The clocks changed today. They "fall" back an hour every year. And yet, every year, I never remember. I certainly recall the
springing forward of the clocks, but the
falling backwards is somehow more difficult. I am pondering this lovely November morning why it is harder to remember to turn your clock an hour backwards than it is to turn it an hour forwards. Possible reasons may include:
1. We grew up learning that clocks are supposed to always be wound forward.
Research shows, however, that this only applies to antique clocks. Modern clocks can be wound forwards or backwards an hour to adjust for Daylight Savings. Back in the day, however, clock makers suggested stopping your clock for an hour to adjust for DST.
2. Many of us, like me, are upset when we move the clocks forward. We lose time and, therefore, are set on making sure the clocks set correctly the night before. We can't be late for anything in "on the go" America.
3. The clocks are impartial to the spring season. They do not like fall because everyone stares at them all the time. In the spring, when people are more relaxed, the clock tends to get more "private time" to itself.
4. We actually do set our clocks backwards. While we are asleep, however,
cubbard gnomes, The Borrowers and those stealing Harry Potter creatures (
nurvels?) change the clocks back. They find it amusing to laugh at our expense.
With these possible reasons established, I now ask what life would be like if clocks, naturally, moved backwards. Obviously this proposal seems silly and would never happen because time, in theory, moves forwards. But still, would the day feel different? If the day began at 12am but then progressed to 11pm and 10pm, etc...would our biological clock get off?
Also, according to Physics, is
falling backwards harder than
springing forwards in general? According to
NASA's website, an object falling (in any direction) picks up speed thus kinetic energy as gravity pulls it down. They note:
"For the speed v, or the kinetic energy that he/she reaches, it doesn't matter whether the fall is straight down by 
h or on an arc path... In both cases the kinetic energy attained is equal to the difference in potential energy given by the height difference h.This statement leads me to think my hypothesis that
FALLing backwards is harder than
SPRINGing forwards is not always true. In a physics sense, the two should be equal. This is how it is in the sport of snowboarding as well.
When a snowboarder is going down the hill, often they fall due to "catching an edge." A toe edge will cause a fall forwards while a heel edge will cause the boarder to fall backwards. Either fall results from the snowboarder lacking to commit to one edge (front or back). Falling is far less painful (whether forwards or backwards) when the snowboarder commits to their fall. Both the physicist and snowboarder know that each fall (either direction) requires the same amount of energy. Perhaps we each, like the snowboarder, make a choice to between falling forwards or backwards. For me to say, therefore, that falling backwards is harder than forwards is just my own personal choice. Some people may have more difficulty moving their clock forwards.
It's interesting that I find it easier to move my clock forwards during DST as well as to fall forwards on my snowboard. Positive correlation, or?
Whatever the answer to these mind boggling scenarios, I am up and hour earlier than I need to be and am going back to bed : )
