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Why Humans Are Bad at Estimating Time

Our internal clocks drift. This tiny timing game exposes the gap and helps you train it.

Humans are surprisingly bad at estimating short stretches of time. Without external cues, our brains speed up or slow down depending on attention, stress, and expectation. That is why five seconds can feel long when you are waiting and short when you are focused.

Stop the Timer turns that mismatch into a game. You start the clock and try to stop at exactly 5.000 seconds. The error in milliseconds shows how far your internal clock drifted.

Scoring is pure precision: absolute error in milliseconds. Lower is better, and only your best run matters for the leaderboard.

Why does time feel slippery? Attention narrows perception. When you are locked in, the brain compresses time; when you are bored or anxious, it stretches. Micro-tasks like this reveal how your rhythm changes across attempts.

Tips to rank higher: count a steady beat in your head, keep your click hand relaxed, and stick to a consistent cadence. Avoid staring at the digits; it makes you late.