We all know what time it is – Daylight Savings Time.
That twice a year occurrence when we either gain an hour of Netflix or lose an hour.
First introduced by New Zealand astronomer George Vernon Hudson in 1895, this bright idea was introduced so we could take advantage of more sunlight – even during dark, cold winters (sound familiar?).
What you might not know though, is how DST is quietly screwing you over. Luckily, we’re here to help you fight the power…
1. Home is Where the Heart is – and DST knows
A 2012 study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, showed that when the clocks go forward in March, the risk of heart attacks increases by 10%. This has to do with sleep deprivation and the time change interfering with your circadian clock. Even though when the clocks go back the heart attack risk goes back down equivalently, we don’t think all that bouncing around is good for your ticker.
2. Don’t Walk Anywhere
Associate professor David Gerard of Lawrence University and his colleague Paul Fischbeck of Carnegie Mellon noted that the clocks falling back in the fall correlated with a steep increase in early evening pedestrian fatalities. This spike is believed to be related to the amount of ambient lightning affecting visibility as well as the change in the mental acuity of the drivers. Although morning fatalities decrease slightly when the clocks go forward in the spring, the change isn’t nearly as large as the fall death toll. We’re onto you DST, we’re onto you.
3. Topple the Economy, Topple the World
With all this going on around you, it’s not hard to believe there would be some economic effects. A company called CHUMURA, who are experts in economics and analytics did an estimate of the losses DST causes, via the health care system, workplace injuries, and private sector issues. The result? Nearly half a BILLION dollars. That’s right, if the US got rid of DST, it could afford to give everyone slightly more than a thousand dollars…just because. We’d definitely leave our clocks alone for a cool 1k a year.
4. Time Paradoxes. Yes, You Heard Us – TIME PARADOXES.
In 2012, an Ohio man named Nial Gammonds was arrested at 1:08am under suspicion of driving under the influence. He was taken to the police station for questioning and released shortly after. The clocks then went back and Nial was arrested again, at 1:08AM, by another police officer.
Now, we’re not saying it will happen – but we know the legal system is full of crazy technicalities and it’s not a stretch to see someone in court arguing that their ‘alibi for the crime is sound because they’re on camera at 3:23am”.
You can thank us for the idea later Hollywood, right now we’re focusing our strengths on stopping the insanity that is DST.
#NOTABLE
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