Rant on Daylight Savings Time \ stacker news ~FiresidePhilosophy

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Rant on Daylight Savings Time youtu.be/YMWIip5-OL4?feature=shared

72 sats \ 9 comments \ @unschooled 19 Mar FiresidePhilosophy

Whose time are we saving here?

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100 sats \ 6 replies \ @denlillaapan 19 Mar

"conspiracy," MY GOD. How is every decision/incentive a "conspiracy" these days?!

17 sats \ 5 replies \ @unschooled OP 19 Mar

I don't believe there are any "Roman Giants" controlling us.

But I do believe there are lobbies in western countries with strong incentives to keep prolonged daylight hours during summer evenings, such as manufacturers of sports and recreation equipment. 1 less hour of daylight multiplied by millions of potential customers would be no small loss to them.

1 sat \ 4 replies \ @denlillaapan 19 Mar

Meh, maybe. On the other side of that trade are some other powerful lobby/special interest group.

Doesn't seem like a big deal.

Plus, Nate Silver kinda convinced me that DST is ok, perhaps even a net benefit https://www.natesilver.net/p/save-daylight-savings-time

35 sats \ 3 replies \ @unschooled OP 19 Mar

On the other side of that trade are some other powerful lobby/special interest groups.

Such as? I'm not too sure about any of it, I'm genuinely curious.

Eliminating it would deprive the average American of 40 minutes of waking daylight in the summer months.

To paraphrase an indigenous adage, "only a European would believe that by cutting off one end of a blanket and sewing it to the other it would yield him a longer blanket."

I can't see how it would be a net positive, when humans' bodies are so closely tied to sunlight. It only feels disruptive to me.

1 sat \ 2 replies \ @denlillaapan 19 Mar

yes, in the short term (like one day to the next, or hopping time zones while traveling). But if over the course of the year DST gives the average person enough more sunlight than no DST, then that's a health benefit in total. And while we get these small jumps in car accidents or heart attacks around the adjustments, they're swamped by the benefits of more sun.

(the kicker in this reasoning is that most people don't live their lives according to the sun, but according to the man-made clock -- go to work a certain time etc)

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @unschooled OP 19 Mar

Wake up earlier and get the exact same amount of sun.

Doesn't it occur to you that one of the reasons people don't live by the rising of the sun is, if they did, they would get rugged twice a year?