Measuring time - spoiler for Before I Sleep

[OhForCryinOutLoud]

If you saw 'BIS', it began on Weir's birthday. Which made me wonder how they count time in Atlantis. Are the days the same length as on Earth? Are the weeks, months, etc. the same? How would anyone know what day it was? Maybe they have arbitrarily decided to go with the watches and calendars they brought - which leads to another question - Didn't some of the Genii speak of minutes and hours? Hmm........

[Unas]

They are definately using Earth time, probably Greenwich mean time. As for aliens, the writers are trying to avoid the old scifi cliche where aliens speak everything in English but units of measurement aren't converted. Wormhole X-treme made fun of this with "it's has been many bleems..."

[lionel_pendergast_rocks]

just a micron...


why dont they do that in bsg anymore? they used to have microns and yarons and half a dozen other things for time in the old series.

[Cpn. Chris(tine) Bowman]

I asked the same question once...never got an answer I think it'd be normal for the Ancients to use the same length year as us since they evolved on the same planet. As for hours and all that, it's an arbitrary mesure. I don't remember Ancients speaking in hours and minutes though. I think I remember the Genii doing it.

As for BSG, yeah, I miss good ol' Jahrens(sp? sounds to me like they use the German word for year) I guess it was to give us a better grasp of the time that passed. It's simpler than having to calculate say...

1 Genii minute = 73 Human seconds and there are 19 Genii minutes to a Genii Hour which makes it...

See? They can't have the fans spend half the show calculating in just how long those pesky Genii are gonna send reinforcments and the like.

[OhForCryinOutLoud]

It's simpler than having to calculate say...

1 Genii minute = 73 Human seconds and there are 19 Genii minutes to a Genii Hour which makes it...

See? They can't have the fans spend half the show calculating in just how long those pesky Genii are gonna send reinforcments and the like.

LOL!!! Too Funny!! Yes, indeed!

[Erik Pasternak]

They are definately using Earth time, probably Greenwich mean time. As for aliens, the writers are trying to avoid the old scifi cliche where aliens speak everything in English but units of measurement aren't converted. Wormhole X-treme made fun of this with "it's has been many bleems..."

I would assume MST (Mountain Standard Time). That's what Cheyenne Mountain follows, and that was there debarkation point, so it makes sense. They are probably following the traditional Earth calendar too.

[Hatcheter]

They were probably on MST initially, but it would have been logical to adjust their clocks to local time as soon as they had the daily cycle figured out, which is something an astrophysicist like McKay would excel at. Then they compare how long Atlantean and Earth days are, and add or subtract minutes or hours accordingly.

Personally, I'd like to go to a planet that has tw or three extra hours. More time to sleep at night.

[Qasim]

Atlantis is equipped with a universal translator

As hoped, the lost city is indeed a treasure trove of advanced technology, which includes such things as a universal translation device. Each team member travelling off-world receives one, which is capable of instantly translating virtually any language encountered.

from http://www.gateworld.net/atlantis/universe.shtml

so that explains the genii's hours and minutes

[@Li3n]

I asked the same question once...never got an answer I think it'd be normal for the Ancients to use the same length year as us since they evolved on the same planet.

Even if the ancients evolved on Earth thay wouldn't use the same time as us because the planet is slowing down and a couple of milion years ago the days were shorter. As they probably began spacetraveling a long time ago their "day" was diferent.

[Teal'c]

Atlantis is equipped with a universal translator

As hoped, the lost city is indeed a treasure trove of advanced technology, which includes such things as a universal translation device. Each team member travelling off-world receives one, which is capable of instantly translating virtually any language encountered.

from http://www.gateworld.net/atlantis/universe.shtml

so that explains the genii's hours and minutes

Did you watch the show? That was dropped. That info comes from about a year ago...

And since the Ancients left Earth with Atlantis they may have selected a planet in Pegasus with nearly the same day length...

[newton4881]

its been many bleems but what about the broca divide

and.... replicator carter planet

[Steam]

nearly all planets with stargates would be the same size and same distance from the sun to support human life, that is why they can use Earth times

[Hatcheter]

nearly all planets with stargates would be the same size and same distance from the sun to support human life, that is why they can use Earth times

Same size, yes, but that only determines the planet's gravity.

The length of a year is determined by the planet's orbital distance. The hotter the star, the further out a habitable planet can be, and vice versa. A larger orbital radius creates a longer year, e.g. the difference between Earth and Mars.

Months on Earth are based on the moon's orbit. Does Atlantis' planet have a moon? How long does it take to orbit? Weeks are also the invention of men.

The length of a day is how long the planet takes to rotate once on it's axis. This is the one that could have the widest and most significant variation, particularly if the day is shorter. How would you like to only have twenty hours to a day? Could a human even adjust their circadain rythm to that?

Atlantis is in a solar system with two inhabitable planets. While Atlantis is on the more Earth-like one, the other planet (seen in 'The Defiant One') appears to have a much slower rotation (according to the Wraith). I think it is likely that it was the further planet as well. Teyla's home world also seemed to have an extreemly short day (Ford commented on that fact in 'Rising', though I guess they could be at a far northern or southern lattitude).

[Steam]

Same size, yes, but that only determines the planet's gravity.

The length of a year is determined by the planet's orbital distance. The hotter the star, the further out a habitable planet can be, and vice versa. A larger orbital radius creates a longer year, e.g. the difference between Earth and Mars.

Months on Earth are based on the moon's orbit. Does Atlantis' planet have a moon? How long does it take to orbit? Weeks are also the invention of men.

The length of a day is how long the planet takes to rotate once on it's axis. This is the one that could have the widest and most significant variation, particularly if the day is shorter. How would you like to only have twenty hours to a day? Could a human even adjust their circadain rythm to that?

Atlantis is in a solar system with two inhabitable planets. While Atlantis is on the more Earth-like one, the other planet (seen in 'The Defiant One') appears to have a much slower rotation (according to the Wraith). I think it is likely that it was the further planet as well. Teyla's home world also seemed to have an extreemly short day (Ford commented on that fact in 'Rising', though I guess they could be at a far northern or southern lattitude).

yes and they would be the same distance from the sun because of the climate there is a specific belt around the sun that is suitable for life, that is why it is to hot for mercuray and venus and to cold form mars

[Hatcheter]

yes and they would be the same distance from the sun because of the climate there is a specific belt around the sun that is suitable for life, that is why it is to hot for mercuray and venus and to cold form mars

I said that in a thread last month.

I said something worthy of notice?!?!?!

There's still enough room within that temperate zone for variation in the length of a planet's year. And if the sun is larger than ours, the temperate zone is obviously further out, allowing for larger, longer orbits.