The Cochlea as Temporal Anchor: A Lay Hypothesis on the Structural Basis of Linear Time Perception

At a Glance: Structure of This Document This page is for readers who want to assess the document quickly before reading in full. It maps the hypothesis, its evidential basis, and what it is asking of researchers in each field. The hypothesis in two sentences The cochlea — conventionally understood as the organ of hearing — may serve an additional function as the brain’s primary structural anchor for linear time perception, operating through its three-scale geometric architecture rather than through acoustic processing alone. Disruption of cochlear function would on this hypothesis produce cross-modal temporal calibration anomalies, and species without coiled cochleae would show measurably different interval timing calibration compared to those with them. Three epistemic layers — kept distinct throughout EMPIRICAL (Sections 1, 3, 4) Peer-reviewed findings: vestibular disruption alters time perception; deaf individuals show cross-modal temporal calibration anomalies; cochlear geometry is conserved under selection pressure. These are established facts the hypothesis rests on. STRUCTURAL (Sections 2, 6) The cochlea’s three-scale orthogonal geometry makes it a plausible structural candidate for multi-scale temporal processing. The neuroscience signal chain (cochlea → vestibulocerebellum → hippocampus → striatum) is proposed as a mechanistic pathway. This is architectural reasoning, not proof of function. SPECULATIVE (Sections 7, 8, Appendix A) Cross-vertebrate temporal architecture and K-Pg differential survival (Section 7, 8); parallel from physics (Appendix A). Clearly labelled. The neuroscience case does not depend on these sections being correct. Five testable predictions 1. Unilateral cochlear damage produces asymmetric cross-modal temporal perception anomalies independent of hearing loss severity. 2. Cochlear efferent pathway signals encode temporal information beyond acoustic gain control. 3. Cochlear damage produces non-auditory temporal estimation anomalies correlating with cochlear structural integrity rather than audiometric threshold. 4. Non-mammalian vertebrates (lagena, no coiled cochlea) show measurably different interval timing calibration than mammals under matched conditions. 5. Cochlear geometric scaling constants show irrational ratios across mammalian species correlating with temporal perception accuracy variance. Application domains and who this document is for Clinical audiology and neurology Cochlear implant optimisation; vestibular disorder treatment; tinnitus mechanisms. Section 10.1. Space medicine Temporal disorientation in microgravity; GVS as compensatory intervention; bioinspired spacecraft Zeitgeber design. Section 10.2. Photonics and AI Geometric physical temporal anchors for photonic computing; distributed self-synchronising clock architectures. Section 10.3. Comparative cognition and evolutionary biology Cross-vertebrate temporal cognition; monotreme intermediate case; K-Pg differential survival. Sections 4, 7, 8.