
Daylight Saving Time | Smartest Year Ever (Mar 7, 2025)
About this episode
Twice a year, millions of people get legally gaslit into thinking it's an hour later than it actually is. Welcome to the weird history of Daylight Saving Time (DST)—a war-time energy trick that refuses to die.
Who actually came up with this? Why does it mess with our bodies? And does it even save energy anymore? Gordy breaks it all down, covering:
DST’s real origin story (not just Ben Franklin’s joke)
Why we “spring forward” and “fall back” every year
The health risks of losing an hour of sleep
The Sunshine Protection Act and the push to kill DST for good
So there you have it—Daylight Saving Time: a war relic turned sleep-deprivation ritual that makes us question reality every March and November.
📌 Sources:Prerau, David (2005). Seize the Daylight: The Curious and Contentious Story of Daylight Saving Time.National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). “Daylight Saving Time History.”U.S. Department of Transportation. “The Uniform Time Act of 1966.”American Heart Association. “Health Risks Associated with Daylight Saving Time.”
🎧 Follow @SmartestYearEver on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts for full episodes!
Get every episode summarized
Each time Smartest Year Ever publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.
Email me new episodesFree for 3 shows. No card needed.
No transcript yet
This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.
More episodes
More from Smartest Year Ever

He Carried a Calf Every Day…Until It Became a Bull
Smartest Year Ever

The Day a Major City Had No Police
Smartest Year Ever

How Did People Wake Up Before Alarm Clocks?
Smartest Year Ever

Abandoned Olympic Venues Around the World
Smartest Year Ever