Why Does Time Seem to Fly By As We Get Older?

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In summary, you are suggesting that because people are more comfortable with their surroundings, time seems to go faster to them. Additionally, you believe that this has to do with how much people remember from their past and how much impact those memories have. Finally, you believe that this effect is amplified when people are busy or enjoying themselves.
  • #1
SpaceGuy50
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Why does time start going by faster as people get older?
 
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  • #2
Relative to what? Their perception of time may appear to change for themselves but certainly it does not actually increase or decrease in speed. Perhaps because they are aware that their time left is dwindling it seems that their last day is approaching faster. Are you implying this happens to all older people? Does time appear to them to speed up linearly with age?
 
  • #4
When you are 1 year old a week is 1/52 of the time you have experienced. When you are 52yrs old 1 year is 1/52 of the time you have experienced. So relatively speaking a week to a year old is like a year to 52yr old. We must compare each day or year to what we have already experienced, time indeed passes faster as we age. I am nearly 60, years now seem to fly by, a decade means little to me now.
 
  • #5
Hi SpaceGuy. Douglas R. Hofstadter speculated about this in a paper he wrote some time back:
http://prelectur.stanford.edu/lecturers/hofstadter/analogy.html

It is called "Analogy as the Core Of Cognition". An interesting paper as I recall.
 
  • #6
When you get older your environment begins to become too familiar. We tend to think of time in a sense of what we enjoy and interact with. When our routine environment becomes old hat we kind of go on auto-pilot until we get to those things we still enjoy and aren't routine. But those experiences become farther apart and shorter in duration. And then we ask where all the time went. That's my take, anyway.
 
  • #7
Because time is really experienced on the basis of percentage of remaining time. Each second, heartbeat, breath, etc., while occurring at a constant external rate consumes an increasing fraction of the time remaining, thus the internal rate increases. :frown:
 
  • #8
The reason that time seems to go faster as you get older is ... Oh! look at the time, I've got to go right now. I have to go pick up my daughter from her tennis lesson and then do the marketing for tonight's dinner. I'll dash home and get the groceries to my wife just in time so that as she is getting home from picking up my son from summer school she can cook it. We're eating a little early tonight so we can go to a concert that my nephew is playing in. I'll finish my thought when I get home tonight if I'm not too tired from all that running around.
 
  • #9
rolerbe said:
Because time is really experienced on the basis of percentage of remaining time. Each second, heartbeat, breath, etc., while occurring at a constant external rate consumes an increasing fraction of the time remaining, thus the internal rate increases. :frown:

Are we having a schism today?

From another thread, you JUST posted:

rolerbe said:
It really disturbs and scares me that otherwise purportedly scientifically minded people (as evidenced by their coming to this site at all) are so willing to go down really long unsupported inferential chains (such as this one) to reach 'conclusions' that may be miles and miles off the mark.
 
  • #10
I think it has to do a lot with how you get more comfortable and your environment becomes more known to you.
It's harder to make an impact emotionally and thus you forget more of what you experienced.
While as a kid you remember a lot more.

I think it has mostly to do with how much we remember.
 
  • #11
It's also perception.

Time seems to go faster when you are busy, or enjoying something. At work, if I am busy, it's time to go home before I notice. If it's slow, it seems the day will never end.

If you have 5 minutes left to live (facing execution) that five minutes is gone in a second.

If you are waiting 5 minutes to find out if it was your loved one that survived a car crash, that 5 minutes takes forever.
 
  • #12
negitron said:
Are we having a schism today?

From another thread, you JUST posted:

Can you not tell the difference between humor and seriousness?
 
  • #13
I suspect it has to do with processing rate slowing down effectively giving the perception of faster passage of time.
 
  • #14
rolerbe said:
Can you not tell the difference between humor and seriousness?

Only when it's funny.
 
  • #15
Sorry, hould have said whimsical, mildly amusing, thurberesque. That's what this thread was about. Too bad you miss the distinction.

The other thread should have been taken for what it was -- simple bear-baiting. You're surprised that ill-informed, polarized views based on baseless biases emerged?
 
  • #16
Im not getting older because i no longer acknowledge my birthday ( DECEMBER 16), i do except presents though.
 
  • #17
If you define a dimensionless quantity [tex]d\tau[/tex] which represents the fraction of your life that is currently being passed, then,

[tex]d\tau = \dfrac{dt}{t}[/tex],

[tex]dt = td\tau [/tex].

So as you get older, time in your reference frame will pass more quickly...it would seem linearly with your age.
 
  • #18
I get what the OP is saying -

It took me ages to get to 20 and now the last 4 years seemed like it passed overnight.
 
  • #19
Damn...I have a long time left to live, but I never considered that time passes exponentially! Ahhh
 

1. What causes us to age?

The aging process is a complex biological phenomenon that is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. As we get older, our cells and tissues gradually accumulate damage, leading to a decline in their function. This damage can be caused by a variety of factors, such as exposure to UV radiation, oxidative stress, and lifestyle choices like smoking and poor nutrition.

2. Can we slow down or reverse the aging process?

While there is no magic pill or treatment that can completely stop or reverse aging, there are certain lifestyle choices we can make to slow down the process. Eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and avoiding harmful habits like smoking can help keep our bodies and cells functioning at their best. Additionally, some research suggests that certain supplements and anti-aging therapies may have potential in slowing down the aging process, but more research is needed.

3. How does time perception change as we get older?

As we age, our perception of time can change. This is due to a combination of factors, such as the slowing down of our brain's processing speed and changes in our daily routines. As we get older, we tend to have fewer novel experiences and our days become more routine, leading to a sense that time is passing by more quickly. However, research also shows that our perception of time can vary and may not always be accurate.

4. Is there a limit to how long humans can live?

While there is no definitive answer to this question, current research suggests that there may be a limit to how long humans can live. This limit is likely determined by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, and currently, the oldest recorded human lifespan is 122 years. However, advancements in medical technology and our understanding of the aging process may continue to push this limit in the future.

5. How does aging affect our bodies and health?

As we get older, our bodies go through numerous changes, both internally and externally. Our skin becomes thinner and less elastic, our bones and muscles weaken, and our immune system may become less efficient. These changes can lead to an increased risk of health issues, such as chronic diseases and infections. However, taking care of our bodies through healthy habits and regular medical check-ups can help mitigate some of these effects and improve our overall health and well-being.

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