Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:54 am by Tawakalna
musk rat - I find your over-simplistic and binary theory unconvincing and unsatisfactory. however I will accept that it may have a bearing, although not to the extent that you suggest.
Insurance Vampire - that sociological analysis makes a lot more sense than Muskie's homespun codswallop. however, i can't help but feel that metabolic relativism plays a part too. For example, do animals that have metabolic rates and lifespans widely at variance with those of humans percieve time in the same way or at the same rate? doe an insect that lives out it's entire lifespan in a few days or weeks percieve time at the same rate as, say, and effalump or a whale, that may live as long or longer than humans, or a Galapgos tortoise that may live for centuries? Of course, we'd never know, as they can't tell us. But I suspect that based on our own existences and the rate of change in time perception from our childhood, when we're rushing around burning up energy and absorbing lots of different input, to older ages when we ain't, plays a significant part. But I accept your argument as a working explanation.
I've noticed that when we're really bored, time drags and one can really feel it dragging, such as when the child drags me to see his latest boring cartoon feature (I actually fall asleep most of the time so at least i escape the boredom!) however on the rare occasions that I actually get to see something that i find interesting and entertaining, a rarity indeed these days, time simply flies, and it's over all to quickly, whereupon i'm rudely ejected back into the real and terribly mundane world.