The Nature of Time

Georgina Woodward

Jim, your health is your private matter. Stop making it public.

Re. time. A simple yes or no won't suffice. It depends on how time is being defined and used. There are lots off different tides about time. You need to understand something about them and precisely if you agree with them or not and why, I'm redefining time and differentiating it from timing. I'm also arguing for noumenal as well as phenomenal reality [red and blue] in which time is different. This thread is far too long. Take a break to calm and collect your thoughts.

Georgina Woodward

I meant to write...ideas about time, (not tides)

[deleted]

The only observation you need make is that the Earth`s rotational motion is the fundamental physical mechanism that causes our confusion about the nature of time.

Read and understand this one statement, and you change your entire world. It`s not much to ask that people read one bloody sentence!

I have been screaming this at FQXi for 14 bloody years! Smart people?

Jim Snowdon

Had I not received adequate medical care on occasion, I would not have been able to put my kids through University.

We would be less two pharmacists and one Environment Canada Scientist!

I did not pay a penny for my care! Let`s guess one million dollars? My health is not, and should not assume to be private.

I am hoping Dr. Stanley Yaren will shed light on my psychiatric background.

Jim Snowdon

"There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man`s fears and the summit of his knowledge."

"as vast as space and as timeless as infinity."

Georgina Woodward

Jim. when I wrote 'private' I was using it to mean confidential/ not public knowledge.

I've read your sentence about Earth's rotation. I don't think it is sufficient to totally abolish time.

Take a break from posting for a while. We might be able to have a conversation about time when you are well again. Now isn't the right time for that.

Jim Snowdon

Don`t worry about me, thanks Georgina. I doubled my meds, a relatively efficient solution.

If there is no such thing as time? Then what is it that makes us think so?

Not difficult to my mind Georgina. FQXi has really screwed up. They should all resign!

Jules won! For Christ sakes! Why not back him to the hilt? Because they didn`t understand what it meant, and neither do you!

Jim Snowdon

Where is everyone? I see to be the only one trying tp post? I have argued my heart out, and no one says anything?

Jim Snowdon

Our spinning world moves through timeless space at 1,700 kilometers per hour. That`s what gives us our sense of motion, the Earth`s motion, a conscious experience of duration elapsing.

We have motion, not time.

The Earth`s rotational motion is the fundamental physical mechanism tha causes our confusion over time.

Jim Snowdon

Georgina, let me spell it out one more time. It appears that the vast majority do not believe that time does not exist?

So, apparently, Jules, Amrit, Carlos and I do not believe in time. So, you should be able to explain to me why time exists, should you not? You should have evidence to support your thought. What thought?

I am trying to start people off talking about the nature of time.

On the other hand, you do have ten billion people on your side? Do you assume that`s the way of leading edge physics today? Grow up?

Georgina Woodward

Jim, not all notions of timelessness are equivalent. The particular timeless notion relates to a particular metaphysical model (meaning to do with what exists/ what is reality). Julian Barbour's metaphysics is an externalist model in which there is no real change just differences in shape. Your notion of timelessness is more akin to presentism than externalism. So actually you are not in agreement with Julian Barbour, you just haven't understood what he is advocating. You have just cherry picked the timelessness. Amrit is not using Julian's model when he talks of no time. So they can not be regarded as meaning the same.

I'm defining 'a time' as a configuration of material existence. Change of configuration is foundational passage of time. Then there is what is experienced by an individual. That involves sensory inputs, and their transmission from source to recipient needs to be taken into account; leading to relativity.

Georgina Woodward

I meant to write 'eternalist model'.

Jim Snowdon

You are splitting hair`s.

Time exists, or not, there is not a third option.

Jim Snowdon

Come on Georgina, break down and talk like you believe in what you are saying?

What`s this Eternalist`s crap?

Where do you get this stull?

And you say I`m in need of medical attention?

Georgina Woodward

Jim, it's not a yes or no problem. The word 'time ' has many meanings. Some tied to specific models. Absolute time, time dimension' space-time, Proper time, co-ordinate time, clock time, biological clock time, experienced time. Time is and happens as I have defined it in my explanatory framework. 'At the same time', other kinds of time are not. There is no time dimension to material reality in that context, I was wrong to say Julian Barbour's model is eternalist. The model has no time, so to say all points in time are equally real just doesn't apply. And I think he contends that the experience of time is not an experience of something real. The different shapes co-existing in shape space are not like the 4D objects in block time universe models. Still, I don't think you can just have and parade the timelessness from the model without regard to what the model is, and so what timelessness means in that context.

Jim Snowdon

It`s beyond the abilities of my imagination to view block time as a possibility?

Georgina Woodward

Jim, Block time models work with relativity. Different observers of the same event experience them differently, as they have different reference frames. Which can be thought of as different ways of slicing spacetime, giving each observer's unique Present. If you get rid of the time dimension, there is just one time. The different slicing of spacetime can't be used to explain the experiences of different observers of the same event. so an alternative, that preserves relativity of simultaneity, is required.

Jim Snowdon

Comic book stuff Georgina!

Jim Snowdon

Back to reality.

Either there`s time, or not. The rest follows from that.

Make up your mind to stop wasting your time.

Georgina Woodward

Jim, Would that be reality that exists independently of any observation, individually experienced reality or Jim's personal reality? Time is different for the first two kinds of reality and both are needed by physics. Allowing unambiguous sequential change and relativity of simultaneity without contradiction.

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