Did you know that time is the
most commonly used noun in English (besides pronouns)? Its meaning, though, can
be varied, perhaps referring to measurements on clocks, watches or mobile
devices; perhaps the sequence or the length of events; and certainly the past,
present and future. In his “mostly scientific investigation,” titled WHY
TIME FLIES, author Alan Burdick (a staff writer and former senior
editor at The New Yorker) discusses chronobiology and circadian rhythm in sections
titled “The Hours,” “The Days,” “The Present,” and “Why Time Flies.” He makes
all of this accessible to his readers, often relating stories about his own
twin boys and frequently quoting scientists and philosophers like St. Augustine.
There is a range of interesting
facts (experiments showing that our brains actually tell us what is happening “right
now” at least 80 milliseconds after it has occurred), drawings and charts, plus
roughly thirty pages of bibliography and index. If you are curious and wish to
reflect more about this topic, consider:
- we have no special receptors for time;
- we do not experience time itself, only its passing;
- that also can vary depending on our mood such as having fun or experiencing trauma.
Burdick explores these and
many more ideas in WHY TIME FLIES. You can also read or hear an
excerpt on the publisher’s page OR listen to
this NPR interview with the author OR this one at National Geographic.
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