Our planet revolves, rotates, spins. The other planets don't move in straight lines. The shapes of objects in space are spherical, rounded, oblong. Sound waves are not straight. Light bends, arcs. Atomic particles are round. I rarely observe straight lines in natural phenomena, and can't think of any scientific reason why time should move in a straight line.
2007-01-19 05:06:21 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
We know less about time than we do any other item, process, or force in the universe.
We do understand that there's a past, present, and future, though, and that's easiest depicted as a straight line.
2007-01-19 05:15:51 · answer #1 · answered by BDZot 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Of course time would be depicted in a straight line. The only way to curve time is through theoretical memories. Time moves from point A (beginning of time) to Point B (end of time). It goes from front to back, beginning to end, first to last, etc etc etc. There is no way to turn around in time. This would be time travel, which is improbable. If time had the spherical shape, we would constantly be going from one point in time to another because a sphere has no mathematical structure in time. If time was rounded or oblong (mainly circular), we would be repeating time (some theories say that this is happening). Sound waves are not straight, but that has nothing to do with time. Atoms have nothing to do with time. Why should time move in a straight line? Well, try going to another point in time. Try going a hundred years ago. Even if you did, the timeline would still be straight, except you went backwards on that very line. Try going a hundred years into the future. Even if you did, the timeline would still be straight, except you went forwards on that very line at an accelorated speed. You really want to travel time? Put a black plastic bag over your head for five minute. I've heard this works; try it can tell us all if it works.
2007-01-19 05:35:53 · answer #2 · answered by johnmfsample 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Great Question!!!!
While I completely understand what you are saying, and even agree, time is infinite....it is bounded by human means into seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, etc...but this is to make it manageable, for humans. An orbit, or any of the other things you mention are finite...they have a beginning and an end. Time is part of the fundamental structure of the universe, a dimension in which events occur in sequence. Things occurring in an infinite sequence..thus the straight line.
I found this rather interesting...Time appears to have a direction to us - the past lies behind us, and is fixed and incommutable, while the future lies ahead and is not necessarily fixed. Yet the majority of the laws of physics don't provide this arrow of time. The exceptions include the Second law of thermodynamics, which states that entropy must increase over time ; the cosmological arrow of time, which points away from the Big Bang, and the radiative arrow of time, caused by light only traveling forwards in time. In particle physics, there is also the weak arrow of time, from CPT symmetry, and also measurement in quantum mechanics.
2007-01-19 05:20:52 · answer #3 · answered by aidan402 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
lack of insight and creativity on the part of the "experts" who modelled it? in a hyper materialistic/rational culture what other "example" would you expect? in those cultures where some semblance of "higher consciousness" yet exists, the straight line is viewed merely as the quickest path to traverse between two physical locations. as alan watts once observed, as you, also, have correctly noted, there are no straight lines in nature. among those of higher wisdom, the experience has been attained indicating that there is no such thing as linear time. only in the third dimension, the lowest vantage point among many, is it possible to maintain such a position.
2007-01-19 05:18:02 · answer #4 · answered by drakke1 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the culture, actually, how time is depicted.
In -Western- culture, time is depicted as a straight line and with an end, however, in Eastern cultures and ones that believe in reincarnation, time is depicted more as a spiral or as a circle.
2007-01-19 06:48:39 · answer #5 · answered by blackmonstertakeshi 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The earth is round, so how is that we can draw a straight line?
The answer is scale. Our straight line is straight only to us. At a sufficiently large scale it may be seen to curve. That is the problem with time. If it curves, we have yet to see it in a sufficently large enough scale to notice.
2007-01-19 05:16:22 · answer #6 · answered by Sophist 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because you are referencing the notion of a time line, not actual time. A time line is used to depict historical time, not astronomical time or time and space.
2007-01-19 05:42:32 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, time for humans generally moves at a constant rate, that's why. When we begin to move at relativistic speeds, we will perhaps use different kinds of lines.
2007-01-19 07:12:58 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is an alternate theory of time one that contains an unpredictable future , it is a spiral but is widley dis regarded.
for a laymans example see the movie timecop.
2007-01-19 05:37:01 · answer #9 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because time is considered to be linear. It starts at a certain time and ends at a certain time.
2007-01-19 05:43:08 · answer #10 · answered by Kikyo 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋