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Flies See the World In Slo-Mo, Say Researchers

Posted by timothy on from the sure-passes-quickly-as-the-decades-pass dept.

An anonymous reader writes "'The smaller an animal is, and the faster its metabolic rate, the slower time passes for it, scientists found. This means that across a wide range of species, time perception is directly related to size, with animals smaller than us seeing the world in slow motion.' No wonder it took so long to grow up!" Here's the original paper.

6 of 176 comments (clear)

  1. Seniors see the world at blazing speeds by Russ1642 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sitting in the left lane going ten under the speed limit while the world screams by.

  2. Re:Makes complete sense by Ogive17 · · Score: 5, Funny

    You haven't seen my reaction time when I spot a spider.

    --
    "Action without philosophy is a lethal weapon; philosophy without action is worthless."
  3. Have you ever tried to swat a fly? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    You practically have to be on meth to catch one. And then the problem is with the spiders in the corners of your eyes.

  4. Re:Makes complete sense by Jason+Levine · · Score: 3, Funny

    I've thought of this too every time I try to swat a fly that found its way into my house. Flies seem to be able to do aerial maneuvers in reaction to threats that you would think impossible given their tiny brains. I often wondered if it wasn't that they were so quick, but that (to them) I was moving so slow. This might also explain why they seem to like buzzing right by me when I'm trying to kill them. They're taunting the big creature moving in slow motion. "You think you can catch me? I'm right in front of you. Nope. Now I'm over here. Over here. Over here. Too slow. Try and catch me." *zips into another room*

    --
    My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
  5. I thought this was well known by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 5, Funny

    I honestly though this was common knowledge already. Maybe I'm a little slow.

    --
    systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
  6. Re:So flies are 4 times as twitchy as we are? by c0lo · · Score: 3, Funny

    Then why is it ever possible to swat a fly?

    Why... that's elementary! The flys are so bored to death by watching you in slo-mo, some will fall asleep.

    --
    Questions raise, answers kill. Raise questions to stay alive.