Does the Present Truly Exist?

[quantumdude]

Observation has nothing to do with simultaneity.

Sure it does, insofar as observations may or may not be simultaneous.

Einstein states in his mind experiment that two flashes of light are simultaneous if the light from the two sources reaches the observer at the same time.

You need to be more specific. The idea is that the detection[/color] of the pulses is simultaneous if the light from two sources reaches the observer at the same time. The simultaneity of the emission is a different matter altogether.

According to your interpretation of SR if I as an observer move two feet toward or away from the either source they are no longer simultaneous. No longer flash at the same time.

Nope. You're confusing the emission and the detection, which are two distinct events.

 

[4newton]

Hello Tom Mattson:
In keeping with the topic of the thread. “Are we ever in the present time?” we need to understand the idea of present time, NOW.
All actions in our universe must occur at some point of time. I think that everyone will agree that the point of time that the smallest detectable action takes place is NOW, or present time.

The statement I made

Originally Posted by 4Newton
Observation has nothing to do with simultaneity.

is in reference to this topic and applies to actions and not observations. An action taking place in the present time, Now, is not dependent on any observation. Observation always comes after the action (limit of the speed of light) and can not affect the action.

Extending the question of Now, the present time, to a general understanding. The question becomes “is Now local or global”.

If Now is global then Now is the same everywhere in the universe and all things occur simultaneously everywhere in the universe.

I used Einstein’s experiment, which is accepted by almost everyone, to provide the definition for simultaneity.

Quote 4Newton

Einstein states in his mind experiment that two flashes of light are simultaneous if the light from the two sources reaches the observer at the same time.

Quote Tom Mattson

You need to be more specific. The idea is that the detection of the pulses is simultaneous if the light from two sources reaches the observer at the same time. The simultaneity of the emission is a different matter altogether.

My statement was in reference to the experiment of Einstein. Einstein was very specific about the light sources being simultaneous. I thought it was sufficient to refer to His thought experiment without repeating the details of His conditions.

Quote 4Newton

According to your interpretation of SR if I as an observer move two feet toward or away from the either source they are no longer simultaneous. No longer flash at the same time.

Quote Tom Mattson

Nope. You're confusing the emission and the detection, which are two distinct events.

That was the whole point of that statement. This statement is meant to show as stated at the beginning of this post that emission or the simultaneity of the emission has nothing to do with observation or detection.

If you accept Einstein’s idea then all points equal distant from an observer have actions that occur at the same time, or are points of Now, and whenever you move your position all points equal distant from you are again Now points. Therefore all possible points must be Now and all actions are in the present, Now, throughout the universe.

 

[Netme]

I believe our concept of time may not be correct . I believe the past, future and present may be one, occurring at the same time or THE time. The more future there is, the more past there is vice versa. If you were to watch a video in reverse, would you not say there is a pattern there also? Imagine if we could only view our world in reverse, where coming into being were things such as flowers turning into seedlings or lakes that slowly drive back into the sea through rivers. The laws of physics we believe in today I imagine would just be reversed or maybe even a new form of physics completely. But there must be a physics to it as there is a continuous flowing pattern to be seen. So then what are we? What is it we experience? We may be the only real “time” that exists, the present. The area of existence that lies right after the past and right before the future. We experience the future and the past simultaneously. The present is neither moving foward nor backwards, it is at a stand still. What we are experiencing as movement is much like photographs in motion, yet there is no way to know which direction this motion is taking or if it is even taking any direction at all! This convergence of future and past may even be reason to why we are conscious, so that we are able to see and react to the past and the future. what we have done in the past effects our future, what is being done in the future, effects our past. We are merely the experience of it all, which then brings up question, do we have free will?
Ability to see the past has been mastered.
"Psychics" ability to see the future, evolution.