Did you turn your clocks forward this weekend?
Yep, it’s that time of year to spring forward. And if for some reason you forgot, you’re likely to be late for work today. But what exactly are the benefits of this odd daylight savings tradition? Yes, the days are longer in the afternoon, but the day also starts earlier, at least according to the body clock. So why do we do it? Here’s what Wikipedia says:
Adding daylight to afternoons benefits retailing, sports, and other activities that exploit sunlight after working hours, but causes problems for farming, evening 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 differ greatly, and research about how DST currently affects energy use is limited and often contradictory.
So there, you have it. Oh, and if you haven’t already changed the batteries in your smoke detectors, this is also considered a good time to do that too!
