How Time Works & Why It’s Stranger Than You Think

Nayra Jain Nov 2, 2025

The Speed Of Time Isn’t Constant

According to Einstein’s theory of relativity, time moves slower when you travel closer to the speed of light. That means astronauts in orbit age slightly slower than people on Earth — a phenomenon known as time dilation. Image Source: Meta-AI

Gravity Can Bend Time

Time flows differently depending on how strong gravity is. The closer you are to a massive object like Earth or a black hole, the slower time passes. This is why clocks at sea level tick slower than those at higher altitudes. Image Source: Meta-AI

Your Brain Experiences Time Differently

Our perception of time changes based on attention, emotion, and memory. For example, time seems to move slowly when you’re anxious but flies when you’re enjoying yourself — it’s psychological, not physical. Image Source: Meta-AI

Every Planet Has Its Own ‘Time’

A day on each planet is defined by its rotation speed. While Earth’s day is 24 hours, a day on Venus lasts 243 Earth days, and on Jupiter, just about 10 hours — proving time is relative to celestial motion. Image Source: Meta-AI

Time Travel Is Theoretically Possible

Physics allows time travel — but only to the future. Travelling near light speed or entering a strong gravitational field could move you forward in time. Backward travel, however, remains beyond scientific reach. Image Source: Meta-AI

Your Biological Clock Keeps Its Own Time

The human body runs on a natural rhythm called the circadian cycle, which governs sleep, hunger, and alertness. Even without sunlight, the body maintains an internal 24-hour schedule based on this clock. Image Source: Meta-AI

Time Once Moved Slower On Early Earth

Billions of years ago, Earth’s rotation was faster, making days shorter — about 18 hours long. The Moon’s gravitational pull has gradually slowed Earth’s spin, stretching days to 24 hours today. Image Source: Meta-AI

Time Will Eventually Stop

Cosmologists predict that as the universe expands and stars die, time could one day lose meaning. In a 'heat death' scenario, when no energy is left to create change, time as we know it would effectively end. Image Source: Meta-AI

You Experience The Past Constantly

Light takes time to travel, so everything you see happened slightly in the past. The Sun’s light takes about 8 minutes to reach Earth, meaning we’re always viewing it as it was, not as it is. Image Source: Meta-AI

Time May Not Exist At All

Some physicists argue that time is an illusion — a construct humans use to understand change. According to quantum theory, time might emerge from relationships between events, not as an independent entity. Image Source: Meta-AI

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