About Time - Chapter 1 - The mystery of time

Since the dawn of mankind, people have wondered about time. We all experience its passing, at least for the short period of change between birth and death. This feared briefness may well explain our distinctive fascination with time compared to other species. The only time we ever really seem to perceive is the present, which seems to flow forward, locked in between the two eternities of past and future. Despite our ever-present awareness and fascination with time, it is known as an elusive concept, defying explanation.

00:57 - Even though we may not be able to explain what time is, the way we perceive it has clearly changed a great deal over the course of our history as a species. This process has been closely related to our observation of the night sky and the measurement of its motions. Discovering the heavenly connection to changes in our environment gave us the power to predict future events and enhance our lives. A growing familiarity with the stars and planets yielded practical tools such as calendars, clocks and timetables and powerful insights that transformed the way we live our lives, stretched our conscious experience of time and revealed our place in the universe. Time used to be a mysterious, unmeasurable flow of cyclical change.

Now, we order our 01:58 - lives on a linear time scale that is dictated by precisely measured seconds, ticked off by the relentless clock presenting its status at every corner. This story is about the fascinating evolution of our notion of time. .