A Sense of Time

Animal senses reveal a wealth of information that humans can't
access. Birds can see in ultra violet, and some fish can 'feel'
electricity. But how do different species sense time? If you've
ever tried to swat flies, you'll know that they seem to have
super-powered reactions that let them escape before you can
blink. Presenter Geoff Marsh asks whether flies have some sort of
super-power to see the world in slow motion. Are they watching
your hand come down at what might appear a leisurely pace?


Science reveals a window into the minds of different species and
their temporal perceptions. Some flies have such fast vision that
they can see and react to movement at four times the rate you
can, and our vision works at more than six times the speed of one
species of deep sea fish. This programme delves into each moment
of experience to ask 'what is time, biologically?' When birds
have to dodge through forests and catch flies on the wing, or
when flies have to avoid birds, it would seem that a faster
temporal resolution would be a huge advantage. So what is their
sense of time?


Geoff meets physicist Carlo Rovelli and asks him to jump outside
of physics to answer questions on biology and philosophy. Geoff
explores the mind of a bat with Professor Yossi Yovel in Israel,
and dissects birdsong at super slow speeds with BBC wildlife
sound recordist, Chris Watson. Getting deep into the minds of
animals he questions whether our seconds feel like swordfish
seconds, or a beetles' or birds' or bats..?


Presenter: Geoff Marsh Producer: Rory Galloway