Does time exist in space or does space exist in time?
Alternatively, perhaps both are independent existences?
Another possibility is that this question is beyond the capacities of the human mind.
Asked
Active
Viewed 413 times
-2
-
Nothing is beyond the capacities of the human mind! – udiboy1209 Aug 26 '13 at 05:06
-
3@udiboy What if we prove that things exist that we cannot completely understand? – Ali Aug 26 '13 at 05:34
-
@Ali : This is the case – Trimok Aug 26 '13 at 08:07
-
@Trimok, Yeah, I had that and Cantor's Absolute Infinity and the fact that a human brain cannot understand itself completely, in mind when I wrote the comment. – Ali Aug 26 '13 at 08:36
-
@Ali and Trimok, you gave fantastic examples! But I wasn't talking about completely understanding something. The fact that we can interpret the impossibility of some systems working, that itself is a great enough achievement by the human mind... – udiboy1209 Aug 26 '13 at 09:45
-
2@udiboy Fair enough, it reminds me of the proof that all natural numbers are interesting :) – Ali Aug 26 '13 at 09:50
2 Answers
2
Let us imagine a euclidean four dimensional system. One can have contours in this four dimensional system. If all the functions(x,y,z,t)=0 it is a very uninteresting world and neither time nor space has any meaning.
When Functions(x,y,z) exist the question arises do they change as a function of t, i.e. is the derivative dF/dt different from zero? If yes, then t can be assigned as our perception of time particularly if it increases monotonically. It happens that all live beings are changing functions in this variable .
In this scenario all variables are independent, but special significance has been given to t.
So the answer to your question is neither time exists in space nor space in time. They are independent variables and projections can be made in different planes, except that the meaningful ones for life as we know it are slices of three dimensional space as time progresses monotonically to +infinity.
anna v
- 233,453
1
Minkowski after comprehending Einsteins theory of relativity merged space and time into one spacetime, so neither space nor time (as understood in physics) had a separate existence.
Kant, the German philosopher placed space & time (as it is understood directly and immediately by us) within the human mind, they are the conditions of possible experience, and enable knowledge. He called this his copernican revolution.
Mozibur Ullah
- 12,994
-
our space is merged with time. but perhaps somewhere else you can have static space without time – good_ole_ray Aug 26 '13 at 06:18