Why Do Theories Rely on the Concept of Time If It's a Human Construct?

[ThomasT]

i was wondering why time gets mentioned so much in theories and stuff when there is nothing natural about time at all didnt we just make it up for are own use ? ( again sorry for the lame question and thanks for any comments )

Time is real. That's why it's so important "in theories and stuff".

How do you think about time? What do you think the word, time, refers to?

 

[qsa]

i was wondering why time gets mentioned so much in theories and stuff when there is nothing natural about time at all didnt we just make it up for are own use ? ( again sorry for the lame question and thanks for any comments )

http://arxiv.org/PS_cache/arxiv/pdf/1011/1011.0746v1.pdf


The formulation of quantum mechanics within the framework of entropic
dynamics includes several new elements. In this paper we concentrate
on one of them: the implications for the theory of time. Entropic
time is introduced as a book-keeping device to keep track of the accumulation
of changes. One new feature is that, unlike other concepts of
time appearing in the so-called fundamental laws of physics, entropic time
incorporates a natural distinction between past and future.


also julian barbour +time (google)

 

[qsa]

also my own idea

post #4, last sentence in #8

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?p=2694423#post2694423


Time is my next problem, as far as I could see, it looks easy. I shall derive it as a consequense of interactions.

 

[JAlderman_FL]

A measurement in nature is a comparison to something else. You can't measure anything without a reference point.

This. Energy = Time & Temperature. Matter is temperature's decorations on energy vacuums (see Dirac Sea). Time requires a reference point to be relevant for discussion.

 

[JDługosz]

This. Energy = Time & Temperature.

Or is it Time = Money ?

Matter is temperature's decorations on energy vacuums (see Dirac Sea). Time requires a reference point to be relevant for discussion.

Or maybe Time is just nature's way of preventing everything from occurring at once?

 

[Rasalhague]

Or maybe Time is just nature's way of preventing everything from occurring at once?

There's a fun passage in The Cloud of Unknowing a mystical tract from 14th century England where the author argues exactly that (with God in place of nature, of course):

https://www.physicsforums.com/showpost.php?p=2778899&postcount=16

 

[petm1]

How can you even discuss time when most of the people, each of which make up our common present, in the world think of it as not real. Time is a how we count intrinsic motion and it is a measure of duration the inverse of space in any direction. I must be crazy for thinking it is fundamental to our common reality because for most of the population it is a illusion and not real.

 

[JAlderman_FL]

Or maybe Time is just nature's way of preventing everything from occurring at once?

This is more in the arena of Consciousness. Depending on how succinct your discussion of time is, everything could quite literally be occurring at once. Your perception tells the tale, therefore occurrence seems more an issue of Consciousness.

 

[D N Wright]

Time does not exist - only the present configuration of the universe has ever and will ever exist. All else are human "records" that create the "emotion" of time.

 

[Evo]

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