According to the lecture on the social construction of time, computer programmers and astronomers are in a dispute over which unit of time?

Leap seconds

Explanation:

A leap second is a phenomenon in time science in which a one-second adjustment is applied at a certain period to a Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), for the purpose of keeping the year and a second synced.

However, due to the variation in Earth's rotation speed in response to climatic and geological events, UTC leap seconds are mostly irregularly spaced and unpredictable.

Hence, computer programmers and astronomers are in a dispute over LEAP SECONDS

they could have terrible tropical storms which will destroy the crops in the colonies

answer; a council of the best hunters;