An Engineer Says He’s Figured Out Why Time Moves Faster as We Grow Up

As we humans grow older and wiser, it’s not unusual to feel as if time were whizzing by, quietly gathering speed with every year.

Mechanical engineer Adrian Bejan from Duke University now thinks he has figured out why, and just like ageing, he suspects the experience is both universal and inescapable.

more…

I’ve heard anothere interpretation on this.
It’s like driving from A to B.
The first time you do the trip it seems to take a long time, that’s because your brain is processing new information, after you’ve done the trip quite a few times it seems to take no time at all, that’s because your brain no longer needs to process new information, it just goes on to daydream mode and the time slips by.
Something like that.

It’s not just a matter of the eyes processing images. The whole brain is processing much more information in your childhood and youth. Many more experiences are new than is the case later in life, so each day seems full of events. The more eventful your life, the slower time seems to pass because there’s a larger number and wider range of things to remember.

Peak Warming Man said:

I’ve heard anothere interpretation on this.
It’s like driving from A to B.
The first time you do the trip it seems to take a long time, that’s because your brain is processing new information, after you’ve done the trip quite a few times it seems to take no time at all, that’s because your brain no longer needs to process new information, it just goes on to daydream mode and the time slips by.
Something like that.

I was thinking of a similar thing while reading the article.

When younger new information is almost constant, lessens with age.

Bubblecar said:

It’s not just a matter of the eyes processing images. The whole brain is processing much more information in your childhood and youth. Many more experiences are new than is the case later in life, so each day seems full of events. The more eventful your life, the slower time seems to pass because there’s a larger number and wider range of things to remember.

True.

Peak Warming Man said:

I’ve heard anothere interpretation on this.
It’s like driving from A to B.
The first time you do the trip it seems to take a long time, that’s because your brain is processing new information, after you’ve done the trip quite a few times it seems to take no time at all, that’s because your brain no longer needs to process new information, it just goes on to daydream mode and the time slips by.
Something like that.

Makes more sense.

Bubblecar said:

It’s not just a matter of the eyes processing images. The whole brain is processing much more information in your childhood and youth. Many more experiences are new than is the case later in life, so each day seems full of events. The more eventful your life, the slower time seems to pass because there’s a larger number and wider range of things to remember.

Is that the case? When I’m absorbed in something, time flies. Time spent in a waiting room goes quicker if you have something interesting to read rather than just looking around.

PermeateFree said:

Bubblecar said:

It’s not just a matter of the eyes processing images. The whole brain is processing much more information in your childhood and youth. Many more experiences are new than is the case later in life, so each day seems full of events. The more eventful your life, the slower time seems to pass because there’s a larger number and wider range of things to remember.

Is that the case? When I’m absorbed in something, time flies. Time spent in a waiting room goes quicker if you have something interesting to read rather than just looking around.

It’s a matter of longer term perspective. A year in which a lot happens seems like a long year when you look back on it. A year in which nothing much happens barely registers in the memory.

Bubblecar said:

PermeateFree said:

Bubblecar said:

It’s not just a matter of the eyes processing images. The whole brain is processing much more information in your childhood and youth. Many more experiences are new than is the case later in life, so each day seems full of events. The more eventful your life, the slower time seems to pass because there’s a larger number and wider range of things to remember.

Is that the case? When I’m absorbed in something, time flies. Time spent in a waiting room goes quicker if you have something interesting to read rather than just looking around.

It’s a matter of longer term perspective. A year in which a lot happens seems like a long year when you look back on it. A year in which nothing much happens barely registers in the memory.

but is memory the same as actual time.

PermeateFree said:

Bubblecar said:

PermeateFree said:

Is that the case? When I’m absorbed in something, time flies. Time spent in a waiting room goes quicker if you have something interesting to read rather than just looking around.

It’s a matter of longer term perspective. A year in which a lot happens seems like a long year when you look back on it. A year in which nothing much happens barely registers in the memory.

but is memory the same as actual time.

We’re talking about people’s subjective experience of time.

Bubblecar said:

PermeateFree said:

Bubblecar said:

It’s a matter of longer term perspective. A year in which a lot happens seems like a long year when you look back on it. A year in which nothing much happens barely registers in the memory.

but is memory the same as actual time.

We’re talking about people’s subjective experience of time.

I can see the validity of the argument, I vividly recall as a kid, time moved so slowly and you grew up likewise, against the strong desire to grow up faster. However, these days for me time is not particularly fast or slow, so I wonder if there is not something else involved. Perhaps the ability of getting things done (control) are a more important factor. For instance as a kid you had to wait for others, if you wanted to go anywhere you walked or cycled and many other things that lengthened the day. Whereas an adult seldom has to wait, can hop in their car and have far greater control over their lives than children; this would make time seem longer for the young, but becoming less so as you age, as your self-sufficiency increases.

Tau.Neutrino said:

An Engineer Says He’s Figured Out Why Time Moves Faster as We Grow Up

As we humans grow older and wiser, it’s not unusual to feel as if time were whizzing by, quietly gathering speed with every year.

Mechanical engineer Adrian Bejan from Duke University now thinks he has figured out why, and just like ageing, he suspects the experience is both universal and inescapable.

more…

I’ve began to wonder if our personal perception of the passage of time as we age
can’t be visualized as “slices of time” similar to slices of anything – for instance – Pie.

When you’re 2 years old, One Year seems like (and indeed IS) 1/2 Your Life…
You can already see where this is heading… when you’re 4 a year is 1/4 of your life
Like it or not, as the years pass, we perceived it as thinner & thinner “slices of time” .

Anyway, @ 70, 1/70th of my life just whizzed by so fast my head is still spinning!

May I suggest making those increasing thinner “slices of pie” as tasty & satisfying
as possible since we have little to no control whatsoever over our allotted portion size.

Ogmog said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

An Engineer Says He’s Figured Out Why Time Moves Faster as We Grow Up

As we humans grow older and wiser, it’s not unusual to feel as if time were whizzing by, quietly gathering speed with every year.

Mechanical engineer Adrian Bejan from Duke University now thinks he has figured out why, and just like ageing, he suspects the experience is both universal and inescapable.

more…

I’ve began to wonder if our personal perception of the passage of time as we age
can’t be visualized as “slices of time” similar to slices of anything – for instance – Pie.

When you’re 2 years old, One Year seems like (and indeed IS) 1/2 Your Life…
You can already see where this is heading… when you’re 4 a year is 1/4 of your life
Like it or not, as the years pass, we perceived it as thinner & thinner “slices of time” .

Anyway, @ 70, 1/70th of my life just whizzed by so fast my head is still spinning!

May I suggest making those increasing thinner “slices of pie” as tasty & satisfying
as possible since we have little to no control whatsoever over our allotted portion size.

sooooo the pie of life?

Tau.Neutrino said:

sooooo the pie of life?

Yup.. Finger-Lickin’ Good