Does Time have a beggining? an End?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the nature of time, specifically whether it has a beginning or an end, and if it can be altered, stopped, or slowed. Participants explore theoretical implications, conceptual definitions, and the relationship between time and physical phenomena.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that time began with the Big Bang, while others question whether time is infinite or has a definitive starting point.
  • Time dilation is discussed, with some noting that time passes slower for objects moving at high velocities or in strong gravitational fields, while others challenge the interpretation of time as merely a measurement.
  • One participant argues that time is a representation of movement and change, dependent on physical constants, suggesting that time cannot be altered.
  • Another viewpoint posits that time is a human construct, created to measure changes in energy states, and may cease to exist when humanity does.
  • Contrasting perspectives emerge regarding the reality of time, with some asserting that it is a fundamental aspect of the universe, while others align with a relationist view that sees time as a man-made concept.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express multiple competing views on the nature of time, its origins, and its reality, indicating that the discussion remains unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include differing definitions of time, the dependence of arguments on philosophical perspectives, and unresolved interpretations of time dilation and its implications.

Themuffinman
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Does Time have a beginning? an End? can it be stopped slowed or altered in anyway?
 
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Time is though to have begun with The Big Bang.
The faster you travel, the slower time will pass for you. This effect is neglectable at any other than very high velocities, though.
Also, time will pass slower for you if you are subjected to a strong gravity field, such as that created by a black hole. These effects are know as Time Dilation. For more info on Time Dilation, see this link : Time Dilation
 
Time represents things moving and interacting, so time has existed as long as existence.

Time slows when things change speed. But, not if the perciever and that which is perceived accelerate at the same rate and in the same direction, because the perciever will not see change of speed.

Time represents movement of physical things. Movement depends upon physical constants. Can you alter physical constants? No. You can't alter time.
 
Themuffinman said:
Does Time have a beginning?

That is the $64,000 question, isn't it? Did time start at the Big Bang, or is time infinite?

an End? can it be stopped slowed or altered in anyway?

Time cannot be stopped. The rate of motion through time of an object is symmetrical to the rate of motion through space of the object. Therefore, by altering the rate of motion of an object through space, relative to the rest of the universe, it is possible to alter its rate of motion through time.

If you go out for a jog, then you have increased your rate of motion through space, relative to other people, and as such will have slowed your rate of motion through time, relative to them.
 
The concept of time is man made. Time is simple a form of measurement so yes, it has a starting point and a stopping point. When man ceases to exist, so will time.

To use time dilation as an example is not really correct, when you really are not "moving through time" at a different rate than others, the rate of change in the type and location of energy from varying states is different. You could say that atrophy is constant and is the word we use to describe the "wasting” away of an object. And therefore in the spectrum of mans realm, be used in place of time.
But that is only on a visible level. I use on the visible level because , it really is energy changing states.
The measurement of time and the concept of it is completely man made. But the wasting away(visible) or changing of energy to a different form is universal.
So we created a word to describe the function of energy changing forms and location, though not the original purpose of the word, and it is called time. So by that , when man disappears, so will time. It is a measurement we created.
 
Last edited:
Darnit said:
The concept of time is man made.

That depends on who you talk to. A relationist like Ernst Mach would agree with you. Einstein, however, disagrees. Time, or more generally, spacetime are very real. They can be warped and curved, dilated and contracted. Spacetime represents the most fundamental level of the universe according to general relativity. It provides the benchmark for accelerated motion.

Darnit said:
To use time dilation as an example is not really correct, when you really are not "moving through time" at a different rate than others, the rate of change in the type and location of energy from varying states is different.

Also a relationist's point of view. You are "moving through time" just as you can move through the entity we call space. Your total velocity through spacetime always equals c. If you increase your spatial velocity, your temporal velocity is decreased. If you said the rate of change and therefore the rate that energy is used at is different, you undermine the whole concept of it being impossible to distinguish between uniformly moving reference frames. Time is not merely a convenient tool created by humans that will disappear when we're no longer here, at least not according to the widely accepted theory of relativity. It's not simply a useful measurement, something we invented to describe our experiences. Time is as real as the events it encompasses.
 

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