You likely don't actually run faster at night, but perceive that you do because of how your brain interprets visual information.
Understanding Optic Flow Rate
The key concept here is optic flow rate. According to the reference:
"You may notice that when you run in the dark, you feel as though you're running quickly. Perhaps you are. More likely, though, it's to do with optic flow rate. This refers to how quickly you see objects coming toward you."
What is Optic Flow Rate?
- Optic flow rate is essentially how fast visual information appears to be passing by you as you move.
- During the day, there’s a lot of visual information – trees, buildings, people – that provides a more accurate sense of your speed.
- At night, with fewer visual cues and objects, your brain may perceive the movement of the few available objects as occurring faster.
How Nighttime Affects Perception
Here's why you might feel faster at night:
- Reduced Visual Clutter: With fewer objects visible, your brain focuses more on the few things you can see, leading to an amplified sense of movement.
- Fewer Reference Points: During the day, you constantly compare your movement to stationary objects. At night, this lack of reference points can make you think you're moving faster than you are.
- Psychological Factors: The feeling of anonymity in the dark, or the desire to get home faster can also influence your perception.
Practical Insights
To help illustrate, think of it this way:
| Scenario | Visual Information | Perceived Speed | Actual Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daytime Run | Many clear objects | More accurate | Normal |
| Nighttime Run | Fewer objects | May feel faster | Normal |
Conclusion
The feeling of running faster at night is generally a perceptual trick caused by the way your brain processes visual cues in low-light conditions, especially due to changes in optic flow rate. You might feel like you are going faster, but you are likely moving at a similar speed as you would during the day.
