So, this is something I find interesting during my first year in the US...
I woke up early at 5am today (even though it is a Sunday morning...) to get ready for work. I am on call for the weekend, and will be doing my 30-hours shift. I normally do not pay attention to the clocks around me. But today, while I was making my Colombian coffee with my coffee maker, I realized that the clock on my microwave and oven both showed 6:10AM. I started freaking out thinking I was late for my bus. However, I was pretty sure my alarm clock was 5:00AM a moment earlier. So, I took out my iPhone, and it showed 5:10AM. I checked on my analog clock, it was 6:10AM. My electronic alarm clock was 5:10AM. I thought I was going out of my mind, so i decided to go back to sleep, hoping that my hallucinations will go away...
Apparently, that did not happen.
Then I vaguely remembered something I heard like ages ago but never really experienced it before... DST!!!
So, what is DST?
DST, or Daylight saving time, is the convention of advancing clocks so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less during spring/summer. Typically clocks are adjusted forward one hour near the start of spring and are adjusted backward in autumn. Starting in 2007, daylight time begins in the United States on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. On the second Sunday in March, clocks are set ahead one hour at 2:00 a.m. local standard time, which becomes 3:00 a.m. local daylight time. On the first Sunday in November, clocks are set back one hour at 2:00 a.m. local daylight time, which becomes 1:00 a.m. local standard time.
Not all places in the U.S. observe daylight time. In particular, Hawaii and most of Arizona do not use it. Indiana adopted its use beginning in 2006. In 2006, daylight time begins on April 2 and ends on October 29. In 2007, daylight time begins on March 11 and ends on November 4 (New law went into effect). In 2008, daylight time begins on March 9 and ends on November 2. In 2009, daylight time begins on March 8 and ends on November 1.
Well, the practice of DST is pretty controversial. Adding daylight to afternoons benefits retailing, sports, and other activities that exploit sunlight after working hours, but causes problems for farming, entertainment and other occupations tied to the sun. Traffic fatalities are reduced when there is extra afternoon daylight; 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, modern heating and cooling usage patterns greatly differ and research about how DST currently affects energy use is limited and contradictory.
Modern DST was first proposed in 1907 by the English builder William Willett. Many countries have used it since then; details vary by location and change occasionally. Some countries have actually used it and then repealed it. I came across this interesting map which shows places(countries) currently using it(blue), places that have used it(orange), and places that never even started it(red). Thought it might be cool to share it with you guys:
Apparently, some of my newer devices have automatic DST adjusting functions. My cellphones and alarm clocks adjusted the clock to standard time when I was sleeping, while my analog clock, microwave and oven clock did not come with such capabilities. Well, what the heck, I am glad I did get an hour extra of sleep last night then... :) Sweeet!!!
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