Interesting New Theory of Time

Something tells me Gnomon will find this interesting.

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2009/12/pl_print_carroll

Lovely topic. I just wish I was ready to propose my theory, but I'm still working on it.

In essence, it suggest that time is circular. We are accustomed to thinking in terms of "past" present" and "future" where the past is written and unchangeable while the future is completely unknown, although somewhat predictable - based on the past. Thus we "learn from history".

But theoretical scientists work with what they call "acausal events". These are occurrences that can be caused by future events as well as past and present events. It is hard to wrap one's mind around the idea that something can happen now because of something that is going to happen later.

But if, rather than Time's Arrow traveling in a straight line, time were circular...the "future" could affect the "past" just as easily as the "past" affects the "future".

This theory gives us the opportunity to consider if the deist god created a universe designed with the future use in mind. Evolution seems unplanned and random and is limited by the environment in which it evolves, but what if the course of evolution determines what the environment needs to be? Build a universe designed to accommodate what will ultimately unfold "later".

It also raises the possibility that the ancients had some vague understanding of this and attempted to explain it by saying god is omniscient.

I think Paul Davies suggested something similar to that in one of his books. Interesting.

Davies has written quite a few books. Although I'm sure I'd find them all interesting, I don't have the time to wade through the entire collection. (among other works, I'm currently trying to digest Marcus Aurelius' Meditations)

Do you recall which book discussed this?

I'm pretty sure it was 'God & The New Physics'. Very good book BTW.

Uriah wrote:

Something tells me Gnomon will find this interesting.

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2009/12/pl_print_carroll

Quote :

Something tells me Gnomon will find this interesting.

Ha! I ain't got time for interesting new theories of Time.

However, as PA noted, our conception of G*D is intimately connected to our concept of time.

The notion of a one-way arrow of time is derived from our perception that change always occurs in the direction of order-to-disorder (Entropy)---except when human minds interfere with natural processes. Ironically, when human culture reverses Entropy, we call it Progress instead of circular time. I suppose that's because history teaches us that, despite a tiny loop of anti-entropy here and there, Entropy always wins in the end.

However, we may assume that, if humans can temporarily reverse the flow of entropy, an eternal deity must also be able to turn Time back on itself, to form a complete loop. For the Creator of the universe, beginning and end are in the same place (so to speak). If an arrow of time continued in a straight line without end, it would be eternity instead of time. But if it looped back upon itself, the arrow would make a complete circuit in a finite length of time---as Eternity stood still forever as an unmoving background.

I don't really understand what little I know about circular time. But the Everything Forever website* made an interesting case for a temporal loop within eternity. PA may want to check it out after he gets bored with the wisdom of Aurelius.


[url]http://everythingforever.com//url]

I guess it left you speechless?

They say, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all".

Makes you wonder what evil thoughts were lurking in the mind of Gnomon!

Aaron wrote:

I guess it left you speechless?

Aaron wrote:

I guess it left you speechless?

The Send button was not sending yesterday. I have had the same problem with the phpBB on my Enformationism forum. It didn't work again today, so I'll try I'net Explorer instead of FireFox browser.

Quote :

Something tells me Gnomon will find this interesting.

Ha! I ain't got time for interesting new theories of Time.

However, as PA noted, our conception of G*D is intimately connected to our concept of time.

The notion of a one-way arrow of time is derived from our perception that change always occurs in the direction of order-to-disorder (Entropy)---except when human minds interfere with natural processes. Ironically, when human culture reverses Entropy, we call it Progress instead of circular time. I suppose that's because history teaches us that, despite a tiny loop of anti-entropy here and there, Entropy always wins in the end.

However, we may assume that, if humans can temporarily reverse the flow of entropy, an eternal deity must also be able to turn Time back on itself, to form a complete loop. For the Creator of the universe, beginning and end are in the same place (so to speak). If an arrow of time continued in a straight line without end, it would be eternity instead of time. But if it looped back upon itself, the arrow would make a complete circuit in a finite length of time---as Eternity stood still forever as an unmoving background.

I don't really understand what little I know about circular time. But the Everything Forever website* made an interesting case for a temporal loop within eternity. PA may want to check it out after he gets bored with the wisdom of Aurelius.

* unfortunately the URL link function in this forum is not working right now.



[url]http://everythingforever.com//url]

You're a man of few words Gnomon.

Having troubles posting?

Quote :

Something tells me Gnomon will find this interesting.

Ha! I ain't got time for interesting new theories of Time.

However, as PA noted, our conception of G*D is intimately connected to our concept of time.

The notion of a one-way arrow of time is derived from our perception that change always occurs in the direction of order-to-disorder (Entropy)---except when human minds interfere with natural processes. Ironically, when human culture reverses Entropy, we call it Progress instead of circular time. I suppose that's because history teaches us that, despite a tiny loop of anti-entropy here and there, Entropy always wins in the end.

However, we may assume that, if humans can temporarily reverse the flow of entropy, an eternal deity must also be able to turn Time back on itself, to form a complete loop. For the Creator of the universe, beginning and end are in the same place (so to speak). If an arrow of time continued in a straight line without end, it would be eternity instead of time. But if it looped back upon itself, the arrow would make a complete circuit in a finite length of time---as Eternity stood still forever as an unmoving background.

I don't really understand what little I know about circular time. But the Everything Forever website* made an interesting case for a temporal loop within eternity. PA may want to check it out after he gets bored with the wisdom of Aurelius.

* unfortunately the URL link function in this forum is not working right now.



[url]http://everythingforever.com//url]

Finally! I discovered that a missing [ in the URL at the bottom prevented the reply text from displaying in Preview and Send modes.


Ha! I ain't got time for interesting new theories of Time.

However, as PA noted, our conception of G*D is intimately connected to our concept of time.

The notion of a one-way arrow of time is derived from our perception that change always occurs in the direction of order-to-disorder (Entropy)---except when human minds interfere with natural processes. Ironically, when human culture reverses Entropy, we call it Progress instead of circular time. I suppose that's because history teaches us that, despite a tiny loop of anti-entropy here and there, Entropy always wins in the end.

However, we may assume that, if humans can temporarily reverse the flow of entropy, an eternal deity must also be able to turn Time back on itself, to form a complete loop. For the Creator of the universe, beginning and end are in the same place (so to speak). If an arrow of time continued in a straight line without end, it would be eternity instead of time. But if it looped back upon itself, the arrow would make a complete circuit in a finite length of time---as Eternity stood still forever as an unmoving background.

I don't really understand what little I know about circular time. But the Everything Forever website* made an interesting case for a temporal loop within eternity. PA may want to check it out after he gets bored with the wisdom of Aurelius.

* unfortunately the URL link function in this forum is not working right now.



http://everythingforever.com/

I think of time as the movement between the birth of an idea and its fulfillment, or if you prefer, the movement between potentiality and actuality. To space-time creatures such as ourselves, the present is where the past and echo from the future intersect creating an interference pattern we call the universe. Past and future each affect the other; the former is not fixed and the latter is not predictable and this because the present is infused with fragmented units of the actual that affect the whole. The whole sphere of space and time is not dead to a God outside of it or something that is planned from beginning to end. Rather, it is like a living organism reaching out, exploring, probing and ever finding new ways of expressing itself.

This far-out and crazy idea is fun to play with and wholly speculative. I won’t defend it even though is not inconsistent with science as far as I know.

WhiteNova wrote:

I think of time as . . .the movement between potentiality and actuality.

Rather, it is like a living organism reaching out, exploring, probing and ever finding new ways of expressing itself.

That incessant change from potential to actual is the rhythm of reality. Time is the back-beat for the music of evolution. But it's the serendipities and reiterations that form the melody of meaningful experience.

I also like to view this whole-world as a young living-organism in the process of growing-up. In the sense of fractal self-similarity, each of us is a microcosm of the cosmos.