What is time?

[dad]

I say this because of overwhelming evidence: time is influenced by local physical conditions - the "speed" at which clocks run, and at which all processes run (including biological ones), is influenced by local physical conditions.

Fine, of course speed is influenced. But speed is not time. Example: just because we may live 90 years instead of 980 years does not mean each day we live is not a day!

 

[Oafman]

Time measures change, and is measured by change.

 

[Oafman]

Time is also the most commonly used noun in the English language.

It matters to us, because we have a limited amount of it.

 

[dad]

You clearly are not aware that tests have been done and repeatedly confirmed that the speed at which time flows depends on local physical conditions. And since local physical conditions cannot be exactly the same at any two locations, each clock will indeed run at different speeds.

I already said maybe time thins as we depart from earth. Is this the pattern of the changes you refer to? Does a clock move different in an airplane or space shuttle than here? Yes. Now that could be due to relativity here. But it doesn't affect deep space in any way.

 

[dad]

Well what you write here is certainly too much for my little mind as I have no idea what you are talking about.

The concept I referred to was the possibility God stretched out space and time in creation week. That could mean time is not the same further from earth. Simple.

 

[dad]

Time measures change, and is measured by change.

It does that, and can be measured by that but that is not what it is.

 

[dad]

Time is also the most commonly used noun in the English language.

It matters to us, because we have a limited amount of it.

True, it matters to us. Nice that Jesus gave us eternal life.

 

[expos4ever]

Fine, of course speed is influenced. But speed is not time. Example: just because we may live 90 years instead of 980 years does not mean each day we live is not a day!

There has been a misunderstanding; When I refer to the "speed of a clock", I am referring to rate at which time flows. And the evidence is what it is: clocks run at different "speeds" in different locations.

There is therefore no such thing as a universal time.

 

[joshua 1 9]

As you're fond of saying:

It's beyond their paygrade.

Is that why a journeyman machinist makes more then a PhD scientiest? The PhD's have degraded themselves so much that it is getting to be where an associate degree would make them more money.

 

[Oafman]

It does that, and can be measured by that but that is not what it is.

That is what it is.

Time is just things changing. If nothing ever changed, there would be no time.

 

[AV1611VET]

Is that why a journeyman machinist makes more then a PhD scientiest? The PhD's have degraded themselves so much that it is getting to be where an associate degree would make them more money.

PhD stands for "Doctor of Philosophy."

Paul warns us about them.

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

 

[joshua 1 9]

PhD stands for "Doctor of Philosophy."

Paul warns us about them.

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

They should come with warnings.

 

[stephen583]

Here's an interesting theory about time and distance as it relates to interstellar space travel. It just suddenly occurred to me one day, light a bolt out of the blue. Does interstellar space travel make any sense at any speed (no matter how fast), unless it occurs instantaneously ?! Consider the following hypothetical example.

In 2020 a spacecraft is launched to Proxima Centauri approximately 24 trillion miles away traveling at 25,000 miles per hour. Twenty years later, a faster ship travelling at 150,000 miles per hour is launched and it eventually overtakes and passes the first ship. Twenty years after that, in 2060 a spacecraft is launched that can travel 500,000 thousand miles per hour, and it quickly overtakes and passes the other two (which are still en route). Next, the science of folding "space and time" is discovered, and a fourth ship is launched to the very same destination.. and guess what ?!.. It arrives before any of the other ships do, because it arrives instantaneously.

This hypothetical doesn't even take into account Einstein's Theory of Relativity, which states at accelerated speeds in space, decades would pass on Earth while the first light speed spacecraft was en route to its' destination a mere four light years away.

So it logically follows, the quickest way to get anywhere at an extreme distance, is to simple wait for the technology to fold "space-time" and arrive there instantaneously. All the slower trips are just a waste of time and resources. Ridiculous acts of human hubris.

Actually, I don't even think light speed space travel is possible. The kinetic energy of a particle the size of a grain of sand would explode on the hull of a spaceship with the force of a 100 megaton hydrogen bomb if the ship were travelling the speed of light. The faster you go, the more energy you'd need for shields, until going any faster would become a virtual impossibility.

Sorry. I hope I haven't upset all you Star Trek and science fiction fans out there.

 

[stephen583]

The comedian Stephen Wright also asked an interesting question. "If you're travelling faster then the speed of light, and you turned the headlights of your spacecraft on, would anything happen"?! "How could they see where they are going" ???

 

[stephen583]

Seriously though.. Since this is a Christian web site, I'll give you my theological take on time and how it relates to God. Personally, I don't believe God even perceives time the way we do. God transcends time and space. He exists at the beginning of time and at the end of time simultaneously. "I am Alpha and Omega".

The Scripture also says, a thousand years of our time, is as one of our days with the Lord, (2 Peter 3:8). The difference between the way God and man reckons time is of such critical importance to the understanding of God's Word, the Apostle Peter states it is of singular importance among all his other teachings. He begins this verse by saying, "Do not be ignorant of this one thing".

The math is pretty straightforward, 1,000 years divided by 24 hours (one day) is equivalent to 41.6 or forty one and a half years. The length of time (the way God reckons it), of a prophetic HOUR. Now go and read Revelation 17:12.

And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings ONE HOUR with the beast".

Most conservative Bible scholars agree these ten kings can only be dictators, or usurpers of power. John Gill's Exposition, Matthew Henry's Commentary, ect. all say the same thing). In reality, this prophecy was fulfilled in March 1947 when the Iron Curtain fell across Eastern Europe and the Cold War began with then President Truman's Policy of Containment was announced against the Soviet Bloc.

At the time, the Soviet East Bloc consists of Nine (stalinist dictarotships) kingdoms. The Soviet Union (including the Baltic States that voluntarily became republics of the USSR in 1941, and did not regain their independence until 1991), East Germany, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Albania, Yugoslavia and Bulgaria.

The tenth kingdom consisting of the Roman Catholic population of Eastern Europe, representing the Vatican State, (the miry clay representing infirm spiritual beliefs, Psalm 40:2, and Daniel 2:43). A total of ten illegitimate kingdoms.

Like I said, the math is simple. Add 41.6, or forty one and a half years to March 1947, or 1947.3 and you arrive at the date 1988.9, or September 1988. Headlines from Time Magazine for that date read;

"EASTERN EUROPE ERUPTS IN ARC OF UNREST AS YOUNG ACTIVISTS DEMAND REFORM"

It is the beginning of the end of the Cold War era and the end of the Soviet empire in Eastern Europe. It comes in ONE PROPHETIC HOUR (41.6 years), exactly as prophesied in the Book of Revelations. I'm afraid the preparatory phase of Rev. 17:12 has already been fulfilled (Sorry for you European Union fans).

The Soviet Union, East Germany, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia no longer exist as countries (kingdoms). The Stalinist dictatorships of Bulgaria, Hungary, Albania, Poland and Romania all toppled, (Rev. 7:13), and the consummate stage of the prophecy, (Rev.18) will be completed with the destruction of Rome in the not too distant future.

Interesting, huh ?! By the way, I didn't lift that off any publication, web-site or video, so you have my permission to share it however you like. It's not copyrighted. It is original and it is my own. Since I have no interest in writing books about eschatology, you are perfectly welcome to use it, or reprint it as you like.

 

[smaneck]

In Zoroastrianism lineal time was created in order to contain evil within it.
http://bahai-library.com/maneck_time_containment_evil

 

[Gracchus]

Seriously though...

If you just want to preach, might I suggest one of the "Christians Only" forums? This one is for the discussion of science.

 

[Murby]

This hypothetical doesn't even take into account Einstein's Theory of Relativity, which states at accelerated speeds in space, decades would pass on Earth while the first light speed spacecraft was en route to its' destination a mere four light years away.

Your statement here is incorrect.. That is not what Einstein's math says.
If you left earth at the speed of light, your journey to a star four light years away would be instantaneous to YOU.
If you left earth at ~99.99999999% the speed of light, your journey to a star four light years away would take just a few hours (or maybe a few minutes), on YOUR clock..
If you left earth at the speed of light, your journey to a star four light years away would take 4 years as referenced by everyone else.
If you left earth at ~99.99999999% the speed of light, your journey would take 4 years + a couple hours as seen by everyone else.

The faster your go, the more time slows for the person going fast, but only for the person going fast.

I should add a disclaimer here because the above examples are phrased in a simplistic way. The fact is, if you could travel at the speed of light, your clock would allow you to go everywhere in the universe instantaneously.. You could be everywhere all at once.. But that's impossible.

 

[Gracchus]

The fact is, if you could travel at the speed of light, your clock would allow you to go everywhere in the universe instantaneously.. You could be everywhere all at once.. But that's impossible.

If you were to fall into a black hole you would approach the speed of light as you approached the event horizon. And as you approach the speed of light your mass increases until you are a black hole. You wouldn't notice anything, and your position, by Schroedinger's equation would become more and more indeterminate. At the speed of light, you could be anywhere. I'm guessing the interference patterns in gravitational waves produced by colliding black holes are what we perceive as matter. In a sense, the black hole is everywhere and its slow (from our point of view) disintegration produces the weak nuclear force. And it's fast (from our point of view) disintegration is the big bang.
I know that doesn't make sense, but if you think reality is supposed to make sense you just don't understand reality.

 

[stephen583]

If you just want to preach, might I suggest one of the "Christians Only" forums? This one is for the discussion of science.

You are aware CF is a Christian web-site aren't you ??? In addition, this isn't your personal thread, is it ??? I believe CF member "dad" started this thread, and if you notice each one of his posts ends with the tag line, "God Was Right All Along"... Which IMO also qualifies as "preaching".

So I think you are a little "out of line" telling other people what the topic of this thread is limited to.

I suggest, If you want to limit the topic of a thread to "science" only.. you start your own thread and specify that in your opening post as a prerequisite for the discussion. Then you'll be HAPPY.

I believe since post #55 deals with "time" (albeit biblical), it adheres to the subject of the thread.