A question about time.

[torino10]

What is the nature of time? Is it possible that time is itself multidimensional and all the matter we see is actually just energy moving through the time dimension at relatively the same speed and direction as we are? Could we be moving at or near the speed of light in the time dimension?<br /><br /><br />I don't know very much about this topic, I have read a brief history of time a while ago and saw a few specials on TV.

 

[harmonicaman]

Time is not fully explained, but an easy way to understand what is going on with regards to time, is to picture yourself as the "Zero" point. In other words; view yourself as the only stationary point in the universe, located at the very center and as being the oldest point of time in the entire universe!<br /><br />Note that <i>every other point in the whole universe shares this exact same relative perspective of themselves</i> with respect to their place in the universe. <br /><br />There is also a fundamental disconnect between the time ("c") and the mass ("m") and energy ("E") in the universe because the "m" and "E" is constant and unchanging ^(1.) while the "c" continuously expands around it. The universe is "c" expanding around all the "m" and "E" (which are actually just two different manifestations of the same basis entity which was all created during the Big Bang event). <br /><br />The reason every point in the universe sees itself as the stationary center point is because the universe started out as a singularity; and even though time is expanding within this infinitely small singularity, the rules of the singularity still hold within the expanding universe -- every point in the universe is both the center and the edge. (The edge of the universe is right in front of your nose at "c" -- it's right there, but you can never reach it, <b>E=mc ²!</b>)<br /><br />This is a "Classical" and widely held view of time, but there are other opinions as to it's nature...

 

[skeptic]

> Could we be moving at or near the speed of light in the time dimension? <br /><br />This is an interesting question. Note that Einstein's formula for the amount of time dilation with velocity is 1/ sqrt(c^2 - v^2). Do you recognize the denominator sqrt(c^2 - v^2)? This is the formula for finding one of the sides of a right triangle given the hypotenuese (c) and the other side (v). What this formula implies is that when we are at rest we are indeed traveling through time at the speed of light. As we are accelerated, the temporal vector decreases and the spacial vector increases suggesting that we are traveling more and more through space and less through time.

 

[torino10]

Thank you for your answers. They have been most informative.<br /><br />I had thought that maybe the only reason we could percieve the present and not really the past or future was that we were moving throuh the time dimension at the speed of light.<br />from what you've both said this does appear to be the case without the need for extra dimensions for time, space appears to Be the other dimensions of time. this goes a long way towards helping my understanding of time dilation .

 

[derekmcd]

<font color="orange">Note that every other point in the whole universe shares this exact same relative perspective of themselves with respect to their place in the universe. </font><br /><br />easier said than done... Tough description of realism. My mom was pissed when i didn't pay homage to her. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div> </div><br /><div><span style="color:#0000ff" class="Apple-style-span">"If something's hard to do, then it's not worth doing." - Homer Simpson</span></div> </div>