This is not limited to World War I. In 1710, [[w:Jonathan Swift|Jonathan Swift]] reportedly said, "Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after ... like a physician, who hath found out an infallible medicine, after the patient is dead."<ref name=Swift>Excerpted from a line in [[Wikiquote:Jonathan Swift]] consulted 2026-04-13.</ref>
==== The Marines' Hymn ====
The [[w:Marines' Hymn|Marine Corps Hymn]] begins, {{quote|
From the Halls of Montezuma
To the shores of Tripoli;
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land, and sea.}}
The "[[w:Battle of Chapultepec|Halls of Montezuma]]" refer to the [[w:Mexican–American War|Mexican–American War]], which was fought to expand slavery first into [[w:Texas|Texas]] -- and supporters of slavery hoped that would help expand slavery further west. The "[[w:Battle of Derna (1805)|shores of Tripoli]]" were part of the [[w:Barbary Wars|Barbary Wars]], which were fought to reduce the need to pay (a) tribute to the [[w:Barbary Coast|Barbary or Berber]] states of [[w:Morocco|Morocco]], [[w:Algeria|Algeria]], [[w:Tunisia|Tunisia]], and [[w:Libya|Libya]] or (b) ransom to [[w:Barbary corsairs|Barbary pirates]], who were otherwise capturing Christians and selling them into slavery.
Did the bottom 99 percent of the US population of that time benefit? Or did these wars (and any tribute and ransom paid by the US government before the Barbary wars) constitute a hidden transfer of wealth from the poor to the wealthy?
A partial answer to this question is that [[w:tariff|tariff]]s on imported goods covered between 80 and 95 percent of all federal revenue up to 1860, and [[w:excise|excise taxes]] on only a few goods, such as whiskey, rum, tobacco, snuff and refined sugar, made up nearly all the rest.<ref>See the section on "[[w:Excise tax in the United States#Historical background|Historical background]]" in the Wikipedia article on "[[w:Excise tax in the United States|Excise tax in the United States]]", accessed 2026-05-26.</ref> The money raised from taxes on income during the Civil War, visible in Figure 3 above, were apparently negligible as a portion of federal revenue during the Barbary Wars and the Mexican-American War.
==== Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: "Betray the nation or do not get elected." ====
Regarding the [[w:Vietnam War|Vietnam War]], former president [[w:Dwight D. Eisenhower|Eisenhower]] wrote in his autobiography, which appeared in 1963 (he left the presidency 1961-01-20), that he had never communicated {{quote|
with a person knowledgeable in Indochinese affairs [including Vietnam] who did not agree that had elections been held as of the time of the fighting [leading to the defeat of the French in 1954], possibly 80 per cent of the population would have voted for the Communist [[w:Ho Chi Minh|Ho Chi Minh]].<ref>Eisenhower (1963, p. 372).</ref>}}
[[w:Joseph McCarthy|Joseph McCarthy]], who had been elected to the US Senate in 1946 and "experienced a meteoric rise in national profile beginning on February 9, 1950, when he gave a" speech during which he said something like, "The [[w:United States Secretary of State|State Department]] is infested with communists. I have here in my hand a list of 205—a list of names that were made known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping policy in the State Department." McCarthy's mostly baseless claims went largely unchallenged in the media, including accusing the Democrats of "twenty years of treason" for having been allied with the Soviet Union, which took the bulk of casualties during World War II.
By the end of 1953 with (Republican) Eisenhower as president roughly 11 months, McCarthy was complaining about "''21'' years of treason", complaining that Eisenhower was not sufficiently aggressive in rooting out the communists who McCarthy claimed were in the government.<ref>Fried (1997, p. 179).</ref>
Then the French were defeated by Vietnamese communists 1954-05-07 in the [[w:Battle of Dien Bien Phu|Battle of Dien Bien Phu]]. The [[w:1954 Geneva Conference|1954 Geneva Conference]], which had begun eleven days earlier, 1954-04-26, concluded 1954-07-21 with the "Geneva Accords of 1954".<ref>The [[w:Battle of Dien Bien Phu|Battle of Dien Bien Phu]], 1954-05-07, effectively ended the [[w:First Indochina War|French Indochina War]]. This led to the [[w:1954 Geneva Conference|Geneva accords of 1954]], officially dated 1954-07-20 but actually signed the following morning. Those accords took effect on three different dates, July 27 and August 1 and 11 in three different sectors of Vietnam. See <!--Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities in Vietnam-->{{cite Q|Q139676410}}</ref> Those accords called for UN-supervised elections for July of 1956, when Eisenhower would presumably be campaigning for reelection. Eisenhower doubtless knew that he might lose his bid for re-election in 1956, if the Communist Ho Chi Minh won elections in July of that year.
:''The consistent suppression of honest portrayal in the major media of that day of the perspective of anyone whom Eisenhower considered "knowledgeable in Indochinese affairs" gave him -- and his successors [[w:John F. Kennedy|Kennedy]], [[w:Lyndon B. Johnson|Johnson]], and [[w:Richard Nixon|Nixon]] -- the choice between betraying the nation or not getting elected.''
In this environment, the [[w:Operation 34A|US initiated a series of clandestine operations against North Vietnam]] including infiltrating CIA-recruited spies and supporting attacks against North Vietnam by South Vietnamese commandos.<ref>Paterson (2008).</ref> This included a raid 1964-07-30 by South Vietnamese commandos on the island of Hòn Mê, roughly 300 km (180 miles) north of the [[w:Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone|Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone]] in the [[w:Gulf of Tonkin|Gulf of Tonkin]], covered by [[w:DESOTO patrol|US naval vessels]] patrolling in that area. Then during a dark and stormy night six days later, US naval vessels opened fire on radar snow, and President Johnson requested and received Congressional approval of the [[w:Gulf of Tonkin Resolution|Gulf of Tonkin Resolution]]; then-[[w:United States Secretary of Defense|US Secretary of Defense]] [[w:Robert McNamara|McNamara]] claimed those attacks were "unprovoked".<ref>Karnow (1983, p. 375). See also the section on [[w:Gulf of Tonkin Resolution#Congress votes|Congress votes]]" in the Wikipedia article on [[w:Gulf of Tonkin Resolution|Gulf of Tonkin Resolution]], accessed 2026-05-14.</ref>
In this media environment, only two officials in the US Congress voted against the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: [[w:Ernest Gruening|Ernest Gruening]] (D-AK) and [[w:Wayne Morse|Wayne Morse]] (D-OR). Gruening lost in his next primary campaign to [[w:Mike Gravel|Mike Gravel]], and Morse lost in his next general election campaign to [[w:Bob Packwood|Bob Packwood]]. These results support the previous claim that the major media give politicians the choice:
:''Betray the nation, or do not get elected.''
That resolution became the primary authorization for the US war in Vietnam until Congress ended the funding.
==== Was the Vietnam War lost in Washington or by media biases? ====
[[w:John Mueller|John Mueller]], prolific author, Professor Emeritus of international relations at [[w:Ohio State University|Ohio State University]] and Senior Fellow at the [[w:Cato Institute|Cato Institute]], said that the most effective thing the US did to win the [[w:Cold War|Cold War]] was —
:''nothing'':
Between the [[w:Fall of Saigon|Fall of Saigon]] in 1975 and the inauguration of [[w:Ronald Reagan|Ronald Reagan]] as President of the US, the US "went into a sort of containment funk: it effectively adopted a policy of complacency (or perhaps of appeasement) as it watched from the sidelines as the Soviet Union … opportunistically gathered a set of Third World countries into its imperial embrace: Angola in 1976, Mozambique and Ethiopia in 1977, South Yemen and Afghanistan in 1978, Grenada and Nicaragua in 1979."<ref>Mueller (2021, p. 59).</ref> Nearly all became major economic and political drains on the Soviets with Afghanistan being the worst. And their Warsaw Pact allies in Eastern Europe became a severe economic drain and psychic problem.<ref>Mueller and Graves (2023).</ref>
President Reagan, inaugurated 1981-01-20, had a very different vision of the role of the US in foreign relations from his predecessor, [[w:Jimmy Carter|Jimmy Carter]]. In 1983-06-21 Reagan insisted, "We cannot permit the Soviet-Cuban-Nicaraguan axis to take over Central America", because the consequences would include "a tidal wave of refugees ... 'feet people' ... swarming into our country."<ref>Clines (1983).</ref>
Other sources<ref>e.g., Andersen (2006, Part II).</ref> insist the opposite, that the vast majority of deaths in Central America during the Reagan years were poor humans petitioning nonviolently for a redress of grievances, suppressed by terrorist / death squads supported by the Reagan administration largely in violation of laws passed by Congress and signed by President Reagan. On 1986-10-05 [[w:Corporate Air Services HPF821|a Nicaraguan soldier with a surface to air missile shot down a C-123]] cargo aircraft carrying supplies to the Contra roughly 35 miles (56 km) north of Costa Rica. Documents found in the wreckage and a confession by the sole survivor led to the [[w:Iran–Contra affair|Iran-Contra hearings]] the following year, during which Lt. Col. [[w:Oliver North|Oliver North]] insisted, "We didn't lose the war in Vietnam ..., we lost it in this city."<ref>Andersen (2006, p. 137). See also, Wikipedia, "[[w:Stab-in-the-back myth|Stab-in-the-back myth]]", accessed 2026-05-13.</ref>
The previous section on the "Gulf of Tonkin Resolution" provides an alternative narrative of the Vietnam War: If as Eisenhower claimed, "possibly 80 per cent of the [Vietnamese] population would have voted for the Communist [[w:Ho Chi Minh|Ho Chi Minh]]" if elections had been held there, it's hard to imagine how anyone else could have won without aggressive action that actually ''improved'' the lives of Vietnamese peasants in the South. US-led efforts there were officially designed to win "[[w:Hearts and Minds (Vietnam War)|Hearts and Minds]]" but were implemented with such coercion that the result was the opposite. A cynic might say that it is hard to win people's hearts and minds by killing them.
====Richard Barlow and nuclear proliferation====
There is also documentation that the US helped Pakistan get nuclear weapons and destroyed the career of an intelligence analyst, [[w:Richard Barlow (intelligence analyst)|Richard Barlow]], for telling his managers they should not lie to Congress about it. Barlow has insisted that neither Pakistan nor North Korea would have nuclear weapons and Iran would not have a nuclear weapons program today, if the US had followed its own laws. Barlow’s claims, including his punishment by administration officials, have been reported in major media outlets<ref>e.g., Stein (2013). See also Wikipedia, "[[w:Richard Barlow (intelligence analyst)|Richard Barlow (intelligence analyst)]]", accessed 2026-05-06.</ref> but not in a way that would seriously limit the ability — and need — for administration officials to lie to Congress.
If Barlow's claims are accurate, it suggests that US government officials violated US obligations under the [[w:Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons|Non-Proliferation Treaty]] (NPT).<ref>Per the [[w:Treaty Clause|Treaty Clause]] of the US Constitution, a treaty negotiated by the President and approved by the Senate has "the force of federal law."</ref>
==== Nayirah testimony and the 1990-1991 Gulf War ====
A more recent example is the 1990-10-10 testimony by [[w:Nayirah testimony|Nayirah al-Ṣabaḥ to the US Congressional Human Rights Caucus]], two months after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. She claimed to have seen Iraqi soldiers taking premature babies out of incubators in a maternity ward before looting the incubators and leaving the babies to die on the floor after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait; she said she had been a volunteer nurse in the hospital at that time.
The failure of journalists, including with the ''[[w:NBC Nightly News|NBC Nightly News]]'', to adequate check facts behind this and other atrocity stories helped convince the US public to support the US-led invasion of Iraq in 1990-1991. Nayirah's statements were widely publicized and cited numerous times in the United States Senate and by American president George H. W. Bush to contribute to the rationale for pursuing military action against Iraq. It was later revealed that she was the daughter of Kuwaiti ambassador to the US, [[w:Saud Nasser Al-Saud Al-Sabah|Saud Nasser Al-Saud Al-Sabah]], "Reps. [[w:Tom Lantos|Tom Lantos]] and [[w:John Porter (Illinois politician)|John Edward Porter]], who sponsored the congressional hearings, had started a group called the Congressional Human Rights Foundation that had received $50,000 from Citizens for a Free Kuwait, as well as free office space in [[w:Hill & Knowlton|Hill and Knowlton]]'s Washington headquarters",<ref>Rowse (1992).</ref> and the public relations firm Hill and Knowlton had made a video while coaching her rehearsing her perjury and used that to prepare a video press release "that eventually reached a total audience of about thirty-five million", 14 percent of the [[w:Demographic history of the United States|US population of 249 million per the census then in process]], with portions aired on the ''[[w:NBC Nightly News|NBC Nightly News]]'' the night after the testimony.<ref>Andersen (2006, pp. 170-171).</ref>
==== 1998 Embassy bombings and September 11 ====
As another example, there is substantial documentation available today that [[1998 Embassy bombings and September 11|the suicide mass murders of September 11, 2001]], likely would not have occurred if the US had treated the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania as law enforcement issues. Muslim clerics all over the world initially condemned those acts. Al-Qaeda was dead. Their funding had largely dried up. And bin Laden was scheduled to be extradited the following month to Saudi Arabia to be prosecuted for treason, where he would likely have been convicted and executed. Mayer (2008, p. 114) claimed those embassy bombings were motivated as retaliation for US support for torture.<ref>For more on torture, see the the section on [[#Make media responsible for harms|Make media responsible for harms]] below.</ref>
But it seemed questionable at best whether major media executives in the US would have given favorable coverage to such a diplomatic solution. Instead, the US bombed a pharmaceutical plant in Sudan and al-Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan. Then Muslim public opinion turned 180 degrees to conclude, "Bin Laden is right: The US ''is'' an evil empire." The US became bin Laden’s only indispensable ally, according to the CIA agent responsible for tracking bin Laden at that time.<ref>Scheuer (2004, p. xv).</ref> Leading Saudis started supporting al-Qaeda, including some working for the Saudi embassy and consulates in the US. Only one country seems to have been involved in the preparations for the September 11 attacks, and that was Saudi Arabia. But Saudis were friends of the Bush family, and a crisis is a terrible thing to waste.<ref>Romer (2009).</ref>
:''Did the US invade Afghanistan and Iraq on grounds that senior journalists and leading media executives should have known at the time were questionable and likely fraudulent — to the detriment of nearly everyone except the "people" who control most of the money for the media?''
:In particular, was Iraqi president [[w:Saddam Hussein|Saddam Hussein]] really a bigger threat to the US after he invaded Kuwait in 1990 or after the [[w:September 11 attacks|suicide mass murders of September 11, 2001]] than he was during the 1980s, when the US supported him [[w:Iran-Iraq War|killing Iranians]] or [[w:Anfal campaign|his own native Kurds]]?
On 2003-05-29 [[w:BBC|BBC]] journalist [[w:Andrew Gilligan|Andrew Gilligan]] reported that the [[w:Tony Blaire|Blair government]] had "sexed up" [[w:September Dossier|intelligence reports]] issued the previous September to justify supporting the 2003-03-20 [[w:Iraq War|US-led invasion of Iraq]], two months before Gilligan's report. This led to the [[w:Hutton Inquiry|Hutton Inquiry]], which led to the resignations of Gilligan and the BBC's chairman and the firing of the BBC's director-general. However, the British public expressed so many reservations about the Hutton Inquiry that a follow-up investigation was ordered in 2009. This became the "[[w:Iraq Inquiry|Iraq Inquiry]]", whose 2016-07-06 report essentially validated what Gilligan had said just over 13 years earlier. This provides one more example of the 1710 maxim of Jonathan Swift that, "Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after ... like a physician, who hath found out an infallible medicine, after the patient is dead."<ref name=Swift/>
====Ukraine war====
Page 1 of the 2023-05-04 edition of ''[[w:Le Monde Diplomatique|Le Monde Diplomatique]]'' carried a headline:
:One year after the invasion of Ukraine: The media, vanguard of the war party,<ref>Halimi and Rimbert (2023) in the French-language original.</ref>
consistent with Andersen (2006).
=== Make media responsible for harms ===
How might the world be different if injured parties could successfully sue major media for harms that result from government policies contradicted by evidence reasonably available to the major media outlets?
For example, how might the world be different if:
* combat veterans or their families could successfully sue major media outlets for biased reporting that stampede the nation into ill advised and counterproductive uses of military force on grounds that leading media personalities should have known at the time were questionable and likely fraudulent?
* Vietnamese or Afghanis or Iraqis or Palestinians or victims in other countries could win similar lawsuits?
* immigrants could sue major media outlets for failing to publish reasonable summaries of the available research that says that immigrants on average are more entrepreneurial<ref>Aghion et al. (2022, pp. 266-270).</ref> and no more likely to engage in criminal activities than native born, benefitting both the sending and receiving countries?<ref>The Wikipedia article on "[[w:Immigration|Immigration]] cites research saying, "that migration can be beneficial both to the receiving and sending countries. The academic literature provides mixed findings for the relationship between immigration and crime worldwide. ... [P]ublic perception often exaggerates the connection between immigration and crime, influenced by sensationalised media coverage and political rhetoric." The Wikipedia article on [[w:Immigration and crime|Immigration and crime]] notes that in some countries immigrants are over-represented in prison populations due to violations of immigration law or anti-immigrant biases in criminal justice. The Wikipedia article on "[[w:Sanctuary city|Sanctuary city]]" says that, "Some studies on the relationship between sanctuary status and crime have found that sanctuary policies either have no effect on crime or that sanctuary cities have lower crime rates and stronger economies than comparable non-sanctuary cities." All references 2026-05-26.</ref>
* humans tortured by the US could sue the major media for suppressing honest discussion of the research that documents that torture is more likely counterproductive? An important report of the efficacy of torture was published in 1631 by [[w:Friedrich Spee|Friedrich Spee]], a German Jesuit priest and professor. A few years earlier, the Duke of Brunswick had invited Spee and another famous Jesuit scholar to supervise a continuation of the torture of a confessed witch. The Jesuits had previously told the Duke, "The Inquisitors are doing their duty. They are arresting only people who have been implicated by the confession of other witches." The Duke then led the Jesuits to a woman being stretched on the rack and asked her, "You are a confessed witch. I suspect these two men of being warlocks. What do you say? Another turn of the rack, executioners." "No, no!" screamed the woman. "You are quite right. I have often seen .. . They can turn themselves into goats, wolves ... Several witches have had children by them. ... The children had heads like toads and legs like spiders."<ref>Pinker (2011, pp. 138-139). Mannix (1964, pp. 134-135). Mackay ( 2009, p. 320).</ref> Crudely similar comments about the counterproductive nature of torture were made by Generals [[w:Stanley McChrystal|Stanley McChrystal]] (2013) and [[w:David Petraeus|David Petraeus]],<ref>DePaulo (2008).</ref> who held command positions in Iraq and Afghanistan. The major media in the US has provided ample coverage of, e.g., comments by Donald Trump supporting torture (McCarthy 2016), while largely suppressing honest discussion of the research on it.
Might the world be safer and more prosperous if major media outlets and their executives and journalists could be successfully sued when their biased reporting have substantive negative consequences? Might [[w:Freedom of information|the public's right to receive diverse information]] be advanced in this way, recognizing that false information disseminated by major media outlets can lead to substantive harms, similar to "[[w:Shouting fire in a crowded theater|shouting ''fire'' in a crowded theater]]", while the same information disseminated by minor outlets would ''not'' produce such harms?
Lawsuits of this nature could be facilitated by "group libel" laws. Activists were working to pass such laws in the 1940s. By 1950 those campaigns had been abandoned, according to Barbas (2023).<ref>See also Calvert et al. (2023, pp. 178ff).</ref>
[[w:Yael Eisenstat|Yaël Eisenstat]] agrees that under [[w:Section 230|Section 230]] of Title 47 of the US Code, "No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider." However, Eisenstat insists that [[Online platforms' effects on public health, safety and democracy|"an interactive computer service" ''can'' be held liable when their algorithms have substantive negative consequences]], as in the jury verdicts against Meta in New Mexico<ref>Allyn (2026).</ref> and against Meta and Google in Los Angeles.<ref>McQue (2026).</ref> She said, "those technologies, if they are, in the end, contributing to an illegal activity or to harm, that's what we should be addressing. ... The ultimate goal is not to shut down every social media company. The ultimate goal is to figure out what a safer online experience looks like and what accountability looks like when something unsafe happens."
=== in sum ===
You, dear reader, can help overcome these problems by talking, as suggested in the exercises below and the rest of this book. If you can help others become less angry and more willing to agree to disagree agreeably with others, that should reduce the risk of war and improve the prospects for progress on other major problems facing humanity today.
==2. Training in nonviolent noncooperation for anyone willing to listen ==
A major driver of the current conflict between India and Pakistan is mistreatment of Muslims in India. Simulations of a nuclear war between India and Pakistan suggest that such a war would likely produce a nuclear autumn lasting years during which 40 percent of humanity would starve to death if they did not die of something else sooner. Over 90 percent of those would be in countries not involved in the nuclear exchange.<ref>Xia et al. (2022). See also Wikiversity, "[[Responding to a nuclear attack]]", accessed 2026-05-05.</ref>
The recent "[[w:2025 India–Pakistan conflict|2025 India–Pakistan conflict]]" was a response by India to violence in Indian-administered [[w:Kashmir|Kashmir]] by terrorists allegedly supported by Pakistan. India would have had much more difficulty justifying violent repression of ''nonviolent'' protests, especially if a more diverse media ecology gave such protests more and more sympathetic coverage.
During the [[w:Great Depression|Great Depression]], ethnic Germans in the [[w:Sudetenland|Sudetenland]] region of [[w:Czechoslovakia|Czechoslovakia]] were harder hit by increasing trade barriers than their non-German neighbors. They were therefore more open to populist and extremist movements such as fascism, communism and German irredentism.<ref>Wikipedia, "[[w:Sudetenland|Sudetenland]]", esp. the section on "[[w: Sudetenland#Within the Czechoslovak Republic (1918–1938)|Within the Czechoslovak Republic (1918–1938)]]", accessed 2026-05-05.</ref> If those ethnic Germans had used nonviolent noncooperation to highlight their grievances, and if Czechoslovakia at that time had had a substantially more diverse media system, it seems likely that they could have gotten reasonable redress of grievances. If so, it would have been harder for Hitler to use that as an excuse to invade Czechoslovakia, as he did in 1938.<ref>Wikipedia, "[[w:Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945)|Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945)]]", accessed 2026-05-05.</ref>
In 1940, during World War II, Germany invade Denmark, which had previously declared neutrality. The Germans allowed [[w:1943 Danish Folketing election|Danish parliamentary elections in 1943]]; the Danish Nazi party won on 2.1% of the votes.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rigsdagsvalgene i Marts og April 1943|url=http://www.dst.dk/pukora/epub/upload/20217/valg1943.pdf|date=|publisher=Danmarks Statistic|accessdate=11 February 2021}}</ref> When the Nazis ordered the Danes [[w:Rescue of the Danish Jews|to ship their Jews to the death camps, the Danes ignored those orders.]] When the Germans decided to do it themselves, a German diplomat leaked that decision, and nearly all Danish Jews escaped to neutral Sweden; 99% of Denmark's Jewish population survived the Holocaust.
An ideal settlement of the current Russo-Ukraine war might include training in nonviolent noncooperation made more effective through a more diverse media culture as suggested above. A substantial portion of the Ukrainian population, especially the Ukrainian military, are reported to be vicious anti-Russian Nazis, and the Ukrainian government has outlawed many uses of non-Ukrainian languages, especially Russian.<ref>Horton (2024).</ref> A campaign of nonviolent noncooperation with a vigorous, diverse adversarial press would likely make it harder for Ukraine to continue any persecution of Russian speakers. It would also make it harder for major media in the US and Western Europe to suppress honest discussion of anti-Russian racism in Ukraine. Swanson (2022) said that the [[w:Baltic states|Baltic states]] have implemented such training in preparations for a possible Russian invasion; they might be asked to support such training in Ukraine (and elsewhere).<ref>Swanson (2022).</ref>
Organizations offering training in [[w:Nonviolent resistance|nonviolent noncooperation]] include [[w:Nonviolence International|Nonviolence International]] and the [[w:Highlander Research and Education Center|Highlander Research and Education Center]].
=== Civil resistance deters fracking ===
Duhamel (2013) claimed that well-advertised planning and training in nonviolent noncooperation helped deter oil companies from attempting hydraulic fracturing in [[w:Quebec|Quebec Province]] in [[w:Canada|Canada]]. Deterring a foreign invasion is different, but the same principle should apply: It's clear from many sources that elites consider nonviolence a threat; it's a felony to teach nonviolence to someone whom the US State Department claims supports a "foreign terrorist organization", discussed in the next section.
=== Life in prison for teaching nonviolence ===
Per the US Supreme Court decision in ''[[w:Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project|Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project]]'' (2010), teaching nonviolence to anyone whom the US State Department claims supports a foreign terrorist organization is "[[w:Providing material support for terrorism|providing material support for terrorism]]", which is a felony under the USA [[w:Patriot Act|Patriot Act]] of 2001. Moreover, if the State Department claims that the death of any "person" resulted from the activities of the designated foreign terrorist organization, the penalty can be life in prison, where "person" is defined in the Patriot Act as "any individual or entity capable of holding a legal or beneficial interest in property".<ref>The treatment of [[w:Sami Al-Arian|Sami Al-Arian]] is worth noting in discussing the Patriot Act. Al-Arian is a Kuwaiti-born political activist of Palestinian origin, who earned a doctorate in Electrical Sciences and Systems Engineering at [[w:North Carolina State University|North Carolina State]] in 1985 and taught computer engineering at [[w:University of South Florida|University of South Florida]] (USF) beginning in 1986. He was granted permanent resident status in 1989. In 1993 he earned a Distinguished Teacher Award as a tenured associate professor at USF. He was an [[w:imam|imam]] in a local [[w:mosque|mosque]] and led in other initiatives to promote dialogue and public policy initiatives between the West and Middle East. On September 26, 2001, he appeared on ''[[w:The O'Reilly Factor|The O'Reilly Factor]]'' where he was confronted with a 1988 recording of him shouting "death to Israel". Al-Arian replied that "Death to Israel" meant "death to occupation, ... apartheid, ...oppression," whereupon O'Reilly cut him off and called for the [[w:Central Intelligence Agency|Central Intelligence Agency]] to investigate him. Al-Arian spent most of the next 14 years between that 2001 interview and 2015 in detention, much of it in solitary confinement. This period included a 2005 trial that ended with acquittal on 8 counts and a hung jury on another 9. In 2015 he was deported to Turkey. In 2017, he founded the Center for Islam and Global Affairs at [[w:Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University|Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University]] in Istanbul, Turkey, which he directs. What has been the impact of treatment of Al-Arian on the well-being of the bottom 99 percent of the US and world population?</ref>
How did these provisions get written into the Patriot Act?
That's a question that deserves research, perhaps by asking elected officials in the US Congress and lobbying for their repeal. A speculation consistent with the thesis of this book is that nonviolence terrifies those who control most of they money for the media, because it threatens their ability to get their security forces to follow orders.
==3. Forbid uses of force beyond one’s own borders and covert interference in foreign countries ==
:''[[w:Si vis pacem, para bellum|If you want peace, prepare for war.]]''
: -- ''[[w:De Re Militari|De Re Militari]]'' by [[w:Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus|Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus]] (fourth or fifth century AD)
The record of history is now clear: Those who prepared for war often got war initiated when one party claimed they were being attacked or about to be attacked and believed they would fare better by attacking. Sometimes this occurred when the media environment convinced leaders that their political futures required them to clandestinely provoke foreign entities to do things that could then be denounced as unprovoked to justify military escalation, as mentioned in the previous section.
Samuelson (2025) summarized quantitative analyses of 60 insurgencies since World War II, whose findings included the complete absence of success with counterinsurgencies without large force ratios (at least four, and most often more than ten, times the force of the insurgents) and without "providing a path toward peaceful addressing of grievances". He also noted that, "Brutality toward the civilian population ... tends to inflame the insurgency."<ref>Samuelson (2025) summarized Lawrence (2015).</ref> His analysis gave a pessimistic prognosis for the [[w:Gaza war|Gaza war]] that began 2023-10-07. His conclusions are consistent with the history of the current [[w:Russo-Ukrainian war|Russo-Ukrainian war]], the [[w:Vietnam War|Vietnam War]], the [[w:Graveyard of empires|First, Second, and Third Anglo-Afghan Wars (1839-1919), the Soviet-Afghan War (1979–1989), the US-led War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)]], the 2001-2011 [[w:Iraq War|Iraq War]], and others.
A key point is that invaders often to lose unless they enter with overwhelming force like Germany in the early stages of World War II: The [[w:Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945)|Czechoslovaks]], [[w:Invasion of Poland|Poles]], [[w:France during World War II|French]], and others were not prepared to fight the Germans, but the [[w:Soviet Union in World War II|Soviets]] were. [[w:Adolf Hitler|Hitler]] doubtless knew that the [[w:Switzerland during World War I and World War II|Swiss]] were prepared to fight, so he attacked other countries first. While fighting the [[w:Russo-Ukrainian war#Full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine (2022)|Russian invasion]] that began 2022-02-24, [[w:Defense industry of Ukraine|Ukraine has developed]] military drones that are highly effective relative to the cost, as witnessed by sales of such to Gulf Arab states,<ref>Sharawi and Shapiro (2026).</ref> illustrating the point that foreign invaders often encounter vastly more resistance than they expect -- and should expect highly effective resistance if they invade a country prepared to fight on their own territory.
The rest of this section discusses weaknesses with standard deterrence theory.
===Deterrence theory and nuclear Armageddon===
Standard [[w:Deterrence theory|deterrence theory]] assumes that one's opponents are rational and do not want [[w:Armageddon|Armageddon]]. The record of history summarized above raises questions about this assumption: In World War I, even the "winners" arguably lost more than they gained -- doubtless excepting a few merchants, who made fortunes from what they sold. Many of the other military decisions discussed above seem to have been driven more by the media than military necessity.
Beyond that, at least some portions of the [[w:Islamic State|Islamic State]] reportedly violates this assumption, because it "not only believes in the literal meaning of the coming Armageddon – it sees itself as its chief protagonist."<ref>Misra (2015).</ref> Some [[w:Christian nationalism|Christian nationalists]] promoted to command positions by [[w:United States Secretary of Defense|US Secretary of Defense]] [[w:Pete Hegseth|Hegseth]] and President Trump also seem to believe that Armageddon might be desirable. On 2026-03-03 the [[w:Military Religious Freedom Foundation|Military Religious Freedom Foundation]] said they had received over 200 complaints from over 50 different US military installations with comments like, "President Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth", per an email from one [[w:Non-commissioned officer|NCO]].<ref>Nick Mordowanec (2026).</ref> With Hegseth holding monthly Christian worship services in the Pentagon during business hours,<ref>Black (2025), Mayes-Osterman (2025). See also the section on "[[w:Pete Hegseth#Pentagon Christian worship services and "biblically sanctioned war"|Pentagon Christian worship services and "biblically sanctioned war"]] in the Wikipedia article on [[w:Pete Hegseth|Pete Hegseth]], accessed 2026-05-14.</ref> this suggests that Hegseth could have appointed enough Christian nationalists to key positions to initiate nuclear attacks on Iran or Russia, claiming that President Trump had ordered such whether he had or not.<ref>The [[w:Gold Codes|Gold Codes]] carried in the "[[w:nuclear football|nuclear football]]" required by the [[w:Permissive action link|permissive action link]]s would ''not'' prevent Hegseth and a few others appointed by him from initiating nuclear Armageddon, according to Ellsberg, who had been a nuclear war planner for presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon, before releasing the ''[[w:Pentagon Papers|Pentagon Papers]]''. Ellsberg (2017, p. 69) insisted that the security provided by those Gold Codes were a hoax, because otherwise a single nuclear detonation on Washington, DC, when both the president and vice president were in town "would would definitively block any authorized, coordinated nuclear response to that or any subsequent nuclear attack."</ref>
The biggest risk today may be the risk of [[w:Nuclear holocaust|nuclear Armageddon]], which seems on average to grow over time consistent with experience with "[[w:system accidents|system accidents]]" in other fields: It is naive to assume that any system as complex as military command, control and communications systems never fail. And managers of complex systems subject to rare, catastrophic failures "learn" from experience that they can take ever greater risks, because they have "safely" done so in the past — until there is a catastrophe:<ref>Kahneman and Klein (2009) found that expert intuition, when it exists, is learned from frequent, rapid, high quality feedback. With anything nuclear, mishaps are so rare that managers develop "expert intuition" that they can "safely" ignore safety concerns -- until there is a catastrophe. See also Sagan (1993).</ref>
Veterans for Peace (2022) recommend global reduction and rapid elimination of nuclear weapons "to reduce the real risk of nuclear confrontation through accidental launch or miscalculated escalation".
==== National security tariffs ====
Free trade agreements supported by the [[w:World Trade Organization|World Trade Organization]] allow exemptions for national security and other objectives. [[Responding to a nuclear attack|Even a minor nuclear war between India and Pakistan would have a negative impact on the entirety of humanity]]. It might therefore be sensible for parties to the [[w:Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons|Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons]] (TPNW) to institute gradually increasing tariffs on nuclear weapon states, not so great as to seriously impact the economy of the nation applying such tariffs but aggressive enough to gradually wean their economy from reliance on trade with nuclear-weapon states that refuse to support the TPNW.
See also the chapter below on [[/Media Literacy and You/Responding to a nuclear attack/|Responding to a nuclear attack]].
===Research on the effectiveness of deterrence and implications===
Lebow and others have provided substantial documentation of case studies claiming that leaders are often not rational, and deterrence based on threatening use of military force beyond one’s own borders has been ''as likely to provoke as prevent'' undesired behavior.<ref>Lebow (2025, 2024), Lebow et al. (2023).</ref> The most obvious portions of this threat can be entirely eliminated by policies clearly and effectively forbidding use of force beyond one’s own borders. This can be signaled in at least three ways:
* Eliminate all weapon systems like missiles and aircraft with a range of more than, e.g., a hundred miles or 200 kilometers with the possible exception of surveillance only aircraft that cannot be easily configured to carry [[w:Materiel#Military|ordnance]], e.g., explosives. Similarly eliminate nuclear weapons, which few if any countries would want to use for military defense inside their own borders.
* Supply a national guard and reserves with weapons, training, and rules of engagement that prohibit projecting force beyond one’s own borders. Train them also in development and use of improvised explosive devices and other tactics and devices like low cost military drones.
:Afghanistan is said to be the "[[w:Graveyard of empires|Graveyard of empires]]". They defeated the British three times (1839–1842, 1878–1880, 1919), the Soviet Union (1979–1989), and the US (2001–2021). Each victory came with foreign supplies, but any foreign troops helping Afghanis were primarily under the command of local leaders.
:The [[w:2003 invasion of Iraq|2003 invasion of Iraq]] might have produced [[w:Nation-building|nation-building]] more like the experience of [[w:Nation-building#Germany and Japan after World War II|Germany and Japan after World War II]] if the US had mandated a vigorous adversarial press instead of strict censorship, according to McChesney and Nichols.<ref>McChesney and Nichols (2010, Appendix II. Ike, MacArthur and the Forging of Free and Independent Press, pp. 241-254).</ref> This claim by McChesney and Nichols was not endorsed by [[News from Germany 1900-1945 and implications for today#After the war in Germany vs. Iraq|University of British Columbia History professor Heidi Tworek]], who said the democratization efforts in Germany and Japan after World War II were more complicated than that implied by that brief discussion by McChesney and Nichols.<ref>The 2025-07-03 interview with Tworek is available at "[[News from Germany 1900-1945 and implications for today]]", accessed 2026-05-14.</ref> However, the research by Usher and Kim-Leffingwell (2022) and the related research on news deserts summarized in the preface to this ''[[Media Literacy and You]]'' book largely supports those claims by McChesney and Nichols.
:[[w:Defense industry of Ukraine|Ukraine has become a world leader in military drones]], many of which are dramatically cheaper than alternatives. Most of those have limited range but have been useful for reconnaissance and delivery of ordnance and improving targeting of, e.g., surface to air missiles.
:[[w:Eliot A. Cohen|Eliot Cohen]], who served as a special advisor to [[w:United States Secretary of State|US Secretary of State]] [[w:Condoleezza Rice|Condoleezza Rice]] from 2007 to 2009, wrote, "As the United States discovered in Iraq and Afghanistan, no matter how large, technologically advanced, and proficient an army is, motivated insurgents can still inflict casualties in the tens of thousands."<ref>Cohen (2022), cited from Horton (2024, p. 1026).</ref> Cohen recommended we "Arm the Ukranians now". Horton said that the neoconservatives learned from Iraq War II and Afghanistan that the US "should fight like those who defeated them."<ref>Horton (2024, p. 1026).</ref>
:Leading economist [[w:Jeffrey Sachs|Jeffrey Sachs]] addressed the European Parliament 2025-02-19, claiming that the tragedy that befell Serbia in 1999 and subsequent US uses of force in Iraq and Syria, plus wars in Africa including Syria, Somalia and Libya and the current wars in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war, "are to a very significant extent the result of deeply misguided US policies."<ref>Sachs (2025-02).</ref> He said that Europe should craft its own foreign and military policies, independent of the US. ''[[w:Le Monde Diplomatique|Le Monde Diplomatique]]'' noted that Sachs' speech has circulated among social media since ''but has yet to be seriously discussed by major European media.''<ref>Sachs (2025-04; emphasis added).</ref>
* Change the laws of government secrecy so government officials cannot secretly interfere in the internal affairs of foreign countries or otherwise project force outside their own borders. This might be achieved in the US in part by requiring anyone with information about questionable actions by government officials to provide such documentation to one or more congressional oversight bodies while also allowing any current or former government employee or contractor to file suit in any US federal jurisdiction if they feel they have been punished for refusing to support questionable activities. In addition, federal judges should be authorized to subpoena classified government documents that may be relevant to any case in their jurisdiction and declassify them subject to appellate review if they believe the national interest would be better served by declassification.
:If the law is changed without a substantive [[#1. Citizen-directed subsidies for local news nonprofits with firewall(s) to prevent political interference in the content.|citizen-directed subsidies for local news nonprofits with firewall(s) to prevent political interference]], as discussed above, the change could be merely cosmetic and unconvincing to local public officials and potential adversaries.
:Connelly (2023) noted that US government secrecy has in the past encouraged administration officials to do things to provoke actions by foreign entities that can then be denounced as “unprovoked” to stampede the US Congress and the public into supporting counterproductive uses of military force, as discussed above.<ref>See also Connelly et al. (2023).</ref> A more diverse media culture should make it harder for administration officials to lie to the public and to Congress — and harder to punish government employees who tell their managers that they should not lie to Congress, as they reportedly did to [[#Richard Barlow and nuclear proliferation|Richard Barlow]], mentioned above.
:The Barlow case and many others explain why the US should, e.g., give federal judges the authority to subpoena classified documents and declassify them if they believe the public good is better served from declassification than continued secrecy.<ref>See, e.g., the 2025-05-08 interview with Seth Stern and Lauren Harper discussing what the "[[Freedom of the Press Foundation says...]]", Graves (2014), and [[w:Moynihan Commission on Government Secrecy|Moynihan Commission on Government Secrecy]], accessed 2026-05-06. Graves (2021) recommends "Congressional Gold Medals for" Barlow and whistleblowers.</ref>
These policies would make it hard for any foreign leader to justify an attack for multiple reasons: First, it would be difficult to convince their supporters that such an attack is necessary. Second, a rational foreign leader might be hesitant to invade a country that is prepared to fight a guerrilla war. Germany reportedly considered invading [[w:Switzerland during World War I and World War II|Switzerland during both World Wars I and II]] and decided against it in part because Switzerland had large, well-trained ready reserves, who were ready to fight. Belgium seemed to be an easier route.<ref>Documented in Wikipedia, "[[w:Switzerland during World War I and World War II|Switzerland during World War I and World War II]]", accessed 2026-05-06. Switzerland also has many mountains, which make it easier to defend, but the capabilities of the Swiss military also influenced the German decision to avoid Switzerland.</ref> Third, even if foreign invaders defeat the guerrillas, they should not assume that their invading forces would continue to follow orders. [[w:Rescue of the Danish Jews|Ninety-nine percent of Danish Jews reportedly survived World War II]] because of Danish noncooperation ''supported by a German diplomat''.<ref>Wikipedia, "[[w:Rescue of the Danish Jews|Rescue of the Danish Jews]]", accessed 2026-05-06.</ref>
With policies like these in place, it would be hard for foreign leaders to convince their supporters of a need to attack, as [[w:2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|Putin did when invading Ukraine in 2022]],<ref>The Wikipedia article on "[[w:2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]]", accessed 2026-05-06, includes a paragraph saying, 'In July 2021, Putin published an essay "On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians", in which he called Ukraine "historically Russian lands" and claimed there is "no historical basis" for the "idea of Ukrainian people as a nation separate from the Russians"'. Putin was accused of promoting Russian imperialism, historical revisionism and disinformation. Writing in 2024, Michael McFaul and Robert Person described this essay as representing not only "cynical propaganda" but also Putin's "deeply held and internalized beliefs". See the Wikipedia article for references supporting those claims.</ref> as [[w:2025 India–Pakistan crisis|India did when attacking Pakistan in 2025]], and as [[w:Invasion of Poland|Hitler did when invading Poland in 1939]], to name only three examples.
=== If we continue to base deterrence on threats ===
There are now calls for Europe to get their own nuclear weapons,<ref>Burgard (2025).</ref> while Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, South Korea and Taiwan have been suggested as other candidates for acquiring nuclear weapons should they feel a sufficient need.<ref>Ruehl (2024).</ref>
It is difficult to imagine how the number of nuclear weapon states could be increased without increasing the risks of a nuclear war, consistent with the discussion of "[[w:system accident|system accident]]s" earlier in this chapter.
Secondarily, intelligence services with information on political corruption including attempts to intimidate and murder journalists should not be allowed to keep that information secret: They should be required to find ways to leak that information to journalists. Such attacks on journalists in their own country should be exposed and prosecuted if the evidence seems likely to obtain a conviction. Intelligence services with information about such attacks in other countries should be required to find ways to leak it to competent journalists without identifying their sources and methods: Doing so would likely reduce political corruption worldwide and with that the risks of war.
== Collateral damage ==
The research cited above supports the claim that,
:''[[w:Collateral damage|Collateral damage]] that our designated enemies commit prove to us that they are subhuman or criminally misled.''
:''Meanwhile, collateral damage that we commit is unfortunate but necessary -- from our perspective. However, it proves to our designated enemies that we are subhuman or criminally misled.''
This observation supports this entire program of deterrence without threat:
* Forbidding use of force beyond one’s own borders and covert interference in foreign countries would automatically reduce collateral damage. It would also avoid uses of force that seem not to contribute to broadly shared peace and prosperity, according to research cited above.
* The effectiveness of nonviolent noncooperation rests in part on its near universal avoidance of collateral damage.
* Citizen-directed subsidies for local news nonprofits with firewall(s) to prevent political interference in the content should make it much harder for major media to convince the public to do things contrary to their best interests, like invading or interfering covertly in foreign countries.
== Call for help ==
Do you, dear reader, know other serious research not cited herein that might improve this analysis? If yes, you can help improve this discussion by adding comments with citations -- or by adding such citation(s) to the "Discuss" page associated with this chapter, suggesting someone else revise the chapter appropriately.
There are plenty of contrary claims in the major media, but the lead author of this chapter is not aware of any that are based on serious research.
In the absence of such research, the current author finds it difficult to imagine any national defense policies that carry a greater risk of nuclear Armageddon than our current policies, as discussed in the next chapter of this book on ''[[Media Literacy and You]]'' on "[[Media Literacy and You/Responding to a nuclear attack|Responding to a nuclear attack]]". That chapter, in sum, claims that the ''worst'' response to a nuclear attack would be nuclear response, because it would escalate a catastrophe killing millions of humans to one killing ''billions'', possibly 80 percent of humanity in a war between the US and Russia that lofts so much smoke from burning cities to the stratosphere where it covers the globe depressing crop yields for years during with 99 percent of the humans in the US, Europe and Russia would starve to death if they did not die of something else sooner. Moreover, the record of "[[w:System accident|system accident]]s" suggests that the chances of such a war before the end of this century is substantially greater than the 40 percent median estimate based on history mentioned in a presentation on "[[Time to nuclear Armageddon]]" delivered to the 2019 Joint Statistical Meetings.
This chapter is being written in the hopes of inspiring action to improve the prospects for broadly shared peace and prosperity for the long term.
== Exercises ==
1. Disconfirmation bias: Brainstorm your biggest concerns about a current or possible future war.
:1.1. Select the one that is of greatest concern to you currently.
::One issue that may not be a major concern for many but might elicit a broad consensus for action would be a campaign to ask elected officials in the US Congress to explain how we benefit from the provisions of the USA Patriot Act of 2001 that authorize [[#life in prison for teaching nonviolence|life in prison for teaching nonviolence]].
:1.2. Who are your designated enemies?
:1.3. Research what your designated enemies are saying about your biggest concern.
:1.4. Under what circumstances would you support what you see your designated enemies advocating or doing?
::If you cannot see such circumstances, expand your research: Look for more sources that support your designated enemies.
2. Interacting: Ask others if you can share what you've learned about that conflict. If they say, "No", don't push it. If they agree, share what you've learned in a friendly supportive manner without saying that anything is "true".
::''Show me someone who knows the truth, and I will show you someone who is dangerous.''
:2.1. The primary goal in this is ''not'' to convince anyone that you are right and they are wrong but to lower the level of anger and increase the level of tolerance for dissenting views.
:2.2. Another goal is to comfortably enjoy civil conversations of this nature, agreeing to disagree agreeably and building trusting relationships that support collaboration on issues of common concern.
:2.3. After becoming adept at building collaborations on issues of common concern, you might consider teaching this important skill and approach to issues.
3. Teaching: Each one teach two, as discussed in the section on "[[Media Literacy and You#Text and self-help book and point of discuss|Text and self-help book and point of discuss]]" in the preface to this book.
<!--== See also ==-->
== Notes ==
{{reflist}}
== Bibliography ==
* <!--Philippe Aghion, Céline Antonin, and Simon Bunel (2022) The Power of Creative Destruction: Economic Upheaval and the Wealth of Nations-->{{cite Q|Q139874218}}
* <!--Bobby Allyn (2026-03-25) "Jury finds Meta and Google negligent in social media harms trial-->{{cite Q|Q139572103}}
* <!--BBC (2022-08-01) "Nuclear annihilation just one miscalculation away, UN chief warns"-->{{cite Q|Q139596165|author=BBC}}
* <!--Elizabeth Black (2026-05-22) "Hegseth hosts first monthly Christian service in Pentagon"-->{{cite Q|Q139791642}}
* <!--Hans Günter Brauch, ed, Towards Rethinking Politics, Policy and Polity in the Anthropocene: Multidisciplinary Perspectives (Springer, pp. 225-234).-->{{cite Q|Q134488491|author= Hans Günter Brauch, ed.}}
* <!--Jan Philipp Burgard (2025-04-08) “Opinion | Europe Needs Its Own Nukes”, Politico-->{{cite Q|Q134465922}}
* <!--Clay Calvert, Dan V. Kozlowski, and Derigan Silver (2023) Mass Media Law, 22nd ed.-->{{cite Q|Q135455067}}
* <!--Francis X. Clines (1983-06-21) "Reagan says his opponents risk Central American influx"-->{{cite Q|Q139790146}}
* <!--Eliot Cohen (2022-02-23) “Arm the Ukrainians Now”, The Atlantic-->{{cite Q|Q139679796}}
* <!--Philippe Duhamel (2013-09-26) Civil resistance as deterrent to fracking: Part One, They shale not pass-->{{cite Q|Q140833946}}
* <!--Albert Fried (1997) McCarthyism: the great American Red scare: a documentary history-->{{cite Q|Q106659308}}
* <!--Matthew Connelly (2023) The Declassification Engine: What History Reveals About America’s Top Secrets (Pantheon).->{{cite Q|Q116786691}}
* <!--Matthew Connelly, Douglas A. Samuelson, and Spencer Graves (2023-03-14) “Does US government secrecy threaten national security?”, Radio Active Magazine on KKFI-->{{cite Q|Q125582094}}
* <!--Lisa DePaulo (2008-10-31) "Leader of the Year: Right Man, Right Time"-->{{cite Q|Q114039844}}
* <!--Dwight D. Eisenhower (1063) Mandate for Change-->{{cite Q|Q61945939}}
* <!--Daniel Ellsberg (2017) The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a nuclear war planner (Bloomsbury)-->{{cite Q|Q64226035}}
* <!--Spencer Graves (2021-10-28) " Congressional Gold Medals for Assange, Hale, Barlow, Winner, Manning, Edmonds, Sterling, Drake, Snowden, Ellsberg"-->{{cite Q|Q125570226}}
* <!--Spencer Graves (2014-07-18) “Restrict secrecy more than data collection”, San José Peace & Justice Center-->{{cite Q|Q106512569}}
* <!-- Serge Halimi and Serge Halimi (2023-03) "Un an après l'invasion de l'Ukraine, une débâcle du journalisme: Les médias, avant-guarde du parti de la guerre"-->{{cite Q|Q118225389}}
* <!--John Maxwell Hamilton (2020) Manipulating the Masses: Woodrow Wilson and the Birth of American Propaganda-->{{cite Q|Q137342282}}
* <!--Scott Horton (2024) Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine (Libertarian Inst.)00>{{cite Q|Q139565338}}
* <!--Annie Jacobsen (2024-04-10) "'Nuclear war happens in seconds and minutes, not days and weeks': How I researched the end of the world"-->{{cite Q|Q139596142}}
* <!-- Kahneman and Klein (2009) Conditions for intuitive expertise: a failure to disagree-->{{cite Q|Q35001791}}
* <!--Stanley Karnow (1983) Vietnam: A History-->{{cite Q|Q108903453}}
* <!--Christopher A. Lawrence (2015) America's Modern Wars: Understanding Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam-->{{cite Q|Q136130919}}
* <!--Richard Ned Lebow (2024) “Are Leaders Rational?”, Critical Review, 36:4, 465-482.-->{{cite Q|Q134487607}}
* <!--Richard Ned Lebow (2025) “Thinking Politically About the Anthropocene”, ch. 5 in Hans Günter Brauch, ed, Towards Rethinking Politics, Policy and Polity in the Anthropocene: Multidisciplinary Perspectives (Springer, pp. 225-234).-->{{cite Q|Q134488569|Author=Richard Ned Lebow}}
* <!--Richard Ned Lebow, Douglas A. Samuelson, and Spencer Graves (2023-11-28), “Richard Ned Lebow on national defense including deterrence”, Radio Active Magazine-->{{cite Q|Q124351846}}
* <!-- Charles Mackay (1841/2009) Memoirs of extraordinary popular delusions and the madness of crowds-->{{cite Q|Q116897625}}
* <!-- Daniel P. Mannix (1964) The history of torture-->{{cite Q|Q116896896}}
* <!--Jane Mayer (2008) Dark side : the inside story of how the war on terror turned into a war on American ideals (Doubleday)-->{{cite Q|Q1681286}}
* <!--Cybele Mayes-Osterman (2025-12-18) Pete Hegseth pushes his Christian faith in Pentagon prayer services-->{{cite Q|Q139791710}}
* <!--Tom McCarthy (2016-02-07) “Donald Trump: I’d bring back ‘a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding'”, The Guardian-->{{cite Q|Q134462630}}
* <!-- McChesney and Nichols (2010) The Death and Life of American Journalism-->{{cite Q|Q104888067}}
* <!--Stanley A. McChrystal (2013). My share of the task: A memoir (Penguin)-->{{cite Q|Q135406522}}
* <!--Katie McQue (2026-04-24) " Meta ordered to pay $375m after being found liable in child exploitation case-->{{cite Q|Q139572337}}
* <!--Amalendu Misra (2015-11-19) “What does Islamic State actually want?”, The Conversation-->{{cite Q|Q134487571}}
* <!--Nick Mordowanec (2026-03-03) " Commanders Accused of Framing Iran War as Biblical Mandate, Jesus' 'Return'"-->{{cite Q|Q138840951}}
* <!--John Mueller (2021) The Stupidity of War: American Foreign Policy and the Case for Complacency (Cambridge U. Pr.,)-->{{cite Q|Q113702723}}
* <!--Mueller and Graves (2023-04-06) "The Stupidity of War and the Exaggeration of Threat"-->{{cite Q|Q139789709}}
* <!--Pat Paterson (2008-02) "The Truth About Tonkin"-->{{cite Q|Q133449570}}
* <!--Steven Pinker (2011) The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined (Viking Press, pp. 138-139)-->{{cite Q|Q60412312}}
* <!--Paul Romer (2009-07-31) "A Terrible Thing to Waste"-->{{cite Q|Q139676537}}
* <!--Arthur E. (Ted) Rowse (1992-09) "Kuwaitgate - killing of Kuwaiti babies by Iraqi soldiers exaggerated-->{{cite Q|Q123698876}}
* <!--John P. Ruehl (2025-11-01) “Which Countries Are on the Brink of Going Nuclear?”, Peninsula Peace & Justice Center-->{{cite Q|Q134465827}}
* <!--Jeffrey Sachs (2025-04) “File: The trap of major rearmament: Geopolitics of peace (in French: “Dossier : Le piège du grand réarmement: Géopolitique de la paix”), Le Monde Diplomatique (https://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/2025/04/SACHS/68242).-->{{cite Q|Q134463099}}
* <!--Jeffrey Sachs (2025-02) “Jeffrey Sachs: Speech at European Parliament on February 19, 2025”: Edited transcript and YouTube video (https://newkontinent.org/jeffrey-sachs-speech-at-european-parliament-on-february-19-2025/)-->{{cite Q|Q134463038}}
* <!--Scott Sagan (1993) The limits of safety: Organizations, Accidents, and Nuclear Weapons (Princeton U. Pr.)-->{{cite Q|Q136765429}}
* <!--Douglas A. Samuelson (2025-09-26) " Assessing Israel’s Approach in Gaza"-->{{cite Q|Q138843324}}
* <!--Amanda Sauer (2016-05-09) "Political Agenda Setting in Early America: The Barbary Wars"-->{{cite Q|Q139589295}}
* <!--Michael Scheuer (2004) Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror (Brassey’s).-->{{cite Q|Q6006645}}
* <!--Mark Schmeller (2009) "The Political Economy of Opinion: Public Credit and Concepts of Public Opinion in the Age of Federalism"-->{{cite Q|Q139589348}}
* <!--Ahmad Sharawi and Dimitriy Shapiro (2026-04-01) "Ukraine Agrees to Mutually Beneficial Defense Deals With Gulf Arab States"-->{{cite Q|Q139948808}}
* <!--Jeff Stein (2013-12-04) “The Perils of Whistle-Blowing”, Newsweek-->{{cite Q|Q63257553}}
* <!--David Swanson (2022-03-15) " 30 Nonviolent Things Russia Could Have Done and 30 Nonviolent Things Ukraine Could Do"-->{{cite Q|Q134465808}}
* <!--Veterans For Peace Nuclear Posture Review-->{{cite Q|Q111141993|author=Veterans for Peace}}
* <!-- Xia et al. (2022) Global food insecurity and famine ... from a nuclear war ...-->{{cite Q| Q113732668}}
[[Category:Media literacy]]
[[Category:Communication]]
[[Category:Political science]]
[[Category:Law]]
[[Category:Psychology]]
[[Category:Sociology]]
[[Category:War History]]
[[Category:Media Literacy and You]]
<!--
https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Wikiversity:Category_Review
-->
ln6z85mq8k3c8gywffr0am87zgwlvxx
2820452
2820451
2026-08-03T13:21:39Z
DavidMCEddy
218607
/* 2. Training in nonviolent noncooperation for anyone willing to listen */ link
2820452
wikitext
text/x-wiki
[[File:Nukes or nonviolence.png|thumb|Nuclear war or nonviolent noncooperation?]]
:''Humanity is one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation. ... This is madness. We must reverse course.''
: -- [[w:António Guterres|UN Secretary General António Guterres]] (2022)<ref>Jacobsen (2024), BBC (2022).</ref>
:This book is a combination instruction manual on [[w:Media literacy|media literacy]] and an invitation to you to support collaborative / crowd-sourced research on how to improve the world's understanding of media literacy and how to accelerate its understanding and use globally for the betterment of humanity.
Part I of this book on ''[[Media Literacy and You]]'' discusses "The media and political economy". Except in times of terror, massive lawlessness or war, most humans place a high priority on their financial situation, the primary focus of Part I. Part II on "The media and war" focuses on security concerns starting with this chapter on "Deterrence without threat".
== Introduction ==
Every individual and group has a right and an obligation to defend itself. Unfortunately, when most humans<ref>We distinguish here between "humans" and "people" or "persons", because under current US law, corporations are "people" and money is speech, per the US Supreme Court decision in ''[[w:Citizens United v. FEC|Citizens United v. FEC]]'' (2010) and many other judicial rulings and US law such as the [[w:Patriot Act|Patriot Act]] of 2001.</ref> think of defense, they often think of violent responses to provocations.
However, there is a growing body of research documenting
:(a) how most uses of violence are counterproductive, and
:(b) there are usually nonviolent options to violence that would more effectively promote broadly shared peace and prosperity for the long term.
This research is rarely discussed by major media outlets, because it would offend the "people"<ref>We put "people" in quotes in this essay, because that term includes corporations under current US law.</ref> who control most of the money for the media: Nonviolence threatens their ability to get compliance from security forces. As a result, many elites prefer to use force to the detriment of the bottom 99 percent of humanity. As discussed below, a military posture that supports projecting force beyond one’s own borders may be as likely to ''provoke'' as ''prevent'' an attack.<ref>For example, Lebow (2025) cites some of his previous work with others to support the claim that large militaries have been "more provocative than preventative in" their effects. And Lebow (2024) insists that, "Policymakers respond more instinctively than analytically in deciding that some policy is or is not in the national interest." See also Lebow et al. (2023).</ref>
This chapter outlines a 3-part strategy that research suggests would more likely lead to better outcomes for the vast majority of humans:
# Citizen-directed subsidies for local news nonprofits with firewall(s) to prevent political interference in the content.
# Training in nonviolent noncooperation for anyone willing to listen.
# Forbid uses of force beyond one’s own borders and covert interference in foreign countries.
We now discuss each of these briefly.
== 1. Citizen-directed subsidies for local news nonprofits with firewall(s) to prevent political interference in the content. ==
It seems that
:''Primary drivers of every major conflict include differences between the media that the different parties find crecible.''
In a recent interview with [[w:Fordham University|Fordham University]] Professor Emerita of Communications Robin Andersen,<ref name=Andersen><!--Robin Andersen-->{{cite Q|Q132982358}}</ref> she agreed with this claim and added:
:''We only have enemies of our very own making.''
The media are involved in this, because:
:''The major media create the stage upon which politicians read their lines.''<ref>In 1791 James Madison, who represented part of Virginia in the US House of Representatives 1789-1801 and later became the 4th President of the US (1809-1819), said, "Public opinion sets bounds to every government, and is the real sovereign in every free one." Quoted from the ''[[w:National Gazette|National Gazette]]'' (published 1791-1793) by Schmeller (2009, p. 36) and Sauer (2016, p. 5). Sauer described how the American Revolutionaries, especially the first four US presidents, planted stories in newspapers to build support for how they dealt with the [[w:Barbary corsairs|Barbary pirates]], who were seizing merchant ships, raiding European coastal towns and villages, and selling European captives into slavery. The first two US presidents, [[w:George Washington|Washington]] and [[w:John Adams|Adams]], used that support for protecting US shipping and citizens by paying tribute to government leaders in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. The next two presidents, [[w:Thomas Jefferson|Jefferson]] and [[w:James Madison|Madison]], convinced Congress to fund a navy and marines to fight the [[w:Barbary Wars|Barbary Wars]]. This included the [[w:Battle of Derna (1805)|Battle of Derna]] (April-May 1805), memorialized in the [[w:Marines' Hymn|Marines' Hymn]], which mentions actions "to the shores of Tripoli". Sauer described how the policies were sold to the public via planted stories in the different partisan newspapers.</ref>
This works because (a) virtually everyone thinks they know more than they do ([[w:Overconfidence effect|overconfidence effect]]), and (b) virtually everyone prefers information and sources consistent with preconceptions ([[w:confirmation bias|confirmation bias]]).
Also, in many, perhaps all, countries, the primary constituency for foreign and military policy is the people with foreign business interests. Many of these people also control substantial portions of the money for the media, which have too often encourage questionable and counterproductive uses of military force.<ref>If we [[w:follow the money|follow the money]], we might find that "watchdogs generally protect the people who feed them", as discussed in the 2025-09-25 interview with British journalist and media reform activist Dan Hind discussing how the British [[Media Reform Coalition challenges anti-democratic media bias in the UK]].</ref>
=== Examples ===
A leader in documenting the role of the media in armed conflict is Robin Andersen,<ref>e.g., Andersen (2006, 2026).</ref> but she is not alone. For example, [[w:University of Denver|University of Denver]] journalism professor Kareem El Damanhoury<ref name=Daman><!--Kareem El Damanhoury-->{{cite Q|Q113752441}}</ref> has compared how [[w:Gaza Strip|Gaza]] has been framed differently by [[w:Al Jazeera Media Network|Al Jazeera]], the [[w:BBC|BBC]]<ref>El Damanhoury et al. (2025).</ref> and [[w:Fox News|Fox]].<ref>El Damanhoury and Saleh (2024).</ref><ref>Some of El Damanhoury's work in this regard [[Differences between media outlets including coverage of Gaza|is reviewed in a 2025-11-20 interview with him]].</ref>
==== World War I ====
Andersen's (2006) ''A Century of Media, A Century of War'' begins with a discussion of "The birth of war propaganda" in "The Great War and the Fight between Good and Evil".<ref>Andersen (2006, ch. 1)</ref>
A more detailed but compatible discussion of the media and [[w:World War I|World War I]] is given by [[w:John Maxwell Hamilton|John Maxwell Hamilton]]. Among other things, he said: {{quote|
The first iron law of propaganda is that only the enemy does it.<ref>Hamilton (2020, p. 642). See also the [[John Maxwell Hamilton on American propaganda|2025-12-11 interview with Hamilton]].</ref>}}
[[File:MB Walker - German bayoneting children - Life - July 25, 1915.png|thumb|left|Figure 1. Stories of German soldiers impaling children on their bayonets were widely reported during the war. However, no credible evidence was found to support these claims when questions were raised after the war.<ref>{{cite web|title=Alleged German atrocities: Bryce report|url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/firstworldwar/spotlights/p_alleged_german.htm|publisher=The National Archives|access-date=13 July 2014}}</ref>]]
Andersen (2006, pp. 8-9) said, {{quote|
James Bryce, the former British ambassador to the United States, ... helped prepare a sixty-one page ''Report on the Committee on alleged German Outrages'', which was translated into thirty languages and was said to be based on twelve hundred depositions ... included gruesome and titillating details of how German soldiers publicly raped Belgian girls in the marketplace at Liege and bayonetted a two-year-old child. ... [A]fter the war a Belgian commission of inquiry found no evidence for any major accusation in the report. ...}}
{{quote|
German propagandists, on the other hand, ... "bungled, because they were naïve: they thought the success of the war depended almost solely on military strategy and therefore they tended to neglect propaganda." ... Thus, when German soldiers shot some Allied nurses who had carried weapons, they admitted it openly. The Allies reported the incident as an atrocity and featured it in press propaganda. When French troops shot German nurses under similar circumstances, the Germans failed to exploit it.}}
==== Jonathan Swift 1710 ====
This is not limited to World War I. In 1710, [[w:Jonathan Swift|Jonathan Swift]] reportedly said, "Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after ... like a physician, who hath found out an infallible medicine, after the patient is dead."<ref name=Swift>Excerpted from a line in [[Wikiquote:Jonathan Swift]] consulted 2026-04-13.</ref>
==== The Marines' Hymn ====
The [[w:Marines' Hymn|Marine Corps Hymn]] begins, {{quote|
From the Halls of Montezuma
To the shores of Tripoli;
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land, and sea.}}
The "[[w:Battle of Chapultepec|Halls of Montezuma]]" refer to the [[w:Mexican–American War|Mexican–American War]], which was fought to expand slavery first into [[w:Texas|Texas]] -- and supporters of slavery hoped that would help expand slavery further west. The "[[w:Battle of Derna (1805)|shores of Tripoli]]" were part of the [[w:Barbary Wars|Barbary Wars]], which were fought to reduce the need to pay (a) tribute to the [[w:Barbary Coast|Barbary or Berber]] states of [[w:Morocco|Morocco]], [[w:Algeria|Algeria]], [[w:Tunisia|Tunisia]], and [[w:Libya|Libya]] or (b) ransom to [[w:Barbary corsairs|Barbary pirates]], who were otherwise capturing Christians and selling them into slavery.
Did the bottom 99 percent of the US population of that time benefit? Or did these wars (and any tribute and ransom paid by the US government before the Barbary wars) constitute a hidden transfer of wealth from the poor to the wealthy?
A partial answer to this question is that [[w:tariff|tariff]]s on imported goods covered between 80 and 95 percent of all federal revenue up to 1860, and [[w:excise|excise taxes]] on only a few goods, such as whiskey, rum, tobacco, snuff and refined sugar, made up nearly all the rest.<ref>See the section on "[[w:Excise tax in the United States#Historical background|Historical background]]" in the Wikipedia article on "[[w:Excise tax in the United States|Excise tax in the United States]]", accessed 2026-05-26.</ref> The money raised from taxes on income during the Civil War, visible in Figure 3 above, were apparently negligible as a portion of federal revenue during the Barbary Wars and the Mexican-American War.
==== Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: "Betray the nation or do not get elected." ====
Regarding the [[w:Vietnam War|Vietnam War]], former president [[w:Dwight D. Eisenhower|Eisenhower]] wrote in his autobiography, which appeared in 1963 (he left the presidency 1961-01-20), that he had never communicated {{quote|
with a person knowledgeable in Indochinese affairs [including Vietnam] who did not agree that had elections been held as of the time of the fighting [leading to the defeat of the French in 1954], possibly 80 per cent of the population would have voted for the Communist [[w:Ho Chi Minh|Ho Chi Minh]].<ref>Eisenhower (1963, p. 372).</ref>}}
[[w:Joseph McCarthy|Joseph McCarthy]], who had been elected to the US Senate in 1946 and "experienced a meteoric rise in national profile beginning on February 9, 1950, when he gave a" speech during which he said something like, "The [[w:United States Secretary of State|State Department]] is infested with communists. I have here in my hand a list of 205—a list of names that were made known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping policy in the State Department." McCarthy's mostly baseless claims went largely unchallenged in the media, including accusing the Democrats of "twenty years of treason" for having been allied with the Soviet Union, which took the bulk of casualties during World War II.
By the end of 1953 with (Republican) Eisenhower as president roughly 11 months, McCarthy was complaining about "''21'' years of treason", complaining that Eisenhower was not sufficiently aggressive in rooting out the communists who McCarthy claimed were in the government.<ref>Fried (1997, p. 179).</ref>
Then the French were defeated by Vietnamese communists 1954-05-07 in the [[w:Battle of Dien Bien Phu|Battle of Dien Bien Phu]]. The [[w:1954 Geneva Conference|1954 Geneva Conference]], which had begun eleven days earlier, 1954-04-26, concluded 1954-07-21 with the "Geneva Accords of 1954".<ref>The [[w:Battle of Dien Bien Phu|Battle of Dien Bien Phu]], 1954-05-07, effectively ended the [[w:First Indochina War|French Indochina War]]. This led to the [[w:1954 Geneva Conference|Geneva accords of 1954]], officially dated 1954-07-20 but actually signed the following morning. Those accords took effect on three different dates, July 27 and August 1 and 11 in three different sectors of Vietnam. See <!--Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities in Vietnam-->{{cite Q|Q139676410}}</ref> Those accords called for UN-supervised elections for July of 1956, when Eisenhower would presumably be campaigning for reelection. Eisenhower doubtless knew that he might lose his bid for re-election in 1956, if the Communist Ho Chi Minh won elections in July of that year.
:''The consistent suppression of honest portrayal in the major media of that day of the perspective of anyone whom Eisenhower considered "knowledgeable in Indochinese affairs" gave him -- and his successors [[w:John F. Kennedy|Kennedy]], [[w:Lyndon B. Johnson|Johnson]], and [[w:Richard Nixon|Nixon]] -- the choice between betraying the nation or not getting elected.''
In this environment, the [[w:Operation 34A|US initiated a series of clandestine operations against North Vietnam]] including infiltrating CIA-recruited spies and supporting attacks against North Vietnam by South Vietnamese commandos.<ref>Paterson (2008).</ref> This included a raid 1964-07-30 by South Vietnamese commandos on the island of Hòn Mê, roughly 300 km (180 miles) north of the [[w:Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone|Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone]] in the [[w:Gulf of Tonkin|Gulf of Tonkin]], covered by [[w:DESOTO patrol|US naval vessels]] patrolling in that area. Then during a dark and stormy night six days later, US naval vessels opened fire on radar snow, and President Johnson requested and received Congressional approval of the [[w:Gulf of Tonkin Resolution|Gulf of Tonkin Resolution]]; then-[[w:United States Secretary of Defense|US Secretary of Defense]] [[w:Robert McNamara|McNamara]] claimed those attacks were "unprovoked".<ref>Karnow (1983, p. 375). See also the section on [[w:Gulf of Tonkin Resolution#Congress votes|Congress votes]]" in the Wikipedia article on [[w:Gulf of Tonkin Resolution|Gulf of Tonkin Resolution]], accessed 2026-05-14.</ref>
In this media environment, only two officials in the US Congress voted against the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: [[w:Ernest Gruening|Ernest Gruening]] (D-AK) and [[w:Wayne Morse|Wayne Morse]] (D-OR). Gruening lost in his next primary campaign to [[w:Mike Gravel|Mike Gravel]], and Morse lost in his next general election campaign to [[w:Bob Packwood|Bob Packwood]]. These results support the previous claim that the major media give politicians the choice:
:''Betray the nation, or do not get elected.''
That resolution became the primary authorization for the US war in Vietnam until Congress ended the funding.
==== Was the Vietnam War lost in Washington or by media biases? ====
[[w:John Mueller|John Mueller]], prolific author, Professor Emeritus of international relations at [[w:Ohio State University|Ohio State University]] and Senior Fellow at the [[w:Cato Institute|Cato Institute]], said that the most effective thing the US did to win the [[w:Cold War|Cold War]] was —
:''nothing'':
Between the [[w:Fall of Saigon|Fall of Saigon]] in 1975 and the inauguration of [[w:Ronald Reagan|Ronald Reagan]] as President of the US, the US "went into a sort of containment funk: it effectively adopted a policy of complacency (or perhaps of appeasement) as it watched from the sidelines as the Soviet Union … opportunistically gathered a set of Third World countries into its imperial embrace: Angola in 1976, Mozambique and Ethiopia in 1977, South Yemen and Afghanistan in 1978, Grenada and Nicaragua in 1979."<ref>Mueller (2021, p. 59).</ref> Nearly all became major economic and political drains on the Soviets with Afghanistan being the worst. And their Warsaw Pact allies in Eastern Europe became a severe economic drain and psychic problem.<ref>Mueller and Graves (2023).</ref>
President Reagan, inaugurated 1981-01-20, had a very different vision of the role of the US in foreign relations from his predecessor, [[w:Jimmy Carter|Jimmy Carter]]. In 1983-06-21 Reagan insisted, "We cannot permit the Soviet-Cuban-Nicaraguan axis to take over Central America", because the consequences would include "a tidal wave of refugees ... 'feet people' ... swarming into our country."<ref>Clines (1983).</ref>
Other sources<ref>e.g., Andersen (2006, Part II).</ref> insist the opposite, that the vast majority of deaths in Central America during the Reagan years were poor humans petitioning nonviolently for a redress of grievances, suppressed by terrorist / death squads supported by the Reagan administration largely in violation of laws passed by Congress and signed by President Reagan. On 1986-10-05 [[w:Corporate Air Services HPF821|a Nicaraguan soldier with a surface to air missile shot down a C-123]] cargo aircraft carrying supplies to the Contra roughly 35 miles (56 km) north of Costa Rica. Documents found in the wreckage and a confession by the sole survivor led to the [[w:Iran–Contra affair|Iran-Contra hearings]] the following year, during which Lt. Col. [[w:Oliver North|Oliver North]] insisted, "We didn't lose the war in Vietnam ..., we lost it in this city."<ref>Andersen (2006, p. 137). See also, Wikipedia, "[[w:Stab-in-the-back myth|Stab-in-the-back myth]]", accessed 2026-05-13.</ref>
The previous section on the "Gulf of Tonkin Resolution" provides an alternative narrative of the Vietnam War: If as Eisenhower claimed, "possibly 80 per cent of the [Vietnamese] population would have voted for the Communist [[w:Ho Chi Minh|Ho Chi Minh]]" if elections had been held there, it's hard to imagine how anyone else could have won without aggressive action that actually ''improved'' the lives of Vietnamese peasants in the South. US-led efforts there were officially designed to win "[[w:Hearts and Minds (Vietnam War)|Hearts and Minds]]" but were implemented with such coercion that the result was the opposite. A cynic might say that it is hard to win people's hearts and minds by killing them.
====Richard Barlow and nuclear proliferation====
There is also documentation that the US helped Pakistan get nuclear weapons and destroyed the career of an intelligence analyst, [[w:Richard Barlow (intelligence analyst)|Richard Barlow]], for telling his managers they should not lie to Congress about it. Barlow has insisted that neither Pakistan nor North Korea would have nuclear weapons and Iran would not have a nuclear weapons program today, if the US had followed its own laws. Barlow’s claims, including his punishment by administration officials, have been reported in major media outlets<ref>e.g., Stein (2013). See also Wikipedia, "[[w:Richard Barlow (intelligence analyst)|Richard Barlow (intelligence analyst)]]", accessed 2026-05-06.</ref> but not in a way that would seriously limit the ability — and need — for administration officials to lie to Congress.
If Barlow's claims are accurate, it suggests that US government officials violated US obligations under the [[w:Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons|Non-Proliferation Treaty]] (NPT).<ref>Per the [[w:Treaty Clause|Treaty Clause]] of the US Constitution, a treaty negotiated by the President and approved by the Senate has "the force of federal law."</ref>
==== Nayirah testimony and the 1990-1991 Gulf War ====
A more recent example is the 1990-10-10 testimony by [[w:Nayirah testimony|Nayirah al-Ṣabaḥ to the US Congressional Human Rights Caucus]], two months after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. She claimed to have seen Iraqi soldiers taking premature babies out of incubators in a maternity ward before looting the incubators and leaving the babies to die on the floor after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait; she said she had been a volunteer nurse in the hospital at that time.
The failure of journalists, including with the ''[[w:NBC Nightly News|NBC Nightly News]]'', to adequate check facts behind this and other atrocity stories helped convince the US public to support the US-led invasion of Iraq in 1990-1991. Nayirah's statements were widely publicized and cited numerous times in the United States Senate and by American president George H. W. Bush to contribute to the rationale for pursuing military action against Iraq. It was later revealed that she was the daughter of Kuwaiti ambassador to the US, [[w:Saud Nasser Al-Saud Al-Sabah|Saud Nasser Al-Saud Al-Sabah]], "Reps. [[w:Tom Lantos|Tom Lantos]] and [[w:John Porter (Illinois politician)|John Edward Porter]], who sponsored the congressional hearings, had started a group called the Congressional Human Rights Foundation that had received $50,000 from Citizens for a Free Kuwait, as well as free office space in [[w:Hill & Knowlton|Hill and Knowlton]]'s Washington headquarters",<ref>Rowse (1992).</ref> and the public relations firm Hill and Knowlton had made a video while coaching her rehearsing her perjury and used that to prepare a video press release "that eventually reached a total audience of about thirty-five million", 14 percent of the [[w:Demographic history of the United States|US population of 249 million per the census then in process]], with portions aired on the ''[[w:NBC Nightly News|NBC Nightly News]]'' the night after the testimony.<ref>Andersen (2006, pp. 170-171).</ref>
==== 1998 Embassy bombings and September 11 ====
As another example, there is substantial documentation available today that [[1998 Embassy bombings and September 11|the suicide mass murders of September 11, 2001]], likely would not have occurred if the US had treated the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania as law enforcement issues. Muslim clerics all over the world initially condemned those acts. Al-Qaeda was dead. Their funding had largely dried up. And bin Laden was scheduled to be extradited the following month to Saudi Arabia to be prosecuted for treason, where he would likely have been convicted and executed. Mayer (2008, p. 114) claimed those embassy bombings were motivated as retaliation for US support for torture.<ref>For more on torture, see the the section on [[#Make media responsible for harms|Make media responsible for harms]] below.</ref>
But it seemed questionable at best whether major media executives in the US would have given favorable coverage to such a diplomatic solution. Instead, the US bombed a pharmaceutical plant in Sudan and al-Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan. Then Muslim public opinion turned 180 degrees to conclude, "Bin Laden is right: The US ''is'' an evil empire." The US became bin Laden’s only indispensable ally, according to the CIA agent responsible for tracking bin Laden at that time.<ref>Scheuer (2004, p. xv).</ref> Leading Saudis started supporting al-Qaeda, including some working for the Saudi embassy and consulates in the US. Only one country seems to have been involved in the preparations for the September 11 attacks, and that was Saudi Arabia. But Saudis were friends of the Bush family, and a crisis is a terrible thing to waste.<ref>Romer (2009).</ref>
:''Did the US invade Afghanistan and Iraq on grounds that senior journalists and leading media executives should have known at the time were questionable and likely fraudulent — to the detriment of nearly everyone except the "people" who control most of the money for the media?''
:In particular, was Iraqi president [[w:Saddam Hussein|Saddam Hussein]] really a bigger threat to the US after he invaded Kuwait in 1990 or after the [[w:September 11 attacks|suicide mass murders of September 11, 2001]] than he was during the 1980s, when the US supported him [[w:Iran-Iraq War|killing Iranians]] or [[w:Anfal campaign|his own native Kurds]]?
On 2003-05-29 [[w:BBC|BBC]] journalist [[w:Andrew Gilligan|Andrew Gilligan]] reported that the [[w:Tony Blaire|Blair government]] had "sexed up" [[w:September Dossier|intelligence reports]] issued the previous September to justify supporting the 2003-03-20 [[w:Iraq War|US-led invasion of Iraq]], two months before Gilligan's report. This led to the [[w:Hutton Inquiry|Hutton Inquiry]], which led to the resignations of Gilligan and the BBC's chairman and the firing of the BBC's director-general. However, the British public expressed so many reservations about the Hutton Inquiry that a follow-up investigation was ordered in 2009. This became the "[[w:Iraq Inquiry|Iraq Inquiry]]", whose 2016-07-06 report essentially validated what Gilligan had said just over 13 years earlier. This provides one more example of the 1710 maxim of Jonathan Swift that, "Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after ... like a physician, who hath found out an infallible medicine, after the patient is dead."<ref name=Swift/>
====Ukraine war====
Page 1 of the 2023-05-04 edition of ''[[w:Le Monde Diplomatique|Le Monde Diplomatique]]'' carried a headline:
:One year after the invasion of Ukraine: The media, vanguard of the war party,<ref>Halimi and Rimbert (2023) in the French-language original.</ref>
consistent with Andersen (2006).
=== Make media responsible for harms ===
How might the world be different if injured parties could successfully sue major media for harms that result from government policies contradicted by evidence reasonably available to the major media outlets?
For example, how might the world be different if:
* combat veterans or their families could successfully sue major media outlets for biased reporting that stampede the nation into ill advised and counterproductive uses of military force on grounds that leading media personalities should have known at the time were questionable and likely fraudulent?
* Vietnamese or Afghanis or Iraqis or Palestinians or victims in other countries could win similar lawsuits?
* immigrants could sue major media outlets for failing to publish reasonable summaries of the available research that says that immigrants on average are more entrepreneurial<ref>Aghion et al. (2022, pp. 266-270).</ref> and no more likely to engage in criminal activities than native born, benefitting both the sending and receiving countries?<ref>The Wikipedia article on "[[w:Immigration|Immigration]] cites research saying, "that migration can be beneficial both to the receiving and sending countries. The academic literature provides mixed findings for the relationship between immigration and crime worldwide. ... [P]ublic perception often exaggerates the connection between immigration and crime, influenced by sensationalised media coverage and political rhetoric." The Wikipedia article on [[w:Immigration and crime|Immigration and crime]] notes that in some countries immigrants are over-represented in prison populations due to violations of immigration law or anti-immigrant biases in criminal justice. The Wikipedia article on "[[w:Sanctuary city|Sanctuary city]]" says that, "Some studies on the relationship between sanctuary status and crime have found that sanctuary policies either have no effect on crime or that sanctuary cities have lower crime rates and stronger economies than comparable non-sanctuary cities." All references 2026-05-26.</ref>
* humans tortured by the US could sue the major media for suppressing honest discussion of the research that documents that torture is more likely counterproductive? An important report of the efficacy of torture was published in 1631 by [[w:Friedrich Spee|Friedrich Spee]], a German Jesuit priest and professor. A few years earlier, the Duke of Brunswick had invited Spee and another famous Jesuit scholar to supervise a continuation of the torture of a confessed witch. The Jesuits had previously told the Duke, "The Inquisitors are doing their duty. They are arresting only people who have been implicated by the confession of other witches." The Duke then led the Jesuits to a woman being stretched on the rack and asked her, "You are a confessed witch. I suspect these two men of being warlocks. What do you say? Another turn of the rack, executioners." "No, no!" screamed the woman. "You are quite right. I have often seen .. . They can turn themselves into goats, wolves ... Several witches have had children by them. ... The children had heads like toads and legs like spiders."<ref>Pinker (2011, pp. 138-139). Mannix (1964, pp. 134-135). Mackay ( 2009, p. 320).</ref> Crudely similar comments about the counterproductive nature of torture were made by Generals [[w:Stanley McChrystal|Stanley McChrystal]] (2013) and [[w:David Petraeus|David Petraeus]],<ref>DePaulo (2008).</ref> who held command positions in Iraq and Afghanistan. The major media in the US has provided ample coverage of, e.g., comments by Donald Trump supporting torture (McCarthy 2016), while largely suppressing honest discussion of the research on it.
Might the world be safer and more prosperous if major media outlets and their executives and journalists could be successfully sued when their biased reporting have substantive negative consequences? Might [[w:Freedom of information|the public's right to receive diverse information]] be advanced in this way, recognizing that false information disseminated by major media outlets can lead to substantive harms, similar to "[[w:Shouting fire in a crowded theater|shouting ''fire'' in a crowded theater]]", while the same information disseminated by minor outlets would ''not'' produce such harms?
Lawsuits of this nature could be facilitated by "group libel" laws. Activists were working to pass such laws in the 1940s. By 1950 those campaigns had been abandoned, according to Barbas (2023).<ref>See also Calvert et al. (2023, pp. 178ff).</ref>
[[w:Yael Eisenstat|Yaël Eisenstat]] agrees that under [[w:Section 230|Section 230]] of Title 47 of the US Code, "No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider." However, Eisenstat insists that [[Online platforms' effects on public health, safety and democracy|"an interactive computer service" ''can'' be held liable when their algorithms have substantive negative consequences]], as in the jury verdicts against Meta in New Mexico<ref>Allyn (2026).</ref> and against Meta and Google in Los Angeles.<ref>McQue (2026).</ref> She said, "those technologies, if they are, in the end, contributing to an illegal activity or to harm, that's what we should be addressing. ... The ultimate goal is not to shut down every social media company. The ultimate goal is to figure out what a safer online experience looks like and what accountability looks like when something unsafe happens."
=== in sum ===
You, dear reader, can help overcome these problems by talking, as suggested in the exercises below and the rest of this book. If you can help others become less angry and more willing to agree to disagree agreeably with others, that should reduce the risk of war and improve the prospects for progress on other major problems facing humanity today.
==2. Training in nonviolent noncooperation for anyone willing to listen ==
A major driver of the current conflict between India and Pakistan is mistreatment of Muslims in India. Simulations of a nuclear war between India and Pakistan suggest that such a war would likely produce a nuclear autumn lasting years during which 40 percent of humanity would starve to death if they did not die of something else sooner. Over 90 percent of those would be in countries not involved in the nuclear exchange.<ref>Xia et al. (2022). See also Wikiversity, "[[Responding to a nuclear attack]]", accessed 2026-05-05.</ref>
The recent "[[w:2025 India–Pakistan conflict|2025 India–Pakistan conflict]]" was a response by India to violence in Indian-administered [[w:Kashmir|Kashmir]] by terrorists allegedly supported by Pakistan. India would have had much more difficulty justifying violent repression of ''nonviolent'' protests, especially if a more diverse media ecology gave such protests more and more sympathetic coverage.
During the [[w:Great Depression|Great Depression]], ethnic Germans in the [[w:Sudetenland|Sudetenland]] region of [[w:Czechoslovakia|Czechoslovakia]] were harder hit by increasing trade barriers than their non-German neighbors. They were therefore more open to populist and extremist movements such as fascism, communism and German irredentism.<ref>Wikipedia, "[[w:Sudetenland|Sudetenland]]", esp. the section on "[[w: Sudetenland#Within the Czechoslovak Republic (1918–1938)|Within the Czechoslovak Republic (1918–1938)]]", accessed 2026-05-05.</ref> If those ethnic Germans had used nonviolent noncooperation to highlight their grievances, and if Czechoslovakia at that time had had a substantially more diverse media system, it seems likely that they could have gotten reasonable redress of grievances. If so, it would have been harder for Hitler to use that as an excuse to invade Czechoslovakia, as he did in 1938.<ref>Wikipedia, "[[w:Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945)|Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945)]]", accessed 2026-05-05.</ref>
In 1940, during [[w:World War II|World War II]], Germany invade Denmark, which had previously declared neutrality. The Germans allowed [[w:1943 Danish Folketing election|Danish parliamentary elections in 1943]]; the Danish Nazi party won on 2.1% of the votes.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rigsdagsvalgene i Marts og April 1943|url=http://www.dst.dk/pukora/epub/upload/20217/valg1943.pdf|date=|publisher=Danmarks Statistic|accessdate=11 February 2021}}</ref> When the Nazis ordered the Danes [[w:Rescue of the Danish Jews|to ship their Jews to the death camps, the Danes ignored those orders.]] When the Germans decided to do it themselves, a German diplomat leaked that decision, and nearly all Danish Jews escaped to neutral Sweden; 99% of Denmark's Jewish population survived the Holocaust.
An ideal settlement of the current Russo-Ukraine war might include training in nonviolent noncooperation made more effective through a more diverse media culture as suggested above. A substantial portion of the Ukrainian population, especially the Ukrainian military, are reported to be vicious anti-Russian Nazis, and the Ukrainian government has outlawed many uses of non-Ukrainian languages, especially Russian.<ref>Horton (2024).</ref> A campaign of nonviolent noncooperation with a vigorous, diverse adversarial press would likely make it harder for Ukraine to continue any persecution of Russian speakers. It would also make it harder for major media in the US and Western Europe to suppress honest discussion of anti-Russian racism in Ukraine. Swanson (2022) said that the [[w:Baltic states|Baltic states]] have implemented such training in preparations for a possible Russian invasion; they might be asked to support such training in Ukraine (and elsewhere).<ref>Swanson (2022).</ref>
Organizations offering training in [[w:Nonviolent resistance|nonviolent noncooperation]] include [[w:Nonviolence International|Nonviolence International]] and the [[w:Highlander Research and Education Center|Highlander Research and Education Center]].
=== Civil resistance deters fracking ===
Duhamel (2013) claimed that well-advertised planning and training in nonviolent noncooperation helped deter oil companies from attempting hydraulic fracturing in [[w:Quebec|Quebec Province]] in [[w:Canada|Canada]]. Deterring a foreign invasion is different, but the same principle should apply: It's clear from many sources that elites consider nonviolence a threat; it's a felony to teach nonviolence to someone whom the US State Department claims supports a "foreign terrorist organization", discussed in the next section.
=== Life in prison for teaching nonviolence ===
Per the US Supreme Court decision in ''[[w:Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project|Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project]]'' (2010), teaching nonviolence to anyone whom the US State Department claims supports a foreign terrorist organization is "[[w:Providing material support for terrorism|providing material support for terrorism]]", which is a felony under the USA [[w:Patriot Act|Patriot Act]] of 2001. Moreover, if the State Department claims that the death of any "person" resulted from the activities of the designated foreign terrorist organization, the penalty can be life in prison, where "person" is defined in the Patriot Act as "any individual or entity capable of holding a legal or beneficial interest in property".<ref>The treatment of [[w:Sami Al-Arian|Sami Al-Arian]] is worth noting in discussing the Patriot Act. Al-Arian is a Kuwaiti-born political activist of Palestinian origin, who earned a doctorate in Electrical Sciences and Systems Engineering at [[w:North Carolina State University|North Carolina State]] in 1985 and taught computer engineering at [[w:University of South Florida|University of South Florida]] (USF) beginning in 1986. He was granted permanent resident status in 1989. In 1993 he earned a Distinguished Teacher Award as a tenured associate professor at USF. He was an [[w:imam|imam]] in a local [[w:mosque|mosque]] and led in other initiatives to promote dialogue and public policy initiatives between the West and Middle East. On September 26, 2001, he appeared on ''[[w:The O'Reilly Factor|The O'Reilly Factor]]'' where he was confronted with a 1988 recording of him shouting "death to Israel". Al-Arian replied that "Death to Israel" meant "death to occupation, ... apartheid, ...oppression," whereupon O'Reilly cut him off and called for the [[w:Central Intelligence Agency|Central Intelligence Agency]] to investigate him. Al-Arian spent most of the next 14 years between that 2001 interview and 2015 in detention, much of it in solitary confinement. This period included a 2005 trial that ended with acquittal on 8 counts and a hung jury on another 9. In 2015 he was deported to Turkey. In 2017, he founded the Center for Islam and Global Affairs at [[w:Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University|Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University]] in Istanbul, Turkey, which he directs. What has been the impact of treatment of Al-Arian on the well-being of the bottom 99 percent of the US and world population?</ref>
How did these provisions get written into the Patriot Act?
That's a question that deserves research, perhaps by asking elected officials in the US Congress and lobbying for their repeal. A speculation consistent with the thesis of this book is that nonviolence terrifies those who control most of they money for the media, because it threatens their ability to get their security forces to follow orders.
==3. Forbid uses of force beyond one’s own borders and covert interference in foreign countries ==
:''[[w:Si vis pacem, para bellum|If you want peace, prepare for war.]]''
: -- ''[[w:De Re Militari|De Re Militari]]'' by [[w:Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus|Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus]] (fourth or fifth century AD)
The record of history is now clear: Those who prepared for war often got war initiated when one party claimed they were being attacked or about to be attacked and believed they would fare better by attacking. Sometimes this occurred when the media environment convinced leaders that their political futures required them to clandestinely provoke foreign entities to do things that could then be denounced as unprovoked to justify military escalation, as mentioned in the previous section.
Samuelson (2025) summarized quantitative analyses of 60 insurgencies since World War II, whose findings included the complete absence of success with counterinsurgencies without large force ratios (at least four, and most often more than ten, times the force of the insurgents) and without "providing a path toward peaceful addressing of grievances". He also noted that, "Brutality toward the civilian population ... tends to inflame the insurgency."<ref>Samuelson (2025) summarized Lawrence (2015).</ref> His analysis gave a pessimistic prognosis for the [[w:Gaza war|Gaza war]] that began 2023-10-07. His conclusions are consistent with the history of the current [[w:Russo-Ukrainian war|Russo-Ukrainian war]], the [[w:Vietnam War|Vietnam War]], the [[w:Graveyard of empires|First, Second, and Third Anglo-Afghan Wars (1839-1919), the Soviet-Afghan War (1979–1989), the US-led War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)]], the 2001-2011 [[w:Iraq War|Iraq War]], and others.
A key point is that invaders often to lose unless they enter with overwhelming force like Germany in the early stages of World War II: The [[w:Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945)|Czechoslovaks]], [[w:Invasion of Poland|Poles]], [[w:France during World War II|French]], and others were not prepared to fight the Germans, but the [[w:Soviet Union in World War II|Soviets]] were. [[w:Adolf Hitler|Hitler]] doubtless knew that the [[w:Switzerland during World War I and World War II|Swiss]] were prepared to fight, so he attacked other countries first. While fighting the [[w:Russo-Ukrainian war#Full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine (2022)|Russian invasion]] that began 2022-02-24, [[w:Defense industry of Ukraine|Ukraine has developed]] military drones that are highly effective relative to the cost, as witnessed by sales of such to Gulf Arab states,<ref>Sharawi and Shapiro (2026).</ref> illustrating the point that foreign invaders often encounter vastly more resistance than they expect -- and should expect highly effective resistance if they invade a country prepared to fight on their own territory.
The rest of this section discusses weaknesses with standard deterrence theory.
===Deterrence theory and nuclear Armageddon===
Standard [[w:Deterrence theory|deterrence theory]] assumes that one's opponents are rational and do not want [[w:Armageddon|Armageddon]]. The record of history summarized above raises questions about this assumption: In World War I, even the "winners" arguably lost more than they gained -- doubtless excepting a few merchants, who made fortunes from what they sold. Many of the other military decisions discussed above seem to have been driven more by the media than military necessity.
Beyond that, at least some portions of the [[w:Islamic State|Islamic State]] reportedly violates this assumption, because it "not only believes in the literal meaning of the coming Armageddon – it sees itself as its chief protagonist."<ref>Misra (2015).</ref> Some [[w:Christian nationalism|Christian nationalists]] promoted to command positions by [[w:United States Secretary of Defense|US Secretary of Defense]] [[w:Pete Hegseth|Hegseth]] and President Trump also seem to believe that Armageddon might be desirable. On 2026-03-03 the [[w:Military Religious Freedom Foundation|Military Religious Freedom Foundation]] said they had received over 200 complaints from over 50 different US military installations with comments like, "President Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth", per an email from one [[w:Non-commissioned officer|NCO]].<ref>Nick Mordowanec (2026).</ref> With Hegseth holding monthly Christian worship services in the Pentagon during business hours,<ref>Black (2025), Mayes-Osterman (2025). See also the section on "[[w:Pete Hegseth#Pentagon Christian worship services and "biblically sanctioned war"|Pentagon Christian worship services and "biblically sanctioned war"]] in the Wikipedia article on [[w:Pete Hegseth|Pete Hegseth]], accessed 2026-05-14.</ref> this suggests that Hegseth could have appointed enough Christian nationalists to key positions to initiate nuclear attacks on Iran or Russia, claiming that President Trump had ordered such whether he had or not.<ref>The [[w:Gold Codes|Gold Codes]] carried in the "[[w:nuclear football|nuclear football]]" required by the [[w:Permissive action link|permissive action link]]s would ''not'' prevent Hegseth and a few others appointed by him from initiating nuclear Armageddon, according to Ellsberg, who had been a nuclear war planner for presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon, before releasing the ''[[w:Pentagon Papers|Pentagon Papers]]''. Ellsberg (2017, p. 69) insisted that the security provided by those Gold Codes were a hoax, because otherwise a single nuclear detonation on Washington, DC, when both the president and vice president were in town "would would definitively block any authorized, coordinated nuclear response to that or any subsequent nuclear attack."</ref>
The biggest risk today may be the risk of [[w:Nuclear holocaust|nuclear Armageddon]], which seems on average to grow over time consistent with experience with "[[w:system accidents|system accidents]]" in other fields: It is naive to assume that any system as complex as military command, control and communications systems never fail. And managers of complex systems subject to rare, catastrophic failures "learn" from experience that they can take ever greater risks, because they have "safely" done so in the past — until there is a catastrophe:<ref>Kahneman and Klein (2009) found that expert intuition, when it exists, is learned from frequent, rapid, high quality feedback. With anything nuclear, mishaps are so rare that managers develop "expert intuition" that they can "safely" ignore safety concerns -- until there is a catastrophe. See also Sagan (1993).</ref>
Veterans for Peace (2022) recommend global reduction and rapid elimination of nuclear weapons "to reduce the real risk of nuclear confrontation through accidental launch or miscalculated escalation".
==== National security tariffs ====
Free trade agreements supported by the [[w:World Trade Organization|World Trade Organization]] allow exemptions for national security and other objectives. [[Responding to a nuclear attack|Even a minor nuclear war between India and Pakistan would have a negative impact on the entirety of humanity]]. It might therefore be sensible for parties to the [[w:Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons|Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons]] (TPNW) to institute gradually increasing tariffs on nuclear weapon states, not so great as to seriously impact the economy of the nation applying such tariffs but aggressive enough to gradually wean their economy from reliance on trade with nuclear-weapon states that refuse to support the TPNW.
See also the chapter below on [[/Media Literacy and You/Responding to a nuclear attack/|Responding to a nuclear attack]].
===Research on the effectiveness of deterrence and implications===
Lebow and others have provided substantial documentation of case studies claiming that leaders are often not rational, and deterrence based on threatening use of military force beyond one’s own borders has been ''as likely to provoke as prevent'' undesired behavior.<ref>Lebow (2025, 2024), Lebow et al. (2023).</ref> The most obvious portions of this threat can be entirely eliminated by policies clearly and effectively forbidding use of force beyond one’s own borders. This can be signaled in at least three ways:
* Eliminate all weapon systems like missiles and aircraft with a range of more than, e.g., a hundred miles or 200 kilometers with the possible exception of surveillance only aircraft that cannot be easily configured to carry [[w:Materiel#Military|ordnance]], e.g., explosives. Similarly eliminate nuclear weapons, which few if any countries would want to use for military defense inside their own borders.
* Supply a national guard and reserves with weapons, training, and rules of engagement that prohibit projecting force beyond one’s own borders. Train them also in development and use of improvised explosive devices and other tactics and devices like low cost military drones.
:Afghanistan is said to be the "[[w:Graveyard of empires|Graveyard of empires]]". They defeated the British three times (1839–1842, 1878–1880, 1919), the Soviet Union (1979–1989), and the US (2001–2021). Each victory came with foreign supplies, but any foreign troops helping Afghanis were primarily under the command of local leaders.
:The [[w:2003 invasion of Iraq|2003 invasion of Iraq]] might have produced [[w:Nation-building|nation-building]] more like the experience of [[w:Nation-building#Germany and Japan after World War II|Germany and Japan after World War II]] if the US had mandated a vigorous adversarial press instead of strict censorship, according to McChesney and Nichols.<ref>McChesney and Nichols (2010, Appendix II. Ike, MacArthur and the Forging of Free and Independent Press, pp. 241-254).</ref> This claim by McChesney and Nichols was not endorsed by [[News from Germany 1900-1945 and implications for today#After the war in Germany vs. Iraq|University of British Columbia History professor Heidi Tworek]], who said the democratization efforts in Germany and Japan after World War II were more complicated than that implied by that brief discussion by McChesney and Nichols.<ref>The 2025-07-03 interview with Tworek is available at "[[News from Germany 1900-1945 and implications for today]]", accessed 2026-05-14.</ref> However, the research by Usher and Kim-Leffingwell (2022) and the related research on news deserts summarized in the preface to this ''[[Media Literacy and You]]'' book largely supports those claims by McChesney and Nichols.
:[[w:Defense industry of Ukraine|Ukraine has become a world leader in military drones]], many of which are dramatically cheaper than alternatives. Most of those have limited range but have been useful for reconnaissance and delivery of ordnance and improving targeting of, e.g., surface to air missiles.
:[[w:Eliot A. Cohen|Eliot Cohen]], who served as a special advisor to [[w:United States Secretary of State|US Secretary of State]] [[w:Condoleezza Rice|Condoleezza Rice]] from 2007 to 2009, wrote, "As the United States discovered in Iraq and Afghanistan, no matter how large, technologically advanced, and proficient an army is, motivated insurgents can still inflict casualties in the tens of thousands."<ref>Cohen (2022), cited from Horton (2024, p. 1026).</ref> Cohen recommended we "Arm the Ukranians now". Horton said that the neoconservatives learned from Iraq War II and Afghanistan that the US "should fight like those who defeated them."<ref>Horton (2024, p. 1026).</ref>
:Leading economist [[w:Jeffrey Sachs|Jeffrey Sachs]] addressed the European Parliament 2025-02-19, claiming that the tragedy that befell Serbia in 1999 and subsequent US uses of force in Iraq and Syria, plus wars in Africa including Syria, Somalia and Libya and the current wars in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war, "are to a very significant extent the result of deeply misguided US policies."<ref>Sachs (2025-02).</ref> He said that Europe should craft its own foreign and military policies, independent of the US. ''[[w:Le Monde Diplomatique|Le Monde Diplomatique]]'' noted that Sachs' speech has circulated among social media since ''but has yet to be seriously discussed by major European media.''<ref>Sachs (2025-04; emphasis added).</ref>
* Change the laws of government secrecy so government officials cannot secretly interfere in the internal affairs of foreign countries or otherwise project force outside their own borders. This might be achieved in the US in part by requiring anyone with information about questionable actions by government officials to provide such documentation to one or more congressional oversight bodies while also allowing any current or former government employee or contractor to file suit in any US federal jurisdiction if they feel they have been punished for refusing to support questionable activities. In addition, federal judges should be authorized to subpoena classified government documents that may be relevant to any case in their jurisdiction and declassify them subject to appellate review if they believe the national interest would be better served by declassification.
:If the law is changed without a substantive [[#1. Citizen-directed subsidies for local news nonprofits with firewall(s) to prevent political interference in the content.|citizen-directed subsidies for local news nonprofits with firewall(s) to prevent political interference]], as discussed above, the change could be merely cosmetic and unconvincing to local public officials and potential adversaries.
:Connelly (2023) noted that US government secrecy has in the past encouraged administration officials to do things to provoke actions by foreign entities that can then be denounced as “unprovoked” to stampede the US Congress and the public into supporting counterproductive uses of military force, as discussed above.<ref>See also Connelly et al. (2023).</ref> A more diverse media culture should make it harder for administration officials to lie to the public and to Congress — and harder to punish government employees who tell their managers that they should not lie to Congress, as they reportedly did to [[#Richard Barlow and nuclear proliferation|Richard Barlow]], mentioned above.
:The Barlow case and many others explain why the US should, e.g., give federal judges the authority to subpoena classified documents and declassify them if they believe the public good is better served from declassification than continued secrecy.<ref>See, e.g., the 2025-05-08 interview with Seth Stern and Lauren Harper discussing what the "[[Freedom of the Press Foundation says...]]", Graves (2014), and [[w:Moynihan Commission on Government Secrecy|Moynihan Commission on Government Secrecy]], accessed 2026-05-06. Graves (2021) recommends "Congressional Gold Medals for" Barlow and whistleblowers.</ref>
These policies would make it hard for any foreign leader to justify an attack for multiple reasons: First, it would be difficult to convince their supporters that such an attack is necessary. Second, a rational foreign leader might be hesitant to invade a country that is prepared to fight a guerrilla war. Germany reportedly considered invading [[w:Switzerland during World War I and World War II|Switzerland during both World Wars I and II]] and decided against it in part because Switzerland had large, well-trained ready reserves, who were ready to fight. Belgium seemed to be an easier route.<ref>Documented in Wikipedia, "[[w:Switzerland during World War I and World War II|Switzerland during World War I and World War II]]", accessed 2026-05-06. Switzerland also has many mountains, which make it easier to defend, but the capabilities of the Swiss military also influenced the German decision to avoid Switzerland.</ref> Third, even if foreign invaders defeat the guerrillas, they should not assume that their invading forces would continue to follow orders. [[w:Rescue of the Danish Jews|Ninety-nine percent of Danish Jews reportedly survived World War II]] because of Danish noncooperation ''supported by a German diplomat''.<ref>Wikipedia, "[[w:Rescue of the Danish Jews|Rescue of the Danish Jews]]", accessed 2026-05-06.</ref>
With policies like these in place, it would be hard for foreign leaders to convince their supporters of a need to attack, as [[w:2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|Putin did when invading Ukraine in 2022]],<ref>The Wikipedia article on "[[w:2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]]", accessed 2026-05-06, includes a paragraph saying, 'In July 2021, Putin published an essay "On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians", in which he called Ukraine "historically Russian lands" and claimed there is "no historical basis" for the "idea of Ukrainian people as a nation separate from the Russians"'. Putin was accused of promoting Russian imperialism, historical revisionism and disinformation. Writing in 2024, Michael McFaul and Robert Person described this essay as representing not only "cynical propaganda" but also Putin's "deeply held and internalized beliefs". See the Wikipedia article for references supporting those claims.</ref> as [[w:2025 India–Pakistan crisis|India did when attacking Pakistan in 2025]], and as [[w:Invasion of Poland|Hitler did when invading Poland in 1939]], to name only three examples.
=== If we continue to base deterrence on threats ===
There are now calls for Europe to get their own nuclear weapons,<ref>Burgard (2025).</ref> while Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, South Korea and Taiwan have been suggested as other candidates for acquiring nuclear weapons should they feel a sufficient need.<ref>Ruehl (2024).</ref>
It is difficult to imagine how the number of nuclear weapon states could be increased without increasing the risks of a nuclear war, consistent with the discussion of "[[w:system accident|system accident]]s" earlier in this chapter.
Secondarily, intelligence services with information on political corruption including attempts to intimidate and murder journalists should not be allowed to keep that information secret: They should be required to find ways to leak that information to journalists. Such attacks on journalists in their own country should be exposed and prosecuted if the evidence seems likely to obtain a conviction. Intelligence services with information about such attacks in other countries should be required to find ways to leak it to competent journalists without identifying their sources and methods: Doing so would likely reduce political corruption worldwide and with that the risks of war.
== Collateral damage ==
The research cited above supports the claim that,
:''[[w:Collateral damage|Collateral damage]] that our designated enemies commit prove to us that they are subhuman or criminally misled.''
:''Meanwhile, collateral damage that we commit is unfortunate but necessary -- from our perspective. However, it proves to our designated enemies that we are subhuman or criminally misled.''
This observation supports this entire program of deterrence without threat:
* Forbidding use of force beyond one’s own borders and covert interference in foreign countries would automatically reduce collateral damage. It would also avoid uses of force that seem not to contribute to broadly shared peace and prosperity, according to research cited above.
* The effectiveness of nonviolent noncooperation rests in part on its near universal avoidance of collateral damage.
* Citizen-directed subsidies for local news nonprofits with firewall(s) to prevent political interference in the content should make it much harder for major media to convince the public to do things contrary to their best interests, like invading or interfering covertly in foreign countries.
== Call for help ==
Do you, dear reader, know other serious research not cited herein that might improve this analysis? If yes, you can help improve this discussion by adding comments with citations -- or by adding such citation(s) to the "Discuss" page associated with this chapter, suggesting someone else revise the chapter appropriately.
There are plenty of contrary claims in the major media, but the lead author of this chapter is not aware of any that are based on serious research.
In the absence of such research, the current author finds it difficult to imagine any national defense policies that carry a greater risk of nuclear Armageddon than our current policies, as discussed in the next chapter of this book on ''[[Media Literacy and You]]'' on "[[Media Literacy and You/Responding to a nuclear attack|Responding to a nuclear attack]]". That chapter, in sum, claims that the ''worst'' response to a nuclear attack would be nuclear response, because it would escalate a catastrophe killing millions of humans to one killing ''billions'', possibly 80 percent of humanity in a war between the US and Russia that lofts so much smoke from burning cities to the stratosphere where it covers the globe depressing crop yields for years during with 99 percent of the humans in the US, Europe and Russia would starve to death if they did not die of something else sooner. Moreover, the record of "[[w:System accident|system accident]]s" suggests that the chances of such a war before the end of this century is substantially greater than the 40 percent median estimate based on history mentioned in a presentation on "[[Time to nuclear Armageddon]]" delivered to the 2019 Joint Statistical Meetings.
This chapter is being written in the hopes of inspiring action to improve the prospects for broadly shared peace and prosperity for the long term.
== Exercises ==
1. Disconfirmation bias: Brainstorm your biggest concerns about a current or possible future war.
:1.1. Select the one that is of greatest concern to you currently.
::One issue that may not be a major concern for many but might elicit a broad consensus for action would be a campaign to ask elected officials in the US Congress to explain how we benefit from the provisions of the USA Patriot Act of 2001 that authorize [[#life in prison for teaching nonviolence|life in prison for teaching nonviolence]].
:1.2. Who are your designated enemies?
:1.3. Research what your designated enemies are saying about your biggest concern.
:1.4. Under what circumstances would you support what you see your designated enemies advocating or doing?
::If you cannot see such circumstances, expand your research: Look for more sources that support your designated enemies.
2. Interacting: Ask others if you can share what you've learned about that conflict. If they say, "No", don't push it. If they agree, share what you've learned in a friendly supportive manner without saying that anything is "true".
::''Show me someone who knows the truth, and I will show you someone who is dangerous.''
:2.1. The primary goal in this is ''not'' to convince anyone that you are right and they are wrong but to lower the level of anger and increase the level of tolerance for dissenting views.
:2.2. Another goal is to comfortably enjoy civil conversations of this nature, agreeing to disagree agreeably and building trusting relationships that support collaboration on issues of common concern.
:2.3. After becoming adept at building collaborations on issues of common concern, you might consider teaching this important skill and approach to issues.
3. Teaching: Each one teach two, as discussed in the section on "[[Media Literacy and You#Text and self-help book and point of discuss|Text and self-help book and point of discuss]]" in the preface to this book.
<!--== See also ==-->
== Notes ==
{{reflist}}
== Bibliography ==
* <!--Philippe Aghion, Céline Antonin, and Simon Bunel (2022) The Power of Creative Destruction: Economic Upheaval and the Wealth of Nations-->{{cite Q|Q139874218}}
* <!--Bobby Allyn (2026-03-25) "Jury finds Meta and Google negligent in social media harms trial-->{{cite Q|Q139572103}}
* <!--BBC (2022-08-01) "Nuclear annihilation just one miscalculation away, UN chief warns"-->{{cite Q|Q139596165|author=BBC}}
* <!--Elizabeth Black (2026-05-22) "Hegseth hosts first monthly Christian service in Pentagon"-->{{cite Q|Q139791642}}
* <!--Hans Günter Brauch, ed, Towards Rethinking Politics, Policy and Polity in the Anthropocene: Multidisciplinary Perspectives (Springer, pp. 225-234).-->{{cite Q|Q134488491|author= Hans Günter Brauch, ed.}}
* <!--Jan Philipp Burgard (2025-04-08) “Opinion | Europe Needs Its Own Nukes”, Politico-->{{cite Q|Q134465922}}
* <!--Clay Calvert, Dan V. Kozlowski, and Derigan Silver (2023) Mass Media Law, 22nd ed.-->{{cite Q|Q135455067}}
* <!--Francis X. Clines (1983-06-21) "Reagan says his opponents risk Central American influx"-->{{cite Q|Q139790146}}
* <!--Eliot Cohen (2022-02-23) “Arm the Ukrainians Now”, The Atlantic-->{{cite Q|Q139679796}}
* <!--Philippe Duhamel (2013-09-26) Civil resistance as deterrent to fracking: Part One, They shale not pass-->{{cite Q|Q140833946}}
* <!--Albert Fried (1997) McCarthyism: the great American Red scare: a documentary history-->{{cite Q|Q106659308}}
* <!--Matthew Connelly (2023) The Declassification Engine: What History Reveals About America’s Top Secrets (Pantheon).->{{cite Q|Q116786691}}
* <!--Matthew Connelly, Douglas A. Samuelson, and Spencer Graves (2023-03-14) “Does US government secrecy threaten national security?”, Radio Active Magazine on KKFI-->{{cite Q|Q125582094}}
* <!--Lisa DePaulo (2008-10-31) "Leader of the Year: Right Man, Right Time"-->{{cite Q|Q114039844}}
* <!--Dwight D. Eisenhower (1063) Mandate for Change-->{{cite Q|Q61945939}}
* <!--Daniel Ellsberg (2017) The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a nuclear war planner (Bloomsbury)-->{{cite Q|Q64226035}}
* <!--Spencer Graves (2021-10-28) " Congressional Gold Medals for Assange, Hale, Barlow, Winner, Manning, Edmonds, Sterling, Drake, Snowden, Ellsberg"-->{{cite Q|Q125570226}}
* <!--Spencer Graves (2014-07-18) “Restrict secrecy more than data collection”, San José Peace & Justice Center-->{{cite Q|Q106512569}}
* <!-- Serge Halimi and Serge Halimi (2023-03) "Un an après l'invasion de l'Ukraine, une débâcle du journalisme: Les médias, avant-guarde du parti de la guerre"-->{{cite Q|Q118225389}}
* <!--John Maxwell Hamilton (2020) Manipulating the Masses: Woodrow Wilson and the Birth of American Propaganda-->{{cite Q|Q137342282}}
* <!--Scott Horton (2024) Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine (Libertarian Inst.)00>{{cite Q|Q139565338}}
* <!--Annie Jacobsen (2024-04-10) "'Nuclear war happens in seconds and minutes, not days and weeks': How I researched the end of the world"-->{{cite Q|Q139596142}}
* <!-- Kahneman and Klein (2009) Conditions for intuitive expertise: a failure to disagree-->{{cite Q|Q35001791}}
* <!--Stanley Karnow (1983) Vietnam: A History-->{{cite Q|Q108903453}}
* <!--Christopher A. Lawrence (2015) America's Modern Wars: Understanding Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam-->{{cite Q|Q136130919}}
* <!--Richard Ned Lebow (2024) “Are Leaders Rational?”, Critical Review, 36:4, 465-482.-->{{cite Q|Q134487607}}
* <!--Richard Ned Lebow (2025) “Thinking Politically About the Anthropocene”, ch. 5 in Hans Günter Brauch, ed, Towards Rethinking Politics, Policy and Polity in the Anthropocene: Multidisciplinary Perspectives (Springer, pp. 225-234).-->{{cite Q|Q134488569|Author=Richard Ned Lebow}}
* <!--Richard Ned Lebow, Douglas A. Samuelson, and Spencer Graves (2023-11-28), “Richard Ned Lebow on national defense including deterrence”, Radio Active Magazine-->{{cite Q|Q124351846}}
* <!-- Charles Mackay (1841/2009) Memoirs of extraordinary popular delusions and the madness of crowds-->{{cite Q|Q116897625}}
* <!-- Daniel P. Mannix (1964) The history of torture-->{{cite Q|Q116896896}}
* <!--Jane Mayer (2008) Dark side : the inside story of how the war on terror turned into a war on American ideals (Doubleday)-->{{cite Q|Q1681286}}
* <!--Cybele Mayes-Osterman (2025-12-18) Pete Hegseth pushes his Christian faith in Pentagon prayer services-->{{cite Q|Q139791710}}
* <!--Tom McCarthy (2016-02-07) “Donald Trump: I’d bring back ‘a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding'”, The Guardian-->{{cite Q|Q134462630}}
* <!-- McChesney and Nichols (2010) The Death and Life of American Journalism-->{{cite Q|Q104888067}}
* <!--Stanley A. McChrystal (2013). My share of the task: A memoir (Penguin)-->{{cite Q|Q135406522}}
* <!--Katie McQue (2026-04-24) " Meta ordered to pay $375m after being found liable in child exploitation case-->{{cite Q|Q139572337}}
* <!--Amalendu Misra (2015-11-19) “What does Islamic State actually want?”, The Conversation-->{{cite Q|Q134487571}}
* <!--Nick Mordowanec (2026-03-03) " Commanders Accused of Framing Iran War as Biblical Mandate, Jesus' 'Return'"-->{{cite Q|Q138840951}}
* <!--John Mueller (2021) The Stupidity of War: American Foreign Policy and the Case for Complacency (Cambridge U. Pr.,)-->{{cite Q|Q113702723}}
* <!--Mueller and Graves (2023-04-06) "The Stupidity of War and the Exaggeration of Threat"-->{{cite Q|Q139789709}}
* <!--Pat Paterson (2008-02) "The Truth About Tonkin"-->{{cite Q|Q133449570}}
* <!--Steven Pinker (2011) The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined (Viking Press, pp. 138-139)-->{{cite Q|Q60412312}}
* <!--Paul Romer (2009-07-31) "A Terrible Thing to Waste"-->{{cite Q|Q139676537}}
* <!--Arthur E. (Ted) Rowse (1992-09) "Kuwaitgate - killing of Kuwaiti babies by Iraqi soldiers exaggerated-->{{cite Q|Q123698876}}
* <!--John P. Ruehl (2025-11-01) “Which Countries Are on the Brink of Going Nuclear?”, Peninsula Peace & Justice Center-->{{cite Q|Q134465827}}
* <!--Jeffrey Sachs (2025-04) “File: The trap of major rearmament: Geopolitics of peace (in French: “Dossier : Le piège du grand réarmement: Géopolitique de la paix”), Le Monde Diplomatique (https://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/2025/04/SACHS/68242).-->{{cite Q|Q134463099}}
* <!--Jeffrey Sachs (2025-02) “Jeffrey Sachs: Speech at European Parliament on February 19, 2025”: Edited transcript and YouTube video (https://newkontinent.org/jeffrey-sachs-speech-at-european-parliament-on-february-19-2025/)-->{{cite Q|Q134463038}}
* <!--Scott Sagan (1993) The limits of safety: Organizations, Accidents, and Nuclear Weapons (Princeton U. Pr.)-->{{cite Q|Q136765429}}
* <!--Douglas A. Samuelson (2025-09-26) " Assessing Israel’s Approach in Gaza"-->{{cite Q|Q138843324}}
* <!--Amanda Sauer (2016-05-09) "Political Agenda Setting in Early America: The Barbary Wars"-->{{cite Q|Q139589295}}
* <!--Michael Scheuer (2004) Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror (Brassey’s).-->{{cite Q|Q6006645}}
* <!--Mark Schmeller (2009) "The Political Economy of Opinion: Public Credit and Concepts of Public Opinion in the Age of Federalism"-->{{cite Q|Q139589348}}
* <!--Ahmad Sharawi and Dimitriy Shapiro (2026-04-01) "Ukraine Agrees to Mutually Beneficial Defense Deals With Gulf Arab States"-->{{cite Q|Q139948808}}
* <!--Jeff Stein (2013-12-04) “The Perils of Whistle-Blowing”, Newsweek-->{{cite Q|Q63257553}}
* <!--David Swanson (2022-03-15) " 30 Nonviolent Things Russia Could Have Done and 30 Nonviolent Things Ukraine Could Do"-->{{cite Q|Q134465808}}
* <!--Veterans For Peace Nuclear Posture Review-->{{cite Q|Q111141993|author=Veterans for Peace}}
* <!-- Xia et al. (2022) Global food insecurity and famine ... from a nuclear war ...-->{{cite Q| Q113732668}}
[[Category:Media literacy]]
[[Category:Communication]]
[[Category:Political science]]
[[Category:Law]]
[[Category:Psychology]]
[[Category:Sociology]]
[[Category:War History]]
[[Category:Media Literacy and You]]
<!--
https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Wikiversity:Category_Review
-->
p5pk135e5b67vh1wcgmd80ujhl9r9x1
2820453
2820452
2026-08-03T13:22:32Z
DavidMCEddy
218607
/* 2. Training in nonviolent noncooperation for anyone willing to listen */ typo
2820453
wikitext
text/x-wiki
[[File:Nukes or nonviolence.png|thumb|Nuclear war or nonviolent noncooperation?]]
:''Humanity is one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation. ... This is madness. We must reverse course.''
: -- [[w:António Guterres|UN Secretary General António Guterres]] (2022)<ref>Jacobsen (2024), BBC (2022).</ref>
:This book is a combination instruction manual on [[w:Media literacy|media literacy]] and an invitation to you to support collaborative / crowd-sourced research on how to improve the world's understanding of media literacy and how to accelerate its understanding and use globally for the betterment of humanity.
Part I of this book on ''[[Media Literacy and You]]'' discusses "The media and political economy". Except in times of terror, massive lawlessness or war, most humans place a high priority on their financial situation, the primary focus of Part I. Part II on "The media and war" focuses on security concerns starting with this chapter on "Deterrence without threat".
== Introduction ==
Every individual and group has a right and an obligation to defend itself. Unfortunately, when most humans<ref>We distinguish here between "humans" and "people" or "persons", because under current US law, corporations are "people" and money is speech, per the US Supreme Court decision in ''[[w:Citizens United v. FEC|Citizens United v. FEC]]'' (2010) and many other judicial rulings and US law such as the [[w:Patriot Act|Patriot Act]] of 2001.</ref> think of defense, they often think of violent responses to provocations.
However, there is a growing body of research documenting
:(a) how most uses of violence are counterproductive, and
:(b) there are usually nonviolent options to violence that would more effectively promote broadly shared peace and prosperity for the long term.
This research is rarely discussed by major media outlets, because it would offend the "people"<ref>We put "people" in quotes in this essay, because that term includes corporations under current US law.</ref> who control most of the money for the media: Nonviolence threatens their ability to get compliance from security forces. As a result, many elites prefer to use force to the detriment of the bottom 99 percent of humanity. As discussed below, a military posture that supports projecting force beyond one’s own borders may be as likely to ''provoke'' as ''prevent'' an attack.<ref>For example, Lebow (2025) cites some of his previous work with others to support the claim that large militaries have been "more provocative than preventative in" their effects. And Lebow (2024) insists that, "Policymakers respond more instinctively than analytically in deciding that some policy is or is not in the national interest." See also Lebow et al. (2023).</ref>
This chapter outlines a 3-part strategy that research suggests would more likely lead to better outcomes for the vast majority of humans:
# Citizen-directed subsidies for local news nonprofits with firewall(s) to prevent political interference in the content.
# Training in nonviolent noncooperation for anyone willing to listen.
# Forbid uses of force beyond one’s own borders and covert interference in foreign countries.
We now discuss each of these briefly.
== 1. Citizen-directed subsidies for local news nonprofits with firewall(s) to prevent political interference in the content. ==
It seems that
:''Primary drivers of every major conflict include differences between the media that the different parties find crecible.''
In a recent interview with [[w:Fordham University|Fordham University]] Professor Emerita of Communications Robin Andersen,<ref name=Andersen><!--Robin Andersen-->{{cite Q|Q132982358}}</ref> she agreed with this claim and added:
:''We only have enemies of our very own making.''
The media are involved in this, because:
:''The major media create the stage upon which politicians read their lines.''<ref>In 1791 James Madison, who represented part of Virginia in the US House of Representatives 1789-1801 and later became the 4th President of the US (1809-1819), said, "Public opinion sets bounds to every government, and is the real sovereign in every free one." Quoted from the ''[[w:National Gazette|National Gazette]]'' (published 1791-1793) by Schmeller (2009, p. 36) and Sauer (2016, p. 5). Sauer described how the American Revolutionaries, especially the first four US presidents, planted stories in newspapers to build support for how they dealt with the [[w:Barbary corsairs|Barbary pirates]], who were seizing merchant ships, raiding European coastal towns and villages, and selling European captives into slavery. The first two US presidents, [[w:George Washington|Washington]] and [[w:John Adams|Adams]], used that support for protecting US shipping and citizens by paying tribute to government leaders in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. The next two presidents, [[w:Thomas Jefferson|Jefferson]] and [[w:James Madison|Madison]], convinced Congress to fund a navy and marines to fight the [[w:Barbary Wars|Barbary Wars]]. This included the [[w:Battle of Derna (1805)|Battle of Derna]] (April-May 1805), memorialized in the [[w:Marines' Hymn|Marines' Hymn]], which mentions actions "to the shores of Tripoli". Sauer described how the policies were sold to the public via planted stories in the different partisan newspapers.</ref>
This works because (a) virtually everyone thinks they know more than they do ([[w:Overconfidence effect|overconfidence effect]]), and (b) virtually everyone prefers information and sources consistent with preconceptions ([[w:confirmation bias|confirmation bias]]).
Also, in many, perhaps all, countries, the primary constituency for foreign and military policy is the people with foreign business interests. Many of these people also control substantial portions of the money for the media, which have too often encourage questionable and counterproductive uses of military force.<ref>If we [[w:follow the money|follow the money]], we might find that "watchdogs generally protect the people who feed them", as discussed in the 2025-09-25 interview with British journalist and media reform activist Dan Hind discussing how the British [[Media Reform Coalition challenges anti-democratic media bias in the UK]].</ref>
=== Examples ===
A leader in documenting the role of the media in armed conflict is Robin Andersen,<ref>e.g., Andersen (2006, 2026).</ref> but she is not alone. For example, [[w:University of Denver|University of Denver]] journalism professor Kareem El Damanhoury<ref name=Daman><!--Kareem El Damanhoury-->{{cite Q|Q113752441}}</ref> has compared how [[w:Gaza Strip|Gaza]] has been framed differently by [[w:Al Jazeera Media Network|Al Jazeera]], the [[w:BBC|BBC]]<ref>El Damanhoury et al. (2025).</ref> and [[w:Fox News|Fox]].<ref>El Damanhoury and Saleh (2024).</ref><ref>Some of El Damanhoury's work in this regard [[Differences between media outlets including coverage of Gaza|is reviewed in a 2025-11-20 interview with him]].</ref>
==== World War I ====
Andersen's (2006) ''A Century of Media, A Century of War'' begins with a discussion of "The birth of war propaganda" in "The Great War and the Fight between Good and Evil".<ref>Andersen (2006, ch. 1)</ref>
A more detailed but compatible discussion of the media and [[w:World War I|World War I]] is given by [[w:John Maxwell Hamilton|John Maxwell Hamilton]]. Among other things, he said: {{quote|
The first iron law of propaganda is that only the enemy does it.<ref>Hamilton (2020, p. 642). See also the [[John Maxwell Hamilton on American propaganda|2025-12-11 interview with Hamilton]].</ref>}}
[[File:MB Walker - German bayoneting children - Life - July 25, 1915.png|thumb|left|Figure 1. Stories of German soldiers impaling children on their bayonets were widely reported during the war. However, no credible evidence was found to support these claims when questions were raised after the war.<ref>{{cite web|title=Alleged German atrocities: Bryce report|url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/firstworldwar/spotlights/p_alleged_german.htm|publisher=The National Archives|access-date=13 July 2014}}</ref>]]
Andersen (2006, pp. 8-9) said, {{quote|
James Bryce, the former British ambassador to the United States, ... helped prepare a sixty-one page ''Report on the Committee on alleged German Outrages'', which was translated into thirty languages and was said to be based on twelve hundred depositions ... included gruesome and titillating details of how German soldiers publicly raped Belgian girls in the marketplace at Liege and bayonetted a two-year-old child. ... [A]fter the war a Belgian commission of inquiry found no evidence for any major accusation in the report. ...}}
{{quote|
German propagandists, on the other hand, ... "bungled, because they were naïve: they thought the success of the war depended almost solely on military strategy and therefore they tended to neglect propaganda." ... Thus, when German soldiers shot some Allied nurses who had carried weapons, they admitted it openly. The Allies reported the incident as an atrocity and featured it in press propaganda. When French troops shot German nurses under similar circumstances, the Germans failed to exploit it.}}
==== Jonathan Swift 1710 ====
This is not limited to World War I. In 1710, [[w:Jonathan Swift|Jonathan Swift]] reportedly said, "Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after ... like a physician, who hath found out an infallible medicine, after the patient is dead."<ref name=Swift>Excerpted from a line in [[Wikiquote:Jonathan Swift]] consulted 2026-04-13.</ref>
==== The Marines' Hymn ====
The [[w:Marines' Hymn|Marine Corps Hymn]] begins, {{quote|
From the Halls of Montezuma
To the shores of Tripoli;
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land, and sea.}}
The "[[w:Battle of Chapultepec|Halls of Montezuma]]" refer to the [[w:Mexican–American War|Mexican–American War]], which was fought to expand slavery first into [[w:Texas|Texas]] -- and supporters of slavery hoped that would help expand slavery further west. The "[[w:Battle of Derna (1805)|shores of Tripoli]]" were part of the [[w:Barbary Wars|Barbary Wars]], which were fought to reduce the need to pay (a) tribute to the [[w:Barbary Coast|Barbary or Berber]] states of [[w:Morocco|Morocco]], [[w:Algeria|Algeria]], [[w:Tunisia|Tunisia]], and [[w:Libya|Libya]] or (b) ransom to [[w:Barbary corsairs|Barbary pirates]], who were otherwise capturing Christians and selling them into slavery.
Did the bottom 99 percent of the US population of that time benefit? Or did these wars (and any tribute and ransom paid by the US government before the Barbary wars) constitute a hidden transfer of wealth from the poor to the wealthy?
A partial answer to this question is that [[w:tariff|tariff]]s on imported goods covered between 80 and 95 percent of all federal revenue up to 1860, and [[w:excise|excise taxes]] on only a few goods, such as whiskey, rum, tobacco, snuff and refined sugar, made up nearly all the rest.<ref>See the section on "[[w:Excise tax in the United States#Historical background|Historical background]]" in the Wikipedia article on "[[w:Excise tax in the United States|Excise tax in the United States]]", accessed 2026-05-26.</ref> The money raised from taxes on income during the Civil War, visible in Figure 3 above, were apparently negligible as a portion of federal revenue during the Barbary Wars and the Mexican-American War.
==== Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: "Betray the nation or do not get elected." ====
Regarding the [[w:Vietnam War|Vietnam War]], former president [[w:Dwight D. Eisenhower|Eisenhower]] wrote in his autobiography, which appeared in 1963 (he left the presidency 1961-01-20), that he had never communicated {{quote|
with a person knowledgeable in Indochinese affairs [including Vietnam] who did not agree that had elections been held as of the time of the fighting [leading to the defeat of the French in 1954], possibly 80 per cent of the population would have voted for the Communist [[w:Ho Chi Minh|Ho Chi Minh]].<ref>Eisenhower (1963, p. 372).</ref>}}
[[w:Joseph McCarthy|Joseph McCarthy]], who had been elected to the US Senate in 1946 and "experienced a meteoric rise in national profile beginning on February 9, 1950, when he gave a" speech during which he said something like, "The [[w:United States Secretary of State|State Department]] is infested with communists. I have here in my hand a list of 205—a list of names that were made known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping policy in the State Department." McCarthy's mostly baseless claims went largely unchallenged in the media, including accusing the Democrats of "twenty years of treason" for having been allied with the Soviet Union, which took the bulk of casualties during World War II.
By the end of 1953 with (Republican) Eisenhower as president roughly 11 months, McCarthy was complaining about "''21'' years of treason", complaining that Eisenhower was not sufficiently aggressive in rooting out the communists who McCarthy claimed were in the government.<ref>Fried (1997, p. 179).</ref>
Then the French were defeated by Vietnamese communists 1954-05-07 in the [[w:Battle of Dien Bien Phu|Battle of Dien Bien Phu]]. The [[w:1954 Geneva Conference|1954 Geneva Conference]], which had begun eleven days earlier, 1954-04-26, concluded 1954-07-21 with the "Geneva Accords of 1954".<ref>The [[w:Battle of Dien Bien Phu|Battle of Dien Bien Phu]], 1954-05-07, effectively ended the [[w:First Indochina War|French Indochina War]]. This led to the [[w:1954 Geneva Conference|Geneva accords of 1954]], officially dated 1954-07-20 but actually signed the following morning. Those accords took effect on three different dates, July 27 and August 1 and 11 in three different sectors of Vietnam. See <!--Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities in Vietnam-->{{cite Q|Q139676410}}</ref> Those accords called for UN-supervised elections for July of 1956, when Eisenhower would presumably be campaigning for reelection. Eisenhower doubtless knew that he might lose his bid for re-election in 1956, if the Communist Ho Chi Minh won elections in July of that year.
:''The consistent suppression of honest portrayal in the major media of that day of the perspective of anyone whom Eisenhower considered "knowledgeable in Indochinese affairs" gave him -- and his successors [[w:John F. Kennedy|Kennedy]], [[w:Lyndon B. Johnson|Johnson]], and [[w:Richard Nixon|Nixon]] -- the choice between betraying the nation or not getting elected.''
In this environment, the [[w:Operation 34A|US initiated a series of clandestine operations against North Vietnam]] including infiltrating CIA-recruited spies and supporting attacks against North Vietnam by South Vietnamese commandos.<ref>Paterson (2008).</ref> This included a raid 1964-07-30 by South Vietnamese commandos on the island of Hòn Mê, roughly 300 km (180 miles) north of the [[w:Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone|Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone]] in the [[w:Gulf of Tonkin|Gulf of Tonkin]], covered by [[w:DESOTO patrol|US naval vessels]] patrolling in that area. Then during a dark and stormy night six days later, US naval vessels opened fire on radar snow, and President Johnson requested and received Congressional approval of the [[w:Gulf of Tonkin Resolution|Gulf of Tonkin Resolution]]; then-[[w:United States Secretary of Defense|US Secretary of Defense]] [[w:Robert McNamara|McNamara]] claimed those attacks were "unprovoked".<ref>Karnow (1983, p. 375). See also the section on [[w:Gulf of Tonkin Resolution#Congress votes|Congress votes]]" in the Wikipedia article on [[w:Gulf of Tonkin Resolution|Gulf of Tonkin Resolution]], accessed 2026-05-14.</ref>
In this media environment, only two officials in the US Congress voted against the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: [[w:Ernest Gruening|Ernest Gruening]] (D-AK) and [[w:Wayne Morse|Wayne Morse]] (D-OR). Gruening lost in his next primary campaign to [[w:Mike Gravel|Mike Gravel]], and Morse lost in his next general election campaign to [[w:Bob Packwood|Bob Packwood]]. These results support the previous claim that the major media give politicians the choice:
:''Betray the nation, or do not get elected.''
That resolution became the primary authorization for the US war in Vietnam until Congress ended the funding.
==== Was the Vietnam War lost in Washington or by media biases? ====
[[w:John Mueller|John Mueller]], prolific author, Professor Emeritus of international relations at [[w:Ohio State University|Ohio State University]] and Senior Fellow at the [[w:Cato Institute|Cato Institute]], said that the most effective thing the US did to win the [[w:Cold War|Cold War]] was —
:''nothing'':
Between the [[w:Fall of Saigon|Fall of Saigon]] in 1975 and the inauguration of [[w:Ronald Reagan|Ronald Reagan]] as President of the US, the US "went into a sort of containment funk: it effectively adopted a policy of complacency (or perhaps of appeasement) as it watched from the sidelines as the Soviet Union … opportunistically gathered a set of Third World countries into its imperial embrace: Angola in 1976, Mozambique and Ethiopia in 1977, South Yemen and Afghanistan in 1978, Grenada and Nicaragua in 1979."<ref>Mueller (2021, p. 59).</ref> Nearly all became major economic and political drains on the Soviets with Afghanistan being the worst. And their Warsaw Pact allies in Eastern Europe became a severe economic drain and psychic problem.<ref>Mueller and Graves (2023).</ref>
President Reagan, inaugurated 1981-01-20, had a very different vision of the role of the US in foreign relations from his predecessor, [[w:Jimmy Carter|Jimmy Carter]]. In 1983-06-21 Reagan insisted, "We cannot permit the Soviet-Cuban-Nicaraguan axis to take over Central America", because the consequences would include "a tidal wave of refugees ... 'feet people' ... swarming into our country."<ref>Clines (1983).</ref>
Other sources<ref>e.g., Andersen (2006, Part II).</ref> insist the opposite, that the vast majority of deaths in Central America during the Reagan years were poor humans petitioning nonviolently for a redress of grievances, suppressed by terrorist / death squads supported by the Reagan administration largely in violation of laws passed by Congress and signed by President Reagan. On 1986-10-05 [[w:Corporate Air Services HPF821|a Nicaraguan soldier with a surface to air missile shot down a C-123]] cargo aircraft carrying supplies to the Contra roughly 35 miles (56 km) north of Costa Rica. Documents found in the wreckage and a confession by the sole survivor led to the [[w:Iran–Contra affair|Iran-Contra hearings]] the following year, during which Lt. Col. [[w:Oliver North|Oliver North]] insisted, "We didn't lose the war in Vietnam ..., we lost it in this city."<ref>Andersen (2006, p. 137). See also, Wikipedia, "[[w:Stab-in-the-back myth|Stab-in-the-back myth]]", accessed 2026-05-13.</ref>
The previous section on the "Gulf of Tonkin Resolution" provides an alternative narrative of the Vietnam War: If as Eisenhower claimed, "possibly 80 per cent of the [Vietnamese] population would have voted for the Communist [[w:Ho Chi Minh|Ho Chi Minh]]" if elections had been held there, it's hard to imagine how anyone else could have won without aggressive action that actually ''improved'' the lives of Vietnamese peasants in the South. US-led efforts there were officially designed to win "[[w:Hearts and Minds (Vietnam War)|Hearts and Minds]]" but were implemented with such coercion that the result was the opposite. A cynic might say that it is hard to win people's hearts and minds by killing them.
====Richard Barlow and nuclear proliferation====
There is also documentation that the US helped Pakistan get nuclear weapons and destroyed the career of an intelligence analyst, [[w:Richard Barlow (intelligence analyst)|Richard Barlow]], for telling his managers they should not lie to Congress about it. Barlow has insisted that neither Pakistan nor North Korea would have nuclear weapons and Iran would not have a nuclear weapons program today, if the US had followed its own laws. Barlow’s claims, including his punishment by administration officials, have been reported in major media outlets<ref>e.g., Stein (2013). See also Wikipedia, "[[w:Richard Barlow (intelligence analyst)|Richard Barlow (intelligence analyst)]]", accessed 2026-05-06.</ref> but not in a way that would seriously limit the ability — and need — for administration officials to lie to Congress.
If Barlow's claims are accurate, it suggests that US government officials violated US obligations under the [[w:Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons|Non-Proliferation Treaty]] (NPT).<ref>Per the [[w:Treaty Clause|Treaty Clause]] of the US Constitution, a treaty negotiated by the President and approved by the Senate has "the force of federal law."</ref>
==== Nayirah testimony and the 1990-1991 Gulf War ====
A more recent example is the 1990-10-10 testimony by [[w:Nayirah testimony|Nayirah al-Ṣabaḥ to the US Congressional Human Rights Caucus]], two months after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. She claimed to have seen Iraqi soldiers taking premature babies out of incubators in a maternity ward before looting the incubators and leaving the babies to die on the floor after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait; she said she had been a volunteer nurse in the hospital at that time.
The failure of journalists, including with the ''[[w:NBC Nightly News|NBC Nightly News]]'', to adequate check facts behind this and other atrocity stories helped convince the US public to support the US-led invasion of Iraq in 1990-1991. Nayirah's statements were widely publicized and cited numerous times in the United States Senate and by American president George H. W. Bush to contribute to the rationale for pursuing military action against Iraq. It was later revealed that she was the daughter of Kuwaiti ambassador to the US, [[w:Saud Nasser Al-Saud Al-Sabah|Saud Nasser Al-Saud Al-Sabah]], "Reps. [[w:Tom Lantos|Tom Lantos]] and [[w:John Porter (Illinois politician)|John Edward Porter]], who sponsored the congressional hearings, had started a group called the Congressional Human Rights Foundation that had received $50,000 from Citizens for a Free Kuwait, as well as free office space in [[w:Hill & Knowlton|Hill and Knowlton]]'s Washington headquarters",<ref>Rowse (1992).</ref> and the public relations firm Hill and Knowlton had made a video while coaching her rehearsing her perjury and used that to prepare a video press release "that eventually reached a total audience of about thirty-five million", 14 percent of the [[w:Demographic history of the United States|US population of 249 million per the census then in process]], with portions aired on the ''[[w:NBC Nightly News|NBC Nightly News]]'' the night after the testimony.<ref>Andersen (2006, pp. 170-171).</ref>
==== 1998 Embassy bombings and September 11 ====
As another example, there is substantial documentation available today that [[1998 Embassy bombings and September 11|the suicide mass murders of September 11, 2001]], likely would not have occurred if the US had treated the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania as law enforcement issues. Muslim clerics all over the world initially condemned those acts. Al-Qaeda was dead. Their funding had largely dried up. And bin Laden was scheduled to be extradited the following month to Saudi Arabia to be prosecuted for treason, where he would likely have been convicted and executed. Mayer (2008, p. 114) claimed those embassy bombings were motivated as retaliation for US support for torture.<ref>For more on torture, see the the section on [[#Make media responsible for harms|Make media responsible for harms]] below.</ref>
But it seemed questionable at best whether major media executives in the US would have given favorable coverage to such a diplomatic solution. Instead, the US bombed a pharmaceutical plant in Sudan and al-Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan. Then Muslim public opinion turned 180 degrees to conclude, "Bin Laden is right: The US ''is'' an evil empire." The US became bin Laden’s only indispensable ally, according to the CIA agent responsible for tracking bin Laden at that time.<ref>Scheuer (2004, p. xv).</ref> Leading Saudis started supporting al-Qaeda, including some working for the Saudi embassy and consulates in the US. Only one country seems to have been involved in the preparations for the September 11 attacks, and that was Saudi Arabia. But Saudis were friends of the Bush family, and a crisis is a terrible thing to waste.<ref>Romer (2009).</ref>
:''Did the US invade Afghanistan and Iraq on grounds that senior journalists and leading media executives should have known at the time were questionable and likely fraudulent — to the detriment of nearly everyone except the "people" who control most of the money for the media?''
:In particular, was Iraqi president [[w:Saddam Hussein|Saddam Hussein]] really a bigger threat to the US after he invaded Kuwait in 1990 or after the [[w:September 11 attacks|suicide mass murders of September 11, 2001]] than he was during the 1980s, when the US supported him [[w:Iran-Iraq War|killing Iranians]] or [[w:Anfal campaign|his own native Kurds]]?
On 2003-05-29 [[w:BBC|BBC]] journalist [[w:Andrew Gilligan|Andrew Gilligan]] reported that the [[w:Tony Blaire|Blair government]] had "sexed up" [[w:September Dossier|intelligence reports]] issued the previous September to justify supporting the 2003-03-20 [[w:Iraq War|US-led invasion of Iraq]], two months before Gilligan's report. This led to the [[w:Hutton Inquiry|Hutton Inquiry]], which led to the resignations of Gilligan and the BBC's chairman and the firing of the BBC's director-general. However, the British public expressed so many reservations about the Hutton Inquiry that a follow-up investigation was ordered in 2009. This became the "[[w:Iraq Inquiry|Iraq Inquiry]]", whose 2016-07-06 report essentially validated what Gilligan had said just over 13 years earlier. This provides one more example of the 1710 maxim of Jonathan Swift that, "Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after ... like a physician, who hath found out an infallible medicine, after the patient is dead."<ref name=Swift/>
====Ukraine war====
Page 1 of the 2023-05-04 edition of ''[[w:Le Monde Diplomatique|Le Monde Diplomatique]]'' carried a headline:
:One year after the invasion of Ukraine: The media, vanguard of the war party,<ref>Halimi and Rimbert (2023) in the French-language original.</ref>
consistent with Andersen (2006).
=== Make media responsible for harms ===
How might the world be different if injured parties could successfully sue major media for harms that result from government policies contradicted by evidence reasonably available to the major media outlets?
For example, how might the world be different if:
* combat veterans or their families could successfully sue major media outlets for biased reporting that stampede the nation into ill advised and counterproductive uses of military force on grounds that leading media personalities should have known at the time were questionable and likely fraudulent?
* Vietnamese or Afghanis or Iraqis or Palestinians or victims in other countries could win similar lawsuits?
* immigrants could sue major media outlets for failing to publish reasonable summaries of the available research that says that immigrants on average are more entrepreneurial<ref>Aghion et al. (2022, pp. 266-270).</ref> and no more likely to engage in criminal activities than native born, benefitting both the sending and receiving countries?<ref>The Wikipedia article on "[[w:Immigration|Immigration]] cites research saying, "that migration can be beneficial both to the receiving and sending countries. The academic literature provides mixed findings for the relationship between immigration and crime worldwide. ... [P]ublic perception often exaggerates the connection between immigration and crime, influenced by sensationalised media coverage and political rhetoric." The Wikipedia article on [[w:Immigration and crime|Immigration and crime]] notes that in some countries immigrants are over-represented in prison populations due to violations of immigration law or anti-immigrant biases in criminal justice. The Wikipedia article on "[[w:Sanctuary city|Sanctuary city]]" says that, "Some studies on the relationship between sanctuary status and crime have found that sanctuary policies either have no effect on crime or that sanctuary cities have lower crime rates and stronger economies than comparable non-sanctuary cities." All references 2026-05-26.</ref>
* humans tortured by the US could sue the major media for suppressing honest discussion of the research that documents that torture is more likely counterproductive? An important report of the efficacy of torture was published in 1631 by [[w:Friedrich Spee|Friedrich Spee]], a German Jesuit priest and professor. A few years earlier, the Duke of Brunswick had invited Spee and another famous Jesuit scholar to supervise a continuation of the torture of a confessed witch. The Jesuits had previously told the Duke, "The Inquisitors are doing their duty. They are arresting only people who have been implicated by the confession of other witches." The Duke then led the Jesuits to a woman being stretched on the rack and asked her, "You are a confessed witch. I suspect these two men of being warlocks. What do you say? Another turn of the rack, executioners." "No, no!" screamed the woman. "You are quite right. I have often seen .. . They can turn themselves into goats, wolves ... Several witches have had children by them. ... The children had heads like toads and legs like spiders."<ref>Pinker (2011, pp. 138-139). Mannix (1964, pp. 134-135). Mackay ( 2009, p. 320).</ref> Crudely similar comments about the counterproductive nature of torture were made by Generals [[w:Stanley McChrystal|Stanley McChrystal]] (2013) and [[w:David Petraeus|David Petraeus]],<ref>DePaulo (2008).</ref> who held command positions in Iraq and Afghanistan. The major media in the US has provided ample coverage of, e.g., comments by Donald Trump supporting torture (McCarthy 2016), while largely suppressing honest discussion of the research on it.
Might the world be safer and more prosperous if major media outlets and their executives and journalists could be successfully sued when their biased reporting have substantive negative consequences? Might [[w:Freedom of information|the public's right to receive diverse information]] be advanced in this way, recognizing that false information disseminated by major media outlets can lead to substantive harms, similar to "[[w:Shouting fire in a crowded theater|shouting ''fire'' in a crowded theater]]", while the same information disseminated by minor outlets would ''not'' produce such harms?
Lawsuits of this nature could be facilitated by "group libel" laws. Activists were working to pass such laws in the 1940s. By 1950 those campaigns had been abandoned, according to Barbas (2023).<ref>See also Calvert et al. (2023, pp. 178ff).</ref>
[[w:Yael Eisenstat|Yaël Eisenstat]] agrees that under [[w:Section 230|Section 230]] of Title 47 of the US Code, "No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider." However, Eisenstat insists that [[Online platforms' effects on public health, safety and democracy|"an interactive computer service" ''can'' be held liable when their algorithms have substantive negative consequences]], as in the jury verdicts against Meta in New Mexico<ref>Allyn (2026).</ref> and against Meta and Google in Los Angeles.<ref>McQue (2026).</ref> She said, "those technologies, if they are, in the end, contributing to an illegal activity or to harm, that's what we should be addressing. ... The ultimate goal is not to shut down every social media company. The ultimate goal is to figure out what a safer online experience looks like and what accountability looks like when something unsafe happens."
=== in sum ===
You, dear reader, can help overcome these problems by talking, as suggested in the exercises below and the rest of this book. If you can help others become less angry and more willing to agree to disagree agreeably with others, that should reduce the risk of war and improve the prospects for progress on other major problems facing humanity today.
==2. Training in nonviolent noncooperation for anyone willing to listen ==
A major driver of the current conflict between India and Pakistan is mistreatment of Muslims in India. Simulations of a nuclear war between India and Pakistan suggest that such a war would likely produce a nuclear autumn lasting years during which 40 percent of humanity would starve to death if they did not die of something else sooner. Over 90 percent of those would be in countries not involved in the nuclear exchange.<ref>Xia et al. (2022). See also Wikiversity, "[[Responding to a nuclear attack]]", accessed 2026-05-05.</ref>
The recent "[[w:2025 India–Pakistan conflict|2025 India–Pakistan conflict]]" was a response by India to violence in Indian-administered [[w:Kashmir|Kashmir]] by terrorists allegedly supported by Pakistan. India would have had much more difficulty justifying violent repression of ''nonviolent'' protests, especially if a more diverse media ecology gave such protests more and more sympathetic coverage.
During the [[w:Great Depression|Great Depression]], ethnic Germans in the [[w:Sudetenland|Sudetenland]] region of [[w:Czechoslovakia|Czechoslovakia]] were harder hit by increasing trade barriers than their non-German neighbors. They were therefore more open to populist and extremist movements such as fascism, communism and German irredentism.<ref>Wikipedia, "[[w:Sudetenland|Sudetenland]]", esp. the section on "[[w: Sudetenland#Within the Czechoslovak Republic (1918–1938)|Within the Czechoslovak Republic (1918–1938)]]", accessed 2026-05-05.</ref> If those ethnic Germans had used nonviolent noncooperation to highlight their grievances, and if Czechoslovakia at that time had had a substantially more diverse media system, it seems likely that they could have gotten reasonable redress of grievances. If so, it would have been harder for Hitler to use that as an excuse to invade Czechoslovakia, as he did in 1938.<ref>Wikipedia, "[[w:Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945)|Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945)]]", accessed 2026-05-05.</ref>
In 1940, during [[w:World War II|World War II]], Germany invade Denmark, which had previously declared neutrality. The Germans allowed [[w:1943 Danish Folketing election|Danish parliamentary elections in 1943]]; the Danish Nazi party won only 2.1% of the votes.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rigsdagsvalgene i Marts og April 1943|url=http://www.dst.dk/pukora/epub/upload/20217/valg1943.pdf|date=|publisher=Danmarks Statistic|accessdate=11 February 2021}}</ref> When the Nazis ordered the Danes [[w:Rescue of the Danish Jews|to ship their Jews to the death camps, the Danes ignored those orders.]] When the Germans decided to do it themselves, a German diplomat leaked that decision, and nearly all Danish Jews escaped to neutral Sweden; 99% of Denmark's Jewish population survived the Holocaust.
An ideal settlement of the current Russo-Ukraine war might include training in nonviolent noncooperation made more effective through a more diverse media culture as suggested above. A substantial portion of the Ukrainian population, especially the Ukrainian military, are reported to be vicious anti-Russian Nazis, and the Ukrainian government has outlawed many uses of non-Ukrainian languages, especially Russian.<ref>Horton (2024).</ref> A campaign of nonviolent noncooperation with a vigorous, diverse adversarial press would likely make it harder for Ukraine to continue any persecution of Russian speakers. It would also make it harder for major media in the US and Western Europe to suppress honest discussion of anti-Russian racism in Ukraine. Swanson (2022) said that the [[w:Baltic states|Baltic states]] have implemented such training in preparations for a possible Russian invasion; they might be asked to support such training in Ukraine (and elsewhere).<ref>Swanson (2022).</ref>
Organizations offering training in [[w:Nonviolent resistance|nonviolent noncooperation]] include [[w:Nonviolence International|Nonviolence International]] and the [[w:Highlander Research and Education Center|Highlander Research and Education Center]].
=== Civil resistance deters fracking ===
Duhamel (2013) claimed that well-advertised planning and training in nonviolent noncooperation helped deter oil companies from attempting hydraulic fracturing in [[w:Quebec|Quebec Province]] in [[w:Canada|Canada]]. Deterring a foreign invasion is different, but the same principle should apply: It's clear from many sources that elites consider nonviolence a threat; it's a felony to teach nonviolence to someone whom the US State Department claims supports a "foreign terrorist organization", discussed in the next section.
=== Life in prison for teaching nonviolence ===
Per the US Supreme Court decision in ''[[w:Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project|Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project]]'' (2010), teaching nonviolence to anyone whom the US State Department claims supports a foreign terrorist organization is "[[w:Providing material support for terrorism|providing material support for terrorism]]", which is a felony under the USA [[w:Patriot Act|Patriot Act]] of 2001. Moreover, if the State Department claims that the death of any "person" resulted from the activities of the designated foreign terrorist organization, the penalty can be life in prison, where "person" is defined in the Patriot Act as "any individual or entity capable of holding a legal or beneficial interest in property".<ref>The treatment of [[w:Sami Al-Arian|Sami Al-Arian]] is worth noting in discussing the Patriot Act. Al-Arian is a Kuwaiti-born political activist of Palestinian origin, who earned a doctorate in Electrical Sciences and Systems Engineering at [[w:North Carolina State University|North Carolina State]] in 1985 and taught computer engineering at [[w:University of South Florida|University of South Florida]] (USF) beginning in 1986. He was granted permanent resident status in 1989. In 1993 he earned a Distinguished Teacher Award as a tenured associate professor at USF. He was an [[w:imam|imam]] in a local [[w:mosque|mosque]] and led in other initiatives to promote dialogue and public policy initiatives between the West and Middle East. On September 26, 2001, he appeared on ''[[w:The O'Reilly Factor|The O'Reilly Factor]]'' where he was confronted with a 1988 recording of him shouting "death to Israel". Al-Arian replied that "Death to Israel" meant "death to occupation, ... apartheid, ...oppression," whereupon O'Reilly cut him off and called for the [[w:Central Intelligence Agency|Central Intelligence Agency]] to investigate him. Al-Arian spent most of the next 14 years between that 2001 interview and 2015 in detention, much of it in solitary confinement. This period included a 2005 trial that ended with acquittal on 8 counts and a hung jury on another 9. In 2015 he was deported to Turkey. In 2017, he founded the Center for Islam and Global Affairs at [[w:Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University|Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University]] in Istanbul, Turkey, which he directs. What has been the impact of treatment of Al-Arian on the well-being of the bottom 99 percent of the US and world population?</ref>
How did these provisions get written into the Patriot Act?
That's a question that deserves research, perhaps by asking elected officials in the US Congress and lobbying for their repeal. A speculation consistent with the thesis of this book is that nonviolence terrifies those who control most of they money for the media, because it threatens their ability to get their security forces to follow orders.
==3. Forbid uses of force beyond one’s own borders and covert interference in foreign countries ==
:''[[w:Si vis pacem, para bellum|If you want peace, prepare for war.]]''
: -- ''[[w:De Re Militari|De Re Militari]]'' by [[w:Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus|Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus]] (fourth or fifth century AD)
The record of history is now clear: Those who prepared for war often got war initiated when one party claimed they were being attacked or about to be attacked and believed they would fare better by attacking. Sometimes this occurred when the media environment convinced leaders that their political futures required them to clandestinely provoke foreign entities to do things that could then be denounced as unprovoked to justify military escalation, as mentioned in the previous section.
Samuelson (2025) summarized quantitative analyses of 60 insurgencies since World War II, whose findings included the complete absence of success with counterinsurgencies without large force ratios (at least four, and most often more than ten, times the force of the insurgents) and without "providing a path toward peaceful addressing of grievances". He also noted that, "Brutality toward the civilian population ... tends to inflame the insurgency."<ref>Samuelson (2025) summarized Lawrence (2015).</ref> His analysis gave a pessimistic prognosis for the [[w:Gaza war|Gaza war]] that began 2023-10-07. His conclusions are consistent with the history of the current [[w:Russo-Ukrainian war|Russo-Ukrainian war]], the [[w:Vietnam War|Vietnam War]], the [[w:Graveyard of empires|First, Second, and Third Anglo-Afghan Wars (1839-1919), the Soviet-Afghan War (1979–1989), the US-led War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)]], the 2001-2011 [[w:Iraq War|Iraq War]], and others.
A key point is that invaders often to lose unless they enter with overwhelming force like Germany in the early stages of World War II: The [[w:Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945)|Czechoslovaks]], [[w:Invasion of Poland|Poles]], [[w:France during World War II|French]], and others were not prepared to fight the Germans, but the [[w:Soviet Union in World War II|Soviets]] were. [[w:Adolf Hitler|Hitler]] doubtless knew that the [[w:Switzerland during World War I and World War II|Swiss]] were prepared to fight, so he attacked other countries first. While fighting the [[w:Russo-Ukrainian war#Full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine (2022)|Russian invasion]] that began 2022-02-24, [[w:Defense industry of Ukraine|Ukraine has developed]] military drones that are highly effective relative to the cost, as witnessed by sales of such to Gulf Arab states,<ref>Sharawi and Shapiro (2026).</ref> illustrating the point that foreign invaders often encounter vastly more resistance than they expect -- and should expect highly effective resistance if they invade a country prepared to fight on their own territory.
The rest of this section discusses weaknesses with standard deterrence theory.
===Deterrence theory and nuclear Armageddon===
Standard [[w:Deterrence theory|deterrence theory]] assumes that one's opponents are rational and do not want [[w:Armageddon|Armageddon]]. The record of history summarized above raises questions about this assumption: In World War I, even the "winners" arguably lost more than they gained -- doubtless excepting a few merchants, who made fortunes from what they sold. Many of the other military decisions discussed above seem to have been driven more by the media than military necessity.
Beyond that, at least some portions of the [[w:Islamic State|Islamic State]] reportedly violates this assumption, because it "not only believes in the literal meaning of the coming Armageddon – it sees itself as its chief protagonist."<ref>Misra (2015).</ref> Some [[w:Christian nationalism|Christian nationalists]] promoted to command positions by [[w:United States Secretary of Defense|US Secretary of Defense]] [[w:Pete Hegseth|Hegseth]] and President Trump also seem to believe that Armageddon might be desirable. On 2026-03-03 the [[w:Military Religious Freedom Foundation|Military Religious Freedom Foundation]] said they had received over 200 complaints from over 50 different US military installations with comments like, "President Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth", per an email from one [[w:Non-commissioned officer|NCO]].<ref>Nick Mordowanec (2026).</ref> With Hegseth holding monthly Christian worship services in the Pentagon during business hours,<ref>Black (2025), Mayes-Osterman (2025). See also the section on "[[w:Pete Hegseth#Pentagon Christian worship services and "biblically sanctioned war"|Pentagon Christian worship services and "biblically sanctioned war"]] in the Wikipedia article on [[w:Pete Hegseth|Pete Hegseth]], accessed 2026-05-14.</ref> this suggests that Hegseth could have appointed enough Christian nationalists to key positions to initiate nuclear attacks on Iran or Russia, claiming that President Trump had ordered such whether he had or not.<ref>The [[w:Gold Codes|Gold Codes]] carried in the "[[w:nuclear football|nuclear football]]" required by the [[w:Permissive action link|permissive action link]]s would ''not'' prevent Hegseth and a few others appointed by him from initiating nuclear Armageddon, according to Ellsberg, who had been a nuclear war planner for presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon, before releasing the ''[[w:Pentagon Papers|Pentagon Papers]]''. Ellsberg (2017, p. 69) insisted that the security provided by those Gold Codes were a hoax, because otherwise a single nuclear detonation on Washington, DC, when both the president and vice president were in town "would would definitively block any authorized, coordinated nuclear response to that or any subsequent nuclear attack."</ref>
The biggest risk today may be the risk of [[w:Nuclear holocaust|nuclear Armageddon]], which seems on average to grow over time consistent with experience with "[[w:system accidents|system accidents]]" in other fields: It is naive to assume that any system as complex as military command, control and communications systems never fail. And managers of complex systems subject to rare, catastrophic failures "learn" from experience that they can take ever greater risks, because they have "safely" done so in the past — until there is a catastrophe:<ref>Kahneman and Klein (2009) found that expert intuition, when it exists, is learned from frequent, rapid, high quality feedback. With anything nuclear, mishaps are so rare that managers develop "expert intuition" that they can "safely" ignore safety concerns -- until there is a catastrophe. See also Sagan (1993).</ref>
Veterans for Peace (2022) recommend global reduction and rapid elimination of nuclear weapons "to reduce the real risk of nuclear confrontation through accidental launch or miscalculated escalation".
==== National security tariffs ====
Free trade agreements supported by the [[w:World Trade Organization|World Trade Organization]] allow exemptions for national security and other objectives. [[Responding to a nuclear attack|Even a minor nuclear war between India and Pakistan would have a negative impact on the entirety of humanity]]. It might therefore be sensible for parties to the [[w:Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons|Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons]] (TPNW) to institute gradually increasing tariffs on nuclear weapon states, not so great as to seriously impact the economy of the nation applying such tariffs but aggressive enough to gradually wean their economy from reliance on trade with nuclear-weapon states that refuse to support the TPNW.
See also the chapter below on [[/Media Literacy and You/Responding to a nuclear attack/|Responding to a nuclear attack]].
===Research on the effectiveness of deterrence and implications===
Lebow and others have provided substantial documentation of case studies claiming that leaders are often not rational, and deterrence based on threatening use of military force beyond one’s own borders has been ''as likely to provoke as prevent'' undesired behavior.<ref>Lebow (2025, 2024), Lebow et al. (2023).</ref> The most obvious portions of this threat can be entirely eliminated by policies clearly and effectively forbidding use of force beyond one’s own borders. This can be signaled in at least three ways:
* Eliminate all weapon systems like missiles and aircraft with a range of more than, e.g., a hundred miles or 200 kilometers with the possible exception of surveillance only aircraft that cannot be easily configured to carry [[w:Materiel#Military|ordnance]], e.g., explosives. Similarly eliminate nuclear weapons, which few if any countries would want to use for military defense inside their own borders.
* Supply a national guard and reserves with weapons, training, and rules of engagement that prohibit projecting force beyond one’s own borders. Train them also in development and use of improvised explosive devices and other tactics and devices like low cost military drones.
:Afghanistan is said to be the "[[w:Graveyard of empires|Graveyard of empires]]". They defeated the British three times (1839–1842, 1878–1880, 1919), the Soviet Union (1979–1989), and the US (2001–2021). Each victory came with foreign supplies, but any foreign troops helping Afghanis were primarily under the command of local leaders.
:The [[w:2003 invasion of Iraq|2003 invasion of Iraq]] might have produced [[w:Nation-building|nation-building]] more like the experience of [[w:Nation-building#Germany and Japan after World War II|Germany and Japan after World War II]] if the US had mandated a vigorous adversarial press instead of strict censorship, according to McChesney and Nichols.<ref>McChesney and Nichols (2010, Appendix II. Ike, MacArthur and the Forging of Free and Independent Press, pp. 241-254).</ref> This claim by McChesney and Nichols was not endorsed by [[News from Germany 1900-1945 and implications for today#After the war in Germany vs. Iraq|University of British Columbia History professor Heidi Tworek]], who said the democratization efforts in Germany and Japan after World War II were more complicated than that implied by that brief discussion by McChesney and Nichols.<ref>The 2025-07-03 interview with Tworek is available at "[[News from Germany 1900-1945 and implications for today]]", accessed 2026-05-14.</ref> However, the research by Usher and Kim-Leffingwell (2022) and the related research on news deserts summarized in the preface to this ''[[Media Literacy and You]]'' book largely supports those claims by McChesney and Nichols.
:[[w:Defense industry of Ukraine|Ukraine has become a world leader in military drones]], many of which are dramatically cheaper than alternatives. Most of those have limited range but have been useful for reconnaissance and delivery of ordnance and improving targeting of, e.g., surface to air missiles.
:[[w:Eliot A. Cohen|Eliot Cohen]], who served as a special advisor to [[w:United States Secretary of State|US Secretary of State]] [[w:Condoleezza Rice|Condoleezza Rice]] from 2007 to 2009, wrote, "As the United States discovered in Iraq and Afghanistan, no matter how large, technologically advanced, and proficient an army is, motivated insurgents can still inflict casualties in the tens of thousands."<ref>Cohen (2022), cited from Horton (2024, p. 1026).</ref> Cohen recommended we "Arm the Ukranians now". Horton said that the neoconservatives learned from Iraq War II and Afghanistan that the US "should fight like those who defeated them."<ref>Horton (2024, p. 1026).</ref>
:Leading economist [[w:Jeffrey Sachs|Jeffrey Sachs]] addressed the European Parliament 2025-02-19, claiming that the tragedy that befell Serbia in 1999 and subsequent US uses of force in Iraq and Syria, plus wars in Africa including Syria, Somalia and Libya and the current wars in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war, "are to a very significant extent the result of deeply misguided US policies."<ref>Sachs (2025-02).</ref> He said that Europe should craft its own foreign and military policies, independent of the US. ''[[w:Le Monde Diplomatique|Le Monde Diplomatique]]'' noted that Sachs' speech has circulated among social media since ''but has yet to be seriously discussed by major European media.''<ref>Sachs (2025-04; emphasis added).</ref>
* Change the laws of government secrecy so government officials cannot secretly interfere in the internal affairs of foreign countries or otherwise project force outside their own borders. This might be achieved in the US in part by requiring anyone with information about questionable actions by government officials to provide such documentation to one or more congressional oversight bodies while also allowing any current or former government employee or contractor to file suit in any US federal jurisdiction if they feel they have been punished for refusing to support questionable activities. In addition, federal judges should be authorized to subpoena classified government documents that may be relevant to any case in their jurisdiction and declassify them subject to appellate review if they believe the national interest would be better served by declassification.
:If the law is changed without a substantive [[#1. Citizen-directed subsidies for local news nonprofits with firewall(s) to prevent political interference in the content.|citizen-directed subsidies for local news nonprofits with firewall(s) to prevent political interference]], as discussed above, the change could be merely cosmetic and unconvincing to local public officials and potential adversaries.
:Connelly (2023) noted that US government secrecy has in the past encouraged administration officials to do things to provoke actions by foreign entities that can then be denounced as “unprovoked” to stampede the US Congress and the public into supporting counterproductive uses of military force, as discussed above.<ref>See also Connelly et al. (2023).</ref> A more diverse media culture should make it harder for administration officials to lie to the public and to Congress — and harder to punish government employees who tell their managers that they should not lie to Congress, as they reportedly did to [[#Richard Barlow and nuclear proliferation|Richard Barlow]], mentioned above.
:The Barlow case and many others explain why the US should, e.g., give federal judges the authority to subpoena classified documents and declassify them if they believe the public good is better served from declassification than continued secrecy.<ref>See, e.g., the 2025-05-08 interview with Seth Stern and Lauren Harper discussing what the "[[Freedom of the Press Foundation says...]]", Graves (2014), and [[w:Moynihan Commission on Government Secrecy|Moynihan Commission on Government Secrecy]], accessed 2026-05-06. Graves (2021) recommends "Congressional Gold Medals for" Barlow and whistleblowers.</ref>
These policies would make it hard for any foreign leader to justify an attack for multiple reasons: First, it would be difficult to convince their supporters that such an attack is necessary. Second, a rational foreign leader might be hesitant to invade a country that is prepared to fight a guerrilla war. Germany reportedly considered invading [[w:Switzerland during World War I and World War II|Switzerland during both World Wars I and II]] and decided against it in part because Switzerland had large, well-trained ready reserves, who were ready to fight. Belgium seemed to be an easier route.<ref>Documented in Wikipedia, "[[w:Switzerland during World War I and World War II|Switzerland during World War I and World War II]]", accessed 2026-05-06. Switzerland also has many mountains, which make it easier to defend, but the capabilities of the Swiss military also influenced the German decision to avoid Switzerland.</ref> Third, even if foreign invaders defeat the guerrillas, they should not assume that their invading forces would continue to follow orders. [[w:Rescue of the Danish Jews|Ninety-nine percent of Danish Jews reportedly survived World War II]] because of Danish noncooperation ''supported by a German diplomat''.<ref>Wikipedia, "[[w:Rescue of the Danish Jews|Rescue of the Danish Jews]]", accessed 2026-05-06.</ref>
With policies like these in place, it would be hard for foreign leaders to convince their supporters of a need to attack, as [[w:2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|Putin did when invading Ukraine in 2022]],<ref>The Wikipedia article on "[[w:2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]]", accessed 2026-05-06, includes a paragraph saying, 'In July 2021, Putin published an essay "On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians", in which he called Ukraine "historically Russian lands" and claimed there is "no historical basis" for the "idea of Ukrainian people as a nation separate from the Russians"'. Putin was accused of promoting Russian imperialism, historical revisionism and disinformation. Writing in 2024, Michael McFaul and Robert Person described this essay as representing not only "cynical propaganda" but also Putin's "deeply held and internalized beliefs". See the Wikipedia article for references supporting those claims.</ref> as [[w:2025 India–Pakistan crisis|India did when attacking Pakistan in 2025]], and as [[w:Invasion of Poland|Hitler did when invading Poland in 1939]], to name only three examples.
=== If we continue to base deterrence on threats ===
There are now calls for Europe to get their own nuclear weapons,<ref>Burgard (2025).</ref> while Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, South Korea and Taiwan have been suggested as other candidates for acquiring nuclear weapons should they feel a sufficient need.<ref>Ruehl (2024).</ref>
It is difficult to imagine how the number of nuclear weapon states could be increased without increasing the risks of a nuclear war, consistent with the discussion of "[[w:system accident|system accident]]s" earlier in this chapter.
Secondarily, intelligence services with information on political corruption including attempts to intimidate and murder journalists should not be allowed to keep that information secret: They should be required to find ways to leak that information to journalists. Such attacks on journalists in their own country should be exposed and prosecuted if the evidence seems likely to obtain a conviction. Intelligence services with information about such attacks in other countries should be required to find ways to leak it to competent journalists without identifying their sources and methods: Doing so would likely reduce political corruption worldwide and with that the risks of war.
== Collateral damage ==
The research cited above supports the claim that,
:''[[w:Collateral damage|Collateral damage]] that our designated enemies commit prove to us that they are subhuman or criminally misled.''
:''Meanwhile, collateral damage that we commit is unfortunate but necessary -- from our perspective. However, it proves to our designated enemies that we are subhuman or criminally misled.''
This observation supports this entire program of deterrence without threat:
* Forbidding use of force beyond one’s own borders and covert interference in foreign countries would automatically reduce collateral damage. It would also avoid uses of force that seem not to contribute to broadly shared peace and prosperity, according to research cited above.
* The effectiveness of nonviolent noncooperation rests in part on its near universal avoidance of collateral damage.
* Citizen-directed subsidies for local news nonprofits with firewall(s) to prevent political interference in the content should make it much harder for major media to convince the public to do things contrary to their best interests, like invading or interfering covertly in foreign countries.
== Call for help ==
Do you, dear reader, know other serious research not cited herein that might improve this analysis? If yes, you can help improve this discussion by adding comments with citations -- or by adding such citation(s) to the "Discuss" page associated with this chapter, suggesting someone else revise the chapter appropriately.
There are plenty of contrary claims in the major media, but the lead author of this chapter is not aware of any that are based on serious research.
In the absence of such research, the current author finds it difficult to imagine any national defense policies that carry a greater risk of nuclear Armageddon than our current policies, as discussed in the next chapter of this book on ''[[Media Literacy and You]]'' on "[[Media Literacy and You/Responding to a nuclear attack|Responding to a nuclear attack]]". That chapter, in sum, claims that the ''worst'' response to a nuclear attack would be nuclear response, because it would escalate a catastrophe killing millions of humans to one killing ''billions'', possibly 80 percent of humanity in a war between the US and Russia that lofts so much smoke from burning cities to the stratosphere where it covers the globe depressing crop yields for years during with 99 percent of the humans in the US, Europe and Russia would starve to death if they did not die of something else sooner. Moreover, the record of "[[w:System accident|system accident]]s" suggests that the chances of such a war before the end of this century is substantially greater than the 40 percent median estimate based on history mentioned in a presentation on "[[Time to nuclear Armageddon]]" delivered to the 2019 Joint Statistical Meetings.
This chapter is being written in the hopes of inspiring action to improve the prospects for broadly shared peace and prosperity for the long term.
== Exercises ==
1. Disconfirmation bias: Brainstorm your biggest concerns about a current or possible future war.
:1.1. Select the one that is of greatest concern to you currently.
::One issue that may not be a major concern for many but might elicit a broad consensus for action would be a campaign to ask elected officials in the US Congress to explain how we benefit from the provisions of the USA Patriot Act of 2001 that authorize [[#life in prison for teaching nonviolence|life in prison for teaching nonviolence]].
:1.2. Who are your designated enemies?
:1.3. Research what your designated enemies are saying about your biggest concern.
:1.4. Under what circumstances would you support what you see your designated enemies advocating or doing?
::If you cannot see such circumstances, expand your research: Look for more sources that support your designated enemies.
2. Interacting: Ask others if you can share what you've learned about that conflict. If they say, "No", don't push it. If they agree, share what you've learned in a friendly supportive manner without saying that anything is "true".
::''Show me someone who knows the truth, and I will show you someone who is dangerous.''
:2.1. The primary goal in this is ''not'' to convince anyone that you are right and they are wrong but to lower the level of anger and increase the level of tolerance for dissenting views.
:2.2. Another goal is to comfortably enjoy civil conversations of this nature, agreeing to disagree agreeably and building trusting relationships that support collaboration on issues of common concern.
:2.3. After becoming adept at building collaborations on issues of common concern, you might consider teaching this important skill and approach to issues.
3. Teaching: Each one teach two, as discussed in the section on "[[Media Literacy and You#Text and self-help book and point of discuss|Text and self-help book and point of discuss]]" in the preface to this book.
<!--== See also ==-->
== Notes ==
{{reflist}}
== Bibliography ==
* <!--Philippe Aghion, Céline Antonin, and Simon Bunel (2022) The Power of Creative Destruction: Economic Upheaval and the Wealth of Nations-->{{cite Q|Q139874218}}
* <!--Bobby Allyn (2026-03-25) "Jury finds Meta and Google negligent in social media harms trial-->{{cite Q|Q139572103}}
* <!--BBC (2022-08-01) "Nuclear annihilation just one miscalculation away, UN chief warns"-->{{cite Q|Q139596165|author=BBC}}
* <!--Elizabeth Black (2026-05-22) "Hegseth hosts first monthly Christian service in Pentagon"-->{{cite Q|Q139791642}}
* <!--Hans Günter Brauch, ed, Towards Rethinking Politics, Policy and Polity in the Anthropocene: Multidisciplinary Perspectives (Springer, pp. 225-234).-->{{cite Q|Q134488491|author= Hans Günter Brauch, ed.}}
* <!--Jan Philipp Burgard (2025-04-08) “Opinion | Europe Needs Its Own Nukes”, Politico-->{{cite Q|Q134465922}}
* <!--Clay Calvert, Dan V. Kozlowski, and Derigan Silver (2023) Mass Media Law, 22nd ed.-->{{cite Q|Q135455067}}
* <!--Francis X. Clines (1983-06-21) "Reagan says his opponents risk Central American influx"-->{{cite Q|Q139790146}}
* <!--Eliot Cohen (2022-02-23) “Arm the Ukrainians Now”, The Atlantic-->{{cite Q|Q139679796}}
* <!--Philippe Duhamel (2013-09-26) Civil resistance as deterrent to fracking: Part One, They shale not pass-->{{cite Q|Q140833946}}
* <!--Albert Fried (1997) McCarthyism: the great American Red scare: a documentary history-->{{cite Q|Q106659308}}
* <!--Matthew Connelly (2023) The Declassification Engine: What History Reveals About America’s Top Secrets (Pantheon).->{{cite Q|Q116786691}}
* <!--Matthew Connelly, Douglas A. Samuelson, and Spencer Graves (2023-03-14) “Does US government secrecy threaten national security?”, Radio Active Magazine on KKFI-->{{cite Q|Q125582094}}
* <!--Lisa DePaulo (2008-10-31) "Leader of the Year: Right Man, Right Time"-->{{cite Q|Q114039844}}
* <!--Dwight D. Eisenhower (1063) Mandate for Change-->{{cite Q|Q61945939}}
* <!--Daniel Ellsberg (2017) The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a nuclear war planner (Bloomsbury)-->{{cite Q|Q64226035}}
* <!--Spencer Graves (2021-10-28) " Congressional Gold Medals for Assange, Hale, Barlow, Winner, Manning, Edmonds, Sterling, Drake, Snowden, Ellsberg"-->{{cite Q|Q125570226}}
* <!--Spencer Graves (2014-07-18) “Restrict secrecy more than data collection”, San José Peace & Justice Center-->{{cite Q|Q106512569}}
* <!-- Serge Halimi and Serge Halimi (2023-03) "Un an après l'invasion de l'Ukraine, une débâcle du journalisme: Les médias, avant-guarde du parti de la guerre"-->{{cite Q|Q118225389}}
* <!--John Maxwell Hamilton (2020) Manipulating the Masses: Woodrow Wilson and the Birth of American Propaganda-->{{cite Q|Q137342282}}
* <!--Scott Horton (2024) Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine (Libertarian Inst.)00>{{cite Q|Q139565338}}
* <!--Annie Jacobsen (2024-04-10) "'Nuclear war happens in seconds and minutes, not days and weeks': How I researched the end of the world"-->{{cite Q|Q139596142}}
* <!-- Kahneman and Klein (2009) Conditions for intuitive expertise: a failure to disagree-->{{cite Q|Q35001791}}
* <!--Stanley Karnow (1983) Vietnam: A History-->{{cite Q|Q108903453}}
* <!--Christopher A. Lawrence (2015) America's Modern Wars: Understanding Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam-->{{cite Q|Q136130919}}
* <!--Richard Ned Lebow (2024) “Are Leaders Rational?”, Critical Review, 36:4, 465-482.-->{{cite Q|Q134487607}}
* <!--Richard Ned Lebow (2025) “Thinking Politically About the Anthropocene”, ch. 5 in Hans Günter Brauch, ed, Towards Rethinking Politics, Policy and Polity in the Anthropocene: Multidisciplinary Perspectives (Springer, pp. 225-234).-->{{cite Q|Q134488569|Author=Richard Ned Lebow}}
* <!--Richard Ned Lebow, Douglas A. Samuelson, and Spencer Graves (2023-11-28), “Richard Ned Lebow on national defense including deterrence”, Radio Active Magazine-->{{cite Q|Q124351846}}
* <!-- Charles Mackay (1841/2009) Memoirs of extraordinary popular delusions and the madness of crowds-->{{cite Q|Q116897625}}
* <!-- Daniel P. Mannix (1964) The history of torture-->{{cite Q|Q116896896}}
* <!--Jane Mayer (2008) Dark side : the inside story of how the war on terror turned into a war on American ideals (Doubleday)-->{{cite Q|Q1681286}}
* <!--Cybele Mayes-Osterman (2025-12-18) Pete Hegseth pushes his Christian faith in Pentagon prayer services-->{{cite Q|Q139791710}}
* <!--Tom McCarthy (2016-02-07) “Donald Trump: I’d bring back ‘a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding'”, The Guardian-->{{cite Q|Q134462630}}
* <!-- McChesney and Nichols (2010) The Death and Life of American Journalism-->{{cite Q|Q104888067}}
* <!--Stanley A. McChrystal (2013). My share of the task: A memoir (Penguin)-->{{cite Q|Q135406522}}
* <!--Katie McQue (2026-04-24) " Meta ordered to pay $375m after being found liable in child exploitation case-->{{cite Q|Q139572337}}
* <!--Amalendu Misra (2015-11-19) “What does Islamic State actually want?”, The Conversation-->{{cite Q|Q134487571}}
* <!--Nick Mordowanec (2026-03-03) " Commanders Accused of Framing Iran War as Biblical Mandate, Jesus' 'Return'"-->{{cite Q|Q138840951}}
* <!--John Mueller (2021) The Stupidity of War: American Foreign Policy and the Case for Complacency (Cambridge U. Pr.,)-->{{cite Q|Q113702723}}
* <!--Mueller and Graves (2023-04-06) "The Stupidity of War and the Exaggeration of Threat"-->{{cite Q|Q139789709}}
* <!--Pat Paterson (2008-02) "The Truth About Tonkin"-->{{cite Q|Q133449570}}
* <!--Steven Pinker (2011) The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined (Viking Press, pp. 138-139)-->{{cite Q|Q60412312}}
* <!--Paul Romer (2009-07-31) "A Terrible Thing to Waste"-->{{cite Q|Q139676537}}
* <!--Arthur E. (Ted) Rowse (1992-09) "Kuwaitgate - killing of Kuwaiti babies by Iraqi soldiers exaggerated-->{{cite Q|Q123698876}}
* <!--John P. Ruehl (2025-11-01) “Which Countries Are on the Brink of Going Nuclear?”, Peninsula Peace & Justice Center-->{{cite Q|Q134465827}}
* <!--Jeffrey Sachs (2025-04) “File: The trap of major rearmament: Geopolitics of peace (in French: “Dossier : Le piège du grand réarmement: Géopolitique de la paix”), Le Monde Diplomatique (https://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/2025/04/SACHS/68242).-->{{cite Q|Q134463099}}
* <!--Jeffrey Sachs (2025-02) “Jeffrey Sachs: Speech at European Parliament on February 19, 2025”: Edited transcript and YouTube video (https://newkontinent.org/jeffrey-sachs-speech-at-european-parliament-on-february-19-2025/)-->{{cite Q|Q134463038}}
* <!--Scott Sagan (1993) The limits of safety: Organizations, Accidents, and Nuclear Weapons (Princeton U. Pr.)-->{{cite Q|Q136765429}}
* <!--Douglas A. Samuelson (2025-09-26) " Assessing Israel’s Approach in Gaza"-->{{cite Q|Q138843324}}
* <!--Amanda Sauer (2016-05-09) "Political Agenda Setting in Early America: The Barbary Wars"-->{{cite Q|Q139589295}}
* <!--Michael Scheuer (2004) Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror (Brassey’s).-->{{cite Q|Q6006645}}
* <!--Mark Schmeller (2009) "The Political Economy of Opinion: Public Credit and Concepts of Public Opinion in the Age of Federalism"-->{{cite Q|Q139589348}}
* <!--Ahmad Sharawi and Dimitriy Shapiro (2026-04-01) "Ukraine Agrees to Mutually Beneficial Defense Deals With Gulf Arab States"-->{{cite Q|Q139948808}}
* <!--Jeff Stein (2013-12-04) “The Perils of Whistle-Blowing”, Newsweek-->{{cite Q|Q63257553}}
* <!--David Swanson (2022-03-15) " 30 Nonviolent Things Russia Could Have Done and 30 Nonviolent Things Ukraine Could Do"-->{{cite Q|Q134465808}}
* <!--Veterans For Peace Nuclear Posture Review-->{{cite Q|Q111141993|author=Veterans for Peace}}
* <!-- Xia et al. (2022) Global food insecurity and famine ... from a nuclear war ...-->{{cite Q| Q113732668}}
[[Category:Media literacy]]
[[Category:Communication]]
[[Category:Political science]]
[[Category:Law]]
[[Category:Psychology]]
[[Category:Sociology]]
[[Category:War History]]
[[Category:Media Literacy and You]]
<!--
https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Wikiversity:Category_Review
-->
lklvwexs679pivl17mnipidxqw3lbrj
The Ignorant Observer Framework
0
329703
2820454
2818324
2026-08-03T17:24:46Z
IgnorantObserver
3076980
Withdraw Biological Observers timing claims and align document status with August 2026 corpus audit
2820454
wikitext
text/x-wiki
{{Research project}}
= The Ignorant Observer Framework =
''This research page is authored and maintained by [[User:IgnorantObserver|Aernoud Dekker]], an independent researcher and the originator of the framework described below. Page text is offered for review, critique, and collaborative refinement under [[Wikiversity:Copyrights|Wikiversity's standard licence]].''
== Status ==
Research project under active development. The framework is an interlinked set of technical and interpretive documents published at [https://ignorantobserver.xyz ignorantobserver.xyz] and archived on the [https://osf.io Open Science Framework]. ''The Ignorant Observer'' is the foundational paper. ''Where Did the Measurement Basis Come From?'' is the conceptual bridge that states, for a physics reader, exactly what claim the framework makes about the measurement basis. ''Bandwidth-Limited Quantum Control'' (BLQC) is the operational layer: a finite-rate phase-reference control law and its laboratory benchmark. ''A Capacity-Calibrated Protocol for Testing Penrose Objective Reduction'' applies that benchmark as the calibration arm of a test of gravitational collapse. A companion paper, ''The Born Rule from Finite Observation'', derives the binary Born form conditionally from finite-record geometry, and a no-go companion marks where that route stops. All work is single-authored.
'''Where the framework stands (July 2026).''' IOF is an interpretation of quantum mechanics, not a rival to it. Its central empirical claim was once sharpened to a testable form — that finite basis tracking produces an ''unrecoverable'' visibility loss, a genuine deviation from standard quantum mechanics — and that strong reading was found to be '''excluded by existing experiments'''. What survives is a no-world-collapse interpretation carrying a ''recoverable'', calibrated control-theoretic subtheory. Everett is the preferred host developed in the corpus, but not an exclusive one; scoped single-history and pilot-wave hosts remain possible. This page raises the strong reading and states its exclusion rather than asserting it.
== One-sentence thesis ==
Quantum measurement normally treats the basis as if it came from outside physics. The Ignorant Observer Framework treats the basis as a finite physical reference variable generated and tracked inside the apparatus itself — and reads quantum randomness as an observer-side appearance of bounded access, while the host supplies quantum phase and cross-context coherence.
== What kind of claim this is ==
The framework has three layers, kept deliberately in separate books and adjudicated by different standards. Confusing them is the most common misreading, so they are named up front.
* '''Operational layer''' (classical, measurable). The deficit κ = ''h''<sub>θ</sub> − ''C''<sub>eff</sub> ln 2 is a calibrated control law for the visibility of ''unconditioned'' records. Here ''h''<sub>θ</sub> is the source-side instability rate relevant to tracking the designated basis coordinate θ; it equals the full Kolmogorov–Sinai rate ''h''<sub>KS</sub> only in a one-effective-positive-mode source or when a projection result or coordinate-level calibration licenses that identification. Confirming the law '''benchmarks the apparatus; it does not discriminate IOF from quantum mechanics'''. Its hallmark is ''recoverability'': the lost contrast returns when the realised reference is supplied.
* '''Foundations layer''' (structural reconstruction). A conditional derivation obtains the binary Born weight ''p''(θ) = cos²(θ/2) from finite-record geometry under two named bridge assumptions and extends it, through hierarchical binary discrimination, to one calibrated finite-outcome context. A companion no-go theorem shows that the same route cannot generate quantum phase or cross-context composition. This is a reconstruction, not an independent empirical prediction — a constant Fisher information ''I''(θ) is itself a standard-quantum prediction, so the test of the bridge premise is a consistency check.
* '''Interpretation layer''' (the framework's identity). IOF adds no ontic collapse or stochastic selection. In the preferred Everettian host all outcomes occur; in scoped single-history hosts one outcome occurs without an IOF-added random selector. In either case apparent collapse is a record-relative information update, and randomness is the name a finite observer gives to an outcome whose determining dependencies it cannot resolve. The binary Born form is reconstructed on the finite-record side; phase and cross-context coherence remain host-side.
Because the framework as a whole reproduces standard quantum mechanics, it is '''not falsifiable as a whole — by design, not by evasion'''. Its falsifiable content is modular and named: the operational control law (with the caveat that a failure there indicts the apparatus model and the calibration of ''C''<sub>eff</sub> and ''h''<sub>θ</sub> before it indicts the framework); the Fisher-homogeneity premise of the Born bridge (exposed in the falsifying direction only); and a registered chaotic-corner module carried with the prior strongly against it.
== Core question ==
''When the classical degrees of freedom that define a measurement basis generate task-relevant information faster than the apparatus can track it, do the apparatus's raw, unconditioned records lose interference contrast on a schedule set by the deficit'' κ = ''h''<sub>θ</sub> − ''C''<sub>eff</sub> ln 2 ''— and is that loss recoverable by conditioning on a log of the realised reference?''
The framework's answer is yes to both, and the second half is the point. The loss is reference-frame physics ''within'' quantum mechanics, not a new channel beyond it: standard quantum mechanics already says that records taken against a blurred reference lose contrast, and recovers that contrast once the reference is restored. IOF's contribution is to make the blur a calibrated, controllable quantity — a number a laboratory can dial up and down.
== The strong reading, and why it was excluded ==
A bolder reading of the same formula would make the visibility loss ''unrecoverable'': a capacity-dependent suppression that no offline log could undo — that is, a measurable deviation from standard quantum mechanics. Sharpened, that reading requires the unresolved basis not to imprint on the records (a Markov condition giving a recovery statistic ''R''<sub>rec</sub> ≈ 0).
Existing experiments exclude it. Logged-setting Bell tests recover the full quantum correlation when the realised settings are recorded and the data are sorted offline (Weihs et al. 1998); randomized-measurement tomography and classical shadows choose observables ''after'' measurement and reconstruct the quantum state (Huang, Kueng & Preskill 2020); correlation spectroscopy recovers coherence beyond the laser linewidth from cross-records. In every case the lost contrast comes back — ''R''<sub>rec</sub> ≈ 1 up to ordinary imperfections. The suppression is phase averaging over an unresolved reference, not a new physical channel; IOF's own diffusive formula correctly describes the ''raw, unconditioned'' signal, and the recovery is what reveals it as bookkeeping. The framework therefore raises the strong reading and excludes it; it does not claim it.
One corner remains formally open, and is registered rather than asserted: recoverability under ''certified deterministic-chaotic'' basis dynamics has not been directly tested. It is carried in the protocol with the prior strongly against any difference from the diffusive case, and a positive there would overturn the corpus's own exclusion, not confirm a surviving claim.
== Technical proposal ==
The framework introduces the following quantities.
'''Effective channel capacity ''C''<sub>eff</sub>''' (bits/s): the information rate available to the basis-tracking control loop, operationalised as
:''C''<sub>eff</sub> = ''r'' · ''b'' · ''f''
with ''r'' the update rate (Hz), ''b'' the effective bits per update that constrain the basis variable θ, and ''f'' ∈ (0,1] the fraction of updates that genuinely constrain θ after overhead and latency. ''C''<sub>eff</sub> is ultimately bounded by the Landauer limit on the controller's irreversible bookkeeping,
:''C''<sub>eff</sub> ≤ ''P'' / (''k''<sub>B</sub> ''T'' ln 2),
but this is a thermodynamic ceiling, not the operating point: realised ''C''<sub>eff</sub> is typically far lower and must be calibrated as ''useful'' information actually constraining θ, since added power can equally couple to actuator noise or backaction channels that do not constrain the basis.
'''Task-relevant source rate ''h''<sub>θ</sub>''' (nats/s): the instability or information-production rate that actually burdens tracking of the designated basis coordinate θ. It is source-side, not the entropy of the observer. The full Kolmogorov–Sinai rate ''h''<sub>KS</sub> is the source's uncertainty-volume production rate and equals ''h''<sub>θ</sub> only in a one-effective-positive-mode reduction or under an explicit projection result or coordinate-level calibration. The nats/s convention lets κ combine ''h''<sub>θ</sub> and ''C''<sub>eff</sub> ln 2 in consistent units.
'''Self-ignorance rate κ''' (s<sup>−1</sup>):
:κ = ''h''<sub>θ</sub> − ''C''<sub>eff</sub> · ln 2
with two regimes. When κ < 0 (''capacity-wins''), basis-tracking error stays bounded and standard quantum visibility is recovered, modulo ordinary decoherence. When κ > 0 (''chaos-wins''), '''standard quantum mechanics still holds''' — nothing new happens to the world — but the observer's reference is no longer fully resolved, and the variance of the basis-tracking error grows as σ<sub>θ</sub><sup>2</sup>(''t'') = σ<sub>0</sub><sup>2</sup> e<sup>2κ''t''</sup>, so the ''raw, unconditioned'' records lose contrast.
'''Measured visibility and fringe phase'''. For an arbitrary logged tracking-error distribution, the exact reference factor is the circular phasor
:''G''<sub>ref</sub>(''t'') = E[e<sup>−iδθ(t)</sup>].
Its magnitude predicts the visibility multiplier and its argument predicts the fringe displacement. Only when the centered Gaussian or wrapped-Gaussian gate passes does this reduce to
:|''G''<sub>ref</sub>(''t'')| = exp(−½ σ<sub>θ</sub><sup>2</sup>(''t'')),
and, over the registered pre-wrapping range where σ<sub>θ</sub><sup>2</sup>(''t'') = σ<sub>0</sub><sup>2</sup>e<sup>2κ''t''</sup>, to the double-exponential submodel ''V''(''t'') = exp(−½σ<sub>0</sub><sup>2</sup>e<sup>2κ''t''</sup>). Variance alone does not determine visibility for a general residual distribution.
'''Reference and baseline visibility'''. When the reference error is separable from the baseline coherence channel, the observed visibility factorises as ''V''<sub>obs</sub> = ''V''<sub>std</sub>|''G''<sub>ref</sub>|. If reference error correlates with baseline coherence, detector acceptance, or geometry, this product is not licensed and the registered joint per-shot model must be used. The reference contribution is recoverable when the realised reference is supplied and may otherwise be misassigned to ordinary decoherence.
'''Breakdown time ''t''<sub>break</sub>'''. For a chosen visibility threshold ''V''*,
:''t''<sub>break</sub> = (1 / 2κ) · ln(−2 ln ''V''* / σ<sub>0</sub><sup>2</sup>), κ > 0.
''t''<sub>break</sub> is the operational layer's primary observable.
The benchmark uses a one-effective-mode reference source, for which ''h''<sub>θ</sub> = ''h''<sub>KS</sub>. Beyond that reference model, identifying a scalar tracking rate with the full ''h''<sub>KS</sub> requires a separate projection result or coordinate-level calibration (see [[#Open review targets|Open review targets]]).
== The operational benchmark and the Penrose test ==
The experimental layer has two roles, and keeping them apart is essential: an operational ''benchmark'' that calibrates the apparatus, and a ''discrimination'' arm that tests gravitational collapse. Neither tests IOF against quantum mechanics.
'''The benchmark (calibration arm).''' First calibrate the complete estimator/controller chain and its useful timely capacity in a reference-only arm, then freeze that calibration before quantum outcomes. Vary ''C''<sub>eff</sub> through a preregistered delivery schedule at clamped temperature, readout signal-to-noise, latency, actuator behaviour, and mass geometry. The prediction is that the raw-record breakdown time moves with κ = ''h''<sub>θ</sub> − ''C''<sub>eff</sub> ln 2. The distribution-free prediction is the trajectory-conditioned complex phasor; the double-exponential curve is used only after its Gaussian and dynamic-range gates pass. Confirmation benchmarks the instrument within standard quantum mechanics; failure indicts the apparatus model or calibration before it indicts the framework.
'''The recoverability classifier.''' The decisive operational quantity is the recovery statistic ''R''<sub>rec</sub>: condition the raw records on a passive, full-resolution shadow log of the realised reference and ask whether the lost contrast returns. ''Recoverable'' (''R''<sub>rec</sub> → 1) is reference-frame physics — the framework's own expected case, in the lineage of quantum reference frames (Bartlett, Rudolph & Spekkens 2007). ''Unrecoverable'' loss is decoherence-type or collapse-type. The classifier is what separates the framework's subject from everything that is not its subject.
'''The discrimination arm — a test of Penrose, not of IOF.''' With tracking held at maximal capacity and the engineered channel quiet, sweep mass geometry and look for a κ-independent, ''unrecoverable'' visibility floor — the signature of gravitational [[w:Penrose interpretation|objective reduction]] (OR), whose timescale ''τ''<sub>OR</sub> ≈ ℏ/''E''<sub>G</sub> is fixed by the gravitational self-energy of the superposition. The framework's contribution here is methodological: the calibrated reference channel and the ''R''<sub>rec</sub> classifier measure and subtract everything the observer's own finitude contributes, so that a null becomes a genuine bound on objective reduction and a surviving floor is certified as nature's rather than the apparatus's. '''The experiment tests Penrose's proposal, not IOF against quantum mechanics''': if an unrecoverable floor is found, quantum mechanics itself needs repair and Penrose is vindicated; if none is found, his proposal is constrained — and IOF remains exactly what it was, a way of understanding why quantum mechanics works. Neither outcome discriminates IOF from quantum mechanics.
This discipline has a sharp boundary, worth stating: calibration can move only the probability of a ''correct verdict given the data''; it cannot move the probability that objective reduction is true. The instrument decides; it does not vote.
The architecture is also not specific to Penrose. The same calibrate–subtract–classify procedure reads against the whole dynamical-collapse family — spontaneous-localisation (GRW/CSL) models and Diósi–Penrose gravitational collapse alike — distinguished by the variable the surviving floor scales with (mass and geometry for OR, nucleon-number amplification for GRW/CSL). Penrose is the flagship target because its schedule lands in an experimentally accessible mesoscopic window and carries a live debate, not because the method is bespoke to it. The [https://www.qgemproject.com/ QGEM] pathfinder is one candidate testbed; superconducting-qubit readout chains and precision-interferometer phase-locking loops are others.
'''The Fisher-homogeneity module.''' A separate module tests the Born-derivation bridge by measuring whether the empirical Fisher information ''I''(θ) is approximately constant across the calibrated basis range, as the scalar-threshold-homogeneity premise requires. Because a flat ''I''(θ) is ''also'' what standard quantum mechanics predicts for an ideal binary readout, a homogeneous result confirms a shared prediction and lends no positive weight to the bridge; the module is a falsification-only check on a foundations premise, logically independent of the κ-benchmark.
== Relation to quantum foundations ==
* '''The measurement problem'''. IOF introduces no world-side collapse. The host state continues according to the host dynamics, while "collapse" names only the bounded observer's update from unresolved alternatives to a definite record. In Everett all decohered outcomes occur and uncertainty is self-locating; in a scoped single-history host one outcome occurs without an IOF-added stochastic selector. In both cases the observer calls the answer random because the dependencies that determine its record are outside its finite access. Developed at length in ''[https://ignorantobserver.xyz/documents/Where_Did_the_Measurement_Basis_Come_From.pdf Where Did the Measurement Basis Come From?]''
* '''Indexed objectivity'''. The definiteness an observer meets is objective ''indexed to its configuration'' — irreducible at that access, found the same way by every inspector there. Penrose's proposal is precisely that the index can be dropped: that definiteness is absolute, gravitationally enforced, with no log anywhere able to restore the superposition. ''R''<sub>rec</sub> is that question made operational — ''does the index drop?''
* '''ψ-ontic, collapse-epistemic'''. Within the empirical model the wavefunction is ontic and never collapses, so no-go results in the style of Pusey–Barrett–Rudolph — which constrain ψ-''epistemic'' models — do not bear against the framework; they support the wavefunction realism IOF requires. What is epistemic in IOF is ''collapse'': the record-relative update of a finite observer.
* '''Relational Quantum Mechanics''' (Rovelli) takes outcomes to be relative to an observer–system; the framework offers one candidate physical mechanism — finite ''C''<sub>eff</sub> against the task-relevant source rate ''h''<sub>θ</sub> — for what makes one observer's frame physically inequivalent to another's.
* '''Decoherence theory''' is not opposed. The framework brought one further thing inside the physics that decoherence leaves outside: the causal history of the measurement ''setting''. In the capacity-wins regime standard decoherence theory is recovered.
* '''Measurement independence'''. Extended to Bell-type set-ups, IOF does not assume measurement independence: the setting and the system share a common past, so they need not be statistically independent. This places the framework in the superdeterministic family in the technical sense only — non-conspiratorial, with no fine-tuned ledger and no signalling, in the spirit of Palmer (2024). The shared ancestry is real but structurally inaccessible to the embedded observer; the framework names this ''epistemically bounded ancestral correlation''. IOF does not derive the Bell correlations from this alone — the Born weights and joint correlations are supplied by the hosted no-collapse embedding and recovered in the capacity-wins limit. A full consistency treatment, including a no-signalling lemma, remains an [[#Open review targets|open review target]].
* '''Information geometry'''. The conditional Born reconstruction runs from finite-record constraints through a Fisher capacity bridge, Cencov's uniqueness theorem, and square-root record coordinates to ''p''(θ) = cos²(θ/2), with hierarchical binary discrimination extending the weights to one calibrated finite-outcome context. A companion no-go theorem shows this route does ''not'' generate quantum phase, interference between non-commuting contexts, or cross-context composition. Those structures remain host-side, and their unique gluing to the record weights remains open.
* '''Penrose Objective Reduction''' is treated as the live ''discrimination target'' of the experiment, not as a rival to be ruled out by the framework and not as a co-contributing IOF mechanism. The earlier "additive combined-rate" reading, and a speculative ''Bridge Ansatz'' identifying ''E''<sub>G</sub> with κ, have both been retired: the ansatz met its own failure criterion and survives only as explicitly speculative cosmogony in ''The Creation of Duality''. What remains is the clean division of variables — mass and geometry set ''τ''<sub>OR</sub>; capacity and instability set the benchmark — and the recoverability classifier that keeps them apart.
== The measurement problem: where the Heisenberg cut sits ==
The framework gives an operational reading of the Heisenberg cut — the boundary between the quantum description used for the system and the classical description used for the apparatus and record. Standard interpretations place it variously: von Neumann showed it can be slid without changing predictions and treated its location as conventional; decoherence ties it to the rate of environmental coupling; objective-collapse proposals fix it universally at a mass scale.
IOF places the operational cut where the observer-apparatus's ''useful'' basis-tracking rate runs out relative to the task-relevant source dynamics — at ''h''<sub>θ</sub> = ''C''<sub>eff</sub> ln 2. This production rate is source-side; it is not the entropy of the observer. In the BLQC one-effective-mode source, ''h''<sub>θ</sub> = ''h''<sub>KS</sub>, so the laboratory quantity is how that source production appears in the designated tracking task. The resulting κ<sub>θ</sub> quantifies the operational basis-tracking component of self-ignorance, not the root non-dual limitation itself. This is not an objective collapse boundary; it is a design-dependent threshold the experimenter can move.
That the cut ''moves'' is what the benchmark measures — improving the controller raises ''C''<sub>eff</sub> and shifts the cut toward more chaotic basis-producing dynamics. This motion is expected control physics, not a departure from quantum mechanics: it is the operational signature of finite self-tracking, calibrated, and it is what the κ-benchmark reads off. The measurement problem took its sharpest form because the cut was treated as floating; the framework's narrower, testable claim is that for a given finite apparatus the cut is not floating but located, by the basis-tracking budget that apparatus devotes to its reference.
== Philosophical interpretation ==
''This section describes interpretive extensions beyond the empirical core. Nothing in it is load-bearing for the operational benchmark or the Penrose test. Everett is the preferred no-collapse host developed in the corpus, while pilot-wave and single-history hosts remain scoped alternatives. The operational machinery and its exposure to experiment do not depend on making Everett exclusive.''
The cleanest entry point to the interpretive position is ''[https://ignorantobserver.xyz/documents/Where_Did_the_Measurement_Basis_Come_From.pdf Where Did the Measurement Basis Come From?]'' (Dekker, 2026). It states the central move — the measurement basis as a physical variable with causal ancestry inside the same history as the system — addresses the standard objections, and names the position ''epistemically bounded ancestral correlation''.
A second interpretive piece, ''[https://ignorantobserver.xyz/documents/Response_to_Rovelli_on_the_Hard_Problem.pdf The Hard Problem Dissolved — But Into What?]'' (Dekker, 2026), engages Carlo Rovelli's Noema essay, marks the ground it shares with the framework, and identifies where the framework presses beyond Rovelli's deflationary physicalism toward a non-dual reading.
The interpretive layer is developed in dialogue with Rovelli's relational quantum mechanics and the Advaita Vedānta tradition (Śaṅkara, Ramaṇa Maharṣi). The production rate in κ is the source-side rate relevant to the designated tracking task; it is not the entropy of the observer. The corresponding operational deficit quantifies one basis-tracking component of self-ignorance. The non-dual claim is deeper and is not numerically identified with κ: from the inside, a finite observer's own limitation makes a world of apparently distinct observers and records appear. The framework presents this as structural interpretation, not as evidence for Advaita or as a claim an interferometry experiment could confirm.
A separate IOF-internal derivation, ''[https://ignorantobserver.xyz/documents/The_Born_Rule_from_Finite_Observation.pdf The Born Rule from Finite Observation]'', obtains ''p''(θ) = cos²(θ/2) from finite-record geometry, with its scope fixed by the no-go companion ''[https://ignorantobserver.xyz/documents/Why_Fisher_Geometry_Gives_Binary_Born_but_Not_Quantum_Phase.pdf Why Fisher Geometry Gives Binary Born but Not Quantum Phase]''. Its metaphysical companion, ''[https://ignorantobserver.xyz/documents/Structural_Resonance.pdf Structural Resonance]'', documents how a structural reading of the ''Kaṭha Upaniṣad'' served as a disciplined search heuristic for the derivation, without claiming that Vedānta proves the Born rule.
A further speculative extension, ''The Creation of Duality'', asks whether space, time, objecthood, and gravity-like structure can themselves be read as features of a consistent finite-observer world-model. The document is under revision and its PDF is temporarily withdrawn.
Readers who prefer to ignore the interpretive readings can evaluate the framework's empirical content from the [[#Technical proposal|Technical proposal]] and [[#The operational benchmark and the Penrose test|operational]] sections alone.
== What a clean result would, and would not, establish ==
* '''A clean benchmark''' (κ-scaling, agreement with the trajectory-conditioned phasor null, and recoverable loss with ''R''<sub>rec</sub> → 1) validates the calibrated reference-channel model in the tested regime. It does '''not''' establish IOF over quantum mechanics, because the benchmark lies within quantum mechanics.
* '''The Penrose discrimination''' settles a question about gravity, not about IOF. An unrecoverable mass-geometry floor would vindicate Penrose and show quantum mechanics incomplete; its absence would constrain objective reduction at the tested scales. IOF supplies the calibrated subtrahend that makes either verdict trustworthy.
* '''The interpretation''' gains nothing a discriminating experiment could give it, and loses nothing a null could take away. It competes — by coherence and economy — with the other no-collapse readings; a Penrose null leaves it standing among them, neither crowned nor refuted.
* '''The avidyā mapping''' gains a concrete physical anchor for σ<sub>θ</sub><sup>2</sup>(''t'') as a limit on self-observation, but the framework's claim there is structural, not metaphysical, and no interferometry result adjudicates the philosophical positions the mapping connects.
== Open review targets ==
These are the points on which the proposal should be attacked. The list is split into ''core'' targets, load-bearing for the operational claim, and ''further technical caveats''.
=== Core review targets ===
# '''Operationalising the recoverability classifier'''. Recoverability is the framework's ''position'', not an objection to it: the expected case is that the engineered loss is reference physics and returns under conditioning on a passive shadow log. The load-bearing question is whether ''R''<sub>rec</sub> can be made a clean classifier in practice — whether the logging-fidelity budget can be quantified and frozen, and the recovered-versus-residual contrast separated, well enough to certify any surviving floor as not-the-observer's. If it cannot, the Penrose discrimination loses its subtrahend.
# '''Decoherence confound'''. Distinguishing ''V''<sub>IOF</sub> from ''V''<sub>std</sub> in practice is the central experimental challenge of the benchmark. A sufficiently flexible Lindblad / phase-noise model may absorb the predicted curve under suitable parameters; the benchmark gains independent force only when κ predicts visibility timing after thermal, readout, latency, pulse, actuator, and offline-recovery controls have been given every chance to win.
# '''Useful-capacity calibration'''. The framework relies on independent calibration of ''C''<sub>eff</sub> as ''useful'' tracking capacity, not raw input power or the Landauer ceiling. Establishing that calibration empirically — via the Fisher-homogeneity module or an equivalent operational mapping — is the load-bearing engineering claim.
# '''Instability measure'''. The benchmark must independently certify the task-relevant rate ''h''<sub>θ</sub>. Identifying it with ''h''<sub>KS</sub> is licensed only in the one-effective-mode source or by an explicit projection result or coordinate-level calibration. The expanding-dynamics gate must also distinguish deterministic expansion from stochastic diffusion before the exponential tracking submodel is read.
# '''Residual distribution and channel dependence'''. Variance does not determine visibility for an arbitrary phase-error distribution; the exact logged-reference factor is the complex circular phasor. The double-exponential form is registered only when the centered Gaussian or wrapped-Gaussian gate passes and only over the pre-wrapping range. If reference error and baseline coherence are correlated, the joint per-shot model replaces a product of averaged visibility factors.
=== Further technical caveats ===
# '''Nonlinear control bridge'''. Applying the one-mode multiplicative data-rate law to a nonlinear reference coordinate remains an empirical bridge whose finite-range scaling and delivery-schedule dependence must be calibrated directly.
# '''Prior-art and reparameterisation risk'''. The framework must show its predicted curve is not ordinary reference noise, phase jitter, or decoherence in new notation — the purpose of the adversarial-mimic analysis.
# '''Bell / locality consistency'''. The framework implies a non-conspiratorial violation of statistical measurement-independence (following Palmer 2024). A full consistency proof, including a no-signalling lemma for the hosted no-collapse embedding, has not been published.
# '''Scope of the Born-rule derivation'''. The companion note conditionally obtains the binary weight ''p''(θ) = cos²(θ/2) under two named premises and extends the weights through hierarchical binary discrimination to one calibrated finite-outcome context. Complex Hilbert space, tensor-product composition, unitary dynamics, quantum phase, and cross-context consistency are ''not'' derived; they remain host-side, and their unique gluing to the record weights remains open.
# '''Peer-review status and replication'''. The framework has not undergone peer review and the experiments have not been performed. Its case must be evaluated on the documents and on the conduct of the prospective experiment, not on any external imprimatur.
== Invitation for review ==
This page is offered as a venue for substantive critique. The author is particularly interested in:
* '''From physicists in quantum control or precision interferometry''': can the recoverability classifier be implemented cleanly enough on real hardware to certify a residual floor as not-the-observer's, and what existing apparatus is best positioned to host the calibrated benchmark and the mass-geometry sweep?
* '''From decoherence theorists''': under what conditions does the double-exponential law overlap with compound-channel decoherence models in ways that would make a recoverable κ-channel and an unrecoverable one hard to separate in practice?
* '''From researchers in quantum foundations''': how should a non-conspiratorial, epistemically bounded violation of measurement-independence be evaluated against the superdeterminism / retrocausality / many-worlds landscape, and what would a satisfactory no-signalling consistency proof require?
* '''From researchers in information geometry''': is the Fisher capacity bridge the right identification of useful tracking capacity, is scalar-threshold homogeneity the natural reading of the BLQC threshold in a calibrated basis, and is Cencov-based selection the correct uniqueness route? Critique of the no-go boundary — what genuinely cannot be reached from finite-record geometry — is equally welcome.
* '''From philosophers of mind''': the Advaita / RQM interpretive layer is offered conditionally on the empirical core and as an interpretation among peers. Is the conditional structure presented clearly enough, or does it still amount to overreach?
Comments, references to prior or parallel work, and pointers to confounds or alternative explanations are all welcome. Substantive critique on the [[Talk:The Ignorant Observer Framework|talk page]] will be acknowledged in subsequent revisions.
== Documents ==
The framework's documents are published at [https://ignorantobserver.xyz ignorantobserver.xyz], grouped by role.
'''Foundational and bridges'''
* '''[https://ignorantobserver.xyz/documents/The_Ignorant_Observer.pdf The Ignorant Observer]''' — the foundational paper. The philosophical motivation (avidyā as a physical limit) and the technical groundwork from which the project grew.
* '''[https://ignorantobserver.xyz/documents/Where_Did_the_Measurement_Basis_Come_From.pdf Where Did the Measurement Basis Come From?]''' — the conceptual bridge for physicists. States the claim the framework makes about the measurement basis, addresses the standard objections, and names the position ''epistemically bounded ancestral correlation''.
* '''[https://ignorantobserver.xyz/documents/Bandwidth-Limited_Quantum_Control.pdf Bandwidth-Limited Quantum Control]''' — the operational layer: a finite-rate phase-reference control law and its operational benchmark (calibration arm, capacity and instability sweeps, shadow-log recoverability classifier, registered chaotic-corner module).
* '''[https://ignorantobserver.xyz/documents/A_Capacity-Calibrated_Protocol_for_Testing_Penrose_Objective_Reduction.pdf A Capacity-Calibrated Protocol for Testing Penrose Objective Reduction]''' — the prospective experiment: a mass-geometry sweep for an unrecoverable collapse floor, with the BLQC benchmark as its calibration prerequisite. Tests Penrose, not IOF.
'''Foundational extensions'''
* '''[https://ignorantobserver.xyz/documents/The_Born_Rule_from_Finite_Observation.pdf The Born Rule from Finite Observation]''' — derives the binary Born form ''p''(θ) = cos²(θ/2) from finite-record geometry, conditional on two named, empirically exposed assumptions, and extends the weights to one calibrated finite-outcome context. Does not derive complex Hilbert space, tensor products, unitary dynamics, phase, or cross-context composition.
* '''[https://ignorantobserver.xyz/documents/Why_Fisher_Geometry_Gives_Binary_Born_but_Not_Quantum_Phase.pdf Why Fisher Geometry Gives Binary Born but Not Quantum Phase]''' — the no-go companion marking exactly where the finite-record route stops, so the boundary is a result rather than a gap.
* '''[https://ignorantobserver.xyz/documents/Structural_Resonance.pdf Structural Resonance]''' — a metaphysical companion explaining how a structural reading of the ''Kaṭha Upaniṣad'' served as a search heuristic for the derivation. Does not claim Vedānta proves the Born rule.
'''Supplements'''
* '''Forensic Signatures''' — under reconstruction; the PDF and archival deposit are temporarily withdrawn because the null calibration did not reproduce the complete selection-and-fitting pipeline. Earlier numerical findings are not treated as evidence for BLQC or IOF.
* '''The Creation of Duality''' — speculative extension on appearance, gravity, and information from self-ignorance; under revision, with its PDF temporarily withdrawn.
* '''The Capacity–Backaction Frontier''' — application to cryogenic quantum error correction; under revision, with its PDF temporarily withdrawn.
* '''Biological Observers''' — under experimental reconstruction; the earlier timing chain combined quantities that were not calibrated on the same biological tracking task, so its PDF is temporarily withdrawn.
The foundational paper is archived on the Open Science Framework at [https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/FCDSN doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/FCDSN]; the website lists the separate DOI-linked deposits for the companion papers.
== References ==
* Bartlett, S. D., Rudolph, T., & Spekkens, R. W. (2007). Reference frames, superselection rules, and quantum information. ''Reviews of Modern Physics'', 79(2), 555–609.
* Brukner, Č., & Zeilinger, A. (1999). Operationally invariant information in quantum measurements. ''Physical Review Letters'', 83(17), 3354–3357.
* Huang, H.-Y., Kueng, R., & Preskill, J. (2020). Predicting many properties of a quantum system from very few measurements. ''Nature Physics'', 16, 1050–1057.
* Nair, G. N., & Evans, R. J. (2004). Stabilizability of stochastic linear systems with finite feedback data rates. ''SIAM Journal on Control and Optimization'', 43(2), 413–436.
* Palmer, T. (2024). Superdeterminism without conspiracy. ''Universe'', 10(1), 47.
* Penrose, R. (1996). On gravity's role in quantum state reduction. ''General Relativity and Gravitation'', 28(5), 581–600.
* Pusey, M. F., Barrett, J., & Rudolph, T. (2012). On the reality of the quantum state. ''Nature Physics'', 8(6), 475–478.
* Rovelli, C. (1996). Relational quantum mechanics. ''International Journal of Theoretical Physics'', 35(8), 1637–1678.
* Tatikonda, S., & Mitter, S. (2004). Control under communication constraints. ''IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control'', 49(7), 1056–1068.
* Weihs, G., Jennewein, T., Simon, C., Weinfurter, H., & Zeilinger, A. (1998). Violation of Bell's inequality under strict Einstein locality conditions. ''Physical Review Letters'', 81(23), 5039–5043.
* Wootters, W. K. (1981). Statistical distance and Hilbert space. ''Physical Review D'', 23(2), 357–362.
== See also ==
* [[w:Quantum decoherence|Decoherence]] (Wikipedia)
* [[w:Relational quantum mechanics|Relational quantum mechanics]] (Wikipedia)
* [[w:Penrose interpretation|Penrose interpretation]] (Wikipedia)
* [[w:Data-rate theorem|Data-rate theorem]] (Wikipedia)
[[Category:Research projects]]
[[Category:Quantum mechanics]]
[[Category:Philosophy of science]]
7e98bdu316ur4w2ld6awi8ruyi6cfd0
Integrated Building Performance Simulation
0
330408
2820457
2818458
2026-08-03T20:29:10Z
~2026-40194-64
3101573
2820457
wikitext
text/x-wiki
{{Prod|is this part of an actual course that will be offered?}}
== '''About''' ==
Course offered by the Graduate Programs in Mechanical Engineering (PPGEM) and Smart and Sustainable Cities (PPGCIS) at Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (PUCPR).
'''Areas of Interest''': Engineering, Data Science, Computer Science, Architecture and Urban Planning, and other fields.
'''Course instructors''': Nathan Mendes, Walter Mazuroski, Luciano Ayres de Mello, and Marcos Batistella Lopes.
== '''Course Description''' ==
This course explores the physical principles governing heat, air, moisture, and energy processes in buildings, emphasizing their role in building performance, energy efficiency, indoor air quality (IAQ), renewable energy integration, and sustainability. The course introduces integrated simulation approaches for analyzing the interactions among building components, HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) systems, occupants, and the surrounding environment. Special emphasis is placed on co-simulation and interoperable modeling using the Functional Mock-up Interface (FMI) standard, enabling the integration of multiple simulation tools and domains. Applications extend from individual buildings to districts and urban energy systems, providing the foundations for advanced research in sustainable buildings, energy transition, and future Digital Twin applications. The course combines theoretical foundations, computational modeling, hands-on simulation, and current research challenges in building performance and sustainable cities.
== '''Place and Time''' ==
'''Location''': To be determined (hybrid classes).
'''When''': 2026 2nd semester
<u>Wednesday</u>, from 3pm to 5pm (BRT), on the following dates:
* August: 05, 12, 19, and 26
* September: 02, 09, and 16
* October: 07, 14, 21, and 28
* November: 04 and 11
<u>Saturday</u>, from 9am to 12pm (BRT), on the following dates:
* September: 26
* October: 02
== '''Workload''' ==
45 hours (3 credits)
== '''Objectives''' ==
* Understand the physical principles governing integrated building performance;
* Develop and apply simulation and co-simulation models using interoperable computational tools;
* Assess building performance in terms of energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and moisture-related phenomena;
* Apply computational modeling to support the design, operation, and optimizazion.
== '''Tentative Topics of Study''' ==
Topics may be adjusted according to the interests of the students, ongoing research projects, and the expertise of participants.
'''Fundamentals (Nathan Mendes)'''
* Building physics fundamentals, including heat, air and moisture transfer processes
* Mass and energy balances in buildings and urban systems
'''Energy and Thermal Performance and Simulation (Nathan Mendes)'''
* Building envelope performance
* HVAC systems modeling and performance
* Thermal comfort
* Moisture-related risks
* Building energy performance evaluation
'''Co-Simulation and Interoperability (Walter Mazuroski)'''
* Co-simulation concepts and frameworks
* Functional Mock-up Interface (FMI) and Functional Mock-up Units (FMUs)
* Data exchange and interoperability
* Applications: Integration of building, HVAC, urban climate, and energy system models
'''IAQ and Co-simulation for assessment of contaminants (Marcos Batistella Lopes)'''
* Fundamentals of Indoor Air Quality
* Smart ventilation
* Contam
* Indoor air quality assessment
* Domus-Contam Co-Simulation
'''Emerging Research topics, Applications and Case Studies (All lecturers)'''
* Co-Simulation BPS-CFD
* High-performance buildings
* Net-zero and positive-energy buildings
* Urban Heat Island mitigation strategies
* Energy efficiency
* Energy transition in the city scale
* Anthropogenic heat emissions
* Positive Energy Districts
* Urban energy transition scenarios
* Climate change adaptation strategies
* Digital Twins for buildings, districts, and cities
== '''Simulation Tools''' ==
* '''DOMUS/EnergyPlus''' - building energy simulation
* '''CONTAM''' – airflow and indoor air quality analysis
* '''Python / MATLAB''' – data processing, model integration, parametric studies, and optimization
* Additional simulation, co-simulation platforms according to project requirements
== '''Evaluation''' ==
* 30% Computer assignments, simulations, projects, and exercises
* 15% Seminar presentation
* 35% Scientific article
* 20% Examination
Additional evaluation methods may be adopted depending on class size and course dynamics.
== '''References''' ==
# Hagentoft, C.-E. Introduction to Building Physics. Studentlitteratur, Lund, 2001.
# Hens, H. Building Physics: Heat, Air and Moisture – Fundamentals and Engineering Methods with Examples and Exercises. Ernst & Sohn, 3rd Edition, 2017.
# Mendes, N.; Chhay, M.; Berger, J.; Dutykh, D. Numerical Methods for Diffusion Phenomena in Building Physics: A Practical Introduction. Springer, 2019.
# ASHRAE Handbook Fundamentals. Latest Edition.
# Selected journal papers on Building Performance Simulation, Heat and Moisture Transfer, Urban Energy Systems, Positive Energy Districts, Digital Twins, and Sustainable Cities.
# Ongoing international collaborative research projects.
afexpb5oh493o3ttuzsbo88b3bqhlhf
2820458
2820457
2026-08-03T20:30:06Z
~2026-40194-64
3101573
2820458
wikitext
text/x-wiki
{{Prod|is this part of an actual course that will be offered?}}
== '''About''' ==
Course offered by the Graduate Programs in Mechanical Engineering (PPGEM) and Smart and Sustainable Cities (PPGCIS) at Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (PUCPR).
'''Areas of Interest''': Engineering, Data Science, Computer Science, Architecture and Urban Planning, and other fields.
'''Course instructors''': Nathan Mendes, Walter Mazuroski, Luciano Ayres de Mello, and Marcos Batistella Lopes.
== '''Course Description''' ==
This course explores the physical principles governing heat, air, moisture, and energy processes in buildings, emphasizing their role in building performance, energy efficiency, indoor air quality (IAQ), renewable energy integration, and sustainability. The course introduces integrated simulation approaches for analyzing the interactions among building components, HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) systems, occupants, and the surrounding environment. Special emphasis is placed on co-simulation and interoperable modeling using the Functional Mock-up Interface (FMI) standard, enabling the integration of multiple simulation tools and domains. Applications extend from individual buildings to districts and urban energy systems, providing the foundations for advanced research in sustainable buildings, energy transition, and future Digital Twin applications. The course combines theoretical foundations, computational modeling, hands-on simulation, and current research challenges in building performance and sustainable cities.
== '''Place and Time''' ==
'''Location''': To be determined (hybrid classes).
'''When''': 2026 2nd semester
<u>Wednesday</u>, from 3pm to 5pm (BRT), on the following dates:
* August: 12, 19, and 26
* September: 02, 09, and 16
* October: 07, 14, 21, and 28
* November: 04, 11, and 18
<u>Saturday</u>, from 9am to 12pm (BRT), on the following dates:
* September: 26
* October: 02
== '''Workload''' ==
45 hours (3 credits)
== '''Objectives''' ==
* Understand the physical principles governing integrated building performance;
* Develop and apply simulation and co-simulation models using interoperable computational tools;
* Assess building performance in terms of energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and moisture-related phenomena;
* Apply computational modeling to support the design, operation, and optimizazion.
== '''Tentative Topics of Study''' ==
Topics may be adjusted according to the interests of the students, ongoing research projects, and the expertise of participants.
'''Fundamentals (Nathan Mendes)'''
* Building physics fundamentals, including heat, air and moisture transfer processes
* Mass and energy balances in buildings and urban systems
'''Energy and Thermal Performance and Simulation (Nathan Mendes)'''
* Building envelope performance
* HVAC systems modeling and performance
* Thermal comfort
* Moisture-related risks
* Building energy performance evaluation
'''Co-Simulation and Interoperability (Walter Mazuroski)'''
* Co-simulation concepts and frameworks
* Functional Mock-up Interface (FMI) and Functional Mock-up Units (FMUs)
* Data exchange and interoperability
* Applications: Integration of building, HVAC, urban climate, and energy system models
'''IAQ and Co-simulation for assessment of contaminants (Marcos Batistella Lopes)'''
* Fundamentals of Indoor Air Quality
* Smart ventilation
* Contam
* Indoor air quality assessment
* Domus-Contam Co-Simulation
'''Emerging Research topics, Applications and Case Studies (All lecturers)'''
* Co-Simulation BPS-CFD
* High-performance buildings
* Net-zero and positive-energy buildings
* Urban Heat Island mitigation strategies
* Energy efficiency
* Energy transition in the city scale
* Anthropogenic heat emissions
* Positive Energy Districts
* Urban energy transition scenarios
* Climate change adaptation strategies
* Digital Twins for buildings, districts, and cities
== '''Simulation Tools''' ==
* '''DOMUS/EnergyPlus''' - building energy simulation
* '''CONTAM''' – airflow and indoor air quality analysis
* '''Python / MATLAB''' – data processing, model integration, parametric studies, and optimization
* Additional simulation, co-simulation platforms according to project requirements
== '''Evaluation''' ==
* 30% Computer assignments, simulations, projects, and exercises
* 15% Seminar presentation
* 35% Scientific article
* 20% Examination
Additional evaluation methods may be adopted depending on class size and course dynamics.
== '''References''' ==
# Hagentoft, C.-E. Introduction to Building Physics. Studentlitteratur, Lund, 2001.
# Hens, H. Building Physics: Heat, Air and Moisture – Fundamentals and Engineering Methods with Examples and Exercises. Ernst & Sohn, 3rd Edition, 2017.
# Mendes, N.; Chhay, M.; Berger, J.; Dutykh, D. Numerical Methods for Diffusion Phenomena in Building Physics: A Practical Introduction. Springer, 2019.
# ASHRAE Handbook Fundamentals. Latest Edition.
# Selected journal papers on Building Performance Simulation, Heat and Moisture Transfer, Urban Energy Systems, Positive Energy Districts, Digital Twins, and Sustainable Cities.
# Ongoing international collaborative research projects.
0vxty5xoy3js04wevuysk1zw3qotwit
Yonty Friesem on media education
0
330755
2820544
2819688
2026-08-04T06:08:33Z
DavidMCEddy
218607
highlights
2820544
wikitext
text/x-wiki
:''This discusses a 2026-07-31 interview with Yonty Friesem<ref name=Yonty><!--Yonty Friesem-->{{cite Q|Q140685186}}</ref> about media education, including a video and 29:00 mm:ss podcast excerpted from the interview. The podcast is released 2026-08-08 to the fortnightly "Media & Democracy" show<ref name=M&D><!--Media & Democracy-->{{cite Q|Q127839818}}</ref> syndicated for the [[w:Pacifica Foundation|Pacifica Radio]]<ref><!--Pacifica Radio Network-->{{cite Q|Q2045587}}</ref> Network of [[w:List of Pacifica Radio stations and affiliates|over 200 community radio stations]].''<ref><!--list of Pacifica Radio stations and affiliates-->{{cite Q|Q6593294}}</ref>
:''It is posted here to invite others to contribute other perspectives, subject to the Wikimedia rules of [[w:Wikipedia:Neutral point of view|writing from a neutral point of view]] while [[w:Wikipedia:Citing sources|citing credible sources]]<ref name=NPOV>The rules of writing from a neutral point of view citing credible sources may not be enforced on other parts of Wikiversity. However, they can facilitate dialog between people with dramatically different beliefs.</ref> and treating others with respect.''<ref name=AGF>[[Wikiversity:Assume good faith|Wikiversity asks contributors to assume good faith]], similar to Wikipedia. The rule in [[w:Wikinews|Wikinews]] was different: Contributors there were asked to [[Wikinews:Never assume|"Don't assume things; be skeptical about everything."]] That's wise. However, we should still treat others with respect while being skeptical.</ref>
<!--[[File:Yonty Friesem on media education.webm|thumb|2026-07-31 interview with Yonty Friesem about media education.]]-->
<!--[[File:Yonty Friesem on media education.ogg|thumb|29:00 mm:ss excerpted from a 2026-07-31 interview with Yonty Friesem about media education.]]-->
Yonty Friesem<ref name=Yonty/> discusses media literacy education and the Media Education Lab,<ref name=MEL><!--Media Education Lab-->{{cite Q|Q140686986}}</ref> of which they are Executive Director. Friesem is an award-winning educator, scholar and filmmaker and an Associate Professor of Communication at [[w:Columbia College Chicago|Columbia College Chicago]]. The Media Education Lab is an online community working to advance digital and media literacy education through leadership development, scholarship, and community engagement. It was founded in 2003 by by [[w:Renee Hobbs|Renee Hobbs]], then at [[w:Temple University|Temple University]]. It has team members, faculty and graduate students in many different countries.
Friesem completed a 4-year program in Video and Film Production at the Camera Obscura School of Art in Israel in 2001, a BA in Social Science and Humanities at the [[w:Open University of Israel|Open University of Israel]] in 2007, an MA in Management and Leadership in Education at [[w:Tel Aviv University|Tel Aviv University]] in 2010, and a PhD in Education at the [[w:University of Rhode Island|University of Rhode Island]] in 2015. (Hobbs was appointed the Founding Director of the Harrington School of Communication and Media at the University of Rhode Island in 2012.) Friesem joined Columbia College Chicago in 2018.
They are lead editor of (2022) ''The Routledge handbook on media education futures post-pandemic''. And they are author or a co-author of numerous other publications including the following:
* (2026) "Young people evaluating online information credibility. Special issue synthesis"<ref>Nestor et al. (2026).</ref>
* (2023) "Social Justice Education as an Intercultural Experience for Foreign Students in the United States"<ref>Yeh and Friesem (2023).</ref>
* (2021-12-29) "The secret sauce of online community of practice during COVID-19 pandemic: Nonviolent Communication"<ref>Y. Friesem and E. Friesem (2021).</ref>
* (2021-07-14) "The PARIS model: Creating a sustainable and participatory civic media with and for the community through immersive experiences"<ref>Y. Friesem (2021).</ref>
* (2021) "Media Literacy Education in the Era of Post-Truth: Paradigm Crisis"<ref>E. Friesem and Y. Friesem (2021).</ref>
* (2020-10-13) "It’s All About Control: How Giving Kids Control Over Access, Content, and Format of Their Media Production Advances Social and Emotional Learning"<ref>Friesem (2020-10-13).</ref>
* (2020-08-04) "Tuned In: The Importance of Peer Feedback with Foster Youth Creating Media"<ref>Friesem and Greene (2020).</ref>
Friesem is interviewed by Spencer Graves.<ref><!--Spencer Graves-->{{cite Q|Q56452480}}</ref>
== Highlights ==
:''These excerpts from the interview are rushed, lightly edited for readability, and may not be in final form. The ultimate authority on what was said is the accompanying video.''
When asked for the most important things he would like to communicate to this audience, Friesem replied, "Media literacy is not an intellectual kind of thing of scholars. This is something that everybody needs to think about and address with their own personal family, community, life. ... I think most of the concerns of our digital life right now are about those kind of habits of minds of how to work with technology and us controlling the technology and not the technology controlling us, which is the gist of what it means to be media literate."
=== Media and conflict? ===
Graves said, "I claim that primary drivers of every major conflict include differences between the media that the different parties find credible", and ask for Friesem's thoughts. They replied, {{quote|
That's part of it definitely, and I think there is a lack of empathy.
That's my niche within media literacy.
Much of the work on media literacy since the 60s and 80s has focused on cognitive analysis and rationalizing what's the information that you're gathering.
My claim is that we need to work on the emotional and social first, because we are where we are right now ... because we're not really empathizing or trying to understand the other person. We're just buried in our own echo chambers and fighting to say, "This is right, and you're wrong."}}
Graves then asked, "How do you get past that?" Friesem replied, {{quote|
That's a very tough thing to do, because it means that you need to start thinking about other people and how might other people think about this information in a different way. ...
That's one of the toughest questions in media literacy. By not looking at that, we're not empathizing with others and not looking at the humanity in each other and trying to find the connections instead of looking at the gaps and how the other person is wrong.}}
=== Media outlets want their audience to get angry ===
Graves noted that, "Some of my research says that Fox, especially, but really all major media outlets want their audience to get angry at the evil others", and requested feedback. Friesem agreed, saying {{quote|
It's always easy on the the left to blame Fox News. I'm not saying that Fox News are innocent of being very partisan, but MSNBC is also partisan. CNN is trying to claim they're not, but they have their different ways. We saw even in the first Trump administration how ''[[w:The New York Times|The New York Times]]'', ''[[w:The Washington Post|The Washington Post]]'' capitalize on having Trump on the head news every day ... .
The news media are definitely benefiting, money wise, from scandals, from making people outraged and have an emotional response to the titles. Most people are reading the titles and not necessarily the actual article that has more nuance .. .}}
=== 2024 Romanian presidential election ===
Graves noted that one of Friesem's recent papers with Nicola and Christina Nistor and Rares Bueran mentioned the annulment of the 2024 presidential election in Romania<ref>Nistor et al. (2026).</ref> and asked about that. Friesem replied, "In Romania, ... there were two major candidates, as we see in many places. One candidate was more centrist, and one was far right. And there was a use of TikTok in a manipulative way to persuade people toward the far right candidate who claimed to win the election. But then the Supreme Court of Romania looked at the evidence and saw the manipulation that was done through TikTok ... that was basically illegal from the laws about elections in Romania. ... They overruled those, and there were new election. The far right candidate, who was misusing the social media, got banned ... . This is very unique. ... In other places where far right candidates, who've been using social media, won and are in power right now."
Graves asked Friesem to compare that to the United States. They replied, "I think the United States is very unique. ...<ref>Freisem praise Sweden. The [[w:World Press Freedom Index|World Press Freedom Index]] Shows Scandanavia leading the world with the US rated "Problematic". See also [[#Free speech in the US vs. other countries|Free speech in the US vs. other countries]] in [[#Discussion|Discussion]] below.</ref> We have the somewhat vague definition of hate speech and also about violence, but that's really vague: Does the free speech incite violence? Can you prove that it incited violence? And if you cannot prove it, it's okay as free speech. That doesn't include hate speech, ... but that's a very legal battle that is fought in higher courts ... .<ref>For more on free speech in the US see the [[Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression|2026-07-02 interview with Robert Corn-Revere]], Chief Counsel at the [[w:Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression|Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression]]. See also [[#Free speech in the US vs. other countries|Free speech in the US vs. other countries]] in [[#Discussion|Discussion]] below.</ref> At the end of the day, the freedom expression in the U.S. is really open, unlike almost any other country in the world."
=== Recommendations ===
Graves then asked what Friesem thinks should be done to reduce the threats posed by the media literacy problems that they and others have documented. Friesem replied, {{quote|
As somebody who's been involved in media literacy for 35 years at least, I'm saying that media literacy is not the silver bullet or the ultimate solution. ...
It's one of the pillars, but we also need social change, cultural change. We need to really address issues of poverty, of inequality, because education cannot solve something that is social economical. Just to say we're going to teach everybody to be media literate while you don't have food in your fridge is not going to help.<ref>Other experts insist that poverty can only be improved by improving media literacy, as discussed in the preface / landing page of the book-in-progress on [[Media Literacy and You]]; see the section on [[#Media and poverty|Media and poverty]] in the [[#Discussion|Discussion]] below for more on this.</ref>
The young voters that are my students have a lot of social conscience. As part of what we're experiencing now with the second Trump administration, I believe there will be a big wave from the young generation that will come and address the social issues that we see. ...}}
=== Media Education Lab ===
Graves asked, "What is the Media Education Lab?" Friesem replied, "The Media Education Lab is a community of learners that has been built for over 23 years. It's a group of people devoted to media literacy, creating curriculum, doing professional development and research. ..."
Graves asked, "With scholars and graduate students all over the world?"
Friesem confirmed, "Yes, it's an international group."
Graves asked, "What would you say are the most important things the Media Education Lab has done?"
Friesem replied, {{quote|
We just finished a grant for the State Department to help Palestinian educators learn all the new innovative ways that we're using media and AI literacy to teach young Palestinians about how to use social media. We were able through a campaign online to reach more than 2 million people in the West Bank and Gaza to learn about media literacy from an online campaign done by the youth who were taught by the instructors that we were teaching for a year ... .<ref>
We just published a day ago the report about it on our platform, so you can see all the work that we have done and the impact that we did.
</ref>
Also, we've been developing social media standards for what you need to do in schools to teach about social media. Even students who don't have social media yet, but as a prevention way, we call it pause to map, and map is manage, analyze, and participate. ...}}
=== The role of music, poetry, fiction, art in media literacy ===
Graves asked Friesem to describe the role of music, poetry, fiction, art, and media literacy. They replied, {{quote|
Media is any mediated communication. It can be art murals, plays by Shakespeare, the Bible. Teaching the Bible and analyzing the Bible is media literacy.
A lot of people think that the word "media" means digital, but it doesn't have to be. Media literacy includes looking at all the classics and all the art and knowing how to analyze it.
I just came back from a trip in Spain and Italy and Greece and Norway. It was amazing to see art there. I was with my two kids and seeing how they understand and interpret the art and asking them questions to have their minds starting to think about the analysis and synthesis with other things that they're aware of. And they're using YouTube videos to learn more about the context of those art pieces before they see the art piece and after they see the art piece. ... Although they're young, eight and 10, we have a really intellectual discussion about the art piece, which for me is again a baseline of what does it mean to be media literate.}}
=== Motivation to learn media literacy? ===
Graves asked, "What do you find that best motivates humans to learn more about media literacy?" Friesem replied, {{quote|
Unfortunately, something happens, and then they think, "Okay, I don't like what just happened on social media or in a fight with a relative or an article or something that happened. They have different points of view and different resources to talk about and refer to. Only then are people going to media literacy. And many educators are frustrated with what's happening with attention deficit and concentrating in the classroom, and they're looking for tools. Then they discover, "Media literacy is addressing all of those things, and that's what we need right now with our students, with our kids, with our family."
It's very easy to blame everything on kids and saying they don't know, and they need to learn at school. I was part of the people who advanced the mandate to teach media literacy to high school students in Illinois.
But we can see from research that senior citizens are more susceptible than young people to mis- and disinformation on social media like Facebook. There's no way to force adults to come to a workshop, but you can mandate media literacy as part of the curriculum like math and languages. Part of the real struggle right now as a society is how do we help adults to acquire their own media literacy skills? Public libraries are doing amazing, important work, but there are not enough people who are coming and taking that. Some people do take advantage, which is great, but not enough are doing it.}}
=== Intercultural communicative competence ===
Graves asked about, "intercultural communicative competence." Friesem replied, {{quote|
That goes back to my initial statement about empathy: "Intercultural" is understanding your identity but also being open to the fact that other people have other beliefs, ... We need to be able to have a dialog with them and not just argue, "I'm right, you're wrong," because that's not even a debate.<ref>Yeh and Friesem (2024).</ref>
I'm not a big fan of debates. I'm a more fan of social deliberations, which I think comes as a dialog and not just as a fight. ...
Presidential election debates are like a ring with two wrestlers.
I prefer a dialog and discussion that has a lot of content and really going back and forth with questions and mutual respect, not a fight to make the other look stupid ..., which is often what we seen in televised debates.}}
Graves noted that "intercultural communicative competence" is discussed in his paper with Ellen Yeh on "social justice education as an intercultural experience for foreign students in the US."<ref>Yeh and Friesem (2023).</ref>
Friesem said, 'That was a very special research that we did in Ellen's class. She is teaching public speaking to international students while introducing them to American values in a way that might improve their understanding of the education system of their own country.
But what do we mean by "public speaking in the United States"? Looking at speeches by [[w:Barack Obama|Obama]], [[w:Oprah Winfrey|Oprah Winfrey]], different [[w:TED (conference)|TED talks]] and analyzing them from a media literacy perspective. That's helpful for not just learning media literacy but also understanding the cultural differences, which can be discussed in class. ... If I'm coming from Brazil suddenly I'm learning of something from Zimbabwe and then we can learn something about India, China. This supports a dialog about cultural and intercultural competencies and the differences -- acknowledging differences, accepting them, welcoming them, and knowing how to behave differently when you're in that cultural context.
=== Virtual reality and media literacy ===
Graves then asked about [[w:Virtual reality|virtual reality]] and media literacy. Friesem repled, {{quote|
Fourteen years ago, I went to the [[w:Museum of the Moving Image|Museum of Motion Pictures]] in [[w:Queens|Queens]]. They had a [[w:Virtual reality|VR]] exhibition. I think the movie ''[[w:Clouds Over Sidra|Clouds Over Sidra]]'' was one of the first documentaries done in VR. I put the helmet on and was really amazed, because I felt like I was in the refugee camp with Sidra, the teenager who was walking us through her day in the life. It was very impactful. As I put down my headset from the VR and came back to the museum space, I thought, "That was cool." I felt for 10 minutes that I was like a Palestinian refugee in Lebanon. But what happened to Sidra, the girl?
Several years later the director of the film was claiming that VR is an empathy machine. I thought, "That was not really my experience." My experience was yes, I was there, because my eyes deceive me. I could move and see 360 of the places. But my empathy towards Sidra was not really addressed.
Then I learned that this movie helped UNICEF get millions of dollars in donations. I realized that it's not an empathy machine, it's a donation machine. ...<ref>Friesem (2021).</ref>}}
=== Nonviolent Communication ===
Graves asked about [[w:Nonviolent Communication|Nonviolent Communication]]. Friesem replied, {{quote|
This goes back to my comment in the beginning, that any analysis must include social and emotional regulation.
Nonviolence Communication by [[w:Marshall Rosenberg|Marshall Rosenberg]] is giving us the steps to get there. Before we start analyzing or trying to deal with a conflict, we first need to regulate ourselves to feel heard, to make sure that the other person understands our needs, understands our perspective of how we observe things. Then we should make sure that we are requesting something that is doable from the other person. ...
The first thing is to focus on the nonviolent stages of connecting to each other. That's the intercultural competency. That's the empathy. All the things that we talked about is bringing it together before we get into the intellectual deliberation on whatever topic we want to discuss.<ref>Y. Friesem and E. Friesem (2021).</ref>}}
=== Peer feedback and foster youth ===
Graves asked about the importance of peer feedback and with foster youth. Friesem replied, {{quote|
When I came to the University of Rhode Island, I was introduced to an amazing project called First Star Academies,<ref><!--First Star Academies-->{{cite Q|Q140841585}}</ref> which is a non-for-profit in Hollywood that helps foster youth. Statistically being in foster care puts you at the most disadvantage to have a graduate degree, no matter your gender, no matter your race.
The foster care system has its own issues, and each state has their own struggle with it. As a nation we're not doing enough to help foster youth to have a leverage and get into higher education. That program was doing that.
We were teaching media literacy in that program that was helping high school youth in the summer on a university campus. Many at the University of Rhode Island and other campuses are doing that. ...
But we looked at how feedback was given. We started with what we thought was great [[w:sandwich feedback|sandwich feedback]]. ... You want to get to the meat, which is the criticism, but you try to sugarcoat it with some positive thing in the beginning, your actual criticism, and then another sugar sugar coating of like some positive thing.
And we thought that would be an amazing way of providing feedback.
But the students from the foster care taught us that they're smart enough to know the sugar coating, and they're only listening to the criticism, and that's really disruptive for them.
In one extreme case, a student knew that it was coming, and he couldn't handle it. He was working on a website and knowing that he's going to hear criticism about his website, he deleted all his work just so that he won't get criticism.
That was a big alarm for us to say, "Okay, that kind of sandwich feedback ... is disruptive and not helpful. We need to find another way." And that's how we develop the empathic feedback that doesn't have any criticism.
It has wonders from the perspective of the person saying, "I think, I believe. And so, when you hear that, it also helps you kind of putting it in an empathic way of like, "Okay, that's your beliefs. I think in a different way, and I might disagree with you."
So that was this publication. Since then we've been using it in different ways, like talking about what is the importance of empathy in providing feedback and not just giving what's called "constructive criticism", which is still criticism and is really not helpful. So that has been really a core research of mine of looking how empathy can be helpful in media literacy as we provide feedback to students and other participants.<ref>Friesem and Greene (2020).</ref>}}
=== Columbia College Chicago ===
Graves asked, "What's Columbia College Chicago?" Freisem replied, {{quote|
Columbia College Chicago is an art and communication school that is based on hands-on experience. The students who are coming to Columbia want to be professionals in their field. If it's theater, if it's voiceover, if it's animation, if it's journalism, you name it. And so they're taught by people like me who have academic credentials like I have a PhD in education, but I was a filmmaker, I was a journalist, so I'm bringing my experience, professional experience, with the academics, and most of the faculty are still working in the field,
And you come to Columbia to really own your skills as a professional, knowing that from the first semester you're going to have hands-on experience, and you're going to work with professional people.
A lot of our internship are paid, and a lot of them are connected with the media market in Chicago, which is the third largest market after New York and Los Angeles.
The students can go and have experiences in theater, in news, in media, in cinema, all the different types of art and communication that exist ... .
That's what's so cool about Columbia: Our students are very diverse with a minority-serving institution, and they're coming to be professional. And that's what you get in the class. You're with peer groups who want to be professional in that field that you're interested in.}}
Graves asked, "No relationship with Columbia University?" Friesem replied, "No, there are a lot of Columbia colleges around the country, and that's why the full name is Columbia College Chicago, so you know which one it is that you're talking about."
=== In sum ===
When asked for final words, Friesem said, {{quote|
The most important thing in media literacy that you need to know -- and the cheapest but hardest thing -- is to pause.
That's the first thing from our program. If you pause for 90 seconds, your dopamine and adrenaline drops, and you can not think from your lizard brain that was activated by the emotions of whatever post you saw. Instead, you can calm down and really think: Does it mean that it's true, what I'm reading? Did it try to activate me in a way?
If all of us would take those 90 seconds to pause, our world would be in a much better place.}}
== The need for media reform to improve democracy ==
This article is part of [[:category:Media reform to improve democracy]]. A summary of episodes to 2025-11-15 is available in [[Media & Democracy lessons for the future]].
See also the book-in-progress ''[[Media Literacy and You]]''.
==Discussion ==
:''[Interested readers are invited to comment here, subject to the Wikimedia rules of [[w:Wikipedia:Neutral point of view|writing from a neutral point of view]] [[w:Wikipedia:Citing sources|citing credible sources]]<ref name=NPOV/> and treating others with respect.<ref name=AGF/>]''
=== Free speech in the US vs. other countries ===
Friesem said, "I think the United States is very unique" regarding its laws regulating speech. They praise Sweden.
However, the [[w:World Press Freedom Index|World Press Freedom Index]] shows Scandanavia leading the world, consitent with what Friesem said about Sweden, but the US is rated "Problematic", which suggests that the US may not be living up to the values that Friesem described as "unique".
For more on free speech in the US see the [[Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression|2026-07-02 interview with Robert Corn-Revere]], Chief Counsel at the [[w:Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression|Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression]].
=== Media and poverty ===
Friesem said (above), "that media literacy is not the silver bullet ... [Making everyone] media literate while you don't have like food in your fridge is not going to help." Research summarized in the preface / landing page of the book-in-progress on ''[[Media Literacy and You]]'' claims the opposite: The industrial revolution and the reduction of poverty from the policies of US President [[w:Franklin D. Roosevelt|Franklin Roosevelt]] dramatically improved the lot of the poor and middle class in the US, enabled by diverse ownership of the major media. Increased concentration of ownership of the major media in the US shifted the [[w:Overton window|terms of acceptable political debate]] in the US to the point that inequality and poverty in the US began increasing again after [[w:Ronald Reagan|Ronald Reagan]] became president. Plots of data supporting these claims are included in the chapters in that book on "[[Media Literacy and You/The impact of the media on political economy since the time of the Pharaohs|The impact of the media on political economy since the time of the Pharaohs]]" and "[[Media Literacy and You/Fox, the Great Depression, the Great Recession, and our future|Fox, the Great Depression, the Great Recession, and our future]]".
== Notes ==
{{reflist}}
== Bibliography ==
* <!--Joshua A. Fisher, ed. (2021) Augmented and Mixed Reality for Communities-->{{cite Q|Q140706704|author=Joshua A. Fisher, ed.}}
* <!--Elizaveta Friesem and Yonty Friesem (2021-01-01) Media Literacy Education in the Era of Post-Truth: Paradigm Crisis-->{{cite Q|Q140738490|chapter=ch. 33 in Khosrow-pour et al., eds.}}
* <!--Yonty Friesem, ed. (2022) The Routledge handbook on media education futures post-pandemic-->{{cite Q|Q140705564|author=Yonty Friesem, ed.}}
* <!--Yonty Friesem (2021-07-14) The PARIS model: Creating a sustainable and participatory civic media with and for the community through immersive experiences-->{{cite Q|Q140706700|chapter=ch. 3 in Fisher, ed.}}
* <!--Yonty Friesem (2020-10-13) It’s All About Control: How Giving Kids Control Over Access, Content, and Format of Their Media Production Advances Social and Emotional Learning-->{{cite Q|Q140707050}}
* <!--Yonty Friesem and Elizaveta Friesem (2021-12-29) "The secret sauce of online community of practice during COVID-19 pandemic: Nonviolent Communication-->{{cite Q|Q140706479}}
* <!--Yonty Friesem and Kelsey Greene (2020-08-04) Tuned In: The Importance of Peer Feedback with Foster Youth Creating Media-->{{cite Q|Q140707249}}
* <!--Mehdi Khosrowpour et al., eds. (Research Anthology on Fake News, Political Warfare, and Combatting the Spread of Misinformation-->{{cite Q|Q140738510|author=Mehdi Khosrowpour et al., eds.}}
* <!-- Nicolae Nistor, Yonty Friesem, Cristina Nistor, and Rares Beuran (2026-06-18) "Young people evaluating online information credibility. Special issue synthesis", Computers in Human Behavior-->{{cite Q|Q140705851}}
* <!--Ellen Yeh and Yonty Friesem (2023) Social Justice Education as an Intercultural Experience for Foreign Students in the United States-->{{cite Q|Q129327420}}
[[Category:Media]]
[[Category:News]]
[[Category:Democracy]]
[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Education]]
[[Category:Media literacy]]
[[Category:Media reform to improve democracy]]
<!--list of categories
https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Wikiversity:Category_Review
[[Wikiversity:Category Review]]-->
ke02rwm7q36mtuxkofq6ptzh5l2nng9
User:Jaredscribe/Origin Theories
2
330926
2820459
2820438
2026-08-03T22:29:54Z
Jaredscribe
2906761
2820459
wikitext
text/x-wiki
[[User:Jaredscribe/Weekly Learning Schedule for Natural Philosophy]]
[[w:Abiogenesis|Abiogenesis]]
Big Bang
[[w:The God Delusion]] by [[w:Richard Dawkins]]
[[w:The Story of Everything]] film based on [[w:Stephen_C._Meyer|Stephen C. Meyer]]'s 2021 book ''[[w:Return_of_the_God_Hypothesis|Return of the God Hypothesis]]''.<ref name="bp" /> Backed by the [[w:Discovery_Institute|Discovery Institute]]. Central thesis is [[w:Intelligent_design|intelligent design]], which the mainstream scientific community classifies as [[pseudoscience]]. The [[w:American_Association_for_the_Advancement_of_Science|American Association for the Advancement of Science]], the [[w:National_Academies_of_Sciences,_Engineering,_and_Medicine|National Academy of Sciences]], and the [[w:National_Science_Teaching_Association|National Science Teaching Association]] have issued statements concluding that intelligent design is not science,<ref name="aaas" /><ref name="nas" /><ref name="nsta" /> and in ''[[w:Kitzmiller_v._Dover_Area_School_District|Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District]]'' (2005) a federal court ruled that intelligent design is a religious rather than scientific proposition.<ref name="kitzmiller" />
[[w:Edwin_Hubble|Edwin Hubble]] detects [[w:Redshift|Redshift]] in [[w:Nebula|Nebulae]] indicating [[Galaxies and the Expanding Universe|galaxies]] are moving away.
[[w:Steady-state_model|Steady state model]] of the Universe - universe infintely old.
[[w:Einstein's_field_equations|Einstein's field equations]] predict [[w:Expansion_of_the_universe|expanding universe]]?
Laimaitre meets Einstein at a conferene in 1927
Einstein acknowledges that his fine-tuning of the cosmological constant was the biggest blunder of his scientific career.
1960's implication of General Relativity
[[w:Black_hole|Black hole physics]] - The [[w:Singularity_theory|singularity]] infinite density and infinitely tight space-time curvature.
[[w:Gravitational_singularity|Gravitational singularity]], in general relativity, a point in which gravity is so intense that spacetime itself becomes ill-defined
[[w:Initial_singularity|Initial singularity]], a hypothesized singularity of infinite density before quantum fluctuations caused the Big Bang and subsequent inflation that created the Universe
[[w:Penrose–Hawking_singularity_theorems|Penrose–Hawking singularity theorems]], in general relativity theory, theorems about how gravitation produces singularities such as in black holes.
Jay Richards
[[w:Fine-tuned_universe|Fine-tuned_universe]]
[[w:Fred_Hoyle|Fred Hoyle]] discovered that our universe is fine-tuned for life. Tries to explain abundance of [[w:Carbon]] in the universe. Not the big bang or steady state could form Carbon.. only possible to be synthesized in the bellies of stars. [[w:Beryllium]] and [[w:Helium-3|w:Helium]] combine to make Carbon? [[w:William_Fowler_(physicist)|William Fowler]].
[[w:Flagellum|Bacterial flagellum]] [[w:Flagellar_motor_switch_protein|Flagellar motor switch protein]]
[[w:ATP_synthase|ATP synthesase]] [[w:Molecular_machine|molecular machines]]
James Watson & Francis Crick discover [[w:Nucleic_acid_double_helix|double-helix]] structure of [[w:DNA|DNA]] suggested duplication process
Discovers that in accord with an independent symbol convention that gives them ability to transmit information. Digital bit string. Carrying information for the construction of proteins.
David Kenyon
Codes within codes within codes. Can be read backwards. Overlapping. Bill Gates - like software, but more complicated than anything we've created.
[[Problem of gratuitous beauty]] in evolutionary biology. Aristotle: product of some rational structure from the Universe.
True theories often convey a beauty or structural harmony.
ofea1fkif1oe2ewly0fl3t8s0ia1727
File:LCal.9A.Recursion.20260803.pdf
6
330927
2820549
2026-08-04T09:41:05Z
Young1lim
21186
{{Information
|Description=LCal.9A: Recursion (20260803 - 20260801)
|Source={{own|Young1lim}}
|Date=2026-08-04
|Author=Young W. Lim
|Permission={{self|GFDL|cc-by-sa-4.0,3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0}}
}}
2820549
wikitext
text/x-wiki
== Summary ==
{{Information
|Description=LCal.9A: Recursion (20260803 - 20260801)
|Source={{own|Young1lim}}
|Date=2026-08-04
|Author=Young W. Lim
|Permission={{self|GFDL|cc-by-sa-4.0,3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0}}
}}
== Licensing ==
{{self|GFDL|cc-by-sa-4.0,3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0}}
146qvchc2uzn8jgbq3tlxozyp911i18
File:LCal.9A.Recursion.20260804.pdf
6
330928
2820551
2026-08-04T09:42:24Z
Young1lim
21186
{{Information
|Description=LCal.9A: Recursion (20260804 - 20260803)
|Source={{own|Young1lim}}
|Date=2026-08-04
|Author=Young W. Lim
|Permission={{self|GFDL|cc-by-sa-4.0,3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0}}
}}
2820551
wikitext
text/x-wiki
== Summary ==
{{Information
|Description=LCal.9A: Recursion (20260804 - 20260803)
|Source={{own|Young1lim}}
|Date=2026-08-04
|Author=Young W. Lim
|Permission={{self|GFDL|cc-by-sa-4.0,3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0}}
}}
== Licensing ==
{{self|GFDL|cc-by-sa-4.0,3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0}}
dgwrh4jtiq02h07236f5plkmtoeg9gr
File:Data.Object.1A.20260803.pdf
6
330929
2820553
2026-08-04T09:55:12Z
Young1lim
21186
{{Information
|Description=Data.1A: Data Object (202600803 - 20260801)
|Source={{own|Young1lim}}
|Date=2026-08-04
|Author=Young W. Lim
|Permission={{self|GFDL|cc-by-sa-4.0,3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0}}
}}
2820553
wikitext
text/x-wiki
== Summary ==
{{Information
|Description=Data.1A: Data Object (202600803 - 20260801)
|Source={{own|Young1lim}}
|Date=2026-08-04
|Author=Young W. Lim
|Permission={{self|GFDL|cc-by-sa-4.0,3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0}}
}}
== Licensing ==
{{self|GFDL|cc-by-sa-4.0,3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0}}
ognm3657zv0s81wqyj4kdm2xvaz0f2r
File:Data.Object.1A.20260804.pdf
6
330930
2820555
2026-08-04T09:55:55Z
Young1lim
21186
{{Information
|Description=Data.1A: Data Object (202600804 - 20260803)
|Source={{own|Young1lim}}
|Date=2026-08-04
|Author=Young W. Lim
|Permission={{self|GFDL|cc-by-sa-4.0,3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0}}
}}
2820555
wikitext
text/x-wiki
== Summary ==
{{Information
|Description=Data.1A: Data Object (202600804 - 20260803)
|Source={{own|Young1lim}}
|Date=2026-08-04
|Author=Young W. Lim
|Permission={{self|GFDL|cc-by-sa-4.0,3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0}}
}}
== Licensing ==
{{self|GFDL|cc-by-sa-4.0,3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0}}
exj64fdu4p9ozvlk8i7gsvh9e3qiuwy
File:NM.NLE.2Newton.20260803.pdf
6
330931
2820557
2026-08-04T10:21:50Z
Young1lim
21186
{{Information
|Description=2. Newton-Raphson Method (20260803 - 20260801)
|Source={{own|Young1lim}}
|Date=2026-08-03
|Author=Young W. Lim
|Permission={{self|GFDL|cc-by-sa-3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0}}
}}
2820557
wikitext
text/x-wiki
== Summary ==
{{Information
|Description=2. Newton-Raphson Method (20260803 - 20260801)
|Source={{own|Young1lim}}
|Date=2026-08-03
|Author=Young W. Lim
|Permission={{self|GFDL|cc-by-sa-3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0}}
}}
== Licensing ==
{{self|GFDL|cc-by-sa-4.0,3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0}}
nxxz2rib0ecn8yg8r0guxewmgdckrtm
2820559
2820557
2026-08-04T10:22:37Z
Young1lim
21186
/* Summary */
2820559
wikitext
text/x-wiki
== Summary ==
{{Information
|Description=2. Newton-Raphson Method (20260803 - 20260801)
|Source={{own|Young1lim}}
|Date=2026-08-04
|Author=Young W. Lim
|Permission={{self|GFDL|cc-by-sa-3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0}}
}}
== Licensing ==
{{self|GFDL|cc-by-sa-4.0,3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0}}
gs0g0l476k6mtc4txlkjczw14qrdtfc
File:NM.NLE.2Newton.20260804.pdf
6
330932
2820560
2026-08-04T10:22:57Z
Young1lim
21186
{{Information
|Description=2. Newton-Raphson Method (20260804 - 20260803)
|Source={{own|Young1lim}}
|Date=2026-08-04
|Author=Young W. Lim
|Permission={{self|GFDL|cc-by-sa-3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0}}
}}
2820560
wikitext
text/x-wiki
== Summary ==
{{Information
|Description=2. Newton-Raphson Method (20260804 - 20260803)
|Source={{own|Young1lim}}
|Date=2026-08-04
|Author=Young W. Lim
|Permission={{self|GFDL|cc-by-sa-3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0}}
}}
== Licensing ==
{{self|GFDL|cc-by-sa-4.0,3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0}}
pbwqo9clqzvzbwqadf2w2g36869tspp
File:Python.Work2.Library.1A.20260803.pdf
6
330933
2820562
2026-08-04T11:44:38Z
Young1lim
21186
{{Information
|Description=Work2.1A: Libraries (20260803 - 20260801)
|Source={{own|Young1lim}}
|Date=2026-08-04
|Author=Young W. Lim
|Permission={{self|GFDL|cc-by-sa-4.0,3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0}}
}}
2820562
wikitext
text/x-wiki
== Summary ==
{{Information
|Description=Work2.1A: Libraries (20260803 - 20260801)
|Source={{own|Young1lim}}
|Date=2026-08-04
|Author=Young W. Lim
|Permission={{self|GFDL|cc-by-sa-4.0,3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0}}
}}
== Licensing ==
{{self|GFDL|cc-by-sa-4.0,3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0}}
fpw9cdka5usxzd5o30wxmif3vi6nw90
File:Python.Work2.Library.1A.20260804.pdf
6
330934
2820564
2026-08-04T11:45:37Z
Young1lim
21186
{{Information
|Description=Work2.1A: Libraries (20260804 - 20260803)
|Source={{own|Young1lim}}
|Date=2026-08-04
|Author=Young W. Lim
|Permission={{self|GFDL|cc-by-sa-4.0,3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0}}
}}
2820564
wikitext
text/x-wiki
== Summary ==
{{Information
|Description=Work2.1A: Libraries (20260804 - 20260803)
|Source={{own|Young1lim}}
|Date=2026-08-04
|Author=Young W. Lim
|Permission={{self|GFDL|cc-by-sa-4.0,3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0}}
}}
== Licensing ==
{{self|GFDL|cc-by-sa-4.0,3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0}}
lw55xsg1lfq6fe84yfr4wpmp7nrl1cf