In this informal, Socratic-style interview, Michael Strong talks with Alana, a seven‑year‑old girl on a beach, about the nature of time. Alana describes time as a way to count and keep track of the day, distinguishing clock time (hours, minutes) from subjective durations (short vs long). She offers concrete examples of long events (waiting for an airplane) and short events (running up the beach). The conversation explores whether humans could sense time without clocks, leading Alana to suggest that people would still notice half‑days or long‑ago events even without invented units. They discuss aging, birthdays, and the length of a year, with Alana calculating months until her next birthday and estimating school versus summer break months. Alana explains how timekeeping helps her organize activities, anticipate how long trips or play sessions will last, and manage expectations. The interview ends with Alana affirming her love of school and no further thoughts on time.
Chapters
Hello, Alana.
Yeah, I can hear him. Hey, Ryan. Oh, let me switch.
Looks like somebody is having a beautiful day on the beach. Hey, Alana.
Hi.
How are you?
I'm good, how are you?
I'm well. It looks like you are having a beautiful day at the beach.
I am.
Is it a perfect day or do you like it when it's sunnier?
Um, I'd say it's kind of perfect.
All right, good for you. So I was thinking about time and I was wondering What do you think time is?
Um, time is a way we count math.
Okay, time is a way we count math. So, um, give me an example. I'm not sure I understand when you say time is a way we count math.
Um, I think maybe like time is a way to like count like, or maybe just time is just A way to keep track of what time of the day it is, or—
Okay, so you're thinking of like noon and 1 o'clock and 2 o'clock and things like that?
Yeah.
Okay, so time, the clock time, I would call that clock time because, you know, those are clock numbers. Does that make sense?
Uh-huh.
We're getting a little bit of sound. Is there a noise on your side?
Yeah, there's an airplane.
Okay, sounded like it. So how about something like, um, we can talk about something took a long time or not very long. Is that right?
Yeah.
A short time or a long time?
Yeah.
What's the difference between a short time? Would you say that, um, some things take a very long time?
Yeah, I would say some things.
What's an example of something that takes a long time?
Uh, getting ready for an airplane to shoot off.
Okay. What's something that takes a very short time?
Uh, maybe Tara's going to run up the sandy beach.
What's, what's a short time?
To run up the sandy beach.
Okay, that's a short time. Do you think that we would— some things would take a short time and some things would take a long time even if we did not have clocks? And clock time?
If time wasn't invented, maybe no. We would just think of it, wow, he's taking, when will he be done or something like that.
You're thinking of the airplane? Okay. So, no, what I'm thinking is, so, you know, once upon a time human beings did not have clocks. Does that make sense?
Yeah.
Can you imagine with no clocks at all?
Uh, maybe. Maybe they would say instead of, wow, that guy's taking a really long time, like, wow, it's already like half the day. When will he be done?
Okay, so they would still say like half the day. So you're saying even without clocks, we'd kind of be aware of when half the day was, what a day was. That kind of thing?
Yeah.
And then would we still be aware that some things were very short amount of time and other things were long amount of time?
Maybe.
Okay. I guess I'm wondering, do you think that we get older through time?
Uh, yeah, that's what I'm thinking.
So you're 7 years old, right?
Uh-huh.
How old is Logan?
He's 3.
Okay, and so if he's 3 years, that means— do you remember when he was born?
Yes, I do.
So that's 3 years ago. Would you say 3 years ago was a long time ago?
Yeah.
Do you think a year is a long time?
Maybe. Maybe for some people.
Is a year a long time for you?
Uh, yeah.
Okay, so you had your birthday in August, is that correct?
Uh-huh.
So that means, um, Do you know how many months till your next birthday?
10?
Yes. Is 10 months a long time?
For me.
Okay, that's totally okay. So, so, um, those times, do you think that we would have a sense for time, years, like years? You were talking about without clocks, we'd still have a sense if it took half the day or not. Do you think without clocks and without calendars, we'd still have a sense that, say, Logan was born a long time ago?
Yeah.
Okay.
Probably.
And so I guess I'm thinking about how humans know that time is passing. Can you tell when time is passing?
I can tell by the minute right now.
With a clock. And I guess I'm wondering, without clocks, would you be aware that time was passing even without clocks?
If they invented minutes, hours, and numbers, yeah.
So you're saying if we had not yet invented those, you would just not be aware of time at all.
Yeah, because me, I just, when I don't have a clock around me, I just think of a minute as 60 seconds, which it is, so I just count.
Okay. And so suppose I'm trying to go back to this world before we had, before we, and you're right, we invented minutes, seconds, and all that stuff. And so I'm trying to imagine the world before we invented that stuff. And what it would be like and if we would have a sense of time or maybe we wouldn't. Are you thinking that without clocks we would not have any sense of time at all?
Yeah, and without those things.
Do you think that it would be more fun not to have a sense of time or do you like having a sense of time or you do not like having a sense of time or it depends?
I kind of do. I kind of do.
Why do you like it?
Because it's a way that humans can keep track of time.
And you like keeping track of time?
So I can know—
Go ahead, so you can know what?
So I can know when is when and what time is this and so on.
It sounds like you love the way that time helps you kind of organize your day, is that? Accurate?
Yeah.
And you think without clocks we would just kind of be confused all the time?
Uh, if numbers and minutes and hours and days weren't invented too, yeah.
Okay, I think it's really interesting that you have such a clear sense of the ways that these things structure our time. Do you know what I mean by structure?
Yeah, like build up the time?
Yeah, you know, a structure physically is like a building.
Yeah.
But in a way, what I'm getting from you is it sounds like you have a sense that minutes, seconds and minutes and hours and everything structure our time. They kind of, as you say, they help us know, I think it helps you know what to expect. Is that part of it? You like to know what to expect and if you know something's 2 hours away? Do you know what it feels like kind of to play for 2 hours or to drive a car for 2 hours?
Yeah, I do.
And do you think, let's see, I assume that you'd rather play for more hours, right?
Yeah, sometimes.
Sometimes? And I assume sometimes you get tired of driving in the car. Have you been on car rides that are a little bit too long?
Yeah, like going to Las Vegas, sometimes it takes 6 hours.
And does it help to know, okay, 6 hours to Las Vegas, mom and dad, how much more time? Oh, only 5 hours left, only 4 hours left, only 3 hours left. Does that kind of use of time help you?
Yeah, it does.
How about playing? Suppose you want to play all day at the beach and your dad says, only an hour left, Galana. Only half an hour left, only 10 minutes left. Does that kind of use of time help you?
Yeah, it does.
So even if it's the end of something fun, you still like to know what's going on, huh?
Yeah, I do.
Okay, that makes a lot of sense. Um, does it help to know that your birthday is 10 months away?
It does now. Okay, because then I could—
3 months school. Then you can like what?
Because then I can like count how many more months or days or because I know that a month is 4 weeks. So, yep.
No, it sounds like you have a very good sense of time. Do you know how many months of this year are school and then how many months are summer break?
For me, in summer break it's like maybe 3 months or something. And I don't know how much in this school year.
Okay, so suppose summer break is 3 months and there are how many months in a year?
There are 12.
So if summer break is 3 months and there are 12 months in the year, how many months do you think school is?
Maybe 9. Maybe close to 9 or something.
Okay, because 12 minus 3 equals 9, correct?
Uh-huh.
So that, that's how you calculated, I expect. Um, I'm going to tell you something about when I was your age. Uh, when I was your age, I used to think that summer break was 6 months and school was 6 months. And I was, I was so unhappy when somebody told me, no, no, Michael, it's 12— it's 9 months of school and 3 months of summer. I felt cheated out of part of my summer because I thought summer was supposed to be just as long as school. So I'm amazed that you know it's actually 9 and 3. So when I was your age, I was totally clueless until somebody told me that. But it sounds like you like school, so it's okay. You don't feel cheated out of summer.
Yeah, I love school.
Okay, that's wonderful. Well, anything, any other thoughts on time?
Um, no.
Okay. Well, thank you. It's really interesting to explore the world of time with you. And I hope to be able to talk to you again next weekend, okay?
