Why do we lose days when calendars change? How did ancient Romans accidentally mess up leap years for decades? And what exactly is a leap second?

As we approach another New Year, join Deb for a gentle journey through humanity's long quest to organize time. From the ancient Egyptians' beautifully simple 365-day calendar to the Mayans' multiple overlapping systems, from Julius Caesar's elegant reform to Pope Gregory's controversial fix that made ten days vanish from history.

Discover why September is the ninth month when "septem" means seven, how the Islamic calendar cycles through all the seasons, and why computer programmers have nightmares about leap seconds. Learn about the Hebrew calendar's intricate 19-year cycle, Ethiopia's calendar that's 7-8 years "behind" ours, and Samoa's decision to simply skip December 30, 2011.

We'll explore the surprisingly complicated calculation of Easter's date, the Y2K bug that wasn't quite as overblown as people thought, and why Britain rioted (maybe) when they lost eleven days in 1752. Plus: calendar reform proposals that would give us identical quarters or 13-month years, and why we'll probably never adopt them.

Perfect bedtime learning about the systems that structure our lives—delivered in Dormant Knowledge's signature relaxing style.

Topics covered:

• Egyptian, Babylonian, Mayan, Chinese, and Roman calendar systems
• Why our month names don't match their numbers
• Julius Caesar's reform and the Julian calendar
• The Gregorian calendar reform of 1582
• Islamic, Hebrew, Persian, and Ethiopian calendars still in use today
• The complicated rules of leap years (and why 2000 was special)
• Leap seconds and why they crash computer systems
• The International Date Line and its quirks
• Failed calendar reform proposals throughout history

Whether you drift off after ten minutes or stay awake through the whole episode, you'll come away with a deeper appreciation for the intricate systems humans have created to measure our journey through time.

Dormant Knowledge is the educational sleep podcast for curious minds. Learn something fascinating while you fall asleep.