Sensing Time is an installation piece that allows people to change their perception of time in order to better empathize with other organisms and planetary events.

Much like an interactive version of the Eames' "Powers of Ten" video, the device allows someone to slow down and speed up time on the objects in the frame by moving the device forwards and backwards. By moving the device backwards, one may clearly see the individual flaps of a bee's wing. By moving the device forwards, one can see the "rhythm of breathing" of a glacier over decades.

This concept was inspired by the interplay of evolution and technology. Environmental pressures have always pushed living organisms to adapt to their surroundings (e.g., evolving bird beaks to adapt to the food in its area). Furthermore, technology has always been a tool for humans to augment their evolution to become a more effective and efficient species (e.g, bicycles allow us to move faster with less energy).

However, problems such as climate change can evade our civilization's ability to adapt to it - partly due to our inability to perceive it. By allowing the viewer to move outside of "human time", this installation hopes to help its audience empathize with events and organisms that exist on other timescales.

This project was conceived over the course of 24 hours during the Designing Senses course.