Understanding time is important for us to make sense of the world around us. Our ability to track time has evolved over millions of years and is not limited to humans alone; animals like hummingbirds and rats also possess this ability. Previously, scientists believed that our brains contained a biological watch mechanism, generating regular pulses that measured time. However, recent scientific discoveries challenge this and suggest that the brain uses multiple mechanisms to measure time.
Neuroscientist Dean Buonomano from UCLA proposes a fascinating idea. He suggests that the brain measures time in fractions of a second by observing patterns of neuron activity, similar to throwing a rock in a lake. For longer time intervals, Warren Meck from Duke University suggests that the brain uses pulses in a musical model. Your brain receives these pulses, listens to the changing patterns, and gives a sense of time that has passed.
Interestingly, the brain’s perception of time extends beyond the present moment. The process of eye movement seems to influence our mental timeline, allowing us to create a continuous perception of reality. Additionally, our ability to remember events is connected with our memory of time. Researchers suggest that the brain stores memories of time in unique ways, potentially compressing them to be used more efficiently. Interestingly, reverse memories have been observed in rats, where neurons go in reverse order while remembering a past event.
In conclusion, our perception of time is complicated. While we cannot escape the passing of time, we possess the ability to control it according to our needs. Continuing scientific research continues to discover the detailed mechanisms that shape our perception of time, revealing that time is ultimately a tool we use to navigate and comprehend the world around us.
Comprehension
1) Why is our ability to track time important?
2) What is the traditional belief about how our brains perceive time?
3) How do neuroscientists Dean Buonomano and Warren Meck propose that the brain perceives time?
Vocabulary
Match the words to the definition:
1) pulses
2) recent
3) patterns
4) beyond
5) seem
6) compress
a) appear, to be like
b) to make smaller to conserve space
c) individual beats in a rhythm
d) a short time in the past
e) to go past something
f) something that repeats itself
Grammar Highlights
Use Present Perfect tense to focus on events in the past that are still true or happening now:
“Our ability to track time has evolved over millions of years …”
*This article was adapted from another article to make it more suitable for English learners. You can read the original article here.