Re: Idiots in Astrophysics

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Article #1996

#1996

From: Charles Packer
Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 11:04

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In article <9ngfdv$74$1@bob.news.rcn.net>, Hiroko wrote:
>Which brings up a point that I have often wondered about.
>About 15 years back they did a study with humans, where the put them in a
>deep cave and deprived them of all indications of time.
>The purpose was to learn what the human internal clock cycle is.
>The result (confirmed by multiple subjects) was a little over 25 hours.
>
>Now this seems rather strange to me.
>Why a little over 25 hours?
>I would think that if it was a genetic coding that it would be less than 24,
>since the earth has slowed down.

Circadian rhythms make sense biologically only in an
environment where they can be _entrained_, that is,
synchronized, by the cycle in the environment they are
tracking. Why evolution gave rise to a free-running cycle
that's longer rather than shorter than the 24-hour day is
probably a matter for physiologists rather than astronomers.

And, for whatever it's worth: I'm glad the clock in my car
runs slow rather than fast. Given what the designers of
electonic consumer goods have wrought, it's easier to hit one
button once and advance the clock by one minute than to
cycle all the way around to cut it back by one minute!

-- 
packer@clark.net (Charles Packer)
http://www.clark.net/~whatnews

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From: packer@clark.net (Charles Packer)
Newsgroups: ny.general,dc.general,chi.general,tx.general,fl.general
Subject: Re: Idiots in Astrophysics
References: <7cffa2b0.0109090718.495d80d0@posting.google.com> <3B9BA470.F5323246@clark.net> <9ngfdv$74$1@bob.news.rcn.net>
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