John Oliver's Last Week Tonight demands to know how daylight saving time is 'still a thing'

Daylight saving time is useless, or worse, says Last Week Tonight

(Image credit: Last Week Tonight)

published 9 March 2015

People tend to believe that daylight saving time has something to do with farmers, but they're wrong, says the narrator on Last Week Tonight's latest installment of the informative and hilarious "How is This Still a Thing?" segment. In fact, it was first introduced by the Germans during World War I, to save fuel. "That's right," the narrator intones, "you lost an hour of sleep this morning because of Kaiser Wilhelm."

These days, it neither saves electricity nor helps anyone — in fact, it may lead to an increase in car accidents and workplace injuries, Last Week Tonight says, citing research: "That's right, what you lose in sleep you gain in mortal danger." For more information, perspectives from around the world, wry sentences that begin with "that's right," and insults lobbed at cows, watch the video below. —Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.

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