Why do older people seem to experience time passing more quickly? (continued)
Name and address supplied
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We all know that children are very active. To a 7-year-old, an hour is an eternity, whereas to a 70-plus-year-old like me, it is just time for a sit down.
But my brother has bipolar disorder and it is very clear to me that his condition hugely affects his perception of the passage of time. When he is 鈥渦p鈥�, he acts like a teenager; when he is 鈥渄own鈥�, he is like an old man. The most extreme example I can quote is when he was staying in our not-quite-completed house 10 years ago and said 鈥� 45 minutes before church 鈥� 鈥渟urely that鈥檚 enough time to paint the hallway鈥�.
In other words, it isn鈥檛 just a matter of time passed 鈥� mental state also comes into the picture.
Graham Birch
Winterborne Stickland, Dorset, UK
When I am doing Dry January, time seems to slow right down, especially in the evening. Also, when I am lying in bed after the alarm has gone off in the morning and I need to go to work, time speeds up, notwithstanding the slowdown of Dry January.
To answer this question 鈥� or ask a new one 鈥� email lastword@newscientist.com.
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