The hippocampus plays a central role in spatial cognition, supporting the formation of internal maps that represent relationships between objects and locations in an environment. Classically associated with place cells and spatial navigation, hippocampal activity has also been linked to temporal processing, including the encoding of sequences and durations. This dual representation of space and time allows the hippocampus to structure experiences in both physical and temporal dimensions, enabling flexible behavior and memory formation. Recent research extends this view by examining how the brain copes with dynamic environments where spatial configurations change over time. One emerging concept, the time compaction hypothesis, proposes that the brain may collapse temporal information into a static-like representation of predicted future interactions. This mechanism offers a way to generalize the cognitive map to dynamic settings, supporting anticipatory behavior and efficient navigation in real-world situations.

IPHYS contact person: Aleš Stuchlík, ales.stuchlik@fgu.cas.cz