What is time?

Question

If now is never really now, but instead the past. And if the past is only defined by what happens in the present thusly we can't define the past or the present. And if we can't define the past or the present most ascertainly we can't define the future. So if we can't define past, present, or future then what is time?

Answer 1

We don't live in the present, we as people linger either in the past, or or waiting for the future, which arrived to become the past.

Answer 2

There are two distinct views on the meaning of time. One view is that time is part of the fundamental structure of the universe, a dimension in which events occur in sequence. This is the realist view, to which Sir Isaac Newton [1] subscribed, in which time itself is something that can be measured.

A contrasting view is that time is part of the fundamental intellectual structure (together with space and number) within which we sequence events, quantify the duration of events and the intervals between them, and compare the motions of objects. In this view, time does not refer to any kind of entity that "flows", that objects "move through", or that is a "container" for events. This view is in the tradition of Gottfried Leibniz[2] and Immanuel Kant,[3][4] in which time, rather than being an objective thing to be measured, is part of the mental measuring system.

Many fields avoid the problem of defining time itself by using operational definitions that specify the units of measurement that quantify time. Regularly recurring events and objects with apparent periodic motion have long served as standards for units of time. Examples are the apparent motion of the sun across the sky, the phases of the moon, and the swing of a pendulum.

Time has long been a major subject of science, philosophy and art. The measurement of time has also occupied scientists and technologists, and was a prime motivation in astronomy. Time is also a matter of significant social importance, having economic value ("time is money") as well as personal value, due to an awareness of the limited time in each day and in human lifespans. This article looks at some of the main philosophical and scientific issues relating to time.

Answer 3

There are two distinct views on the meaning of time. One view is that time is part of the fundamental structure of the universe, a dimension in which events occur in sequence. This is the realist view, to which Sir Isaac Newton subscribed, in which time itself is something that can be measured.

A contrasting view is that time is part of the fundamental intellectual structure (together with space and number) within which we sequence events, quantify the duration of events and the intervals between them, and compare the motions of objects. In this view, time does not refer to any kind of entity that "flows", that objects "move through", or that is a "container" for events. This view is in the tradition of Gottfried Leibniz and Immanuel Kant,[3][4] in which time, rather than being an objective thing to be measured, is part of the mental measuring system.

Many fields avoid the problem of defining time itself by using operational definitions that specify the units of measurement that quantify time. Regularly recurring events and objects with apparent periodic motion have long served as standards for units of time. Examples are the apparent motion of the sun across the sky, the phases of the moon, and the swing of a pendulum.

Time has long been a major subject of science, philosophy and art. The measurement of time has also occupied scientists and technologists, and was a prime motivation in astronomy. Time is also a matter of significant social importance, having economic value ("time is money") as well as personal value, due to an awareness of the limited time in each day and in human lifespans. This article looks at some of the main philosophical and scientific issues relating to time.-

Answer 4

Time is relative, not absolute. That is what is meant by the general theory of relativity. It is just another dimension in the space time continuum. It is believed there are ten, or maybe eleven dimensions, only four of which we can actually see, the three that define a physical position, though of course this is relative too, and time is the fourth dimension. As everything is relative, only you can define time for you, it is different for each of us. And time may be looped anyway, so, if you are extremely unlucky, you may meet yourself.

Answer 5

It's a human abstract of a dimension that's used to define the progression of things. For example, an egg can break, but it can't unbreak. Earlier the egg was whole; later, it was broken.

Or, according to the second law of thermodynamics, time progresses in the direction in which entropy increases (more disorder).

Answer 6

Time is the relationship between past, present and future. As long as we are in this universe of limited dimensions we are limited by the space/time continuum. We have our place in time and will always move forward in time.

It's difficult to analyze "now", or this "moment" because time always continues to move forward, but one way to do it is to think of time as a mile long thread. Start at the beginning of the thread by putting a dot on it, that's the beginning of time. The dot represents now. As the dot continues to move along the thread, time is moving. Everything behind the dot disappears as time is gone.

Answer 7

Time in sort is relitive to the movement of others... That is to say time will seem to be moving slower or faster depending on where you are and how you are moving compaired to other things also moving. Time moves forwards always forwards because its a force of the universe. Basicaly time was probably the first thing to exist but you just dont notice it untill mass/energy enter the situation...

Answer 8

12:25

Answer 9

Time is dependent on the speed of light(300,000km/sec). If you imagine, as Maxwell or Einstien did, travelling at the speed of light, time would stand still. This is because our perception of time relies on changes or movement around us which in turn is dependent on light reflecting off objects and being detected by our eyes. When travelling at the speed of light we would not be able to detect any changes or movement as the deflected light would never catch up.

Answer 10

Time is the 4th dimension. Created alongside space. Time is the frontier still yet undisturbed by man.