What proof do we have that TIME exists?

  • Thread starter Homesick345
  • Start date
  • Tags
    Proof Time
In summary, time is a man-made construct rooted in reality that is used to measure change. It is not a physical "thing" and is similar to other measurements such as inches or meters. The concept of time has led to extensive theoretical work in physics, with the nature of time still being actively studied. The alternative to time would be incomprehensible to us as finite beings. Consciousness does not affect the behavior of reality but is necessary for us to perceive it. The present is a constantly moving and evolving concept that is difficult to define.
  • #106
junjunjun233 said:
It simply means that time might not exist, just entropy. Or Time is the cause for entropy.

Motion replaces time and time no longer exist. We live in motion not time.
Time is motion! You cannot have motion without time!
 
Space news on Phys.org
  • #107
junjunjun233 said:
How do you make sense of time then?
As I said earlier, time is a model that is useful for making sense out of our universe. It is most easily understood in physics as being a dimension akin to the three spatial dimensions we are more familiar with.
 
  • #108
Chalnoth said:
As I said earlier, time is a model that is useful for making sense out of our universe. It is most easily understood in physics as being a dimension akin to the three spatial dimensions we are more familiar with.

I understand the importance of time in our equation to make a model of everything we need to measure in reality.

This is as far as i can understand time without using it as extra dimension just to complete the equation and eventually complicates everything.

Either;
Time is the mechanism that causes everything to move (4th dimension) Or, Time is simply a description of that state in which it has nothing to do with time.
 
  • #109
tanzanos said:
Time is motion! You cannot have motion without time!

Actually, it can be the other way around. You cannot have time without motion. Since motion always exists.
 
  • #110
junjunjun233 said:
I understand the importance of time in our equation to make a model of everything we need to measure in reality.
That's the only real way to understand time. When you try to put the concept into colloquial words, you necessarily lose information.

junjunjun233 said:
Either;
Time is the mechanism that causes everything to move (4th dimension) Or, Time is simply a description of that state in which it has nothing to do with time.
Neither of these make any sense at all to me. Time doesn't cause anything to move (or not move). And how is it that time can be a description that has nothing to do with time?
 
  • #111
Chalnoth said:
That's the only real way to understand time. When you try to put the concept into colloquial words, you necessarily lose information.


Neither of these make any sense at all to me. Time doesn't cause anything to move (or not move). And how is it that time can be a description that has nothing to do with time?

I always thought that time is non physical and besides mathematically it is not needed, and to make sense of reality, we might as well make abstraction of time in our interpretation of Nature.

Somehow, in the case for matter, whatever the conditions, it is always set in motion for whatever reason that's why i came to that conclusion that time might be a separate physical entity that interacts with matter rather than non physical which is very unlikely.

Maybe I am just confused and try to make sense in a different way.
 
  • #112
junjunjun233 said:
Actually, it can be the other way around. You cannot have time without motion. Since motion always exists.

what's an example of "motion without time"?
 
  • #113
junjunjun233 said:
I always thought that time is non physical and besides mathematically it is not needed, and to make sense of reality, we might as well make abstraction of time in our interpretation of Nature.

What? This seems to me to be like saying distance is not needed and is non physical. We need both time and distance to make sense of reality.

Somehow, in the case for matter, whatever the conditions, it is always set in motion for whatever reason that's why i came to that conclusion that time might be a separate physical entity that interacts with matter rather than non physical which is very unlikely.

Maybe I am just confused and try to make sense in a different way.

What about non-matter such as light? And how could time be a physical entity?
 
  • #114
I often prefer to ask, "what change is it?"
 
  • #115
junjunjun233 said:
I always thought that time is non physical and besides mathematically it is not needed, and to make sense of reality, we might as well make abstraction of time in our interpretation of Nature.
The only way to understand reality at a deep level is through mathematics.
 
  • #116
I've often heard that there is evidence the time exists because clocks are moving. However that is a poor statement. When a clock or watch has no electricity it does nothing, yet does time stop then? Clocks and watches run on electricity, not time.
 
  • #117
Chalnoth said:
The only way to understand reality at a deep level is through mathematics.

"As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality." - Albert Einstein
 
  • #118
Homesick345 said:
"As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality." - Albert Einstein
Taking a famous scientist out of context is quote mining. It's not only lying, it's putting the lie in somebody else's mouth. It's disgusting.
 
  • #119
Chalnoth said:
Taking a famous scientist out of context is quote mining. It's not only lying, it's putting the lie in somebody else's mouth. It's disgusting.

mmm ...I wasn't lying, not even trying to put anything out of context (don't even know what is the right context, & I don't even understand Einstein quote fully, except that it deals with math application to reality, which was what you mentionned)- however a violent reaction of this sort, (that includes name-calling) is deeply disturbing. Why are you so angry?
 
  • #120
Homesick345 said:
mmm ...I wasn't lying, not even trying to put anything out of context (don't even know what is the right context, & I don't even understand Einstein quote fully, except that it deals with math application to reality, which was what you mentionned)- however a violent reaction of this sort, (that includes name-calling) is deeply disturbing. Why are you so angry?

well, if you don't understand the quote, or say that you do not, then why would you use it in an argument?

And anyways, he called what you *did* disgusting, not *you*.
 
  • #121
SHISHKABOB said:
well, if you don't understand the quote, or say that you do not, then why would you use it in an argument?

And anyways, he called what you *did* disgusting, not *you*.

I don't understand the quote fully, sure, I'm not a scientist of the caliber of Einstein to pretend the contrary...But it sounds awfully close to what Chalnoth was describing, math to explain reality, to which Einstein seem to oppose a different approach...Now go ahead and tell in what sense is this a LIE, or what is DISGUSTING about it?...This is a classic case of bullying and mudslinging, without the beginning of a provocation from my part...there is something to be said about this behavior, and not being able to take a quote that seems to contradict you...and you are even defending that. ...
 
  • #122
Homesick345 said:
mmm ...I wasn't lying, not even trying to put anything out of context (don't even know what is the right context, & I don't even understand Einstein quote fully, except that it deals with math application to reality, which was what you mentionned)- however a violent reaction of this sort, (that includes name-calling) is deeply disturbing. Why are you so angry?
I'm angry because you misrepresented a good scientist, making him appear to say something he almost certainly never intended to say. This action of your was the height of dishonesty.
 
  • #123
Chalnoth said:
I'm angry because you misrepresented a good scientist, making him appear to say something he almost certainly never intended to say. This action of your was the height of dishonesty.[/

What in the world are you talking about? What dishonesty and what quote? THIS QUOTE BYBEINSTEIN ALWAYS PUZZLED ME...ALL I WANTED was what would be your comment about it...since it addressed seemingly a dichotomy math/reality...where do you see bad intentions from my part? And what makes you assume I'm I'll intended? Man, this is getting weird!
 
  • #124
Homesick345 said:
"As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality." - Albert Einstein
I agree with Chalnoth that you have misrepresented what Einstein was saying. Einstein never asserted 'reality' does not exist, his claim was that mathematics is a hammer used to attempt to forge perception to agree with observation. Translation - do not trust math to supercede logical reasoning. Math is a coded form of reason. Our inability to derive a perfectly coded form of reason does not invalidate logic.
 
Last edited:
  • #125
I think the previous few comments are for another time... wait time don't exist, so I guess now is the time...
 
  • #126
Chronos said:
I agree with Chalnoth that you have misrepresented what Einstein was saying. Einstein never asserted 'reality' does not exist, his claim was that mathematics is a hammer used to attempt to forge perception to agree with observation. Translation - do not trust math to supercede logical reasoning. Math is a coded form of reason. Our inability to derive a perfectly coded form of reason does not invalidate logic.


Guys, your problem is obviously Einstein quotation, not me. Have a grip, I did not post any misinterpretation of Einstein quote. It seemed appropriate since it dealt with math & reality. You are the one interpreting.
 
  • #127
"As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality." - Albert Einstein
 
  • #128
The boat is leaving the dock, and you missed it.
 
  • #129
Chronos said:
The boat is leaving the dock, and you missed it.

Good riddance. Have your hate party without me
 
  • #130
Hate is emotional, science is objective. You seem to struggle with this distinction.
 
Last edited:
  • #131
Chronos said:
Hate is emotional, science is objective. You seem to struggle with this distinction.

I am not being emotional - you are. A simple Einstein quote triggered some kind of a hysterical (chain) reaction. Untill you come to grip with it, good luck, & stop driving personal attacks towards me. You don't know me, & I don't know you. Stop being superficial, & pretend analyzing me. You call this Science? A scientific attitude? << insult removed by Moderator >>
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #132
REMINDER

A - Here is what Chalnoth said: "The only way to understand reality at a deep level is through mathematics."

B - This is my reply, without any comment from my part - a simple quote: "As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality." - Albert Einstein

C - That is Chalnoth reply: "Taking a famous scientist out of context is quote mining. It's not only lying, it's putting the lie in somebody else's mouth. It's disgusting."

You be the judge..
 
  • #133
...and I'm outta here, for good. Thanks all - including Chalnoth - who posted super interesting replies to my original post.
 
  • #134
I still agree with Chalnoth. Einstein said a lot of things, he was a 'rock star' of his time. Cherry picking a quote that parallels your world view is misleading in the context of this discussion.
 
  • #135
Chronos said:
I agree with Chalnoth that you have misrepresented what Einstein was saying. Einstein never asserted 'reality' does not exist, his claim was that mathematics is a hammer used to attempt to forge perception to agree with observation. Translation - do not trust math to supercede logical reasoning. Math is a coded form of reason. Our inability to derive a perfectly coded form of reason does not invalidate logic.
I don't think that's quite it, especially since logic is just another form of math. Rather, that we shouldn't trust that we know the correct mathematics at all times: just because we can write an equation doesn't mean it's the right equation. Too often people trust something much more just because somebody wrote some math down near it. I don't think this is much of a problem in physics today, but perhaps it was in Einstein's time (I kind of doubt it, since at that time massive strides forward were being made in our mathematical understanding of the universe). It is, however, a big problem in many areas disconnected from physics. Economics is a good example.
 
  • #136
none. seems to me that we are each on our own slice of time. like we all stuck on our own slice of glass and the glass is like a one way mirrror, and all you can see is the past. every conscious being is on its own slice and so has a different view. everything we see is in the past already and the future doesn't exist yet so where actually are we? now has already gone. so the universe doesn't exist at all, just the view of the past. 2 dimensional consciousness with a 4 dimensional view.
 
  • #137
soo... yes or no. do we have proof time exists? or existed? will exist? if i take a picture of a tree then look at it ten years from now, would the picture prove time exists. its all fine to say it does, but does it really prove anything?
 
  • #138
Darken-Sol said:
soo... yes or no. do we have proof time exists? or existed? will exist? if i take a picture of a tree then look at it ten years from now, would the picture prove time exists. its all fine to say it does, but does it really prove anything?

There is no answer because, as this thread shows, no one can agree on what "time" means. If we agree that time is simply a way of measuring something like change, just like we can measure distance, then yes, time actually exists just as much as distance exists.
 
  • #139
we can only experience one "time" at a time. so how do we compare it to any other "times"? every tool you use will only mean something now.
 
  • #140
Darken-Sol said:
we can only experience one "time" at a time. so how do we compare it to any other "times"? every tool you use will only mean something now.

Define what you call "time" and "times", otherwise I cannot answer this.
 

Similar threads

  • Cosmology
Replies
5
Views
1K
Replies
2
Views
505
Replies
3
Views
1K
  • Cosmology
2
Replies
57
Views
3K
Replies
20
Views
1K
  • Cosmology
Replies
8
Views
1K
Replies
25
Views
1K
Replies
3
Views
1K
  • Cosmology
Replies
12
Views
1K
Replies
3
Views
988
Back
Top