Do we know that time actually exists?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the existence of time, exploring whether it is a real entity or merely a conceptual framework. Participants examine the implications of measuring time and the relationship between time and physical objects like clocks.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question the existence of time, suggesting it may be a construct similar to mathematical concepts.
  • Others argue that time is essential for scientific modeling and is as "real" as any other component of theory.
  • One participant emphasizes that time has been measured since antiquity using clocks and watches.
  • Another participant challenges the idea that clocks prove the existence of time, proposing that the functionality of clocks does not equate to the existence of time itself.
  • Some participants define time as the physical quantity measured by clocks, asserting that since clocks measure something, time must exist.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the existence of time, with no consensus reached. Some assert that clocks validate the existence of time, while others refute this claim, leading to an ongoing debate.

Contextual Notes

Participants rely on various definitions of time and its measurement, which may influence their arguments. The discussion includes unresolved questions about the relationship between physical measurements and the concept of time.

Jupiter60
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Does it really exist? I personally think that it doesn't, it's just another thing like math which doesn't exist in reality. Is there evidence that time is an actual real thing?
 
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Terms like "actually exist", "reality" and "actual real thing" are not generally meaningful with respect to science. Science is about observations and modeling those observations with theories. Time is vitally necessary for us to model our observations with the predictive and descriptive power that our theories have. In this context its just as "real" as any other vital component of theory.
 
Yes, we do. It has been measured since antiquity with watches and clocks.
 
dauto said:
Yes, we do. It has been measured since antiquity with watches and clocks.

Does "time" stop when the watches and clocks hands aren't moving? I don't think so. If I took the battery out of my wall clock, would "time" stop? No, but the clock would. Clocks do not prove the existence of time.
 
Jupiter60 said:
Does "time" stop when the watches and clocks hands aren't moving? I don't think so.

Correct
 
Jupiter60 said:
Does "time" stop when the watches and clocks hands aren't moving? I don't think so. If I took the battery out of my wall clock, would "time" stop? No, but the clock would. Clocks do not prove the existence of time.

If I break a ruler would space disappear? If I break a balance does mass stop existing? etc...

You don't really have a point.

I define time as the physical quantity measured by clocks. Since clocks do measure something, time exists.
 
Jupiter60 said:
Clocks do not prove the existence of time.
Sure they do. They measure something, that something is time, by definition.
 

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