Since looking into space is like looking into the past, the only way to exprience NOW is to be local in any relation in the Universe. For instance, the light from a galaxy 5 billion light years away is light from THEN; not light from NOW. So is 'now' local?
2006-12-01 05:05:58 · 9 answers · asked by Prince Auggie 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
No. Now is not local, you simply cannot observe now what is happening now somewhere far away . You have to wait until light arrives from it. You can then say that what *was* happening there while I was here occurred then (at the same time). That would, however, be a long wait if "there" is 5BLY's away.
There is, however, one complication introduced by Special Relativity. What is happening now elsewhere depends on one's reference frame (how fast you are moving and in what direction). That is, something happening now elsewhere in your reference frame may be either in the future or past to a person on a train passing in front of you here and now. Fortunately, though, if it *is* in his future, the event will invariably be to far away for him to prevent it from happening due to the speed of light limit on any action. So, no paradox.
As for the other answers, please keep in mind that the vast majority of replies in this forum to any question concerning relativity are either wrong or meaningless.
2006-12-01 08:29:18 · answer #1 · answered by Dr. R 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Since looking into space is like looking into the past". I never thought of it like that. Quite the thought... The stars we wish on tonight could have already extinguished. NOW is an amazing time. So yes. The answer is yes.
Now here's a trip. How many things do you have running right now? Me? I'm typing, listening to a song, and all at the same time, I am typing and making sense, I can hear the song and am listening to the lyrics at the same time as typing. I also can feel and hear the heater I have by my feet keeping me warm, especially my ankle and the soft blow running up my body onto my face...
THE BRAIN. <- phenomenon
2006-12-01 05:10:49 · answer #2 · answered by Cynthia 604 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, it is. Distant objects cannot affect what happens here now; since they are a distance away they can only affect things here later. Likewise they cannot be affected by anything here now; they can only be affected by things here in the past.
For example, if the sun were to explode right now without any warning, there would be no way to know about it on Earth until 8 minutes and 20 seconds in the future, more or less.
2006-12-01 05:13:06 · answer #3 · answered by poorcocoboiboi 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes .... look at a Feynman diagram, there is something called the absolute now, which means things that are in the same relative frame of reference.
An extreme example of this is if something happens a on the moon, it does not really happen for anyone on Earth in the "now" because it is removed from interactive with us by its distance, because nothing of it can get to us, we cannot see it touch it or notice it.
2006-12-01 05:10:45 · answer #4 · answered by themountainviewguy 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
now :: here, time:: space
Your observation is as important as the event. If you are observing it, you are observing it NOW. By the terms of your own question, NOW is by definition local, as long as your observation of NOW is subjective. It does not matter when the event took place. The question of the non-locality of now is the same as the question of whether a tree falling in the woods makes a sound.
2006-12-01 05:18:09 · answer #5 · answered by shanghaiduck 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Time is completely a human construct used to measure space and distance. There is no past there is only now. Therefore you can only travel into the future through stasis.
2006-12-01 05:09:15 · answer #6 · answered by Wyleeguy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
now doesnt exist if you ask me its youst a saying like present doesnt exist because future goes right into past
2006-12-01 05:09:57 · answer #7 · answered by mr_ekow 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
So, time would be relative to the observer? hmmm, interesting... ;)
2006-12-01 05:17:53 · answer #8 · answered by abo 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What are you talking about?
2006-12-01 05:07:17 · answer #9 · answered by Smiles 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋