tanithryudo: (Value of a Moment)
tanithryudo ([personal profile] tanithryudo) wrote2010-12-10 08:35 pm

Hypothetical question about working/sleeping hours

Yes, I'm resuming the SG fic series I had going. Got more outlines jotted down; I just need to sit down and actually write the darn scenes. Anyway, I got a hypothetical question I'd like to throw out there...

Say you got an alien planet that you want to put a base on - not colonize - just a small base for mining, science, military, whatever, which will be primarily supplied by Earth for food, equipment, etc. Though the people staffed there will be living there for months at a time.

Let's say this alien planet has a 36 hour day. Day/night split is about 50-50%, give or take the season. Three visible moons - so maybe night time not as dark as on Earth (but then again also less artificial light pollution than Earth). Gravity and air content about the same as Earth. Climate is very desert like - lots of sand dunes; very little savannah, if any at all - think ancient Egypt. A couple oases here and there.

How would you split the work day for the human workers you're sending over? I would assume that you'd naturally want to sleep in the middle of the night. You probably want to siesta in the middle of the day 'cuz it's too hot. Maybe working hours are 05:00-10:00 and 22:00-27:00, with sleeping hours of 28:00-04:00 and 14:00-18:00 (or 12:00-20:00 and 30:00-02:00)?

[identity profile] tanithryudo.insanejournal.com 2010-12-14 09:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Hm... according to wiki (not a great source I know), if the SCN is destroyed, it results in the absence of a sleep/wake rhythm. Is that the same thing as the 24 hour cycle or is that still going to bad for you if you sleep off-cycle under that?

In other words, what's an easy way I can make the 36 cycles work without having to resort to hand waving/technobabble.