Time

[michel123456]

Imagine the universe is a two dimensional sheet called ‘now’. (...)There is nothing but 'now' burning its way across the cosmos -- no past and no future except for records and memory and, hopes and dreams. (The universe for my next sci-fi book: Mantis)

 

No, it is not the right description. All that you see, all that you observe, all that you feel belong to the past. What you call the present is not the present. Maybe you should have a look at a Minkowski diagram. Maybe you would clearly understand that the present is not observable. Or maybe you should have a look at a little presentation I called "the pencil universe" throwned into speculations on this forum, with all reservations.

 

If you don't want to deal with graphics, here is another description:

_We know that nothing can move from one place to another without spending time. If you could move from one place to another without spending time, it means you could be at 2 places at the same time. A concept called ubiquity. We know for sure that at least for particles with mass, it is impossible. Time is the thing that make 2 particles different.

Think about it. No rush. You have plenty of time.

...........

[rrw4rusty]

No, it is not the right description. All that you see, all that you observe, all that you feel belong to the past. What you call the present is not the present. Maybe you should have a look at a Minkowski diagram. Maybe you would clearly understand that the present is not observable. Or maybe you should have a look at a little presentation I called "the pencil universe" throwned into speculations on this forum, with all reservations.

 

If you don't want to deal with graphics, here is another description:

_We know that nothing can move from one place to another without spending time. If you could move from one place to another without spending time, it means you could be at 2 places at the same time. A concept called ubiquity. We know for sure that at least for particles with mass, it is impossible. Time is the thing that make 2 particles different.

Think about it. No rush. You have plenty of time.

...........

 

We?

[michel123456]

If you don't even agree with that, what to say...

Replace "we" with "most of us".

 

........

Because i had an argument more about vocabulary & generalizations I use to make in my posts, i will try to be more carefull in my statements.

We know that light travel at speed = C (I hope you can agree on this). Nothing can travel faster faster than C, and no information can be transmitted at speed faster than C. Even if you disagree with this, let's consider just for a moment what are the implications of this statement, O.K.?

 

The information you get from your surroundings comes to you at speed equal or lower than C.

Let's consider the extreme, that the information you get comes to you at maximum speed=C. We call that "light"

So, the considered information travelling at max. speed (light), the information you gather, comes to you, from your surrounding, at speed=C

It means that the information is emitted at a certain time t=0, and received at time="something different from zero". Time has passed between the emission and the reception of the information. In other words, you get information from the past.

The more far away is the source of information, the more time is needed for transmission, and the more "in the past" will be the image of the object when received by the observator.

The more closer, the less time is needed, and the less "in the past".

Speaking about light, you could call "the present" the instant light is received by the retina of your eye. But that is not the case. Present is when information gets to your brain. When you say "ah, I see", it is already in the past.

Edited February 19, 2010 by michel123456

[rrw4rusty]

If you don't even agree with that, what to say...

Replace "we" with "most of us".

 

........

Because i had an argument more about vocabulary & generalizations I use to make in my posts, i will try to be more carefull in my statements.

We know that light travel at speed = C (I hope you can agree on this). Nothing can travel faster faster than C, and no information can be transmitted at speed faster than C. Even if you disagree with this, let's consider just for a moment what are the implications of this statement, O.K.?

 

The information you get from your surroundings comes to you at speed equal or lower than C.

Let's consider the extreme, that the information you get comes to you at maximum speed=C. We call that "light"

So, the considered information travelling at max. speed (light), the information you gather, comes to you, from your surrounding, at speed=C

It means that the information is emitted at a certain time t=0, and received at time="something different from zero". Time has passed between the emission and the reception of the information. In other words, you get information from the past.

The more far away is the source of information, the more time is needed for transmission, and the more "in the past" will be the image of the object when received by the observator.

The more closer, the less time is needed, and the less "in the past".

Speaking about light, you could call "the present" the instant light is received by the retina of your eye. But that is not the case. Present is when information gets to your brain. When you say "ah, I see", it is already in the past.

 

Believe me I know all that. Just because each person has their own clocks because you choose to call the cone of light that comes from all objects (okay reflected) an 'existence' cone rather then an 'information' cone (I can go either way with this) doesn't mean that time is a 'thing'... a container which things 'flow' through and that can be traveled. I said the sheet was not flat.

 

That the brain receives nerve impulses a billionth of a second later has to be the definition of splitting hairs but hello, scientists recently ran tests that showed that pain from a persons finger reached the brain 'instantly' -- "instantly" (I read it twice too and wish I'd jotted down the source -- it was a reliable one). Entanglement? Bad data? Don't know. (If anyone has a line on ths please post it)

 

'Time' dilation is a physical effect which has nothing to do with time itself.

 

Edit: Sometimes my posts come across like I'm angry and swatting back at you or something... If so I'm sorry. Even though spittle is flying from my mouth and I've broken 3 keyboards I promise I'm not doing that. BTW, in my younger years 'sun bathing' (after surfing) was my favorite thing too... however now every year their freezing spots and taking chunks of me... be careful!

 

Cheers,

Rusty

Edited February 19, 2010 by rrw4rusty

[rrw4rusty]

This was one of two really embarrassing posts I made--my only excuse, lack of sleep. Apologies to anyone I offended, I can’t say what I was thinking and obviously didn’t know what I was doing.

 

r