Time - the needed invention in order to make sense of the ever changing universe(s) - can be perceived in many ways. Time flies as you get older people say and there seems to be some truth in the fact that we perceive time differently at different stages of life. It is also true that we perceive time differently depending on if we are in stress, if we are in a good mood or in a not so good mood. "Time flies when you are having fun" is another one of those statements which many would claim is true.
Given that time is something we only perceive it is not necessarily something which is similarly perceived by different individuals. Just like we cannot ever know that two persons perceive colours the same way we cannot be sure that two persons perceive time in the same way.
How we perceive time is dependent on how fast our neurons can process the information we receive and supposedly there can be individual differences when it comes to this perception speed.
To further complicate things, Einstein's theory of relativity also states that perception of time is not even constant for one individual as it turns out that time itself is also affected by the speed in which we are moving.
To gather further examples of differences in time perception one can also look at other species - like the house fly. Apparently the fly, as it has a very small nerve center, can perceive things much faster than us humans and therefore it also has a different perception of time. This could mean that something that we perceive at "normal speed" (whatever that is?) a fly would simply perceive as we would something in slow motion. This could, among other things, explain why it is so hard to swat a fly.
Given that our perception of time changes because of age, mood or even the speed we are traveling and given that the perception of time is different between species, what is then the correct perception of time? Supposedly there is no such thing as the "correct perception" of time. Time is just something we use to make sense of everything that is happening around us. Regardless of this however, when you take photographs you decide on one perception that you think is correct, by, for instance, selecting a shutter speed. You can alter the resulting photograph in many different ways depending on what shutter speed you choose. You can freeze motion of everything moving at fast speed but you can also blur away moving things so that they completely disappear. Which one of these two alternatives show the "correct reality" then? Supposedly both do if there even is such a thing as "correct reality"?
The picture above shows the result of having a very long exposure of a square in Stockholm called Sergels torg. Everything that is moving is therefore not visible in the picture. Below, in the timelapse movie you can however see all the things that really took place during this long exposure. Both perceptions of time and reality are equally valid of course.
Given that time is something we only perceive it is not necessarily something which is similarly perceived by different individuals. Just like we cannot ever know that two persons perceive colours the same way we cannot be sure that two persons perceive time in the same way.
How we perceive time is dependent on how fast our neurons can process the information we receive and supposedly there can be individual differences when it comes to this perception speed.
To further complicate things, Einstein's theory of relativity also states that perception of time is not even constant for one individual as it turns out that time itself is also affected by the speed in which we are moving.
To gather further examples of differences in time perception one can also look at other species - like the house fly. Apparently the fly, as it has a very small nerve center, can perceive things much faster than us humans and therefore it also has a different perception of time. This could mean that something that we perceive at "normal speed" (whatever that is?) a fly would simply perceive as we would something in slow motion. This could, among other things, explain why it is so hard to swat a fly.
Given that our perception of time changes because of age, mood or even the speed we are traveling and given that the perception of time is different between species, what is then the correct perception of time? Supposedly there is no such thing as the "correct perception" of time. Time is just something we use to make sense of everything that is happening around us. Regardless of this however, when you take photographs you decide on one perception that you think is correct, by, for instance, selecting a shutter speed. You can alter the resulting photograph in many different ways depending on what shutter speed you choose. You can freeze motion of everything moving at fast speed but you can also blur away moving things so that they completely disappear. Which one of these two alternatives show the "correct reality" then? Supposedly both do if there even is such a thing as "correct reality"?
The picture above shows the result of having a very long exposure of a square in Stockholm called Sergels torg. Everything that is moving is therefore not visible in the picture. Below, in the timelapse movie you can however see all the things that really took place during this long exposure. Both perceptions of time and reality are equally valid of course.