CLOCKS

[Shawnee123]

Originally Posted by tw

Technology is not the problem. The problem was Congress that simply changed the 'time change' date. Then technology does not change times properly for two weeks.

Worse, the Congress that made that change did so for political reasons - not for any reason based in science.

I guess that's why I doubted my clocks: since it was moved up I didn't know if my clocks would "know." Someone must have told them, because they updated just fine.

I'm curious, though, what were the political reasons? I think DST started for the farmers, right? Well, that's what I've heard though I don't know why that would be either...farmers run their big machines all night around these parts.

[glatt]

When I was a kid, everyone used to blame it on the farmers, but I think that's an urban myth. Farmers are the one profession that doesn't do anything by the clock. They follow signals given to them by mother nature, not by some central governmental organization saying that this particular moment in time is called this particular number. They milk the cows when the udders are full. They plant when the temperature is right. They harvest when the crops are mature.


I have no idea why we do this crazy clock changing bs, but according to wikipedia:

The practice is controversial.[1] Adding daylight to afternoons benefits retailing, sports, and other activities that exploit sunlight after working hours,[3] but causes problems for farming, evening entertainment and other occupations tied to the sun.[4][5] Traffic fatalities are reduced when there is extra afternoon daylight.[6] Its effect on health and crime is less clear. Although an early goal of DST was to reduce evening usage of incandescent lighting, formerly a primary use of electricity,[7] modern heating and cooling usage patterns differ greatly, and research about how DST currently affects energy use is limited and often contradictory.[8]