Immortality — The Time Compression Problem

Sci-fi books and movies often explore the topic of immortality, and modern medicine is constantly extending the human lifespan. But what would immortality be like? The problem I keep running into as I ponder this, and other related ideas, is what I call the Time Compression Problem.

We've all experienced it. When we were children, Summer used to last forever. 20min in the doctor's waiting room felt like an eternity. Time seemed to move very slowly. But as we get older, our perception of time changes. It speeds up. And it continues accelerating the older we get. I'm in my 40s and months already feel like weeks to me. I can only imagine what time must feel like to people in their 60s and beyond.

In considering immortality, this compression in our perception of time must surely become intolerable as we reach 150, continuing on to our 2nd century. What must that be like to the person living it? At some point, a year is going to feel like a day. And this time compression is only going to continue as infinite years roll by.

I don't think our human minds could handle it. While we may live forever, the realities of time compression could render our minds broken and useless as we exceed the limits of our evolved brains. And how would that manifest? Madness? Breakdown? Perhaps some other debilitation?

At this point, it's just a thought exercise, or something to think about on the afternoon train. But as we live longer, as our technology, and our mastery of the world increase, the reality of time compression in the human mind will become a real issue that scientists and doctors need to aim their talents at. Because keeping the body going may be the easy part. Maintaining the integrity, and healthy functioning of our minds may be quite difficult, and certainly something to think about if you're writing the next best-selling sci-fi novel! #blog