One minute is calibrated in length by the number of oscillations a Caesium atom makes at a laboratory in France somewhere*.

However, the subjective length of a minute is different to:

– a person waiting a minute for their train to arrive (slightly slower than a standard minute).
– a person on a train which has stopped at a signal and will be on the move in a minute (approximately 2 minutes 30 seconds).
– a person whose train leaves in a minute, who isn’t yet at their train station (vastly diminished – a minute passes in about 20 seconds).

Albert Einstein never formally documented this aspect of Relativity, however with today’s technology I’m convinced that this concept could be harnessed to master time travel.

Of all perceived time dilations though, the most dramatic is when you wake up at someone else’s house, need a piss, and there’s someone in the shower. Each elapsed second stretches out into 10 observed minutes. Think of what 2 pints of water before bedtime and some judicious alarm clock setting could do for your daily morning email productivity.

* This is probably hearsay – wouldn’t be surprised to get the WHOOP! WHOOP! WHOOP! treatment on QI over this one.