User:Time'sup
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[edit] This is the Wikipedia webpage of Bruce Blake, BC Canada.
(I am sorry if it looks crude.)
My current topic of interest is the nature of time; in this regard I have appended below the dissertation titled "A Measure of It". >>>>>
Please, if you have comments at any stage, make them in a visible colour.
A Measure of It
The purpose of this discourse is to examine the nature of Time. I use the capitalisation because it is obvious to me that Time, of all the parameters that we measure, looks like a stand-alone feature of human life; It is seemingly aloof from the human experience whilst totally enveloping each of us from birth to death (and beyond). From my point of view, Time has so far defied rational definition. Does Time have a physical character or is It a figment of the human experience ? Is It something else, something that we humans have not yet perceived and understood ? How is it that physicists and engineers are able to rely on Time so faultlessly, and yet we have no idea of It’s nature ?
Philosophers during times gone by (and almost everyone else) have traditionally divided time into past, present and future, with the present being seen as the most ‘vivid’ of our experiences of time. Along the way, many observations of the nature of time have been made. Those include, “Time is the collection of all the instants of now”; “Time is the dimension of causality”; “Time is that which keeps everything from happening at the same time”; “Time is what I see flowing past me when I am stationary in time”.
As perceptive as they are, it is difficult for me to see any meaningful definition and measurement of Time in the above observations.
So what is Time ? During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many Europeans and people in the UK and USA worked separately and together to pin down simultaneity by coordinating their clocks within fractions of a second. This work was an essential part of the measuring of longitudes, which contributed greatly to the accuracy of map making, and which in turn was essential for mariners to ply the seas with safety. Simultaneously, the development of marine chronometers was a challenging aspect of this global effort.
Similarly, railroad operators sought accurate time coordination so as to achieve stabilised and repeatable schedules. The basis of these activities was, of course, the effort to establish a convention as to how Time ought to be defined; clearly, our Sun was the sentinel and the rotation of the Earth was the measure. Clocks of ingenious design were developed and installed in clock towers on public buildings and railway terminals. Time delivery systems were developed (pneumatic, electric, radio). Less costly clocks were marketed to an eager public.
So it seemed, then, that Time was being measured and that it was understood. The outcome of all of the national and international effort was an extraordinary increase of precision in time synchronisation and geographic definition. But let‘s be clear; clocks are really nothing more than precision machines. Clocks, regardless of what generates the cyclic signal, are machines that are no different than clockwork toys and pianolas.
What is the physical phenomenon which these machines purport to measure ? I say that they are not measuring Time. They are representing time; they present to us the notion of counting Time. Can we rely on these devices ? I am not sure, but I am doubtful. There is no reason to believe that a clockwork machine has even the vaguest connection with the reality of the nature of Time.
The vector of Time
It is generally agreed that, for all human intents and purposes, Time flows at a constant speed and It flows only in one direction, that being from the future, through the present and into the past. These observations are, of course, only reliable from the perspective of humans who are stationary in Time (and space).
Therefore the vector of Time might be seen as a simple scalar unit which is oriented negatively along the Time axis, and which has a magnitude of 1.0 .
Methinks that this simple description is insufficient; I do like simple descriptions - the best laws of physics are simple : F=ma ; E=mc2 . However, it is unlikely, in my view, that Time will prove (when finally It is understood) to be only that scalar unit of length one.
Some aspects of physics are time-symmetrical; some are time-asymmetrical. These aspects help us to reveal the vector of Time.
For example, when you throw a ball into the air it slows down until it reaches its apogee and then it falls. Ignoring the small effect of air resistance, the ball falls past your hand at exactly the same speed as it left your hand on the way up. A movie taken of the action of the ball would look normal no matter whether it was run forward or backward on the screen. So, the effect of gravity is seen to be time-symmetrical.
On the other hand, if when the ball fell back down it struck a glass of water and that glass and water tumbled to the floor, we know from experience that a movie of this action would look absurd when played backward on the screen. Therefore, here is an example of an action which is time-asymmetrical.
Human senses and Time
I suppose that we all know about the five recognised senses and the one or two others. The typical human knows of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. These senses are obviously active for us (and we presume for most other creatures) because of our human physiology. These five senses are hard-wired into us at conception. Perhaps there are other human senses; we must not assume that our bodies are exhaustively sentient and that those five senses are all that we possess.
We can measure (very accurately) length and weight (sight and touch); we can also characterise hearing and smell and taste (decibels and chemosensation).
Generally speaking, we always perceive these recognised senses with little effort and with general agreement between us as to what it is that we perceive. Brightness and colour; loud and quiet; fragrant and odorous; sweet and sour; soft and firm; all of these sensations are shared universally. Do we share more than these ?
Yes we do. All humans perceive Time with no effort, in just the same way as we do with the other five recognised senses. We all generally agree that Time is an immutable vector; we believe that it has a constant speed and a single direction. We all perceive past, present and future, and although the present seems to be a very fleeting ‘thing’, we all agree that it separates the past from the future.
A time and a place
British Columbia, Canada, is a sublime place; I live in luxury. The world is fair, the sea of Semiahmoo Bay is a plateau of emeralds of enormous expanse; the air is vibrant, clean, imbued with life. Life is good; living is good. The eagles, gulls and crows soar, and in observing their aerial antics, it seems that nothing matters.
Time is somehow connected with itself. Consider these brief snippets :
Nature whips up a dreadful tempest. Mortals cringe; in fear they huddle within the confines of their private worlds; outdoors, they scramble as they flee the stormy elements. But the tempest has no conscience, no tears; it tears at them relentlessly. Luckily, it’s ferocity passes with Time. With the passage of Time, fear subsides; everything heals. Wounds heal and landscapes grow green again. Time heals all ills. Time is regal. Mortals rejoice in it.
How short is mortal memory ! How linked with Time it is ! Time is somehow connected with us and with Itself.
Imagine the sudden impact of an earthquake; your home sways; your thoughts freeze; your children are cloistered elsewhere, out of your protection. Fright grips your heart; your mind ceases to think rationally; then horrible consequences invade your thoughts. Horrible visions, insidious and ugly, thump at your heart. Moments later, the rumbles diminish and fade. Your present world is safe, for now. Your children are safe.
Time has released you again. Time is somehow connected with Itself.
Time and sense
When we see an eagle soaring overhead, we know that he is heading towards a place, perhaps a tree bough, on which he will alight sometime in the near future. What if he continued soaring but he did not move through our cone of vision ?
When we hear a train coming towards us we recognise the sound, its timbre, its variation of loudness and frequency as it approaches and passes and proceeds away from us. What if that sound stopped changing ? What if the locomotive and its train of cars continued to make their characteristic sounds but those sounds were fixed and unvarying ?
The smell of a forest is fresh and delicious. While we are there, that smell pervades. What if when we returned home we continued to smell that forest ? We would walk about our home, our town or city and only smell the forest. That sojourn in the forest was a time which we enjoyed; it stayed with us.
Some flavours are favourably received; some are unpleasant. What if everything that we consumed tasted the same, today, tomorrow and forever ? Would we continue to have a sense of taste ? The next time we tasted an avocado would it taste like an avocado ?
It is not unusual for us to bump into things. What if we bumped into a concrete wall during a moment of carelessness, and then forever more that sensation remained ? Would we ever be able to feel softness ? If the sensation of hardness remains, does Time move on regardless ?
What is Time ?
For me to begin to explain the meaning of time and its measure, is a jest, a bluff. But here I am writing from the standpoint of a bemused voyeur. My credentials are thin, neither competent nor extensive. Think only of me as one who sits watching, wondering, and deeply concerned about the future. Time comes from the future.
What is Time ? What is the nature of Time ? Who knows what Time has in store ? Science is a mystery when it comes to Time. What on Earth is It ? Can you see It; can you feel It; can you measure It ? Can you change It ? Can you reverse It ? Do these questions plague you as they do me ? For decades It truly has bothered me ! It is troublesome. “It” is my shorthand for Time.
For the record, I gave up religion many decades ago; religion is a joke. However, Time is different; Time is real; Time lords over me; It lords over you. Time is a relentless Master. Time will tell. Time generates life; Time destroys. Time will heal. There is no Time to waste. Give me a moment. Time cannot wait.
So, what is Time ? There is, in our experience, the human perception of time, and there is the precision measuring (replicating) of Time. We all agree on those fundamental truths. My interest is to uncover the fundamental reality that is Time Itself.
If there was no Time
Imagine being alive, but that there is no Time. With no Time, you have no recollection of the past. With no past, you have no sense of anything except the present. The present fades into nothing as soon as you allow it to drift from the now. With no Time, you have no notion of the future. With no Time, there is only now.
With no past and no future, you have no notion that the Sun will rise tomorrow, and that it will set. With no Time you would have no notion that your parents bore you, and that your children are your own flesh and blood, since you have no recollection of their conception and growth. With no concept of Time, there are no schedules. Why would you wake when the Sun has flooded your world with its enlivening rays ? What point is there in rising when (as far as you can recall) you have no children to tend, when the bus is not likely to come ? Perhaps you will wake when someone nearby in your space wakes, and causes a clatter in the kitchen, in the present, seeking that king-hit of caffeine (if they can recall what is coffee) to waken them.
When there is no Time, there is no continuity in life. It connects one moment to the next; but when It is absent, each moment is an unexpected moment. When It is absent, each moment of now is a singularity, a freak event. When there is no Time, we mortals cannot function. When It is absent, Time looks in upon us but gives us no leads.
Memory depends upon Time. With a good memory, that will endure a long time. With the passage of Time, all memory is lost. When there is no Time, memory has no anchor, no foothold. When there is no memory, there is no concept of Time. Time is somehow connected with Itself and with our memories.
The physics of Time
Time is intrinsic to life as we know it. It defines the past, the present, and the future. In many ways It is connected with life ? Time is a master and a menace; It leads you and goads you along your life-path; It measures you against your expectations; It watches and waits while you dither; in the end, It lets you down. In our experience, It gives and It takes, but It always takes more than It gives.
Everything is running down; entropy is all pervasive. Entropy sucks away at all things real; it sucks away at your energy, it sucks away at your bones, it sucks away at your future, it sucks away at your children and their children‘s futures.
With the passage of Time, all things degrade. It doesn’t matter how well you build your home, how you foster your family, how you labour at your profession, how you protect your wealth, how you value your pride. Within Time, all things will pass.
Entropy is the physics of Time, unheeded, unknown, unwanted, unloved, but relentless. Whatever you create, Time will destroy it. If it is real, Time will destroy it; if it is virtual, Time will destroy it.
Life is a temporal thing. Parents invest most of their energy into creating and nurturing the home and the family. That is normal. Time is at their sides. Time is watching them. They might revel in professions of great import; they might donate effort and goods to charity. They might be great religious teachers. But they do it all within Time.
No matter what is your religion, Time is watching you, and entropy is counting the ticks of your clock. Entropy is the physics of It. Entropy is the measure. Time is somehow connected with Itself.
The passing of Time ensures that you are diminished in your capabilities. You might one day feel driven to achieve; you might one day receive accolades for your work; you might one day feel stiff in your limbs; no matter what you do, Time builds a buffer against your efforts. Time is no friend, and It is no enemy. You are the tenant, and Time is the omnipresent landlord. Time gives you freedom, but It takes no prisoners.
Time appears to be unidirectional. It flows to us from the future and it flows into the past. It comes at us from the future, like an endless breeze. Every hour, 3600 seconds go by. No matter where you are, nor what you are doing, the breeze of Time flows by you. You can hold up your hand, as if to feel It, as if to hold It still for a moment, but It flows around you. You cannot stop It. You cannot feel It. You cannot see It. But It flows around you. It flows around you, It flows through you, and It comes back in your memories. Time is somehow connected with you and with Itself.
Time usurps property - winds of change
Think about that half acre of land. You paid good money for that plot, that humble dwelling, that place you call home. You live there; you love there; you find comfort and solace there. For years, even decades, your home is your haven, the one place that is yours, that is constant.
Don’t be fooled; you are borrowing from Time. Time will take it away from you. Whether you tend the land lovingly, whether you keep the house spotless, or whether you are slothful in your ways, Time is your landlord. In the end, Time will evict you. Uncaringly, Time will take your plot away and will give it to others. Your haven will fade, your memory of it will fade, your foothold against Time will give way, leaving you swimming or treading water. Time flows around you no matter which direction you head.
Property exists only in Time. Counties exist only in Time; continents are changing; land is coming and going. Tectonic plates are moving continuously, yielding up continents and mountains, and taking them away. Time usurps property by changing everything.
Time immerses
Step out of Time, and where will you be ? Time is all pervasive; if you could step out of one Time, then, in so doing, you will step into another Time. Time attaches itself to you like a shadow, your shadow. Without Time you cannot move; without movement you cannot exist. Your existence depends only on Time. Time is connected with you and with Itself.
Can you travel through Time ? Since you are immersed in It, then you must travel through It. At a snail’s pace you travel; like a fish in water you travel, always upstream. Like a blade of grass waving in the wind, you wave within Time. Time flows by you and you travel through It. You are neither still, nor hurrying. You are not choosing your direction. You are immersed in It. It flows through you and around you.
Time, a human construct
So what is Time ? What is It ? How can something so indistinguishable be so seemingly overwhelming ? Is It a human construct ? Is It somehow a necessary measure of human experience ? Is It the same for other animals ? Will we ever know the answer to that ?
Nobody can deny that they are immersed in Time. It is just as present as is the air that we breathe. Each breath of air comes with a breath of Time. Each exhalation goes with a breath of Time. Each and every thought is labeled with Time. Each euphoric moment latches into us with a Time label. Every popular song that we recall is recalled with its Time in our lives. Every sweet moment of love is recalled with the date tag attached. Every disturbing event has that label too.
Think of yourself walking along the promenade with your shirt label hanging out, so that others can see it; in just the same way, your Time label is showing, but you cannot tuck it away. Time labels you; It labels everything that you are and everything that you do. Time is somehow connected with you and with Itself.
States of mind
Yes, we all have experienced altered states. One does not need to imbibe illicit drugs to achieve moments of transcendental transport. Just the image of some unforgettable scene can do it. The memory of an unforgettable moment of intimacy can do it. The half remembered details of a recent dream can do it too. What do these moments have in common ? Time.
You cannot recall anything without the supervision of Time. You cannot think of anything from the past, nor plan anything for the future without Time watching over your every move. You cannot plan a vacation, an investment, your child’s education, a voting choice, not anything, without Time at your side, watching and waiting on you. But Time is no servant; Time will not back you up in moments of indecision; Time will not forgive you for your stupid choices.
Time will take your moments and It will compress them into memory for you, will flavour them for you, will taint them with pleasant or unpleasant connotations, so that every time that you recall them, those connotations will haunt you. Stop thinking of Time, and Time will remember you. Stop thinking of the past and the past will catch up with you. Stop thinking of the future and the future will find a way of tripping you up. Stop thinking of the now and Time will convert all your moments into lost time. You see ? Time has no conscience; Time cares nothing for your state of mind. Time rolls over you like a ponderous moment.
Forgiving others
In the human experience, uniquely so (we think), humans must forgive. In our lives we are driven to satisfy our selfish needs. In doing so, we often tread on the feelings of others, as they tread on our own feelings. We cannot avoid doing these things because of human avarice, no matter how small, how much postponed, and no matter how much our partners are lovingly integrated into our relationships.
Luckily, Time gives us a dimension in which our hurts may be ameliorated, may be softened, may be forgotten. Time allows us forgiveness. Time allows us to heal our hearts. Time fills us with opportunities for new ways of caring for our family, our friends, our neighbours, our work colleagues, our business partners, our politicians and their counterparts in other countries.
Moving in Time
Within Time and space we move left and right, forward and back. Within Time we move. Without Time we are stagnant. Is this only a human experience ? In what ways can we experience movement ?
We often think of movement as a spatial thing, as it certainly is. However, imagine how you could cross a busy railway crossing with only space as your option. Is space enough of an option ? I doubt it. You also need Time to ensure that your crossing of the railway line is safe. Otherwise you would have no way of knowing that you needed to avoid an oncoming freight train. Think of it; if it were not for Time, you would probably be squashed more often than not whenever you chose to cross a railway line. Time allows you to expand your choices.
If you move, you move in Time. You cannot be in more than one place; Time sees to that. How could you occupy space without occupying Time ? There is no answer other than the answer of equal eminence. Time and space are equally important in human experience.
If you move, where do you move ? With your eyes you can easily see when you move from one place to another. Keep in mind though, in making that move, you have also moved in Time. Your movement from A to B can only occur with the willing connivance of Time. Thus Time is your friend and your ally.
We could wish for better allies. Time cares nothing for your allegiance. Time cares nothing for your thoughts and feelings. Time cares nothing for your family and friends. In principle, Time cares nothing for space. Time cares for nothing.
Which direction now ?
When a dialogue meanders, it meanders mostly through Time. Think how you might read this discourse without the presence of Time. Did you choose your time to read it ? Did you choose your place to read it ? Time and place are analogues of direction. Direction is a dimension of both Time and space.
Direction is a human concept, perhaps one of great import. We humans often invoke the concept of progress; this is always thought of as being a forward direction. Would you rather move forward or backward ? Would you like to go back in Time ? Would you like to have the freedom to move in Time, to choose your direction ?
With the concept of direction comes the freedom of choice. But, do we have the choice of direction in Time ? Obviously, the answer is an emphatic No !!! We cannot go back in Time. We cannot revert to another time of our lives. We cannot claw back things that we have said that we would rather have not said. We can do no more than review the actions that we have made and regretted.
Thus, the direction of Time is defined. You cannot change it. I cannot change it. As far as we know, humans cannot change their perception of Time. We can move in space whichever way we choose, but our movement in Time is a one-way street. It goes one way. It goes away from now. It goes sometime different. It comes at us and It goes all the way away from here.
Local Time
Obviously, my Time differs from your Time. Our Time differs from Times in other places, such as Europe, or Africa, or Antarctica. We are linked by parallel Times.
Local Time molds all of our actions. Our freedoms are to move in (i) intent, (ii) space, and (iii) direction, but not in Time. We cannot revert to a past Time, so as to amend an action or an intent. This defines local Time. Don’t fret about local Time. It is your ally, as far as Time can be an ally (but keep your eyes upon It).
Local Time keeps you aligned with your family and friends. Local Time keeps you on-time for your work and your obligations in Time. Don’t wait for It. It certainly doesn’t wait for you, not for a moment. You must follow It’s lead. It is a leader that you cannot question nor can you subvert. Time is a leader that leads all humans. Time is a leader that subsumes all human enterprises at all times. Time is a leader and a regent. Time is somehow connected to you and to us all.
Making good choices
We humans are gifted with the power of choice. Animals may choose which blade of grass to consume. Humans may choose which country to invade.
Good choices are those that set well with the flow of Time. Choices that set well with Time are good choices. Good choices feel comfortable because they are set well with Time.
Clever choices are those that recognise the several avenues that may be perceived. Clever choices elevate each of us to positions that Time might otherwise deny us. Being human, we are all seeking greater elevation.
Clever choices are characterised by conjugated thoughts, being thoughts that seek to bend our options in Time. Conjugated thoughts are the human analogues of “natural selection” that characterises the prevalent thesis for species propagation (per Darwinian theory).
Humans are the dominant species (as far as we know). Time is the dominant dimension (as far as we know). Our choices are made within the framework of Time. We can vary all of our choices except those in Time. Time allows us only one dimension. Time allows us only to move forward (as we perceive It). Time permits no retrogration. Time selects our choices for Its future publication. Time is a heartless editor.
Many of us are truly lost in Time. Think about the spaces into which you must fit. Time is your denizen. Time will slice you and dice you. Time will lose you in Its moments.
Whatever your plan, make sure that Time is your ally. It may be your part-time ally, but It is the ally that you need if you intend to do anything with your life. If you are lost in Time, then you have no hope for the future, other than surviving. If you survive then you have the options of intent, space and direction. You cannot expect more. Time allows you that much and nothing more.
The speed of It
I have often listened to music. No doubt you have too. Music may be played at different tempos. Music has a propensity for tempo. Sometimes it is fast, sometimes it is slow. Music is played by humans and it is found in bird performances.
Sports are played by humans; some sports are fast and hectic. Some sports are subdued, gentle. Soccer and basketball are fast paced; cricket is reserved and gentlemanly.
Events are staged by Mother Nature and by humans. On the 15th of April, 1912, RMS Titanic met a scything iceberg that was borne south upon the North Atlantic from Greenland many days before. Only Time brought them together; only Time could have separated the Titanic from its rendezvous with disaster; regardless of the speeds of the ship and the iceberg, Time was there in an instant to make sure that the two collided.
Dying for a change
Sooner or later our time runs out, our body deteriorates, our efforts for continuance founder. The brain has tired; the body has weakened; the heart stops beating. Does that mean an end to Time ?
Time goes on. Spirits move on to new places. Every new child embodies an old spirit. Every born child is imbued with the knowledge of Time. Time watches. Time listens. Time oversees all lives.
A time standard
Currently, the international standard for time is TAI (Temps Atomique International). Information about this standard may be found on http://www.enquirerworld.com/standards/tai.html . This standard is regulated by Bureau International des Poids et Mesures http://www.bipm.fr/ . These folks are engaged in the exercise of (ever more) precisely coordinating the world’s clocks by reference to the motion of our Earth about the Sun.
Approximately 300 clocks (mostly caesium) send their signals to TAI and then the averaged time is transmitted to global users (with appropriate offsets). The business of managing time is quite complex because of the combined effects of variations in the motions of the Earth (rotation and revolving around the Sun), and because each of the 300 clocks is differently affected by gravity. Corrections to time are calculated retrospectively.
So, there we have a standard that works adequately for most users.
Time stops
I find it amusing that Time, as we know it, is measured (replicated) by clocks. Some of those clocks are incredibly precise machines.
It has been said that our only knowledge of Time is through the observation of clocks. That is to say, humans know of Time only because it is measured by clocks. Furthermore, the experiments that Albert Einstein (thought experiments) postulated in order to define the relationships between time and space, can only be conducted on the basis of simultaneity (and the methods of attaining that). Signals that define our knowledge of time across distance (simultaneity) are constrained by the speed of light. The consequences of those thought experiments lead us to time dilation and the twins paradox.
So, I ask the obvious question. What if a massively strong Sun spot interrupted the functioning of all of those clocks so that none of them was reliable, and perhaps they stopped ? Does that mean that Time has stopped ? Of course not. Time marches on. Why would Time care about the state of Earth’s chronometers ? Obviously, it does not matter what happens in the observatories, the laboratories and the bureaus; Time continues to happen.
Time goes faster
Leibniz once asked “What if, tomorrow, everything was twice as large as it is today ? Would we know ?” I believe that an answer to that conundrum may be found by measuring the mass (or weight) of significant objects.
Similarly, I now ask, what if tomorrow, Time passed twice as fast as it did today ? Would we know ? If so, how would we know it ?
Don’t rely on the clocks; they are replicants of time. Whatever is the mechanism upon which they rely, time has speeded them up. So they display the new Time. Don’t rely on your feelings; we all know how some days seem to speed and some days drag.
So, how would we know that Time has speeded up ? The reality is that we would not know and that we have no way of discovering this fact. Our only perceptions of Time are those devices that purport to measure Time, and our own feelings of how Time is going.
Coyly, Albert chose not to tell us what he knew abut the nature of Time; he sidestepped the issue by focusing on the concepts of observational time and the spaces separating observers. He could have said more. He should have said more. Albert worked with the simple vector of Time, the one that has a scalar magnitude and a single direction.
Paving the way
As far as we currently know, the physics of particles (sub-atomic) and the physics of the Universe, rely upon a smooth passage of Time. Even though physicists have accepted the tenets of relativity and those of quantum physics, they still believe (as I understand it) in the notion of Time passing at a steady rate and in a single direction (from the perspective of a stationary observer).
Does Time actually do that ? Does Time pass by us at a steady rate and in one direction ? Is Time that simple ? Is our perception of Time that simple ? Are we humans that simple in our understanding of Time ?
As we walk along a pavement, we step on paving stones that did not previously feel our weight. Each foot and each new step is paving our way forward. So it goes with physics. Each new step, whether it be tentative or strident, is outlining a new direction; it is paving the way. Whether the scientist has abundant data, or whether he uses thought imagery, he is seeking the new path; he wants to pave the way.
In previous sections of this dissertation, we saw many different ways for humans to perceive time’s passage, although none of those perceptions gets to the fundamental nature of Time. Newton thought of time as true time, invariant throughout the Universe; his notion of space was equally universal. Einstein converted both notions into relatively dependent parameters, each affected by human observation, by observation across a distance, and by observations that were dependent upon a simple (sometimes confusing) definition of simultaneity.
However, the notions of Newton, perhaps thought of as “natural notions”, seem to satisfy the majority of basic human requirements. We can easily accept that Time simply flows by us at constant speed (3600 seconds per hour) and from the future into the past. We are comfortable with the Euclidean space with its invariant straight lines and easily understood circular and elliptical orbits. Conversely, without a huge leap in mathematical skills, the “man in the street” has no possible means of understanding and gaining comfort from the relativistic space-time continuum. We cannot easily grasp the idea that time is a fourth dimension in the continuum of space-time; it makes no sense to us (whereas our sense of Time is quite real).
By reading textbooks on the subject of relativity we can learn that this new physics, including quantum physics, is essential to the understanding of the structure of matter, to the electrodynamics of nature, and to the study of cosmology. Fairly stated, these listed subjects are beyond the day-to-day experience of common people. We don’t see them or feel them or hear them happening; therefore they are not real to us. So, in a sense, the new physics is a higher level and refined way of describing human perception. It stands almost entirely outside of the experience of common folks; it reveals nothing to us.
In an analogous way, it is possible that the nature of Time might be understood by a further refinement of the description of human perceptions. This refinement is always possible in physics. On the other hand, it is just as possible that Time exists entirely independently of human experience. This latter position harks back to the Newtonian definition in which time stands alone, separated from space and from any human perception or measurement . But yet, within ourselves, we are absolutely convinced that Time exists. This then leads us to an investigation of the science of Time.
The science of Time
Borrowing from the foundations of both Newton and Einstein, I think it is fair to say that because we are certain that Time exists, then It does. In saying this, I am not wanting to acknowledge that time exists only because humans measure it with clocks. I am saying that, as Newton proposed, Time exists entirely independently of human perceptions. It does this no matter what we humans do, or what we think, or perceive, or measure, and It does this outside of our experiential lives. It is fair to say that Time exists regardless of the existence of humans and of all other sentient creatures. Hence ..
Axiom 1 - Time exists independently of human perceptions.
Whether physicists support the Steady state or the Big Bang theories in cosmology, it is fair to say that Time marches on regardless of the creation and destruction of galaxies. It is a moot point as to whether Time exists if the Universe (all its galaxies) are destroyed, since after that event there would be no more events occupying Time. However, it is fair to say that, regardless of the demise of the Universe, Time continues to exist; this is so because in the event that a new Universe should be created, that event can only occur within Time. Therefore, we should understand that Time has no beginning and no ending. Hence ..
Axiom 2 - Time is infinite; It neither started nor will It end.
From our human experiences and from the (ever more) precise measurements of time (replications of Time) by scientists, we perceive of Time as moving exclusively from the future into the past (as perceived by us).
It is not possible, either by logic or by the performance of any known scientific experiment, to conceive of time moving in any direction other than back into the past. Logically, what is done cannot be undone no matter how much we might sometimes wish it were otherwise. Hence ..
Axiom 3 - At any one place (in time and space) Time moves exclusively from the future into the past.
We already know that it is impossible to establish simultaneity of time across large distances and/or at large relative speeds between observers and events. We can never say with certainty that two events happened at the same time because the observation of those two events depends upon the perceptions of separated humans.
Since there is an infinite number of events happening in the perceived Universe, then it follows logically that there is an infinite number of time flows that can be observed in the vicinity of all of those events. That is an obvious corollary of the insimultaneity of events.
Therefore, it must follow that Time consists of an infinite number of time-lines throughout the perceived Universe. Hence ..
Axiom 4 - Time is comprised of an infinite number of time-lines.
It is often said that nothing happens by accident. Newton said that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. We can go further and say that for every event there is at least one consequent (and subsequent) event. No event comes and goes alone.
Human experience and the results of science show us that, at any one place in time and space, all events are linked to prior and subsequent events. Therefore it must be so that all events that lie along a single time-line are inevitably related to each other. Hence ..
Axiom 5 - Events that occur on the same time-line are always related events.
Furthermore, we know from experience, that events can “get out of hand”. That is to say that events on one time-line can trigger events on adjacent time-lines. A meteor that came “out of nowhere” is thought to have triggered a global event (on Earth) that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs and the evolution of new species. There was no reason for that lump of rock and ice to have had any relevance to the lives of those animals; but it did so. Hence ..
Axiom 6 - Given certain constraints (of physics), events on one time-line can trigger events on other, adjacent time lines.
If humans were the only observers, then all things (in the Universe) would be perceived with human eyes and with the minds that were so connected. Human minds are sometimes connected; human minds seek connection.
Since we currently know only of human minds, then we must work with these resources in order to proceed. Resources are often large; the human resource is quite large. Is it large enough to understand the cosmos ? Finally, this is the question < new symbol>.
It is unlikely that human perception is relevant to understanding the presence of Time. We don’t know what is Time; we measure time with little toy machines. Machines do not comprehend that which is human. So we know nothing about the nature of Time itself.
Mathematics is a human construct. (Nature doesn't care ) We use arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, and logic to analyse this world’s events. Does this world care ? No. Nature’s constructs ignore humans. Nature looks for support and convenience. Humans look for advantage. Cerebral objects are temporary. Despite their importance to us, human aspirations pass into the past. Hence ..
Axiom 7 - The Universe cares nothing about human events.
An essential and logical consequence of our existence is the notion that humans matter somewhat. We humans matter. Is that logical ? Men copulate; women make babies. This is the consequence of our human existence.
But, regardless of our cares, earthquakes occur, volcanoes erupt, violent storms wrack our locales, meteors strike. Mother Nature cares nothing for us. So do we care for Mother Nature ? Yes, somewhat. Is there an axiom that arises from this discussion ? No; not more than Axiom 7.
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Contents
Introduction The vector of Time Human senses and Time A time and a place Time and sense What is Time ? If there was no Time The physics of Time Time usurps property - the winds of change Time immerses Time, a human construct States of mind Forgiving others Moving in Time Which direction now ? Local Time Making good choices Lost in Time The speed of It Dying for a change A time standard Time stops Time goes faster Paving the way The science of Time New talent
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