Time and Time Again

Friends, it’s about time.

But first, let me back up. I was sitting in a class earlier this week (for my GPA’s sake we’ll call it class-that-shall-not-be-named), making art out of my lab partner’s drool when I looked up at the clock. Alas, it was four! A glorious time where the pressures of, well, knowing standard pressures suddenly dissolved like a grain of salt in an erlenmeyer flask (I’m being excruciatingly subtle as far as not revealing what class I was in). And yet, no one was leaving class. My first thought was, of course, that everyone died. I went to text my friend about the apparent mass poisoning of my lab section when suddenly – bam! Reality struck three o’clock. Someone neglected to turn that damned clock back. And I still had an hour left of class.

Sigh.

Further investigations ensued, and I found that avid golfers George Vernon Hudson and William Willett can be blamed for Daylight Savings Time. According to a recent article in Scientific American,

“Noting that a little extra well-lit time on a balmy evening would be nicer than in the morning when everybody’s asleep anyway, the two independently proposed shifting clocks forward for the spring and summer. Governments soon seized upon the idea as a way to cut down on energy use – more sunlight in the evening means less coal-burned to provide artificial alternatives.”

A completely fair reason for Daylight Savings Time, brought to you by the hobbies of the 1%. But thanks to advancements in the recent centuries, including outdoor lighting, the golf course can stay lit in almost any hour of the day. And as far as coal-burning, we do have other options now with alternative energies. Plus, with the fall back, we actually lose that extra bit of sunlight, meaning that more energy is being used in the months that are colder (and thus require more energy for heating).

Even beyond the advancements of the 21st century, there’s been proof that changing time can actually be dangerous for your health. In another Scientific American article (gotta love those nerds!), it’s revealed that the changes in light hours twice a year can increase risks of heart attacks, increase mining accidents, and can negatively impact those with bipolar and seasonal affective disorder.

So, is that switch in hours worth it, America? Do we really want more heart attacks? More mine accidents? Have golfers on the tee into the wee hours of the night? In all seriousness, the benefits of DST are left back in the time of horse-drawn carriages. We should pick one time and stick with it for the year.

Hopefully it’s four o’clock on Tuesday afternoons. Chemistry sucks.

(Photo courtesy of sxc.hu)