Taking a Timeout for Time

Yesterday I remarked to my wife that it was only 6:45 p.m. and it felt that it should be much later. And then I added that it was Thursday but felt more like a Tuesday. 

And I finished by saying, "I wonder if the perception of time changes as one grows older?" She seemed to think so, waved me off, and returned to the book she was reading, while I went to my study to contemplate it some more, until I grew sleepy, and went to bed before 9. Let me add that switching back to Eastern Standard Time in November probably threw my body a little out of whack that won't recover until Daylight Savings Time returns in March.

This morning, it was still on my mind so I did what most reasonable baby boomers do, and did searches on Google and Bing. And, yo and behold, there seems to be a correlation between one's age and the passage of time.

Fortunately, I found an insightful blog by Jordan Gaines Lewis on the Scientific American website that delved into the very subject so I didn't have to waste much time. And being one who follows science, I was even more pleased with her research.

Some of her findings include:

• The "ratio theory" posits that people compare intervals of time by the amount of time they've lived. 
• Our biological clocks slow as we age, but real-time moves on.
• Older folks don't pay as much attention to time, so it can slip away without much notice.

She also found that seniors may feel stressed about not having the time to accomplish tasks, thereby feeling it passes by too quickly.

An NPR program about time and aging, featuring neuroscientists David Eagleman and  Warren Meck, noted ". . . first memories are dense. The routines of later life are sketchy. The past really wasn't slower than the present, It just feels that way." It's those first memories that have more impact on our brains. When we experience them again and again, they don't have equal ramifications.

And New Scientist reported in 1996 a study by Peter Mangan, a psychologist at Clinch Valley College in Wise, Va., that that we perceive time differently at various stages of life. He theorized that the brain's internal clock runs more slowly in older folks, giving the impression that the pace of life is picking up.

As you may have noticed, I had some time on my hands this morning to produce this little piece about the passage of time. I hope you found it interesting, regardless of your age because time is important.  

I suggest that we all try to make the most of the present because we're not promised a future. 

Until the next time . . .

 

Authors on the Air

While I love to read about writing, books and fellow authors, it's also nice to watch literary programs on TV and webcasts and listen on the radio.

One of my favorite programs is "Bookmark," which airs every Friday evening on RL TV.  The host is Daryn Kagan, a former anchor at CNN. The hour-long show features authors, books to films, reviews, and more and it moves along at an entertaining pace. 

One of the longest running programs is Book TV on C-SPAN. Brian Lamb and others provide in-depth interviews with authors of nonfiction books.

Another place for great author interviews and book reviews is National Public Radio. I'm on the mailing list (you can sign up on website) and receive updates on programs.

I live in Kentucky, where I can enjoy "One to One with Bill Goodman" on Kentucky Educational Television. The program, however, features more than authors. KET also had a show called "bookclub@KET," which featured discussions about books by Kentucky authors. The website has an archive of the programs.

One of the best Internet sites for books can be found at Tunein.com. It has numerous programs that focus on all things relating to books.

And check out Blog Talk Radio, which also allows listeners to start their own program about books or whatever. 

If you have any favorites you'd like to recommend, please leave in the comments section. 

Until the next time...