Re: About time
- From: vergon@xxxxxxxxx
- Date: 29 Aug 2006 18:26:35 -0700
Bill Hobba wrote:
"Gert Baars" <g.baars13@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in messageVERGON
news:10966$44f4d68b$5038fb52$8465@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I may be a total rookie to physics but on a former question
here: 'What is Time' no one has an answer (and should not).
I beg to differ. I think you were given the correct answer - what a clock
reads. Beyond that your really into philosophy.
If time can not be understood then how can anything related
to time (like the whole lot) be 'understood' or discussed.
The above definition does nicely.
http://www.friesian.com/feynman.htm
'Now, one might ask, What is "mass"? What is "distance"? What is "time"? As
questions of physics these are going to be very different from similar
questions in philosophy. In physics, all one need say, to get started, is
that "mass resists acceleration" (intertial mass) or "mass exerts
gravitational attraction" (gravitational mass), that "distance is what we
measure with this rod," and that "time is what we measure with this clock."
Wow. These answers, of course, are not philosophically very satisfying. They
are all one needs, however, to start doing the science. And there is a
reason for that. Scientific explanations are logically only sufficient, not
necessary, to the phenomena. This means that they are enough to explain
something about what we are seeing, but that logically they are not the only
possible explanation and they do not explain everything about what we are
seeing. Indeed, explaining everything is a tall order, though it is what,
philosophically, we would like ultimately to have.'
Bill
The objective universe consists only of matter, space between matter,
and the motion of matter through that space, the rest is
anthropocentric
interpretation.
In elucidation thereof:
Man perceives matter, to quantify it he conceptualizes "mass".
Matter exists objectively, mass is a concept.
Matter resists motion or alteration of motion. Man perceives that as
"inertia" which in turn quantifies mass.
Matter moves with varying degrees of motion. Man compares all motion to
one used as a standard which is constant. This standard motion is
divided into arbitrary units. The transit of the standard through one
unit is designated as time. (The rotation of the earth is a standard
motion. One rotation is designated as a day {time} with arbitrary
subdivisions.) All other motions are then compared to a unit of time.
Thus, at base, time is the comparison of motions, nothing more.
The quantification of motion in terms of time is conceptualized as
"velocity". Ultimately this is a comparison of motions against the
standard.
The quantification of the motion of matter in terms of mass and
velocity
is conceptualized as "momentum", i.e., there is a simultaneous
determination of the quantity of matter and the quantity of motion it
possesses.
Matter moves and changes that motion by interaction. Man perceives
the rate of change as "force", i.e., the change of momentum with
respect to time. Collaterally he perceives "acceleration" as the change
of velocity with respect to time.
Matter interacts with matter forming an altered configuration.
Man regards that as "energy", ultimately energy is matter (mass) in
motion.
There is space between matter. Man perceives that and quantifies it by
arbitrary standards of matter. Thus is created the concepts of
"dimension" and "distance".
-<*>-
So we see that dimension, space, time, mass, inertia, momentum,
acceleration, force, and energy are all subjective interpretations by
man of matter and its motion through space.
.
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