Time

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Thu, 2007-11-29 17:44

Time

Yes I know! We have discussed the nature of Time on several occasions. But as with most things, my view and understanding of such ideas is for ever evolving over time. D:

So for anyone intrested...

Should time be thought of as an unchanging and transcendent background - stage, upon which events are played out or just as the events themselves?

i.e. If there were no happenings, there would be no time?

Fri, 2007-11-30 10:40

poetjude

Time is not absolute, we know that. I think it depends on how you define time. There is certainly a measurable dimension that is as you say a transcendent background. As a biologist I am inclined to think of time as a biological phenomena ... the human mind creates the sensation of passing time. jude "Cacoethes scribendi" http://www.judesworld.net

Fri, 2007-11-30 11:38

Yan2

The human mind creates the sense of passing time through motion and entropy (time's arrow in a nutshell) but as Einstein said: the faster you go the shorter you get. In wine, poetry or virtue, as you wish, but enivrez-vous! The art is to be absolutely yourself -Charles Baudelaire. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmhEMPN7y1I

~It's a maze for rats to try, it's a race for rats to die.~

Fri, 2007-11-30 12:37

brooosh

Physicist Julian Barbour in his book 'The End of Time' argues that time doesn't exist. It's a while since I read it so I can't summarise exactly what his key points were, but it seemed to make sense (the few bits I understood) at the time.

Tue, 2007-12-04 19:52

jrc

And all good examples of how Time may be described. The reason for posting this, - (Apart for my obvious interest), is because i am thinking of writing a book that requires a good definition of what Time actually is? Not whether time necessarily marks the beginning point of some event, or weather an event took place within all ready existing Time. So to speak. Much of my research has been from a Physics and Cosmological point of view, and in pursuing aspects of these two discipline's, I have come up with some rather puzzling contradiction. Einstein may or may not be correct in his model to define time in terms of representing a distinct dimension, that has different laws to the 3 dimensions that we are all familiar with... But for me, writing convincingly about a 4rth dimension, that can not be described within the constraints of my own 3 dimensional frame of reference's, is like trying to describe the concept of zero ontology. Add to this the concept of Quantum time! You see what i mean.. * Me fears this book may never be written * D:

Tue, 2007-12-04 23:15

Yan2

"About Time" by Paul Davies is a good read ;) This was due back at the library last December...still sitting on my coffee table. lol...I love sharing this: what dya reckon they'll say when I hand it back to them? :D AND- Brian Greene's "The Fabric Of the Cosmos" has an excellent section on time. Oh dear! I think I ruptured my pomposity.

~It's a maze for rats to try, it's a race for rats to die.~

Tue, 2007-12-04 23:35

jrc

Thank Yan. i will have a read. Suppose they will say about time you returned them sir!

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