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In reply to the discussion: Alan Alda poses question in new contest for scientists: What is time? [View all]tclambert
(11,085 posts)12. Toughie. You can't really even define a second. It depends how fast you're going.
Relative to me. If you fly out to a nearby star at close to the speed of light, you could come back in a hundred years, but only be one year older. (Twin paradox, they call it. (You'd be younger than your twin.))
There is a hypothesis in physics that time does not exist. Each "moment" is actually a separate universe.
And, of course, from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey . . . stuff.
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Alan Alda poses question in new contest for scientists: What is time? [View all]
The Straight Story
Dec 2012
OP
Toughie. You can't really even define a second. It depends how fast you're going.
tclambert
Dec 2012
#12
I'm not sure what time actually is, but I know it goes by faster as you get older.
meti57b
Dec 2012
#22
If Members of Congress can't understand what scientists are telling them, perhaps...
OldDem2012
Dec 2012
#24
Are we for certain that our universe will ever reach thermodynamic equilibrium?
Uncle Joe
Dec 2012
#75
"You've dedicated your life to educating the general populace about complex scientific ideas.
TheManInTheMac
Dec 2012
#83