World Time Zones An introduction to decimal time

In a world where just about anything measurable is now done so using a decimal - or metric - system (distance, weight, volume, cost...), the notion of decimal time remains alien to most of us. Yet, at various points throughout history decimal time has reared its head, and continues to do so.

China led the way, using a base-10 timeframe for well over 2,000 years, and although the arrival of Jesuits in the 17th century kick-started a switch to western time, elements of the previous system are still used today in official documents.

Time in China (in Chinese decimal time)
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France too adopted a similar system, introducing decimal time during the French Revolution in 1793, alongside a partially decimal calendar. Although other metric systems made law during the revolution survive to this day, decimal time never really caught on and was abandoned less than two years later. The calendar faired a little better but it too was shelved in 1805.

Time in France (in French Revolutionary time)
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Today, scientists, astronomers and computer programmers all persist in using decimal-based systems, using fractional days to give the precision required for certain recording and calculation. Even Captain Kirk's log entries in Star Trek were loosely based on a decimal system - the fraction after the decimal point would refer to the time of day of the log entry, based on a day being divided into ten equal units.

Perhaps one problem with decimal time is that, despite its repeated appearances throughout history, so far no-one has agreed on exactly how to represent it. The Chinese divided the day into a hundred equal periods, while the French preferred a ten-hour day, with a hundred minutes to an hour and 100 seconds to the minute. Clock-makers Swatch introduced a decimal-based 'internet time' based on a thousand 'beats' per day in 1998, while those who use fractional days can divide a day infinitely, limited only by the number of decimal places they choose to work to.

UTC in Internet (Swatch) Time
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Small, sporadic campaigns persist for a switch to decimal time, but it would take a seismic shift from the system the vast majority of us are familiar with. Metric systems have simplified many forms of measurement - but in all instances these are measurements that have been imposed by man. Time comes with it's own already in-built structure, our orbit of the sun giving us four seasons and 365.25 days a year. This neither changes, nor lends itself to a decimal system that satisfactorily represents our preference for a full 'day' and 'night' on any given date.

And so, it seems that decimal time will continue ticking on for some, albeit largely ignored by most of us. If there's a lesson to be learned from all this, perhaps it's this: If you're planning on wooing a scientist, astronomer or computer programmer, it would be wise to check which system you're using when you arrange the time for your first date!

Your current local time

Your current local time (in China time)

Your current local time (in French revolutionary time)

Your current local time (in Internet Swatch time)

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