Time is to Clock as Mind is to Brain

The quote, "Time is to clock as mind is to brain" is found in chapter 4 of Dava Sobel's Longitude. I had to read this during a college course, and even though generally everyone found the book to be dull or boring, I found it interesting. Again, adding to my reasons of why I don't understand people. I guess it's just because this book made me think about the impact of the clock and longitude on today's society.

The previous year I remember having a discussion about how our lives are ruled by a clock. We go places depending upon the time that the clock on the wall or on our wrist or on our phone. I always end up looking at my phone to see the time, even when I don't need to. It's strange to think how the phone has replaced the watch. I even know friends who look at their phone for the time even though they are wearing a watch. It's absolutely crazy. And it's something that we do intuitively. Why? Are we really independent of time? It consistently rules our life. 

But what is interesting about this quote and this book is that it made me realize that time is not constant. It is continuously changing. Ever hear of "Time flies by when you are having fun"? To different people, time can speed up or slow down. Ever been in a meeting or a class that seems like it has gone on for an hour, but when you look up at the clock it has only been two minuets? It's because time is continuously warped and changed. If this invisible entity is continuously changing, then how is it captured within a physical object? How is it that our mind is trapped by our brain? It is the invisible versus the physical. Everyone's mind is different, but everyone's brain is the same (or at least close to the same, excluding brain deficiencies, etc.). Similarly, time is different between people, but the clock is the same (or at least as similar as each clock can get). It's just interesting to think about.