2-node-supercomputer.net 2022-03-15
Here is my largely unverified theory of DST. DST was first introduced on a large scale after WW2, to save energy. It was deemed easier to change the clocks than to tell everyone that all meetings and schedules are moved up an hour. (And, no, it wasn’t for the farmers: Cows and corn do not care what humans set their clocks to.)
Interlude: Of course, quite a few people did change their meeting times now - twice yearly - especially for outdoor activities like playing soccer… To compensate for the mandated irregularity in our clocks.
As the decades passed, people got used to DST. They started complaining about school/work starting too early. So, slowly, some schedules and meetings started to change. Society found some middle ground that kinda worked for both ST and DST, but it worked better for DST, because summer is more enjoyable. The fact that the afternoon darkness in winter is normal was forgotten. I like summer.
Here’s another unverified interlude: DST doesn’t save energy anymore. Instead, we waste energy in the winter. Studies only show a relative change in electricity usage. Who’s to say it’s a saving and not a wasting? ST=DWT. (I’d still prefer permanent ST over permanent DST.)
Finally, society caught on that switching time abruptly is bad for your health. Those 0.5% electricity savings don’t sound worth it anymore. (California measured it when they extended DST in ~2007ish.) But we got used to DST more than ST and we still don’t want to change our schedules and time tables, so we stick with DST, living happily ever after.