The Enigma of Time in Living Beings: A Tale by an Eccentric Scientist

Among my old friends, there is one who delves into an exceptionally niche scientific field. His daily research is so specialized that it eludes my comprehension entirely. It’s a bit embarrassing, but I’ve been evading discussions about his work for over a decade.
 
He is, without a doubt, unique. The tension in his thoughts, his perspectives, the way he frames his arguments, his thought processes, and his conclusions—all are utterly unpredictable. Sometimes, he even disregards the conventional structure of a narrative. Once, I asked him, “How do you come up with your ideas?” He replied, somewhat exasperated, “Hmm, how should I put it? I don’t create them; they just descend upon me.” His mind remains an enigma to me.
 
Yet, his unconventional thinking has often rescued me from the depths of creative drought. He might be seen as an oddball by society, but to me, he is an irreplaceable and cherished friend.
 
This self-proclaimed solitary scientist casually strolled into my workspace one day. “I thought it was about time,” he said with a knowing smile. Indeed, I had been stuck, unable to find the doorknob to the next chapter. I eagerly asked him about his latest “descended” idea.
 
“Do you think time is the same for all living organisms?”
 
It felt like a riddle. I couldn’t grasp the question, let alone the answer.
 
I vaguely recalled something about heart rates and lifespans. Mice and elephants have vastly different lifespans, yet the total number of heartbeats in their lifetimes is roughly the same. If we consider heartbeats as the smallest rhythm of time, could it be that mice and elephants experience “time” similarly?
 
Summarizing his intricate explanation with my rudimentary understanding, it goes like this:
 
・ Microorganisms have been discovered living in the ultra-deep crust, far beneath the deep sea.
・ In this environment, there are no predators, and environmental changes are minimal.
・ When cultured in a lab-recreated ultra-deep environment, they did not reproduce at all.
・  It is believed that in the ultra-deep environment, there is no need for environmental adaptation or for creating self-copies to pass on to the next generation.
・ Therefore, microorganisms living in the ultra-deep are almost immortal with extremely low metabolic energy.
・ Near-surface organisms, on the other hand, are constantly exposed to significant environmental changes, such as day and night, even within a single day. They require a lot of metabolic energy and need to create self-copies to leave behind generations that can adapt to the environment.
・ In other words, the “time” of almost immortal organisms is zero or infinite, and it is completely different from the “time” of near-surface organisms.
 
The kind scientist, who didn’t even sit down, finished his story and grabbed a few of my favorite candies, saying, “This is today’s lecture fee,” and left.
 
As I basked in the afterglow of his scientifically romantic tale, I felt as though I was on the verge of grasping the tail of an idea.

Greetings, I am Kuzei Ryosei, a novelist who delves into a diverse array of genres, spanning from the historical to the contemporary. My aim is to enchant readers with tales that breathe life into history and explore the intricate issues of modern society. I warmly invite you to reach out to me.