What would happen to time if all movement were parallel?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion explores the implications of hypothetical parallel movement on the nature of time, examining both theoretical and conceptual aspects of time and its relationship with space.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions how parallel movement might change the nature of time.
  • Another participant references Einstein's theory of gravity, suggesting that true parallel motion may not exist within the framework of space-time, implying a need for a different conceptual universe.
  • A different viewpoint proposes that "time" is an abstract concept defined by observers through clocks, arguing that time may not have an independent reality outside of change or action.
  • A subsequent participant challenges the notion of what constitutes reality in measurements, questioning what would have actual reality if not time.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the nature of time, with no consensus reached regarding its reality or the implications of parallel movement.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the abstract nature of time and its dependence on definitions, suggesting that the discussion may be limited by differing interpretations of time and movement.

Loren Booda
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If all movement were parallel, how might that change the nature of time?
 
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Einstein's theory of gravity requires that time is an integral part of space time which is 4 dimensional. True parallel motion probably does not exist in space time. Your question seems to imply a separate universe different than space time.
 
One question would be what "time" actually is. A time scale seems to be a measurement tool created by observers using selected "clocks" (uniformly repeating events) to measure other events by. Using that definition, I would argue that "time" is an abstract concept that has no actual reality and we should be talking about "clocks" instead. (I know this is not the majority view of what time is).

I would argue that where ever change or action of any kind exists (i.e., a change in space exists), then the concept of time exists, whether or not there are any good "clocks" available to measure time by.

I'm not sure if that addresses your question though.
 
What measurement (displacement, spin, mass, etc.) would have actual reality if not time?
 

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