Metric Time: Embrace the Revolution!
Posted on Jun 19 2009 | Posted in Personal | No Comments
My idea: Metric time.
Today we depend on our computers more than we ever have before. So, why not depend on them a little more?
Our traditional method of timekeeping has served us well for centuries… but let’s be honest, it’s centuries old. It’s time to shift the paradigm and bring our timekeeping up-to-date.
The basic unit of time in Metric Time is the “day”. The “day” lasts from sunrise to sunset and is followed by its counterpart, “night”. This removes us from the burden of time zones, since we can calculate the exact time of sunrise and sunset for each location on Earth.
- 10 decidays = 1 day (a deciday is equivalent to an hour, like a kilometer is equivalent to a mile)
- 10 centidays = 1 deciday (equivalent to a minute)
- 10 millidays = 1 centiday (equivalent to a second)
Note that since the length of the day varies, the density of the smaller units within the day (most notably the millidays) will vary as well. Therefore we are able to rid ourselves of the old names “summer”, “winter”, “fall”, and “spring”. For example, what we now call “summer” will become the “Lower Density Milliday Period”. Conversely, “summer” is also the “Higher Density Millinight Period” since nights are shorter during the summer.
- 1 decaday = 10 days (approximately equivalent to a week, but a little longer)
- 1 hectoday (really! Look it up!) = 10 decadays (about the length of a season
- 1 kiloday = 10 hectodays (this would last just over 4 years)
The exact time at any moment can be expressed by: “kiloday:hectoday:decaday:day:deciday:centiday:milliday”.
I believe that the European Union and progressive countries like New Zealand and Japan will be the first to embrace Metric Time. Countries like the US and other nations more attached to tradition will delay before they accept the realization that Metric Time allows them to better communicate with one another and manage their time. When everything is base 10, there can be no confusion.
I declare tomorrow the beginning of metric time: Kiloday 1, Day 1 (1:1:1:1:1:1:1).
