Understanding Physics: What is Time?

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In summary, time is a continuous, ordered set of moments and "Now" refers to one of those moments. It is not related to memory or the past, and is simply a measure used in physics. There are alternative theories about the existence of "Now", but they are not widely accepted in the scientific community.
  • #1
revv
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Let me first say I am just learning about physics and trying to understand some things about time.

Can we say time is the "Now" or am I missing the concept of time entirely?
 
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Time. That which a clock measures. The thing that keeps events from happening at the same... 'time'. The odd man out with regards to spacetime dimensions. :wink:
 
  • #3
Think of "time" as a continuous, ordered set of moments. "Now" is one of those moments, though which particular moment it happens to be depends on when you say the word.

Think also of "space" as an ordered set of places. "Here" is one of those places, but the exact one referred to depends on the location of the person saying the word!
 
  • #4
Within the current accepted model of time, there is no such thing as "Now". There is only the past which we remember, and the future to which we do not remember. The concept of "Now" is explained as being the most recent past as the experience is simply very short term memory of an event that has already happened. There are of course other alternative theories that argue for the existence of "Now" being separate from the past and future but these are generally ignored by conventional science at this time. You might want to look into Space Time Atom Theory for more information.

Fay Dowker
http://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/f.dowker

Space Time Atoms
 
  • #5
Joe Ciancimino said:
The concept of "Now" is explained as being the most recent past as the experience is simply very short term memory of an event that has already happened.

I don't think that's correct. I know of no useful definitions of time in physics which have anything to do with memory.
 
  • #6
I think we do not have a complete definition of time
 
  • #7
Drakkith said:
Time. That which a clock measures.

I think that is sufficient for its usage in physics.
 
  • #8
brainpushups said:
I think that is sufficient for its usage in physics.

I agree. As usual with threads asking about time, this one has already floundered into the area of philosophy and mysticism. Thread locked.
 

Related to Understanding Physics: What is Time?

1. What is time?

Time is a fundamental concept in physics that refers to the progression of events from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is often measured and described in terms of seconds, minutes, hours, days, and so on.

2. Is time a physical or a human-made concept?

This is a debate among physicists, but the general consensus is that time is a physical concept that humans have developed ways to measure and understand. It is closely related to the other fundamental concepts of space and matter, and is an essential aspect of the fabric of the universe.

3. Can time be manipulated or controlled?

Time cannot be controlled or manipulated in the way that we might imagine. However, it can be affected by the presence of massive objects, such as planets and stars, that can create gravitational fields that distort the perception of time. Additionally, the theory of relativity suggests that time can be relative to an observer's perspective and can be affected by factors such as speed and acceleration.

4. How does time relate to the concept of entropy?

Entropy is a measure of the disorder or randomness in a system. As time progresses, the level of entropy in a closed system will always increase. This is known as the arrow of time, as it moves in one direction and cannot be reversed. In other words, time is intimately connected to the concept of entropy and the tendency of systems to move towards a state of disorder.

5. Does time exist in a vacuum or empty space?

According to the theory of relativity, time and space are interconnected and cannot exist independently. Therefore, time does exist in a vacuum or empty space, as it is an integral part of the fabric of the universe. However, the perception of time may be different in different parts of space, depending on factors such as gravity and speed.

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