One of our best known cliches says that time flies when you are having fun. It turns out that is true. Or at least our brain thinks it is.
Researchers at the University of Nevada Las Vegas set out to test the notion that our brains are intrinsically synced to the man-made clocks on our electronic devices – counting time in very specific, minute-by-minute increments.
Their findings, published this month in the journal Current Biology, suggests our brains don’t work that way.
“We tell time in our own experience by things we do, things that happen to us,” the study’s senior author James Hyman said. “When we’re still and we’re bored, time goes very slowly because we’re not doing anything or nothing is happening.
“On the contrary, when a lot of events happen, each one of those activities is advancing our brains forward. And if this is how our brains objectively tell time, then the more that we do and the more that happens to us, the faster time goes.”
The research team analysed changes in brain activity patterns during different activities. They found the perception of time passing was based strongly on the number and type of experiences rather than a generic and consistent “internal clock”.
Dr Hyman used the example of two factory workers tasked with making 100 widgets during their shift, with one worker completing the task in 30 minutes and the other in 90 minutes.
“The length of time it took to complete the task didn’t impact the brain patterns. The brain is not a clock; it acts like a counter,” he said.
“Our brains register a vibe, a feeling about time. And what that means for our workers making widgets is that you can tell the difference between making widget number 85 and widget number 60, but not necessarily between number 85 and number 88.
“The more we do, the faster time moves. They say that time flies when you’re having fun. As opposed to having fun, maybe it should be ‘time flies when you’re doing a lot’.”
Dr Hyman said the findings might also be instructive in trying to remember things.
We were more likely to remember if we slow down and study in short bursts before moving onto the next activity.
“Conversely, if you want to move on from something quickly, get involved in an activity right away,” he said.
More details or on the UNLV website.
