Naked Science Forum
General Discussion & Feedback => Just Chat! => Topic started by: paul.fr on 24/03/2007 07:41:58
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Why do we change the time by one hour, in the summer and Autumn (fall)?
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It originally started out to protect during times of war but that was here in america, perhaps there to. Gave you all mor protection from air raids etc.
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interesting.....i heard it was someting to do with giving farmers extra daylight during the winter months...
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I have heard hat too but originally there was the bombing issue. they may have been hand in hand but I don't think so.!
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I had never heard the issue about bombing (although I suppose it makes some sense, since both bombing a fuel saving are about reducing the use of artificial lighting).
Trouble is that it is fairly meaningless these days, since most factories and offices use artificial lighting throughout the day (large open plan offices do not allow enough natural light to the centre of the work area even during the hours of daylight - and then they also close the curtains to prevent sunlight from producing glare on VDU screens).
The argument about farming is rather nonsensical - a cow does not know anything about clocks - and in any case, less than 2% of the population are any longer employed in agriculture.
Ofcourse, when they suspended the change of clocks for a year, and one school kid got run over in the morning, it because a cause célèbre - ignoring the fact that for about a week after the change in clocks there is always a rise in accidents as everybody is getting used to the new time zone.
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I don't think anyone knows...though I am sure the original reason must be written down somewhere and stored in some file in some government department.
I've heard the farming thing many times too..(never the bombing but as Karen says..that may be particular to the US)
Wiki does have an article about it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_time The premise that it's for having more light in the evening so that there is more time for daylight activities seems reasonable.
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Doc B to the rescue once again!
The form of governmental tampering has generally been the institution of Summer Time, advancing the legal time by one hour during the summer months in order to promote greater efficiency in the use of the daylight hours and of artificial lighting; originally introduced as a wartime measure in 1916, this has been continued through peacetime as well, with occasional variations such as double summer time (advancing the clocks by a second hour for part of the summer) in World War 2
(from http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~jsm28/british-time/ (http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~jsm28/british-time/))
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Doc B to the rescue once again!
The form of governmental tampering has generally been the institution of Summer Time, advancing the legal time by one hour during the summer months in order to promote greater efficiency in the use of the daylight hours and of artificial lighting; originally introduced as a wartime measure in 1916, this has been continued through peacetime as well, with occasional variations such as double summer time (advancing the clocks by a second hour for part of the summer) in World War 2
(from http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~jsm28/british-time/ (http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~jsm28/british-time/))
Thank you, Super Doc B
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Doc B to the rescue once again!
The form of governmental tampering has generally been the institution of Summer Time, advancing the legal time by one hour during the summer months in order to promote greater efficiency in the use of the daylight hours and of artificial lighting; originally introduced as a wartime measure in 1916, this has been continued through peacetime as well, with occasional variations such as double summer time (advancing the clocks by a second hour for part of the summer) in World War 2
(from http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~jsm28/british-time/ (http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~jsm28/british-time/))
That is more like what I was taught in school.I understand that there was also a light kerfew so to speak where if you had a candle lit or something that it couldn't be seen from outside made you less of a target for air raids etc. People had to cover their windows and take measures to not be seen after certain hours! That is at least what we were taught! If they cannot see you it makes you a harder target so to speak!
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I don't think anyone knows...though I am sure the original reason must be written down somewhere and stored in some file in some government department.
I've heard the farming thing many times too..(never the bombing but as Karen says..that may be particular to the US)
Wiki does have an article about it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_time The premise that it's for having more light in the evening so that there is more time for daylight activities seems reasonable.
I would hazard to guess that is what they were teaching us in our history books arond my 6th to 8th grade years, so late 60's early 70's !
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You are right Karen W, the kerfew as you call it was called a "blackout" in the UK.
Blackout wardens would patrol the streets at night and anyone caught disobeying the blackout rules could be fined.
The saving was introduced during the war but recently it has become a topic because of the energy saving implications. I think the US is moving forward the date that DST starts this year because of it.
edit: I'm dumb, only just realised I have to set the clocks tonight! [:I]
TMM
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You are right Karen W, the kerfew as you call it was called a "blackout" in the UK.
Blackout wardens would patrol the streets at night and anyone caught disobeying the blackout rules could be fined.
The saving was introduced during the war but recently it has become a topic because of the energy saving implications. I think the US is moving forward the date that DST starts this year because of it.
edit: I'm dumb, only just realised I have to set the clocks tonight! [:I]
TMM
I thought me remembered correctly as I did love history in school, don't remember much now, but do recall some! LOL Interesting anyway!
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Well, the clocks have gone forward already over here....so happy spring time !!
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..........apart from this websites clock !!...LOL
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Well, the clocks have gone forward already over here....so happy spring time !!
Happy Springtime to you too Neil, I hope spring is full of lovely new life all around!! SO we are back to an 8 hour time difference eh? 6:50 pm here and 2:50 am there?
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"..........apart from this websites clock !!...LOL"
Given that not all the contributors to this site are in the Northern hemisphere, should the website's clock go backwards or forwards?
Happy Autumn to those people down under.
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My clock is still off and I am going to Europe soon...aagghh!
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its always the same time in the "NOW" [^] [;D]
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Mine are constantly 8 hrs and 7 minutes ahead of London time. Before they sprang forward in london yesterday, for 1 week previous I was 7 hours and 7 minutes ahead then they switched last night!! LOL