The Secret Powers of Time

[RonBoyd]

I know, it is ten minutes long... but, if nothing else, it is a fascinating "PowerPoint" presentation.

YouTube - RSA Animate - The Secret Powers of Time

 

[dex]

Nice video - amazing drawings.
Psychologists have long known that postponement of immediate gratification is one of if not the strongest indicator of success in life. The author has substituted the words 'view of time' for postponement in the equation.

As for his mention of societies and time, I think Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies does a better job of discussing the differences. Guns, Germs, and Steel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

As I get older I do find it difficult to relate to those younger who have electronic devices at the center of their lives - texting, GPS in cars, MP3 player in ears while walking, video games etc.

Generally, like financial management, people do not know how much time they spend surfing the web and watching TV, texting etc so it fills up their day and they feel busy or overworked.

 

[antmary]

Well worth the 10 minutes....

Thank You!

 

[BigNick]

It seemed to me that there were two presentations running through each other - one about the idea of time perspectives, and the other trying to make out that kid's brains are being harmed by video games. Both are valid discussion topics, but the jumping between the two just gave me a sense of incoherence. (FWIW, I have more sympathy with the "time perspective" argument than with "video games are mad, m'kay?").

 

[haha]

This is interesting. Zimbardo is one of the most prominent social scientists of the later 20th century. He also may have a screw or two a bit loose.

Stanford prison experiment - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[TromboneAl]

I loved the drawings, but found the information to be simplistic.

For example, he mentions that kids don't wear wristwatches because "they are a single function device." That doesn't tell you anything about the kids. It makes sense. If you have a cell phone that displays the time, why have a second device just for displaying the time?

He said that coronary disease is higher in countries where people walk faster and handle packages faster at the post office. He implies causation, but there are millions of other things different in different cultures as well.

And I bet he wouldn't enjoy waiting several minutes for a computer to boot up.