[net.misc] Moving Through Space-Time

cw (07/31/82)

Perhaps (not too unlikely) I am dense about this, but the question of
moving through space-time seems particularly easy to answer.  The question
was posed as

	a) if 5 minutes ago at this terminal is a space-time point
and
	b) now at this terminal is a space-time point
and
	c) and like Cartesian graph paper, all the points exist at the same
	   "time" (that is, constantly and without change)

	How can I be said to be moving through time or space-time?

In particular, moving with respect to what?  

Well....how about moving with respect to the space-time point you
were just at.  In ordinary English, movement is implicitly to or from
some reference point specified in the discussion.  When you say

	I'll move the vase to the table

you imply

	...from the desk where it was just sitting.

So you just moved from 5 minutes ago to now (and, by the way, your space
co-ordinates changed too unless you choose to center them on your body).

What does seem to be true is that we poor humans are condemned to change
our time coordinates at a more or less constant rate like it or not.
Be nice to able to change that; I wish I could go back to high school
knowing what I know now.

Was that too simple-minded?

Charles

gaw@sri-unix (08/03/82)

   Just a post script, I forgot one point.  Somone asked what all this was
in relation to (perspective).  It doesn't matter. It's all relative!
 Yuk Yuk Yuk              -Glenn