Ask a Question
or
Create a Poll
  1. Home /
  2. Questions /
  3. Outside The Bag
  4. / Deep Thoughts

by HungryGuy on January 25th, 2006

HungryGuy

Question

Help answer this question below.

What does it feel like when time flies?

  • Like
  • Report
Share:
Other

Answers. Showing one answer.

  • by ggonnigan on January 26th, 2006

    ggonnigan

    When the brain thinks that less time has passed during an activity than has actually passed, you feel the sensation that time is going faster or flying.

    Concentrating on time passing, as we do when bored, will trigger brain activity which will make it seem as though the clock is ticking more slowly. Researchers have found that a network of brain regions called the cortico-striatal loop is activated more when subjects paid attention to duration.

    It is thought that if the brain is busy focusing on many aspects of a task, then it has to spread its resources thinly, and pays less heed to time passing. Therefore, time passes without us really noticing it, and seems to go quickly.

    However, if the brain is not stimulated in this way, it concentrates its full energies on monitoring the passing of time. This may make time seem to drag, but in fact it is probably a more accurate perception of reality.
    Researchers found that the more volunteers concentrated on the duration of an activity, the more accurate were their estimates of its duration.

    Many of the areas of the brain involved in estimating time are the same that play a key role in controlling movement, and preparing for action.
    This overlap suggests that the brain may make sense of time as intervals between movements, in much the same way as a musician marks time with his foot, or an athlete anticipates the sound of a starter's pistol.

    Reference Link:

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/3532195.stm

    Comments
    • Like
    • Report

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

Want to attach an image to your answer? Click here.

Did this answer your question? If not, then ask a new question or create a poll.

More Questions. Additional questions in this category.

You're reading What does it feel like when time flies?

Follow us on Facebook!

Related Ads

Related Questions

Professionally Researched

Answerbag

a Demand Media company