perception of time

[curlyfilm]

time as we know is is constant and linear, but how about the perception of time, i know at the age of 5, six weeks was a long time because when i had been alive for 260 weeks 6 weeks was a lerge percentage, now at the age of 36 6 weeks is nothing compared to the 1872 wekeks i've been alive
so how does a mayfly whos alive for 24 hours percieve time compared to a tortoise or a human who lives a lot longer? does the mayfly's time appear much slowly compared to the tortoisewhos time appears to go by more quickly

[nucleardream]

First considering both of the species you mention lack a cerebral cortex, I doubt they have much conception of time. Second, a mayfly can't be compared to a tortoise - the "different species" hypothesis. An old mayfly could be compared to a young mayfly, just the same as a young and old tortoise, in the different ways they perceive time (assuiming they're capable of that). I did a study on this once (i.e. a thought experiment) with how people conceive of time. One year passage of time to a one year old is 50 percent. The same time period to a 100 year old person is just one percent. Where it gets tricky is trying the find the slope of the function on a curved line (the curved line being your life). I did this thought experiment when in Calculus - hence the catalyst to the thought. Now it doesn't seem to matter.

[ryepie]

Your original premise is incorrect, time is not constant.

[woofgang]

you should read Terry Pratchett on this, vey wise and funny.