Anil Seth

It may seem that the years go by quickly, but do the minutes go by more quickly?

Do the seconds go by more quickly?

Probably not.

And in fact, the experimental evidence that we have in psychology, it doesn't reveal any differences in how people experience time at the level of seconds or minutes.

But at the level of years, that may be true.

And one possible reason why that might be true is that the older we get, the less new stuff happens, broadly speaking.

We get set into routines.

We've already experienced a lot.

And so the experience of how long a year takes, let's say, that might be partly constituted by how many different new things have happened in that period of time.

And that's going to be just less the older we get.

So what indeed you've hit on probably one of the thorniest issues in all thinking, researching about consciousness, this issue of free will.

Do we have it?

What is it?

Why is it important?

Certainly seems to be.

We go about our lives with this experience that we're in control of our actions, that indeed I could decide to stop talking to you now and go and make a cup of tea instead, do something like that.

But I don't do it.

I continue talking to you.

But we do make voluntary decisions.

We do it all the time.