LAB 017 - FALL BACK
CHEAT SHEET
ABOUT THE EPISODE
Daylight Saving time has just ended and we are NOT happy! In this lab, we take a closer look at this yearly practice to find out whose bright idea this was, what time is, and if anything is REALLY saved with daylight saving.
ABOUT THE EXPERT
Dr. Laura Grant is professor at Claremont McKenna College and studies environmental and public economics. She did a study that showed how Daylight Saving affects energy us
EXTRA TIDBITS & LINKS
Daylight saving time has ended and once again we are asking ourselves, “what is this for?!” I this episode we try and get to the bottom of this yearly practice land figure out whether or not anything is actually saved.
Daylight Saving was an idea that Benjamin Franklin came up with to save energy. He initially suggested the practice as a joke to give he and his buddies more time to hang out and burn less candles what he called “the economy of sunshine”...we aren’t joking you can read the entire doc from 1784 here
This joke was adopted by a lot of countries all around the world. But not everyone. Even within the United States, not every state recognizes Daylight Saving.
But what is time really? We discuss the social construct in detail. The atomic clock in Boulder, CO dictates time for the world. It does this by measuring 1 second (VERY accurately) over and over. Click here for the official time right now! It’s a pretty complicated way to determine the time but it works because it links time to something that can be standardized.
Who does Daylight Saving benefit...it feels like NO ONE. But it does benefit folks that are into afternoon/evening activities, it decreases crime, and it helps our economy.
Dr. Grant talks about the possibility of moving into a “post clock” society, where different communities would define hours that work for them. We are kind of moving in that direction with teleworking and “flex” scheduling . Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!