Time: Does it exist?

[mickey12]

The following expresses the personal opinions of Mickey12. Nothing more and nothing less...

TIME: A BARRIER

First, let me say this: I do not believe that there is a "truth." Perhaps one can suggest universal laws, mathematical formulas and anything analogous as a rebuttal to this theory; however, those concepts that humans create to better understand the world are just that: their own creation.

Now, let's talk about one of those creations: time. Does it really exist? In my opinion, not only does it not exist but it also serves as a barrier to further knowledge. Time is considered nonflexible and frontward moving. But isn’t that quite a narrow-minded notion? Take for example, time travel. It is widely assumed that we can not logically (or what humans assume to be an “inflexible truth”) travel into the past or the future. However, if the notion of time was proven to be artificial, the predicament of “justification” would not be such a burden.

If time does not exist (a concept that is difficult to grasp because, psychologically speaking, it is not viable for the mind to understand non-existence), then we perhaps live in an instant, or a series of instances. Time is only a measurement (or a law) that makes these instances more recognizable to us. Laws may help us to understand the universe, but laws are unbendable and create a barrier between what we “know” and what we “don’t know.”

I believe that we are ultimately too rigid in our perception of the universe. Time, in my personal observation, is a barrier. Just look around and witness how time is supremely important to us humans. Time is everything. There is never enough time. But what if there was no time at all?

Just my $0.02

[(Q)]

But what if there was no time at all?

Just ask a photon.

[StarLab]

I see where you are going with your thoughts, and I can understand your thought process, but lemme ask you a question before I comment further: if time did exist, in your opinion would time be a metaphysical concept or something more applicable to mathematical physics? Is time just a paranormal phenomenon or does is deserve a dimension of its own?

[mickey12]

That's certainly a fair question, Starlab. I would lean in the direction of a metaphysical concept. It's just such an abstract notion to me :huh: . However, I can see there being a mathematical element as well.

[astromark]

:P Ok lets try this then, If time is just a measurment of the passing of moments from future to present to past. I exept that. It is not a thing, it does not have its own presence. It can not be a barrier, it is nothing but the means for humanity to measure the moments, or the endless pasage of them. Our sun, Sol. has a life span, Its a measurment of the 'life'of this star. I agree with you that time does not exist. but I will get old and die... oneday.

[Sp1ke]

Time is often described as the fourth dimension. So if we can move up/down, left/right and forward/back in the three dimensions of space, it doesn't seem fair that we can only be pushed forward, and never back, in the time dimension.

[Matthew]

The exact nature of time is hard to comprehend. We know it exists (although not in some minds), we know what it is; but to define it is actually very hard. We may use physchology to describe it, or various physics terms, but they mean very different things, which compundsd the difficulty in describing time.

What I'm trying to get at is that what if time is stationary? And we are moving through it, time is a constant and has already been predetermined and all we do is percieve time in the manner that we do.

[ferg.c.]

Time is natures way of stopping everything happening at once!

[ferg.c.]

Assuming time to be stationary then how do things change with respect to a frame of perception (not Time).
Language has been wrapped up in the idea of tense (past present future etc.) and interestingly enough almost all languages have a subjunctive tense. This is the "If I had... I would have..." tense.
It's clear from this that man has a deep rooted psychological need to conceive multiple pasts and futures which converge at the present. Rather like traveling in a tunnel; you will never see anything exept what's in the tunnel.
Ferg <_<

[StarLab]

Time can be thought of in two ways:

1) Relativity
2) Frequency

By relativity, I mean its relationship to the other three dimensions (time dilation, length contraction,and something with mass). By relativity, I mean time in the absence of space (neverending). In other words, time is constant unless in the presence of space-mass.

[Betelgeuse]

I suppose that you could say that "Time" is simply a conscept thought up by man. If you think of it that way, there is only a present - no, I don&#39;t mean a gift&#33; Now is the present - when you last had a cup of coffe or read a book or magazine, it was the present. Past and future are both non existand at the moment - they have existed and will exist.

This man made idea of time is basically to keep track of events - a very clever concept too.

Don&#39;t know if that makes any sense
Rigel


Nice avatar, Mathew&#33;

[StarLab]

Actually it does...a lot of wise men (and women ) have said: all that matters, for each of us, is the now.

[ferg.c.]

This man made idea of time is basically to keep track of events - a very clever concept too.

Yes Rigel,
You make sense. Your point is of course idealistic. Our mind sorts things out, real and unreal, for us to perceive (sense). Time my or may not be real as our mind has no way of telling&#33; It (our mind) just assumes the best it can and passes the perceptions to our concsiense.
Ferg.

[MrQ700]

Time is just mankinds definition to measure frequency of changes or events in a the dynamic reality of the universe. If time did not exist then everything would be static with no events happening whatsoever. The hole universe would be frozen down to the smallest subatomic particles. Clearly this is not the case therefore time does exist, however perhaps time did not exist before the creation of the universe, before the big-bang. This would lead to an interesting question: How and why did the clock start?

[edwinksl]

Time is natures way of stopping everything happening at once&#33;

Hmm, I think this idea merits a discussion.

[man from kibish]

Since time is a measure of what&#39;s happening with respect to a background then to define a universal time one must identify two common factors in the universe and look at the relationship between them.

In my opinion these two are the observed universe itself containing mass at a temperature and the background radiation temperature of @3 K (equivalent to a black body radiator).

Anything (mass) in the universe, anywhere, will radiate towards the background black body equivalent at 3 K - heat trasfer. ....

... the rate of which is Newton&#39;s UNIVERSAL TIME.

[man from kibish]

Since time is a measure of what&#39;s happening with respect to a background then to define a universal time one must identify two common factors in the universe and look at the relationship between them.

In my opinion these two are the observed universe itself containing mass at a temperature and the background radiation temperature of @3 K (equivalent to a black body radiator).

Anything (mass) in the universe, anywhere, will radiate towards the background black body equivalent at 3 K - heat trasfer. ....

... the rate of which is Newton&#39;s UNIVERSAL TIME.

[bigsplit]

Originally posted by StarLab@Oct 22 2004, 03:51 PM
Time can be thought of in two ways:

1) Relativity
2) Frequency

By relativity, I mean its relationship to the other three dimensions (time dilation, length contraction,and something with mass). By relativity, I mean time in the absence of space (neverending). In other words, time is constant unless in the presence of space-mass.

Time does not exist in the absents of change. T would equal 0. There can be no mass in the form of matter because all matter requires change. There can be no mass in the form of energy unless all the energy has equal charge and no change or motion of energy. Without change there is no time. The only way for time to be absolute is if the Universe is infinate and there has never been a t=0. Time is constant in the absents of space-dynamic mass, it is constantly 0.

[StarLab]

Time does not exist in the absents of change.

Actually, it could. Read up on Tom Potter. He&#39;ll tell you how that makes sense. Basically, the period between any two events is time, the event itself is "space."