Tuesday, April 18, 2006


The Nature of Time

Some people see time as a one way phenomenon, and in that regard they're partly right. As percieved by any normal human time can only procede one way. Others see it as a frame by frame basis, like in a flip book or movie reel. Brief moments such as snapshots seem to lend themselves to this perception, but it is still has some problems. You can go with smaller and smaller intervals trying to find that specific moment and never reach the maximum possible resolution...

So how do I see time? I see it as a river. It does have a natural directional flow. But notice a river doesn't present a single path. It's width from bank to bank represents a range of possible outcomes. It is a chaotic system with eddys, rapids, and other variations and ripples that affect what is carried by the current. This is how time behaves as it flows. With our current understanding of the nature of time, we only percieve the surface. We only know that we drift along with the current. We do not know of the underlying torrent that drives the system, nor do we really know how to swim. The common perspective of time is that of an ant trapped on a leaf that doesn't know how to swim nor is aware of its situation.

When time travel is understood, it will be possible to go upstream. To confront the nature of chaotic and variable outcomes caused by eddys and ripples. To see the depths below the surface. I understand that as of now I'm just bobbing along for the ride, but I'd like to learn how to swim.

Comments: Post a Comment

<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?