The hidden politics of time: How clocks, calendars and time zones came to be
NEW YORK (AP) — It flies. It heals all wounds. It can be of the essence, and it can be money. We thrill in the best of it, lament the worst. We’re warned not to waste it, since we can’t turn it back —…
Clocks, calendars, and time zones are not innate aspects of the world. Rather, they are human constructs shaped by culture, religion, economics, and technology. The shifting of clocks twice a year, a practice prevalent in the United States, is one such example that highlights the political dimensions of timekeeping. While people revel in the extended daylight hours, many struggle with the necessity of making the adjustment.
Consequently, the idea of making daylight saving time permanent year-round has gained traction, though it faces significant opposition, particularly in the Senate. The history of timekeeping reveals that despite the universality of our desire to measure and manage time, there is no universally accepted method. Each approach to tracking time is arbitrary, and every deadline could have been scheduled differently.
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