Book Description

The main theme of this book is the impacts of speed and time optimization on reality, or more precisely on our modern society. But first, it sets the background by exploring the physics behind the concepts of speed and time, how they came about, how we became aware of them, and how did the new world of speed emerge, and why does it seem to be inescapable? It explores the speed of light and the speed of sound by linking them to our environment. It introduces the notion of Arrow of time or entropy, which grows from the past to the present, is expected to keep growing in the future, and hypothesizes that this is perhaps why our craving for speed and time optimization is here to stay with no end in sight. An important point discussed is that because of memories and experiences, people may choose to live either in the past, present, or future, which leads to the notions of presentism and eternalism. The book argues that while for presentists only the present is real, for eternalists both the past, present, and future are equally real. The book makes the case about speed and time optimization as a legacy of modernity by laying out the differences between modernism, modernization, and modernity itself. It shows how modernity is all about the now or the present, rather than the past and, how, as such, it’s all about the new. So then, the changes that are now happening in our modern world can be traced back to a segment of history that dates back to the beginning of modernity, that is, which began with the Protestant Reformation and, is now rapidly approaching closure in the world of today’s extreme finance. It argues about the technological implications of speed and time in the 21st century. It shows how technology has become an integral part of human existence and that it is inconceivable one can even think of escaping it. This Part III of the series shows the link between high-speed trading and faster connectivity and faster computers. It shows how, thanks to the Internet, information became freely accessible and is spreading faster and faster. It shows how supercomputers not only allow people to address the biggest and most complex problems, they also allow people to solve problems faster, even those that could fit on servers or clusters of PCs. This rapid time to solution is critical in some aspects of emergency preparedness and national defense, where the solutions produced are only valuable if they can be acted on in a timely manner. Finally, the social and psychological implications of speed and time in the 21st century are also addressed by considering the upside and the downside of moving fast, meaning leading a fast-paced life. The argument presented in the book is based on the analysis and the importance of stress in our daily lives and also explains the notion of chronobiology. Our biological clocks drive our circadian rhythms. An interesting point is that blind people may not perceive time the same way as the non-blind. Furthermore, the book shows how we perceive time differently as we age compared to when we were young. It also makes the case for the perception of time in dreams and in real life. Speed and time optimization may be deceiving, according to this Part III of the series. This can be proven by questions such as, (1) Is going over the speed limit really worth it? and (2) Is the saying “Slow down to go faster” a paradox?