From: henry@spsystems.net (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: sci.space.science
Subject: Re: Human internal clock.
Date: Sun, 27 Dec 1998 06:55:23 GMT

In article <19981225201335.10434.00001629@ng147.aol.com>,
BahlsD <bahlsd@aol.com> wrote:
>Don't know anything about human clocks adusting to different day lengths, but
>IIRC Mars' day is about 24h 37m, not 27h, so the difference is not very
>significant (~2.5%).

Moreover, it's a difference in the right direction, because most people's
internal clock free-runs (if deprived of external synchronizing effects)
at a cycle length of about 25h.  This is part of why it's so easy to stay
up later and later and so unpleasant to get up earlier and earlier.

There was at least one experiment lasting a few months in which two men
tried to adapt to a 28-hour schedule.  The younger man succeeded; the
older man couldn't quite manage it.
--
Mass-market software technology has |  Henry Spencer   henry@spsystems.net
been deteriorating, not improving.  |      (aka henry@zoo.toronto.edu)