Daylight Savings:
Something strange happens in fall. The sun seems to rise very early, but it also sets early.
This means it can look like night time just after students finish school!
Some countries try to fix this problem by changing their clocks. It is called daylight savings time.
Move the Clock:
In Taiwan in November, you can see the sun is up around 6 and sets around 5.
Do you think we should change the clock, so that the sun rises around 7am and sets around 6pm?
Some people think this is a good idea, because sunlight is actually good for us!
Move the Clock II:
First, students who finish school should have time to play outside when the sun is still up!
This is important because not enough sunlight is actually bad for our bodies.
When our body is in the sun, we make vitamin D. Vitamin D is important for our bones, having a good mood, and sleeping well!
Vitamin D:
In countries where the sun is not very strong or the sun is not up for a long time each day, people have to add vitamin D to their diet.
Some foods like fish, milk, and eggs have vitamin D in them, but most people take extra vitamin D.
Vitamin D might be the reason why some people’s skin turned white long ago!
A strange Idea:
A university in the US recently had an unusual idea. They wanted to build a large dormitory for students, with tiny rooms that had no windows.
The school said, this would make students want to leave their rooms more to go out and meet people. The students would have large shared spaces.
A strange Idea II:
The bed rooms all have a light that looks like a window to create light similar to sunlight. The light has a setting to copy natural light, so it gets softer in the evening.
Some people think this is a terrible idea, because students can’t get enough sunlight and fresh air. What do you think?
A strange Idea II:
Small bedrooms are common in pod hotels. These hotels have very small rooms, called pods.
Each pod is simply a bed, sometimes with a tv or radio. Pods rarely have windows, but they do have air conditioners, heaters, and vents for air.
Hotel guests share a bathroom. Could you stay in a pod hotel?