On Our Own Time: Time's Impact on Human Biology
Time affects humans in a variety of ways. We notice time as it slips by us when we’re spending a day with friends or trying to take a test in a short class period. Athletes from around the world notice time when they’re competing in the Olympics. Some cultures do not measure time any more specifically than months and days, while others live their lives in sync with the rising and setting of the sun. Other cultures live by the clock, and even the seconds that pass by can cause anxiety. So, we notice the effects that time has on the way we go about our daily lives, but do we, as living creatures, notice how time affects us biologically? Even if we don’t always notice it consciously, our bodies do.
Your body has probably experienced the biological effects of time on multiple occasions. Have you ever experienced jet lag flying across an ocean or even just across a couple time zones? Have you ever experienced the "winter blues" or switched to the night-shift at work and had trouble readjusting to your new schedule? Did you feel tired when you knew you should be awake? Have you ever felt much colder than usual when you were excessively tired? Chances are that you have experienced one or more of these things before. Time actually has a significant effect on the way our bodies function. Come along and explore the many fascinating biological impacts of time.