What does the phrase "time happens instantaneously" even mean? Why would the possibility of traveling back in time lead to the conclusion that "time is instantaneous"? Are you just talking about the "block time" concept, discussed in http://www.american-buddha.com/myster.flow.physics.htm by physicist Paul Davies?infinitetime said:
No.infinitetime said:
No.
Not a meaningful question.
Einstein concluded that the speed of light cannot be reached.
That's not quite right. In the first place it is impossible for an object to go back in time (i.e. if all objects can't go faster than the speed of light then there are no closed timelike worldlines). The only meaning given to time dilation is the relationship between the rate at which clocks tick/rate at which time passes. No person at rest in the frame of a clock will ever measure the rate to change. Only the rate of an identical clock which is moving relative to it as measured by an observer at rest with respect to the first clock.
Yes. But this is not it.
Whorf was a linguist who, amoung other languages, studied the Hopi language (see An American Indian Model of the Universe - in "The Philosophy of Time").
Thanks everyone!pmb_phy said:Note: Please don't yell (spell in all caps). It's poor netiquette. You can bold or italicize text here. That will serve your purpose.
I'm sorry that I appeared to yell...I was just so confused that I got a little frustrated
And, JesseM, the article you gave me by Paul Davies was so helpful!
I did mean block time, I guess, and I've never heard of it until I read the article. I don't think I even knew what I wanted to ask!
Time does not flow, and it is unidirectional on an asymmetrical line. I know now that time is difficult to comprehend, yet so fascinating and interesting!
Sorry if I appeared as an amateur concerning the subject, but now I know a lot more b/c of you guys! Thanks so much!
infinitetime said:Sorry if I appeared as an amateur concerning the subject, but now I know a lot more b/c of you guys! Thanks so much!
JesseM said:
Honorable_Death said:
jdavel said:
According to general relativity, if you move one mouth away from the other mouth and back at relativistic velocities, such that a person traveling along with the mouth that went on the trip would be younger than a person standing next to the mouth that was not accelerated, then traveling through the mouth that went on the trip will spit you out the non-accelerated mouth at the moment it was the same age that the mouth that moved was when you entered it. So if the mouth that went on the trip only experienced 5 years between the time it departed and the time it returned, while the non-accelerated mouth experienced 20 years, then if you travel through the mouth that went on the trip you'll come out the non-accelerated mouth when it had experienced only 5 years since the other mouth departed, taking you 15 years into the past.Honorable_Death said:
Regardless of whether wormholes exist, the question about what the theory of general relativity predicts about how wormholes would behave has a well-defined answer.Mortimer said:
The finiteness of time refers to the idea that time is limited and has a beginning and an end. It is a fundamental principle in physics and cosmology that suggests that time is not infinite and has a finite duration.
Scientists explore the finiteness of time through various methods, such as studying the behavior of particles and their decay, analyzing the expansion of the universe, and examining the laws of thermodynamics. They also use advanced technology, such as telescopes and satellites, to gather data and make calculations.
Some evidence that supports the concept of finiteness of time includes the second law of thermodynamics, which states that the overall entropy of the universe is always increasing, and the cosmic microwave background radiation, which is believed to be the leftover radiation from the Big Bang that marked the beginning of time.
While there is no definitive answer, most scientists believe that time is finite. The concept of infinity is difficult to comprehend and goes against many fundamental laws and principles in physics. However, some theories, such as the concept of a cyclical universe, suggest that time may be infinite and constantly repeating.
The concept of finiteness of time is crucial to our understanding of the universe and our place in it. It helps us make sense of the fundamental laws and principles that govern our world and allows us to study the origins and evolution of the universe. It also has implications for the future of our universe and the potential for time travel or alternate dimensions.