This is Tech

[Photo by: gadl]

Here is a youtube clip from a BBC documentary highlighting some recent research relating to time dilation and the effect of adrenaline and drugs on the perception of the passage of time. In the first experiment depicted in the video, a researcher compares a subject’s ability to read rapidly flashing numbers during free fall and in a normal state. Under the influence of adrenaline, the subject was better able to read the numbers. This is touted as evidence that the brain is able to slow things down when in crisis mode.

In the second experiment, researchers tested the perception of time in rats under the influence of marijuana and cocaine. These rats had previously been trained to hit a button every 12 seconds to trigger release of a food pellet. Under the influence of cocaine, the rat hit the button too early. With Marijuana the rat was too late.

The experiments depicted in the video are not conclusive. The free fall experiment only tests one subject, and his ability to recall the numbers presented during free-fall was not perfect. The rats in the drug based experiment hit the button at the wrong time, but this may not be based on their perception of time, but could be due to other factors such as their level of discipline in waiting for food (in the case of cocaine) or their motivation to be feed (in the case of marijuana). Nonetheless, it is an interesting video, and helps one think about how the brain perceives time. For more on time dilation, check out our post on Teaching Your Mind to Stretch Time.