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RE: Time and the Speed of Light
April 27, 2014 at 10:45 am
(This post was last modified: April 27, 2014 at 10:47 am by Mudhammam.)
(April 27, 2014 at 1:45 am)KUSA Wrote: (April 27, 2014 at 12:00 am)MindForgedManacle Wrote: Well, saying we haven't got ANY clue about ANY of those things might be pushing it a little.
Not really. Explain what magnetism is. I'm not interested in the effects it has on things as I already know that. Tell me what it actually is. What actually is in that space in between one magnet and another that pulls them together?
Explain to me what "life" is. I'm not interested in atoms, molecules, DNA, genes, organs, organisms, etc. I just want to know what makes something have "life." Don't you think once you've explained in full or at least in large the function of some thing you've basically explained the thing itself?
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RE: Time and the Speed of Light
April 27, 2014 at 11:57 pm
(This post was last modified: April 27, 2014 at 11:58 pm by MindForgedManacle.)
(April 27, 2014 at 1:45 am)KUSA Wrote: Not really. Explain what magnetism is. I'm not interested in the effects it has on things as I already know that. Tell me what it actually is. What actually is in that space in between one magnet and another that pulls them together?
Well, considering it's a fundamental force I'm fairly certain our current models would say that there is a corresponding "force-carrying" particle. After all, that is - as far as I know - the reason why the Standard Model includes the graviton as a force-carrying particle for gravity, even though we currently have no solid evidence for gravitons. Of course, we have 2 actual physicists on the forums so I yield to their expertise.
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RE: Time and the Speed of Light
April 28, 2014 at 3:11 am
Interesting speculations. Too bad that there's no proof for any of them.
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RE: Time and the Speed of Light
April 28, 2014 at 3:12 am
(This post was last modified: April 28, 2014 at 3:18 am by Silver.)
Time is relative.
That's all I know.
The way time seems to flow indicates that our minds interprets the flow differently depending on individuality. A minute can sometimes seem longer than an hour and an hour can sometimes seem shorter than a minute, though I honestly understand that the time differentiation is more incumbent upon memory than time itself. Memory is what makes the difference...sorry if this seems confusing and contradicts my premise. I am writing as I go along. Memory determines time differences more than time itself. How many times has someone stated, "It only seemed like yesterday" when it was much longer than that? It was not that the person was confused with time so much as the fact that the memory was more alive and vivid in order to interpret it as such that basically no time had passed.
Time is relatively dependent upon memory. Memory is the key.
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Re: RE: Time and the Speed of Light
April 28, 2014 at 7:22 am
(April 27, 2014 at 10:45 am)Pickup_shonuff Wrote: (April 27, 2014 at 1:45 am)KUSA Wrote: Not really. Explain what magnetism is. I'm not interested in the effects it has on things as I already know that. Tell me what it actually is. What actually is in that space in between one magnet and another that pulls them together?
Explain to me what "life" is. I'm not interested in atoms, molecules, DNA, genes, organs, organisms, etc. I just want to know what makes something have "life." Don't you think once you've explained in full or at least in large the function of some thing you've basically explained the thing itself?
No.
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RE: Time and the Speed of Light
April 28, 2014 at 7:55 am
I don't think you can answer the question of what something actually is.
Our perception of reality is based around making models that simplify what is actually going on. This is how science works, but it is also how our brain understands the vast amount of information it receives. People struggle to understand whether a photon is a particle or a wave. It is actually neither, but both models are useful in making predictions about how it will propagate.
Someone can use a computer, and get repeatable testable results on the screen for a given set of inputs. They do not need to look inside the computer.
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RE: Time and the Speed of Light
April 28, 2014 at 11:31 am
(This post was last modified: April 28, 2014 at 11:32 am by Anomalocaris.)
(April 28, 2014 at 7:22 am)KUSA Wrote: (April 27, 2014 at 10:45 am)Pickup_shonuff Wrote: Explain to me what "life" is. I'm not interested in atoms, molecules, DNA, genes, organs, organisms, etc. I just want to know what makes something have "life." Don't you think once you've explained in full or at least in large the function of some thing you've basically explained the thing itself?
No.
Why no?
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Re: RE: Time and the Speed of Light
April 28, 2014 at 11:46 am
(April 28, 2014 at 11:31 am)Chuck Wrote: (April 28, 2014 at 7:22 am)KUSA Wrote: No.
Why no?
Explaining what something does is not the same as explaining what something is.
As it pertains to magnetism and other forces I would like to visualize what is there. I understand that it is not possible at this time.
Just understanding the characteristics of something still leaves a big question mark to me.
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RE: Time and the Speed of Light
April 28, 2014 at 11:49 am
(April 28, 2014 at 3:11 am)Wyrd of Gawd Wrote: Interesting speculations. Too bad that there's no proof for any of them.
Talking to me?
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RE: Time and the Speed of Light
April 28, 2014 at 12:03 pm
(This post was last modified: April 28, 2014 at 12:03 pm by ManMachine.)
(April 24, 2014 at 11:32 pm)Pickup_shonuff Wrote: I have a question about physics, specially photons and the speed of light. I've heard it said, put roughly, that when traveling at the speed of light, as a photon does, there is no time. So from the point a photon is emitted to when it is absorbed by an object, no matter how much time appears to pass from our frame of reference, from the standpoint of the photon, no time at all has passed. The emission to absorption by another object is for a photon instantaneous. Is that roughly correct? My next question, then, is how do we know the age of the Universe? I thought it was partly because the farthest light we can see is 13.8 billion light years away. But then, is that only from "our frame of reference"? How does that work from the standpoint of a photon?
The closer you get to lightspeed the more 'unified' space and time are as spacetime.
To a photon there is no separation, there are one and the same universal constant. Simples.
MM
"The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions" - Leonardo da Vinci
"I think I use the term “radical” rather loosely, just for emphasis. If you describe yourself as “atheist,” some people will say, “Don’t you mean ‘agnostic’?” I have to reply that I really do mean atheist, I really do not believe that there is a god; in fact, I am convinced that there is not a god (a subtle difference). I see not a shred of evidence to suggest that there is one ... etc., etc. It’s easier to say that I am a radical atheist, just to signal that I really mean it, have thought about it a great deal, and that it’s an opinion I hold seriously." - Douglas Adams (and I echo the sentiment)
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