How We Perceive Time | Sean Carroll

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Are you the type of person that wonders "Why am I always late?" Of course, we can’t come up with a specific answer, but we can study how our brains and bodies measure the passage of time and how we perceive that passage. In this video, Sean Carroll discusses the way humans perceive time, which varies greatly from the steady ticking of a clock. By the way, did you know that even though we think we perceive the present moment, we actually live 80 milliseconds in the past?
This video is episode 15 from the series Mysteries of Modern Physics: Time, presented by Sean Carroll.
Learn more about mind-bending topics at www.wondrium.com/youtube
0:00 Biological Networks for Different Organisms
4:53 Different Cultural Approaches to Time
8:13 Quantifying Cultural Perceptions of Time
10:43 How the Brain Measures Time
15:09 Brain Pulses and Temporal Perception
17:40 Sensory Input and Focus
18:54 Formation of New Memories
24:42 Does the "Present" Moment Actually Exist?
28:05 Stanford Marshmallow Experiment and Time Attitude
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#time #SeanCarroll #physics

[@Gazaryt]

There is something special to this guy he explains things with the biggest passion i have ever seen

[@andykod77]

Check out his cousin Brian Greene

[@deviatefishy]

I recommend his books, they are very well written, entertaining and approachable.

[@jefffarris3359]

Been watching Sean for at least a decade and his lectures never get old.

[@TREBLEandGANGSTA]

Your comment is 2 years old and the first video you saw is 12 years old now.

[@davidmorse8432]

Time passes quickly when I listen to Sean. He is a very efficient teacher.

[@wajidfarooq]

Best science educator

[@martinds4895]

In deed!

[@vhawk1951kl]

Whose science, and of what?

[@christopherhughes2211]

@@vhawk1951kl realities science.

[@Stupid23590]

Sean is looking sharp.

[@sokasbogo6912]

Gotten younger....

[@nogod7184]

More importantly, his brain is sharp.

[@jedgould5531]

When I was in radio I could track commercials down to the second, without looking at a clock, and without listening to the commercial.

[@rohanjagdale97]

Sean caroll struggling very hard to find the deeply hidden thing. He is most active professor I have ever seen

[@ThePixelExpedition]

Sean Carrol is a brilliant educator and storyteller. I'd happily watch a lecture several hours long with him at the helm.

[@Wondrium]

Thank you so much for your kind comments! We truly pride ourselves on our professors and our content. Never stop learning!

[@jimmurphy6095]

I always felt like a 45 rpm record in a 33 1/3 rpm world. Now I know why. Thanks Prof. Carroll

[@khushalsharma4215]

Great video

[@donnahowe9319]

Very

[@roberteischen4170]

About the passage of time and aging... I noticed as I got older time appeared to me to be moving more quickly. I figured it's because of how we measure our life. For example, when you ate 10 years old, 5 years is 50% of your life. But when you are 20 years, the same length of time, 5 years is now only 25% of your life. So those five years when you are 10 appewr to you to be much larger than those five years when you are 20.

[@junaidulislam1212]

Thank you so much

[@stevelawrence5268]

Interesting sir quite interesting.

[@junaidulislam1212]

Thank you

[@ErnestGWilsonII]

You heard what Sean Carroll said, we get exactly 1.5 billion heartbeats in a lifetime and if you want to live longer you should walk very very slowly so your heart doesn't beat unnecessarily fast and thereby extending your life. Later on in this video Sean says that rats can tell time, but no rat has ever told me the time! Then he went on to talk about the Cicada rhythm, which is a 17-year cycle surrounding bugs.... Obviously I'm kidding around! I really do enjoy these videos by Sean Carroll and I am of course subscribed with notifications turned on and thumbs up!

[@timemechanicone]

Sean Carroll- what is mathematics and how does it work, What is time, how’s it work?

[@ingenuity168]

Very good lecture voice 👍

[@jmanj3917]

This is helping me figure out some things about how to deal with my PTSD. Specifically, it ties in well with some of the treatment courses I've done at the VA in BMore. Especially the ones that deal with how to control thoughts, feelings, and your physical responses to stressors. I further believe that more research will, most likely, have a similar, beneficial effect on anyone who chooses to follow the things they teach a person to do mentally, physically, and emotionally. So, Thank you. jpf

[@ashleyanderson8445]

The environment has a direct effect on how we perceive time! I felt this when I went to China. I remember telling so many people about how time felt different there. On pace rather than on a clock.

[@kevtherev8194]

Thanks from TAIWAN

[@deviatefishy]

I recommend his books, they are very well written, entertaining and approachable.

[@livewithmeterandnomeasureb1679]

Bf has said this. Hope he can find the one about time he has so i can borrow it.

[@talhaahmad2142]

This might be the most informative thing ive seen on here . A job well done

[@maggiemargaret1412]

22 minutes: now that makes sense; always wondered about this phenomena that most people in accidents report~!

[@user-pg7ll6dm7c]

your videos are very good and have a wide message thank you

[@Wondrium]

Thanks for the feedback! Never stop learning! 📖

[@jyotibhaskar6697]

Very informative lecture... thanks

[@rhcpmorley]

Sean, honestly, until you grab the central point, that Time is merely abstract and that the underlying objective reality is Change (just look around you and perceive the zillions of [quantum] change events going on all around, and within you - motion being a subset of change) then you will keep on struggling with understanding Time. Time is both the dimension of Change and Time is the flow of Change (one word, two meanings). Change is real. Time is abstract.

[@dennisgalvin2521]

I don't get how smart educated people don't see that it's just an illusion. About the point you made with regard to the false perception of recognising the change within events as time. The word moment is defined as "...a brief period of time" but moment originates from the word momentum \ events. So moment would be more accurately defined as "...a brief period of an event" also meaning that periods \ duration's are of events not time. Therefore what people perceive as the passing of time is just the passing of events.

[@Sherlika_Gregori]

I’m Brazilian and it’s the first time in my life that I hear nobody cares what time it is over there. Maybe it’s because I’m from Brasilia and not Rio. I assure you that if you behave this way in Brazil you’ll miss ALL your flights and doctor appointments. This is an anecdote.

[@pcpc5242]

GREAT COURSES SELECT,your selected.

[@THENOTENATION]

In Spanish we have a saying that says when translated "the light in front of you shines the brightest meaning don't wait for something that you might have in the uncertain future and deny what you can have now

[@martinds4895]

Great lecture!

[@merlingrim2843]

My perception of time changes in direct proportion to intensity of my need to wee

[@SAVETHEPLANET-KILL-A-GLOBALIST]

*In my opinion * Older people perceive time flying by faster and faster with accumulating age is because of repetitive schedules of doing the same thing and seeing the same people! The brain prefers not to retain duplicate lived past memories. Unless it determines it’s best for survival. Which is related to the Deja vu feeling we sometimes experience. The person has already experienced that point of life or memory and to remain efficient it chooses not to store that point of life or memory because it already has. So when the brain chooses bits and pieces of memory’s to retain it leaves gaps in between experienced life, but the perceived memory appears constant with no gaps. But also seems like time flu by. Even know you experienced everything. The brain chooses not to store multiple duplicate files. Thus shorting the perceived time it took to live that day, month, year… which feels as time flies while having fun! Try doing something different, or spontaneous for the day. And then note your perception of your “lifespeed “ just my opinion -D LINDGREN

[@aklilu.g7023]

Superb lecture!

[@TheOicyu812]

If you're scheduled to have a job interview, just remember the following: "Early is on time, on time is late, and late is unacceptable."

[@theadvocatespodcast]

the blacklist

[@gregnicholls8347]

As a hard nosed materialist I understand time does not exist outside of brain activity. This illusion of the existence of time is the evolution of language, which includes number. Giving words for objects is number - day, hour, seconds and on to fragments of seconds.

[@The1neo34]

the 90's set is amazing

[@JungleJargon]

I don't think you explained why "time flies, when you're having fun". Time also flies when you are less active. There seems to be a disconnect there. It might have to do with the level of stress rather than the data storage. Just an idea. When I am active, I can get a lot done. When I am inactive, nothing seems to get done and the time is gone in a flash and it's already time to go to bed. Activity seems to make time go slower, unless you are just having fun.

[@rohitchat5538]

By commentary by Sean Carol I learn lot of good great subjects and so my good luck to learn something about time' and as well space of his video life of consciousness and subconsiousness through we learn so much acts actively related to subconsiousness 🙏🙏👏👏🙏🙏 so this is so I expressed right now ..word by word learn about your knowledge .. 🙏🙏 so sir I value yours valueabletime .. I watch some times many times to learn the theory thoroughly 🙏🙏😂😂and I drink water and soft drinks 🙏🙏I enjoy what is long lasting postively to my health ..time to time defination changes what is best to have

[@THENOTENATION]

Very informative

[@Wondrium]

Glad it was helpful, Eddie!

[@55painterman]

this is awesome!*

[@chubbychee9417]

Amazing lecture!✨

[@Wondrium]

Glad you liked it!

[@jeanetjensen6474]

So good 😃 im truely living in the past 80millisecond 👏🇩🇰👍

[@anthonyboyce8844]

My first 20 years was slow,but the following 19 flew by!

[@paps-personal-channel]

Doc! I loved the video... but laughed to myself at the very last segment. Those who wanted $10 compared to $11 in 10 years. I understand the example, but laughed because of INFLATION. I will take $10 today, every day... rather than wait until 10 years and get $11.00.

[@paps-personal-channel]

But if inflation didn't exist, the $11.00 would be the better deal. Anyhow.. thanks for a wonderful lecture AND the laugh at the end. Well done, Doc!!

[@TPGNATURAL]

Ouch, I like Sean Carroll. The Marshmallow game they did with children was about impulsivity not time. That's why they did a follow up with the children as they became adults. And impulsive people are more likely to have issues throughout life.

[@maggiemargaret1412]

21 minutes: somehow I'd have to see this experiment. b/c a few things come to mind; 1) how could you possibly be looking at any device while your falling & 2) how could you do that and look at the world around you at the "same" time? And 3) why is this different than when someone is in an accident? Maybe the fact that they know the trampoline is there?

[@elir7184]

Hypothesis that when youre scared time appears to slow down because you are storing memories faster

[@margueridepoirier426]

This is very interesting :)

[@shashibhushanatul2799]

How does photon set of the picture or a figure? Do work here time, speed of light or our senses of mind? For b/w picture A good picture

[@maggiemargaret1412]

30:11 min: Economist say it makes perfect sense to: "Discount something that is a reward that you won't get until the future." But then comparing that to the $10 now - $11 later example; I did not comprehend the economist statement at all therefore nor the comparison.

[@kaunhai4512]

Interesting

[@happyactivehealthy100years4]

Again, an excellent analysis by Sean. All is understandable and in terms of concept very clear. But as we know from Godel & friends even maths is not complete, not deterministic and not consistent. So even if we can precisely define systems and questions regarding those systems, we may still not “solve” some of the questions. Knowing this, I just need to understand those biological, evolutionary, human, psychological, philosophical systems, and with that understanding I can quite well explain what has happened, what happens and what will happen. With some inaccuracies... HOWEVER, the only interesting question is what holds the universe together. What is the basis of the universe? It definitely is not waves, it is not particles, ... The essence of the universe is some concept we humans have not yet understood. Is it so complex that we cannot understand it? That would mean that the concept is so “unimaginable” so “unthinkable” that no human brain can grasp it? Maybe even if some super-AI would explain it, we would not understand it? The question “how humans perceive time” is so easy when compared to the question: How can the “parts” of Newtons apple falling from the tree, know where the gravitational center of the earth is? And what are those “parts”? That is a REAL question. Once we know that inner structure of the universe, the rest is just at the same level of complexity as this “human perceiving time” question. I hope that within my lifetime we will solve this central question. Sean is one of those scientists that bring so much clarity to this topic that humans may eventually solve it.

[@Scapeonomics]

When squatting with heavy weight, I noticed that the pitch of a loud fan was noticeably lower during very high exertion. This might be due to time perception differences. idk

[@mixolydian2010]

Are the sources for the studies he references, given as part of each lecture and timestamped,for example.? Inspiring video, thanks.

[@Wondrium]

Hi there! The references are made available in the guidebook when you purchase the course.

[@mixolydian2010]

@@Wondrium Hi thanks a lot for the reply and information, all the best.

[@imstevemcqueen]

I'm confused, he said roughly 1.5 billion heartbeats, however...an 85 beats per min avg human heartbeat multipled by 75 yrs is more than double that at over 3.3 billion. 85 beats×60(mins)×24(hrs)×365(days)×75(yrs)

[@tim40gabby25]

Sure... that's "roughly", right there.. :)

[@szymon1871]

good

[@JrGotani-rh8gr]

time is just a marker of event or a measuring stick of event. if there's no events, there's no time, because there's nothing to measure or to be identified of. time is just an idea

[@danm9297]

Super interesting. But the idea of that rat experiment has left me traumatised!

[@zeroonetime]

Time is Thought Quantum Mechanical Timing. Timing is 010 mover in The Eternal Now T.E.N. dimensions.

[@maggiemargaret1412]

23:00 minutes: IF both old and young are sitting in an empty room, what possible memories are they forming other than thinking about the situation they are in or day-dreaming? There are too many variable to these type experiments, it seems to me. Almost like when phycologists test 6 mos. old infants by what toy animals they pick out & determine it's b/c they favor the toy that the adult thinks acted better to other toy animals the last time the infant saw them together.

[@dmj94044]

I love Sean . . . his videos and books are great. But does he remind anyone else of John Mulaney?

[@elir7184]

Prevalence of rhythms within the brian and body and their intimate relationship to time Unconscious time processing within brain. Myriad types of time-keeping within the mammalian network. Three influencers of time-perception: Pulses Sensory input Formation of memories

[@scienceisall2632]

Damn, 1.5 billion heartbeats is all I get. I can already hear death knocking at my door 😂

[@ImplodedAtom]

Death has already knocked on our doors, it's just a question of when and how we answer.

[@falconone7230]

Could our perception of time affect us physically by making us age faster or slower 🤔

[@anybodynobody1827]

a human can be an incredible judge of time. most people i know are able now, or used to be able, to wake up at any one specific time, chosen before going to sleep. down to the minute. "i want to wake up at 6:17am".. they go to sleep the night before and wake up at 6:17am exactly. ive done this many many times before as a child, as sort of a game. but, im wholly convinced that trauma and long term negative experiences can alter the ability to do this. kind of muddies up the mind.

[@Chance57]

The perception of time gets totally destroyed without exterior "clocks" like a day night cycle. Solitary confinement, for one, is insane. After just a day or two you can start to lose your mind and all sense of time.

[@lazziebardakos2956]

I always thought it was roughly 2.5 billion

[@vhawk1951kl]

You get so many heartbeats, breaths or experiences- a fixed, definite and*limited* amount amount(of energy?). Now where have I heard that before? If that be right, the time of my birth and death are fixed.

[@mockturtlesuppe]

3:41 He literally says the opposite of that. Maybe you realize that. I couldn't really tell.

[@mpethel]

The basket ball video is great, theres an obvious transition!

[@vhawk1951kl]

What*is* time? How*not* to answer that question?

[@ashleyanderson8445]

So those people who practice slowing their heart rate are onto something

[@danielt.3152]

For all we know time maybe a fundamental basic particle like a boson or muon, we just have not found it yet. Which would make it less ethereal. One more thing, for humans to experience time dilation, you don’t need to scare them, everyone that shoots trap,skeet, hunting, or sporting clays will experience an elongation of time as their eyes acquire a target, perform speed and distance calculations to match bullets to the targets future position. Th same is true of an NFL quarterback throwing a pass completion to a wide receiver. This skill has been part of the evolution of human beings, a cave man (homo erectus) throwing a spear into a mammoth that is running away.

[@aaabucus3104]

Why am I always late?

[@martinricharte7114]

Is perception a physical concept? Is that really important? The last time that I checked Physics deals with observation, observable, and not on the perception of things!!!!

[@dennisgalvin2521]

Very good point. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fHW8gYR_f75katU

[@steveng8727]

Whoever guesses the singer of this gets a cookie 'Time keeps flowing like a river, to the sea, to the sea, till it's gone forever...'

[@shantanukaushikmathoholic]

Has Sean written anything on this ? Like a Book or Paper etc. Want to read about this more ?

[@Wondrium]

One of his books that comes to mind is "The Biggest Ideas in the Universe: Space, Time and Motion". Let us know how you like it if you decide to read it.

[@mikewiest5135]

No, he is describing the work of others. David Eagleman is one neuroscientist who has written about this.

[@sinasdad2644]

Can a person live longer if they artificially slowed his heart rate?

[@johnphil2006]

Old wine in new bottle! but more taste.

[@JungleJargon]

You seem to have glossed over the person with values as opposed to the less good person.

[@shashibhushanatul2799]

Can control the speed of light by time

[@7deepbreaths.sounds]

This young man is an excellent teacher...however....he just said that lab tests have demonstrated that rats were able to keep track of 3 different time intervals, simultaneously... without their cerebral cortex ... there are people I know that are not able to do this ... even with ALL of their brain matter in place.

[@wayne9287]

16:29 Is 1sec always 1sec? Because the earth doesn't have a perfect orbit.

[@Wickedstickyflowers]

Why couldn’t a day feel like a month if change the speed your brain works at Iv had months long dreams in one night I remember I did a bunch of special k Or ketamine… min felt like hours due to my perception…. Lot to consider

[@aaabucus3104]

I don't understand why is this experiment not working? Well, maybe he just doesn't like marshmallows.

[@randomvicky939]

Brazilian way lol 🇧🇷

[@rohitchat5538]

Have and drink hard drinks will prove from how you in short spam of time' life style ..what I enjoy do it good results tested 🙏🙏 hygene consiousness ..ourbody is miracle blessed by God and simply what we have and no no as such any solemn vow not have .. those are havingas as essentially know the result .. Hygiene food prevention is better then cure ..what regularly how much qty balanced dight as depends 🙏🙏 and no such any solemn vow not to have and sometimes of different culture food definately ..I relish ..all are in my control' ..

[@tim40gabby25]

Human hypomanics estimate more time to have passed than others, the core change being in primitive 'accumulator' cells. Just saying.

[@phalexasky7315]

big dogs live shorter than small dogs

[@dennisgalvin2521]

You rarely see tall very old people. The rule doesn't apply within the same species.

[@phalexasky7315]

@@dennisgalvin2521 depends which country you live in. For example in the Netherlands you see a lot of tall older people

[@andykod77]

There is no such thing as time ,its just a made up to motivate us

[@dennisgalvin2521]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fHW8gYR_f75katU

[@sudiptasamaddar8149]

Why does a tortoise live longer than an elephant

[@dennisgalvin2521]

Tortoises are unique, they don't age, only illness or injury kill them. Their telomeres don't deteriorate.

[@ZeroOskul]

How "I" perceive time, NOT "We". I experience the passage of years day-by-day. He can't tell us HOW we perceive, in general, so why does he pretend he can explain it in the specific?

[@phuklyyve8941]

WHOOOOOSHHHHH

[@ZeroOskul]

@@phuklyyve8941 Shwoom?

[@everquint]

Do all smart people speak the same way? He sounds like Michio Kaku x Niel deGrasse

[@charlesbrightman4237]

FOR ME: 'Space' is energy itself. Wherever space is, energy is. Wherever energy is, space is. They are one and the same thing. And for me, the 'gem' photon is the energy unit of this universe that makes up everything in existence in this universe. 'Time' is the flow of energy. 'Time' (flow of energy) cannot exist unless 'space' (energy itself) exists. And 'space' (energy itself) that does not flow (no flow of time / energy) is basically useless. An entity cannot even think a thought without a flow of energy. If all the energy in the universe stopped flowing, wouldn't we say that 'time stood still'? Time itself would still exist, it would just not be flowing, (basically 'time' stopped). But then also, how space and time are linked in what is called 'space time', (energy and it's flow). * And everything in existence currently appears to be eternally existent energy interacting with itself.

[@charlesbrightman4237]

SPACE IS FINITE AND TIME IS INFINITE: ('Space' being energy itself, 'Time' being the flow of energy): Consider the following, utilizing modern science and logic and reason: a. Modern science claims that energy cannot be created nor destroyed, it's one of the foundations of physics. Hence, energy is either truly eternally existent, or modern science is wrong. b. An 'absolute somethingness' cannot come from 'absolute nothingness', 'absolute nothingness' just being a concept from a conscious entity in 'absolute somethingness'. Hence, an 'absolute somethingness' truly eternally existed throughout all of eternity past, exists today, and will most probably exist throughout all of future eternity. That eternally existent 'absolute somethingness' most probably being energy itself. c. The universe ALWAYS existed in some form and will most probably ALWAYS exist in some form, with no beginning and possibly no end. Alpha and Omega, beginning and end, have been replaced by actual reality. d. And for me, 'space' is energy itself. Wherever space is, energy is. Wherever energy is, space is. They are one and the same thing. And 'time' is the flow of energy. Hence 'spacetime' being 'energy and it's flow'. 'Spacetime' had no beginning and will possibly have no end.

[@charlesbrightman4237]

And for those who claim 'space' and 'time' do not actually exist except for as concepts, then: Consider the 'speed of light': a. 'Speed' is distance divided by time. b. 'Distance' is two points in space with space between those two points. c. If 'space' and/or 'time' did not exist in actual existent reality, except for as concepts, then 'speed' could not exist in actual existent reality, except for as a concept. d. If 'speed' exists in actual existent reality, then 'space' and 'time' both have to have some sort of actual existent reality. e. Likewise, 'light' which is currently considered as 'em' also has to have an actual existent reality, in addition to being a concept, for 'light' to exist in actual existent reality, in addition to being a concept. f. So, if the 'speed of light' actually exists in existent reality, then 'space', 'time', 'speed' and 'light' ('em'), all also have to actually exist in existent reality, otherwise, the 'speed of light' could not actually exist in existent reality, other than just as a concept, (which would put a major kink in a lot of physics formulas).

[@ethanjamesescano]

The video feels like an hour

[@Gringohuevon]

So I have a mouse in my brain, right?

[@samhill6590]

If I'd had more time, this comment would be shorter...

[@LiNoeliam93]

Half a nostril/octave away from Ray Romano..

[@jefffarris3359]

I was wondering where I've heard that voice before.

[@richardleetbluesharmonicac7192]

Time does not exist.. It’s an invention of man

[@juneclarke85]

What I'm hearing is, that I'm less able to track time than a lobotomised rat!

[@larryskwarczynski9386]

so i will choose not to post ... #2manyADS

[@gailnewcomb8256]

That’s horrible! How can they treat living beings with such cruelty. I can’t listen!