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New Name for GMT

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New Name for GMT

TheChas
We received an announcement the other day from our corporate office in London. The announcement was dated and stamped with the GMT for when it was released.

This got me to thinking about the meaning of GMT, which sent me off on some random ramblings.

GMT, Greenwich Mean Time.

is there:
GST, Greenwich Standard Time?

How about GDT, Greenwich daylight time?

Then, I shifted focus to the M in GMT.

Why do we reference things to a "MEAN" time?

Why not GHT, Greenwich Happy Time?

Is GMT even the statistical "mean" time?

Is it even possible that the instantaneous time on all timepieces in the world is such that 1/2 of the clocks are behind, and 1/2 of the clocks are ahead of GMT?

I have not checked on a globe, but is Greenwich exactly 1/2 way around from the International Date Line?

What about land mass or population versus time zone? Is Greenwich at the midpoint of time on Earth by any measure?

My final thoughts are that we need to replace "mean" time with a kinder and gentler name. While happy or joyous would be wonderful, my personal thoughts run toward GRT or Greenwich Reference Time. After all, Greenwich is just a reference point for time. I doubt that the people living there are unusually mean.

Chas
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    TheChas

    The group was Chicago.

    If memory serves me correctly, the lyrics go:

    Does anybody know what time it is?
    Does anybody really care?
    If so, I can't imagine why,
    we all have time enough to die.

    Chas

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    stress junkie

    I get my time from the US Naval something or other second hand through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Talk about credibility! It don't get no better than the US Government. I recall about 35 years ago a certain musical group asked "Does anybody really know what time it is?" and the US Government said "The US Navy knows the correct time!!!" Everything my government tells us is completely accurate.

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    Candy

    makes sense
    Thanks neilb!

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    Steffi28

    Ive come to another conclusion. That you and DMambo have swapped accounts. Its the only thing I can think of!

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    gadgetgirl

    There really was absolutely no need for that.

    I am totally gutted.

    I am nothing like jd. (here's where I go to town.... thanks Stef! )

    I am nothing like jd:

    I have hair <splurt>
    I can see my toes <phhhhtttt!>
    I don't have an appendage <thank g...g...goodness>
    I don't have **** up dolls <still say Shell sent him one for Christmas>
    I'm not techie <snort>
    I don't have twin boys <the only twins I have are...well you know the rest!><splutter>
    and he's taller than I
    (yeah, yeah, I know, isn't everybody.... )

    <shoot, I hope he doesn't have a vibrator...>

    ]

    GG

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    Steffi28

    "But I really am Impure!" sound familiar??
    "But I really do like girls"

    Your slowly turning into JD! No wonder we dont believe you

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    gadgetgirl

    That is one card I will never carry. You have my word on it.

    After being impure of thought (oh, and other things! ) for XX years, there is no chance of me changing sides now (DE)

    What little fun I have in life is my propensity for impurity! No-one will take that away from me!

    No-one!

    Especially not DangerMouse! (He wouldn't dare - he's a coward, really... )

    Besides that, the Yuk just wouldn't be the same without some good ol' GG smut smeared all over it (DE) would it?!

    GG

    ]

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    gadgetgirl

    is the fact that the most chronologically challenged person ever to use a public forum actually knew the answer to that one!

    This, from the person who, on her little lappie at home, keeps a tab open in FF2 which has a constantly running world clock, so I know what time it is when I'm replying to someone on the board......

    Agreed, though, that's one of the strangest twists that's ever happened on this board!

    As for humour - come over and join us on the Yuk thread, Chas, I'm just about to destroy Col's idea of me being a member of the Pure Brigade....

    GG

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    DMambo

    Does anyone else do this? We have at least 3 different time zones in our house.

    Early House Time - The clock in the parents bed room is set about 20 minutes ahead so that it seems that we need to rush a little more than we do in order to get out of the house on time. The clock above the television is set to EHT so that we can force the kids to bed a little earlier if they're wasting time watching TV.

    Early Car Time - ECT is about 10 minutes ahead because if we've made it to the car, we're actually pretty far along and the crisis is a little more in hand. There's a fairly good chance we'll be on time.

    Actual Time Time - We have one clock in the Living Room set to ATT to clear up confusion, especially for visitors.

    Late Work Time - My wrist watch is currently set to LWT because when the twit who adjusted the master clock in the factory to Standard Time made the change, he spent about five minutes reading the procedure in the manual to move it back an hour, but didn't bother to adjust the minute to account for it. He'll get to it in the Spring when we revert to Daylight Time.

    BTW Chas, great watercooler topic!!!

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    HAL 9000 Moderator

    The disposable watch they just might be telling you the time now and you don't realise it.

    Col

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    Jaqui

    Zulu, as in the military zulu time.
    It is GMT under a different name.

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    stress junkie

    Universal Time Coordinate

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    TheChas

    You reminded me that when I used to call the number for NIST time in Boulder Colorado, the voice always referenced "Coordinated Universal Time".

    Of course, this begs the question, what is "Universal" time?

    What is it's reference to the Universe?

    Are other life forms on other planets on the same "Universal" time?

    Chas

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    stress junkie

    So if God is going to destroy the world at, let's say, 12.01 a.m. on 21 December 2012 what time zone will She use to schedule that?



    CUT? Hmmm. I just don't see it.

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    TheChas

    I can't recall the name of the story just this moment. But, I remember reading an Isaac Asimov short story where the devil argued for the end of the world on a specific date.

    The guardian angel for the Earth successfully plead his case with God that the end of the world had to wait until all of mankind agreed on a common calender.

    So perhaps it does really matter what time it is.

    Chas

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    mjd420nova

    The time standard is an atomic clock, based on the decay of the cesium atom. There a number of units, one in Colorado, Hawaii, Grenwich, and others. These days they are all linked by satelite and there even a few in orbit. It is usually refered to as GMT, or for the military ZULU. All time zones are referenced to GMT also. You can still find shortwave radio broadcasts with time ticks and minute announcements. For thirty dollars I got a large LCD clock that is linked to WWV(B). It is accurate to .2 seconds which is way beyond my accuracy needs today, but would be essential in any laboratory or communications department. Internet accuracy is dependant upon the software used and if it has anyway of figuring out how long it will take that packet to get to your machine. Time delays are often built in and I guess it's close enough for anyone. It was first originated and established in Grenwich and was even in Geneva for a time. Yes, I do believe the date line is exactly opposite the GMT time zone. 12 hours apart. The time zones are arranged such that the sun would set at the same time in each zone. Now the distance has to be pretty close to that one hour window in which the sunset travels across the zone. Around 600 miles usually.

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    gadgetgirl

    Now there is a first, if ever there was one!!

    Right. I know the answer to part of this because I asked my grandfather the same thing (too many) years ago.

    The original GMT stood for Greenwich Meridian Time. Ships have used this for centuries, as the meridian at Greenwich is zero degrees.

    However, sailors being what they are, the "meridian" word got convoluted and confused with "median". As you know, "median" often gets confused with the word "mean" as defined below:


    Main Entry: mean
    Part of Speech: adjective 3
    Definition: average

    Synonyms: common, conventional, halfway, intermediate, medial, median, mediocre, medium, middle, middling, normal, popular, standard, traditional

    Antonyms: luxurious

    Notes: the median is the halfway point, dividing a series of numbers in half - while a mean is the average of the sum of the series

    People take the understanding of "mean" to be the middle point, instead of the average.

    As Greenwich is zero degrees, it was taken as the centre, or mid point of longitude and latitude, hence the verbal mix up.

    So, as you can see, the M is the correct letter, it's just that people use the wrong word; they should actually use "meridian"!

    (I knew the answer! I knew the answer! I knew the answer!) <smirk> <chuffed>

    oh, and Greenwich happy time is the same as everywhere else in the UK - as soon as the sun is over the yardarm! (Slightly later for me, being as how I live at 55 degrees North.... )

    As for changing GMT to anything else, please don't! (I'm chronologically challenged enough on this board as it is!) We also have BST - British Summer Time, (GMT + 1 hour) and at one stage we also had DBST - Double British Summer Time (GMT + 2 hours) when they piloted a test to get us in line with the rest of Europe....

    I think I'll just do the same as the birds....sleep when it's dark, and work when its' light, it's far easier on the body clock!

    GG

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    TheChas

    Thank you for the history and linguistics lesson.

    After reading your answer, I do have faint recollections of when we covered this topic back in grade school.

    Speaking of strange twists, here I am attempting to interject a humorous thread, and here you go providing a great serious answer.

    I bow to your knowledge and prowess.

    Chas

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    HAL 9000 Moderator

    GG is now a card caring member of the Pure Brigade and will not tolerate anything that is the slightest bit in pure to her eyes.

    God Help Us All :_|

    And don't forget to blame DMambo for this sorry state of affairs. EH UM that should have read Sorry State of things as affairs just may be taken the wrong way. Look at what I have to do now. X-(

    Col

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    gadgetgirl

    That is one card I will never carry. You have my word on it.

    After being impure of thought (oh, and other things! ) for XX years, there is no chance of me changing sides now (DE)

    What little fun I have in life is my propensity for impurity! No-one will take that away from me!

    No-one!

    Especially not DangerMouse! (He wouldn't dare - he's a coward, really... )

    Besides that, the Yuk just wouldn't be the same without some good ol' GG smut smeared all over it (DE) would it?!

    GG

    ]