Dear Barbara and Augustine, I am flattered that you are following this dialogue, and I’m sure Frank is too.
Frank wishes to wind up the discussion, and this can be my final, and personal, contribution. First of all, it is obvious that Frank is both happy to be a very early riser and is prepared to challenge any topic and any assumptions. For example the ‘effective day centred on 3pm’. If I rise very early in the summer, I may be enthralled by a sunrise or quiet dawn (and wonder if this is the best part of the day). However, I like to have 8 hours of sleep, AND enjoy long summer evenings, glass in hand. It follows that for most days, I am prepared to sacrifice the early hours, and therefore my day may run from 7am to 10 or 11pm. 3pm is therefore a nominal middle of the waking day. Society in the UK as a whole seems happy with this, and is the basic reason for daylight saving time. When winter approaches, the clocks are put back with many grumbles about the darker evenings. Without delving into accident statistics, it is obvious that the risks to school children walking or cycling home in the dark are increased. It is equally obvious that motorists driving home in the dark after a tiring day, and impatient to be home, increase the risks as well, both to themselves and others. I’m sure that these opinions, and similar, may have have caused some countries to adopt DST on a permanent basis. Ultimately we can define time to be whatever we want it to be, and even ignore the historical convention of noon when the sun is due south, even if this offends some of the sundial enthusiasts. Glad to know you have enjoyed the fun, even if there is a serious element. Best wishes, Doug > On 25 Nov 2016, at 14:41, Barbara and Augustine McCaffrey > <mccaffre...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Please, I am enjoying and learning from the discussion, so I would prefer > that it continue where I may read it. Many thanks. > > On Fri, Nov 25, 2016 at 3:22 PM, Frank King <f...@cl.cam.ac.uk > <mailto:f...@cl.cam.ac.uk>> wrote: > Dear Doug, > > It is probably time to conclude this > fascinating discussion so this will > be my final public offering (for a > while). > > > A significant part of my note is > > reporting the work of others... > > Indeed so. I am familiar with most > of your citations, especially, the > report by the Cambridge Engineers. > The methodology used was an utter > disgrace in my view. > > It is exceptionally difficult to > find a way of comparing like with > like without getting biased results. > Also, making predictions, especially > economic predictions, is notoriously > subject to error. > > My proposal to compare two adjacent > U.S. towns in different time zones > is a better approach but I am the > first to admit that the two sets > of results would not be truly > independent (in the statistical > sense) and the results would be > biased. For example, there will > be people who live in one time > zone and work in the other. > > In terms of energy use, I don't > believe a word of the analysis. > The energy used when driving > five miles to work is the same > whether you drive in the dark > or in the light. > > I suggest you study the experience > of Portugal: > > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_in_Portugal > <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_in_Portugal> > > They have switched time zones > several times and are forever > being persuaded to use CEST. > > Sometimes they try it and then > find how unsatisfactory it is... > > when school classes started, > the sun was still rising, > which eventually had > repercussions on students' > school performance and their > safety during morning trips > from home to school. > > A company hired by European > Commission conducted a study > which concluded that, in fact, > there were no energy savings > because in the early morning, > due to the dark, workers turned > on lights in their offices, > and they forgot to turn them > off, leaving them switched on > for the rest of the morning, > which increased energy > consumption. > > ...insurance companies reported > a rise in the number of accidents. > > Look, I don't believe all of this > either! Lighting uses a minuscule > amount of energy compared with > heating and transport though, of > course, it shouldn't be wasted. > > Portugal is now back on GMT and > GMT+1 just like the U.K. > > Remember, the U.K. DID experiment > with year-round summer time and > then gave it up. > > You may say that this was because > of grumbles from Scottish herdsman. > > I have always wondered just how > Scottish herdsmen can be such a > forceful political lobby! That > doesn't stop them being right! > > > ...the middle of the effective > > day has moved to something > > like 3pm. > > Given your wish to fiddle with > our clocks, this is ill-defined. > I assume you mean three hours > after solar transit? > > This is a case of generalising > from yourself and those you > associate with. Certainly > count me out! > > In the 1980s I worked for a spell > in Magdeburg University, then in > the DDR. My hosting professor > asked me if my lectures could be > the first of the day. > > "Yes," I said eagerly. "Fine," > he replied, "our first lecture > is at 7am so I'll meet you in > my office at 06:30 tomorrow." > > This suited me very well but I > had to check with my landlady > about breakfast. > > I explained that I would be > leaving about 6am and I asked > whether she could set out my > breakfast the night before. > > "No need," she said, "I leave > for work myself at 4am, so I > shall set out your breakfast > before I depart." > > As it turned out, I was the > last person in the household > to leave for work when I left > at 6am. > > I had had some misgivings > about the East German regime > but this aspect seemed truly > excellent to me! > > I now see that it wouldn't > work in Portugal! > > By all means reply but I > suggest "off-list". > > Very best wishes > > Frank > > --------------------------------------------------- > https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial > <https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial> > >
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