paulb (07/23/82)
time is what my wristwatch measures the passage of. paul butzi
cak (07/24/82)
Just something we (mankind) made up to console ourselves. Chris Kent, Purdue CS
rhm (07/24/82)
Nature's way of making sure everything doesn't happen at once.
doug (07/24/82)
time does not pass... the structure of space and time is static. time does not move and neither do we. space-time just is.
presley (07/24/82)
what we waste discussing it
Physics:retief (07/26/82)
Time is literally the fourth dimension, only for some strange reason we can only travel along it in one direction.
keithe@sri-unix (07/27/82)
You cannot kill time without injuring eternity keith ericson teklabs
bstempleton (07/27/82)
From: harpo!uwvax!doug time does not pass... the structure of space and time is static. time does not move and neither do we. space-time just is. Only if you are a determinist. Do you think the future is fixed, uwvax!doug? This is a foolish belief, for if the future is fixed, it doesn't matter what you believe, since it's all fixed anyway. On the other hand, if the future is not fixed, and you think it is, you are wrong.
jj (07/28/82)
Concerning the essay on "What is Time?", the reply that it is static, and the response that a person who believes that also believes in determinism. Well. I firmly believe that I am predestined to believe in free will. So there.
doug (07/28/82)
You are right that it doesn't matter what we believe since it is all fixed anyway. Fortunately, however, I am a non-objective human and can't bring myself to live according to this doctrine - even if I think it's true. It's probably a result of evolution. Those creatures who think they control their destiny probably just happen to be those who survived (i.e., here comes a car - I shall move out of the way and avoid getting hit). I think, maybe, that things like our sense of passage of time are the products of a successful evolution. But do they have merit physically? Is not space-time just there? If we really do exist in a 4-dimensional space-time then isn't some sort of determinism natural? It is not as though we exist in "space" which is independent of "time". Are they not supposed to be all of the same structure? How can we "move" from one point in space-time to another? Move with reference to what? What is the "rate" of the passage of time? dt/dt? Any suggestions out there?
katzung (07/29/82)
I agree that time is literally the fourth dimension, although I don't know that we CAN travel along it in only one direction. We HAVEN'T, but does that mean we CAN'T? Perhaps people in our future have the necessary technology (and the wisdom not use it). I think any consideration of trying to improve the past would be offset by the risk of accidentally making it worse.
Physics:retief (07/29/82)
Most accepted physical laws work just fine whether time flows backwards or forwards. The whole framework of special relativity is based on time being the 4th dimension (i.e. space-time.) Of course, it could be wrong. Time (er.. Xo/c) will tell.
doug (07/29/82)
to: Jim Johnston Yes... but is what you are predestined to firmly believe true? doug@uwisc
doug (07/29/82)
to: pdh@sri-unix but ??how?? can you travel along time at all? how fast are you going? doug@uwisc
jerry (07/30/82)
If you are interested in the question "what is time" and have a fairly good physics background I would recomend The Physics of Time Asymettry by P. C. W. Davies University of California Press (1977 edition) It's first sentence describes its topic. "How is it possible to account for the difference between past and future when and examination of the laws of physics reveals only the symmetry of time?" His answer (as best I understand it -- my physics isn't up to really understanding the book) is cosmological. I quote (p. 109) "We have reached a remarkable conclusion. The origin of all thermodynamic irreversibility in the real universe depends ultimately on gravitation. Any gravitating universe that can exist and contains more than one type of interacting material must be asymettric in time, both globally in its motion, and locally in its thermodynamics." Jerry Schwarz -- BTL Murray Hill -- eagle!jerry
bstempleton (07/30/82)
Some people who talk about space-time as a 4 dimensional object that just 'exists' should remember what that statement means. If you think this is the case, then you can't use words like choice or thought. Things just are, they do not change. There is thus no 'evolution' Your 'decision' (you don't really have one) on 'free will' is meaningless. You can't choose the belief that 'satisfies' you the most. Without free will, there is no right or wrong, just what is.
jcwinterton (08/10/82)
Imagine a sheaf of five spaces in which all possible universes in
the four space consisting of {x,y,z,t} occur in a static array. If you
could then choose between them, would that be an aspect of free will, while
the space/time universe if fully "predetermined"? All this metaphysics is
starting to get out of hand.
John Winterton.