As a student US mathematician George Dantzig once arrived late for a lecture, and believing a couple of problems chalked up on the blackboard were homework assignments, set about resolving them.

It was only later he found out he had – quite unknowingly – proved a couple of statistical theorems that his professor, Jerzy Neyman, also a mathematician, had been discussing with the class prior to Dantzig’s arrival.

On a Sunday morning six weeks later, Neyman banged on Dantzig’s door. The problems that Dantzig had assumed were homework were actually unproved statistical theorems that Neyman had been discussing with the class – and Dantzig had proved both of them.

A little research into the notion that those who live closest to their school, or workplace, usually arrive late and last for classes and work each day:

As it turned out, 18 were late. Of these 12 (67 percent) lived near and 6 (33 percent) lived far. Of those in the near late-comers, 10 owned their own mode of transport (!) and 2 had to rely on public transport. From the far late-comers, only 2 owned cars, bikes, etc., and the other 4 had use the bus, trains, etc. So as it turns out, people who live near to college come late, and of those, students who were in control of their own mode of transport, were even more late!

The less time you need the more you think you have?

Do you set your watch a few minutes fast in order to (hopefully) arrive early, or on-time, for appointments? What happens when you get “used” to doing that though?

I once tried setting my watch ahead a few minutes to help me make it to appointments on time. At first it worked, but not because I was fooled. I would glance at the watch, get worried that I was late, then remember that the watch is fast. But that brief flash acted as a sort of preview of how it feels to be late. And the feeling is a better motivator than the thought in the abstract.

Thanks to the endless range of attractions online, things like staring out the window into space and “killing time” have become a thing of the past, while mobile phones have rendered the concept of punctuality… quaint.

Before mobile phones, people actually had to keep their appointments and turn up to the pub on time. Texting friends to warn them of your tardiness five minutes before you are due to meet has become one of throwaway rudenesses of the connected age.