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[What's Burning?]

It's not about familiarity with the route, study suggests
(Newser) – Ever noticed how the trip home from your destination always seems shorter than the trip there? The standard explanation is that on the way back, you’re familiar with the route. But scientists in the Netherlands are contesting that view, offering a different explanation centered on expectations, MSNBC reports. On the outward journey, people are too optimistic, making the trip take longer than expected. Thus, on the way back, they're prepared for another long trip—and the actual trip seems shorter.

In one study, the researcher's team interviewed bus riders on a full-day trip in which both the outward and return journeys were the same length. The longer the outbound trip felt compared to a rider’s expectations, the shorter the way back seemed. Over the course of multiple studies, “people felt the return trip was about 22% shorter than the initial trip,” said the researcher.

Well my world has been rocked. I'm not entirely sure if I agree, but it is a completely new and unexpected POV, any opinions?

[LewEngBridewell]

The journey that is the most important (time-wise) will probably seem longer. That's life!

I say this because you tend to worry / think about it more. The more chilled out journey (usually the way back) will therefore seem shorter, because you don't really care about it as much.

Ah well, just a thought.

[FRAFPDD]

Usuallt a journey is to a place your longing to get over done with, or anticipating greatly, 12 hour shift at work, grand prix for two opposite ends of the spectrum, once over your mellow and chilled and not focused on what youve just done, partly cause its over, partly cause it was exhausting.

[SennaVille]

I actually have a great example of this. I went camping with my family a few weeks ago, it was about an hour away from where we live. Near the end of the journey the car started to die, we nursed it to the campsite, camped out, and decided to try to get home the next day without calling AAA. The trip home should have felt twenty times longer than the incoming trip because we were all tense about the car breaking down, we noticed every landmark just in case we did break down, stressed over every hill, etc.

The return trip seemed to take about half the time as the incoming trip. Our brains are weird.

[andrew]

I always thought it was Scot Rail playing a trick.

Last time I had a job in Inverness I was up there for 9am (left Aberdeen at about 5.45am). It was dark, cold and snowey and the journey dragged on. Coming back the journey didn't feel like it was 3 hours long. Left Inverness and 4pm ish and got back in at 7pm but it certainly didn't feel like a 3 hour journey. Strang indeed.

I guess it's all to do with the anticipation of the unknown or the dread of going somewhere knowing that you're going to be running about non-stop for a whole day like the proverbial blue-bottemed fly.

[SennaVille]

I think the whole effect can be summarised in...."Yay Christmas!!"

and...it's not christmas anymore.

[bud]

I dunno an 8 hour drive back from Melbourne still seems f***ing long

[darwin dali]

Our brains are weird.

Speak for yourself

[LewEngBridewell]

Of course, there are plenty of ways to make a journey seem shorter, by keeping yourself occupied!

When travelling from London to Manchester, listening to music does the trick nicely.

[SennaVille]

Our brains are weird.

Speak for yourself

Sorry, some brains are weird *except for DD, who has very normal brain* snort.

[darwin dali]

Our brains are weird.

Speak for yourself

Sorry, some brains are weird *except for DD, who has very normal brain* snort.

Define 'normal'

[Hammer278]

Einstein's theory of relativity.

To put it simply...getting your finger burned for a second feels like an hour, chatting up a very attractive lady for an hour feels like a second.

[minnie]

It also depends on who you end up sitting next to...