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The programme that explains the present by exploring the past

The programme that explains the present by exploring the past.

The Forum: How Long is ‘Now’?

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Main Image The Forum: Photo by Shan Pillay

02/05/2015 GMT

How Long is ‘Now’?

BBC World Service - The Forum, How Long is ‘Now’?

How do we perceive time passing? With neuroscientist Virginie van Wassenhove, writer Shumon Basar and music professor Lawrence Zbikowski.

How does our brain perceive time passing? Is there such a thing as a ‘now’, and if so, how long is it, exactly? And, why do we sometimes feel that time has slowed down or even stopped altogether, for instance when listening to music or in extreme situations? Helping to explain the latest thinking and research about time, the brain and the world are cognitive neuroscientist Virginie van Wassenhove, writer Shumon Basar, author of a new book about an ‘extreme present’, and Lawrence Zbikowski, professor of Music at the University of Chicago.

(Photo: Part of an analogue clock face. Credit: Shan Pillay)

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