Nigel wrote:
Time nuts do not and cannot measure time itself because time as an absolute entity just doesn't exist.
I suppose specifying the interval since the big bang could qualify as an absolute measure of time (at least in our universe), but in practice it must elude us because everything in the universe is in motion and there is no practical way to relate our frame of reference to any frame with the location of the big bang at the origin. Note that assigning conventional units to measurements does not detract from the ontological existence (or not) of the measured things. Most would agree that physical extent (vector distance) exists, notwithstanding that the units we use to measure it are conventional.
nobody has ever demonstrated the existence of time itself as a measurable quantity.
Without intending to expreess a view regarding the ontological status of time, I would point out that one must be careful to distinguish between the ontological question and any practical/empirical questions such as the frame-of-reference issue noted above. The ontological question is murky because it appears that "time" is an orthogonal component of spacetime, and it can always be disputed under what conditions (if any) the constituent parts of ontological entities are themselves ontological entities. [And, the question presumes that one accepts the ontological existence of spacetime.] But this may be more philosophy than most time nuts want to contend with!
Best regards, Charles _______________________________________________ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
