twotimesadingo

Sorry to post something I'm sure everyone has seen before, but with the search engine down, I'm reduced to reiterating a simple question...

I want to read up a bit on theories concerning the nature of time, the universe, and infinity. I know I could pick up A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking, but I remember seeing on this board numerous other people mention a dissertation far easier to digest and understand. If i recall correctly, it was by someone whose last name sounded of asian decent... I'm grasping at straws, here.

Anyway, who should I read, if I'm looking for a cohesive, cogent explanation of the nature of time...?

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Giltwist

Hawking also wrote the enjoyable The Universe in a Nutshell

You might be interested in reading Kip Thorne, a good friend of Hawking, who is a professor at Cal Tech. I believe the book of his in my collection is entitled, Black holes and Time Warps or something similar.

stingc

I agree that Black Holes and Time Warps is an excellent book. Besides the physics, it has a lot of discussion of the personal lives of the scientists involved, which I enjoy, but some people don't.

Thorne's book talks about classical general relativity, which is now almost 90 years old (but still not understood very well). Modern physics has been trying to go beyond this to what's called quantum gravity. All of the ideas in quantum gravity are very speculative, but if you want to see that perspective anyways, I've heard that Three Roads to Quantum Gravity by Lee Smolin is a good book. I haven't read it myself though.

edit: I think that you're referring to Michio Kaku's book Hyperspace. I read it many years ago, and don't recall much from it.

triad

I'm currently reading "A breif history of time" which i consider excellent, and have also read "An Elegant Universe" by Brian Green which since then has been made into a 3 hour special by nova. Definatly worth looking at...

Moonduck

I wrote my BA Thesis on "The Fallacy of the Commonplace Conception of Time". It was, in essence, an argument deconstructing the everyday way in which the common considers time. It was a rather ambitious project for an undergrad, apparently, and I was told by numerous professors that I should simply revisit the paper and expand on it if I were to go on to graduate level.

The basic line was that the various models of time (time as river, time as ordered sequence of events) and even the fallacious idea that we experience, and live in, the present were each debunked in turn. It was a greatly enjoyable work to produce, and the defense portion of it turned more into a round table with the dept head and attending professors batting the ideas presented around. I was actually fully ignored for about 20 minutes as they chewed on it and fired back and forth.

Perhaps one of these days I will revisit it. Seems a shame to leave it as it sits.

:::OshnSoul:::

Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch.

-space is defined by humans as "the unlimited expanse in all directions in which material objects exist".
-time is defined by humans as "the relationship of event in any order, as being before, simultaneous, or after, continuous duration".

Space-Time, however, is defined as "the fourth-dimensional continuum in which all things exist".

Scientists have discovered that both space and time are the same thing, with different meanings for different circumstances.

It all means: Energy. That is what everything is made out of. That's what holds everything and everyone together.
It is continual, simultaneous, and infinite.

Giltwist

Which brings me to an interesting point, look at the religions of the world. Note how many creation myths involve speaking or singing the world into existence. If everything is just energy, its possible that a vocalization could start everything up. Makes you sorta think about the big bang. Ever see Dogma? Great movie, when God (Alanis Morisette) speaks, its like a sonic boom.

Moonduck

Your idea has even more merit, Giltwist. Go down through the levels - Body is made of various organs, organs are made up of various tissues, tissues are made up of various cells, cells are made up of various organic compounds, compounds are made up of molecules, molecules are made up of atoms, atoms are made up of protons/electrons/neutrons, protons/etc are made up a subatomic particles, past that you get into quantum particles. Physics tell us that at that level, the particles are nothing more than coherent waves, or vibrations. Sound is vibration.

No, it's not scientific by a long shot. It is more akin to poetry and theosophy, but it does cause me to wonder.

Aum.

gwr_gwir

there's also a book - fiction, but interesting time theories - Einstein's Dreams, by Alan Lightman. very good reading, though short.

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orange monkeyee

interesting stuff, But i would rather spend my time with beer. Beer makes time go by faster. Beer makes time slow down sometimes. Beer makes time useless. Beer is a timeless drink. mmm beer. Warsteiner ist die Beste bier in den Welt.