What is Time?
We often believe that time is something which goes on and due to the
flow of time, everything changes, the world moves ahead. We think time is what
makes events happen in the world, makes both living and non-living things to
change, and pushes life forward.
Many believe that the world and the universe work like a ‘movie reel’
where events happen in the course of time. Or,
people consider "time" as a river which flows and the events happen
at several instances in that river.
For example,
our birth and other events in our life are presumed to be at a specific instant
in time and our life span is often thought to be during a specific instance of
the river of time.
As the
idea that “time flows” is so much ingrained in the minds of people, that people
believe that events happen at specific instances in time, and if we can somehow
re-visit a past instance in time, it would be like travelling back to the past
and we may be able to re-live those moments.
Such
ideas have often fascinated movie makers and there are many sci-fic movies made
based on such concepts.
Even
the concept of time travel - is utterly impossible. Thinking of time travel is
as if visualising if we could walk over a rainbow as if on a bridge. Just as
rainbow doesn't exist and it is just an illusion to our eyes, same is the case
with time too.
Give a different thought to this concept…
Instead
of thinking of time as something that flows and events in the universe
happening in a river of time that flows, (as if like on a movie reel), if we
are able to think and visualise this concept the other way round then that
would make better sense. We see this wrongly and the truth might be the other
way round.
That
is, time doesn’t flow at all. However, the universe and everything in it are
constantly changing. This constant change and the events which constantly
happen around, gives us a perception of the feeling of time.
Time
doesn't exist and what we feel as time is only our perception, or a so-called
illusion. Everything keeps on changing continually and constantly and
mostly in a cyclic fashion and these changes which happen we co-relate against
a scale of time, and believe that these events are happening in the scale of
time.
In
Indian context, there is a famous saying that, “Everything you see is deception,
an illusion of the Almighty”. Hence time is just an illusion.
Some of the perceptions we commonly have and the reality…
When
we look around, we see the beautiful world around, animals and plants,
beautiful flowers, fruits, various objects, people etc.
We
think what we see is the reality, but the truth is what we see is just one way
of seeing things, or one way to perceive something.
For instance,
when we look at a landscape, or an object or a pet, what we see is only one of
ways in which that entity is exhibited and we see how it appears to our eyes
which is one aspect of it. An animal may see the same visual differently
because of how their eyes are made. (Some creatures are colour blind, and some
creatures have night vision, some like bats are totally blind to light and some
reptiles perceives vision based on the heat content of an object.)
Besides,
if our eyes could capture some other forms of radiations other than visible
light (for example – infrared or x-rays or gamma rays) then the world would still
look different to us. (If X’ray, then people would appear to be like the
medical X-ray reports we have seen).
Also,
if we had microscopic eyes and could see at particle level then again, the
visual would look different. How we see our surroundings and the world, is just
one way of seeing that.
When
we look at ourselves over a period of time, we think our bodies remain the same
over time, but the reality is that we are constantly changing. So, over a
period of years all the molecules, cells and particles which make an individual
are replenished with newer particles replacing the dead ones. So, at molecular
scale or at microscopic scale we are all constantly changing and over a period
of ten or fifteen years we are fully replenished with a new set of cells, or to
be precise rejuvenated with a new body. But we seldom realize this, and all these
changes which happen are not apparent to us.
Same
is the case with our minds too. Over the journey of life our mindset, attitude,
thinking, mentality and priorities in life change. As a kid our minds were
different and as an adult, we are different. Thus, over the journey of life we
evolve and get into different shoes playing different roles.
When
we look at a rainbow, and see how marvellous it appears out there up in the sky.
There are multiple layers of illusion in a rainbow. As a kid many of us have
often wondered rainbow to be a bow or a bridge formed in the sky but as we grew
up, we realize that it is just an illusion when the sunlight gets split up into
it’s constituent seven colours when light passed through water droplets
suspended in air. There are other scientific explanations on why rainbow
appears as an arc and also why though seven colours are there in sunlight only
one colour remains predominant for an observer.
But
have we ever wondered how long does this phenomenon persist or what is the life
period of a rainbow ?
Well,
it’s just a fraction of a second. This illusion happens only for a fraction of
second, when a set of light rays passes through water droplets leading to
dispersion of light. Light from the sun travels in constant succession. The
next instant another set of light rays passes through the water droplets and so
on. So in reality at each and every instant a new rainbow gets created, and
replaces the former, but this change is not evident as it happens at a
minuscule scale in time which we cannot perceive.
The
world around is full of illusions. Hence the saying, “Everything you see is
deception, an illusion of the Almighty”.
Again, back to what time is…
Time in Sanskrit is called as “kaal” or “kaalam”. ‘Kaala’ means “black”
and ‘kaali’ means “empty”. Hence time can be presumed as something from the
emptiness or the blackness.
As Albert Einstein had once quoted: "People like us who
believe in physics know that the distinction between past, present and
future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion." Time, in other
words, he said, is an illusion.
So, what I mean to say is, in reality time doesn't exist, and what we
feel as time is just a perception or an illusion.
Time is a sensation felt in the material world as matter is in constant
change.
In our tiny world where we live, we have days, and months and years
recorded and our lives are governed by our clocks and calendars.
Day
and year are based on the rotation of earth on its own axis, and revolution of
earth around the sun respectively, when one full cycle is completed.
We get up in the morning and continue our normal routine life, with our
busy schedules each day, and by evening return home and go to sleep at night.
The routine and cycle continue and days, weeks, months and years passes by.
We grow old with time, and when we look back at life, we tend to
recollect our past, and recall specific incidents and events in our life based
on the date and time.
We celebrate anniversaries and birthdays, believing that it was on this
very same day in a previous instance of time that we were born or got married
etc, presuming that our life progresses as uniform annual cycles. We believe
that our life repeats as a cycle every year, and every new year we are passing
through the same set of days, and months, but new events are happening on the
repetitive cycle.
But these cycles are restricted only to each star system.
Even within our solar system the rotation and revolution of other
planets are different.
For instance, on Earth, a day is 24 hrs and a year 365 days.
Whereas a day on the planet Venus is 116 earth days and 18 hours, and a
day on Jupiter is 9hours and 56 mins, Neptune it is 16 hours and 6minutes etc.
Though the duration rotation and revolution of planets around the sun vary, all
the planets are through a cyclic motion, and hence have days and years
repeated. Within the solar system time is governed by the star that is Sun.
But when we think of a place in outer space, outside any star system,
where time is not governed by the star, then how does time flow there ?
The moment of creation:
The best way to decipher the concepts and intricacies in GOD’s creation,
is to look at certain specific scenarios in nature or in the universe as such,
which can unravel the mystery. For example, we all know that light travels
faster than sound, but we cannot perceive it. If you are in a room, and someone
turns on the light in that room, and simultaneous clap his hand, will we be
able to figure out if the light or the sound of the clap reached us first ? Definitely
no ! But, we can in fact figure this out
if we look at specific scenarios or situations in nature which gives away this
reality. During thunderstorms, it is quite clear when we see the flash of lightning
streaks first followed by the rumble of thunder, that light travels faster than
sound.
Similarly, to understand the concept of time, we need to look for such
kind of a scenario. The only way to understand this is to visualize when it all
began, that is the moment of creation.
Let's look at the moment of creation when GOD created the whole
Universe.
The universe came into existence from nothing and it will go into
nothing.
At the time of creation, there was emptiness and darkness all over,
nothing was there in the universe and universe was just blank, empty, and
dark.
Then the Almighty created light in space which was the first of his
creation. It is the form of energy, and a representation of the Almighty GOD.
This light in turn paved way to particles which can have mass, and then matter came
into existence which was like an egg or a ball. Then that ball of matter
exploded - the famous big bang which led to further stages of creation leading
to formation of stars, clusters of stars called galaxies, and so on and
eventually our planet earth, and finally life on earth too.
One may wonder if matter, light and time all were created simultaneously
at the Big Bang. But that would not be true. If any event will occur, then the
idea of time should already be existing.
(As per the ancient Greek belief that space is not empty space but
contains an invisible medium called ether. I too feel that to be true, that
space is a medium (can be called “ether”) through which light travels, similar
to air through which sound waves can travel. Planets, stars and galaxies are
contained within this “space”, and space warps around each object in space
based on the mass of the object. There are regions in the universe where space
(ether) is absent, and those can be called as “dark matter”. No galaxies or any
heavenly bodies can exist there, and not even light can pass through it.)
If matter comes to existence from nothing, that should happen in the
dimension of time. Matter can come to existence only in the dimension of time. If
a particle with mass is created from nothing, then it should happen in a
duration of time. That is, let’s say at time = 0th second – no
matter exists, and at time = 1st second, a particle gets created –
there would be a time-lapse from 0th second to 1st
second.
So, the transition from ‘nothingness’ to ‘somethingness’ can only happen
in time. Hence matter and time could not have been created at the same instant
together, but instead the illusion of time should have been existing even
before. But if time was existing even before then there should be prior events
or changes that had happened before the moment of creation, that is before big
bang. Else, time would have no relevance.
So, time should have formed just before matter took form, but after some
form of energy was created.
Time is in fact a sensation which conveys the changes that happen in the
universe.
So when was time or the illusion of time created ?
Time was not created, and time was never created, as time doesn’t exist,
but the illusion of time came into existence right at the moment light was
formed.
Before any matter or particle came to existence, and before anything
which maketh the universe formed, light was created.
Time wasn't created as time cannot be created and there isn't anything
which can be called as time.
So, at the beginning, during the moment of creation there was nothing
existing, that is no matter or any form of energy, and it was vacuum and empty
space. God created light….
When light was created and light started travelling through the
emptiness of space that was when the role of time too came in. That is, the
illusion of time formed as a by-product automatically, when light was created.
Light travels at 3*10^8 metres per second.
So, the rate at which light travels through the emptiness of space paved
way to formation of an idea of time. Light travels at a specific speed through
the empty space covering regular distance, and the duration at which the
distance is covered can be called time.
That is when light was created and that same instant when light
travelled through space - the concept of distance, speed and time came into
existence.
So as light travels at 3*10^8 metres in one second, when light was
created, the radius of the universe at 0th second was 0. When a ‘second’ ticked
by light covered the distance of 3*10^8 metres and hence the radius of universe
became 3*10^8 metres at 1 second after light was created, and twice that in the
next second, and thrice in the third second and so on.
But then, there are no worlds created, no stars or any planets so the
cyclic rotation and revolution of planets not there and hence no day or no
night and no year and no cyclic time change, no calendar or periodic repetitive
time scale.
Time was just restricted to light and the ratio of distance covered by
light at constant speed ‘c’.
The perception of "time" got prominence when matter was
created, and when the big bang occurred which paved the way to creation of the
universe and everything in it.
After matter came to existence matter was constantly changing, following
the regular phases of this cycle - birth, growth, saturation, decline, death.
Each and every entity in the whole universe passes through the stages of
birth, growth, saturation, decline, death, be it living or non-living objects,
from the tiniest of the tiniest particle to the largest of the largest galaxy,
this is applicable.
Moreover, each and every entity, is in constant change and in constant
motion.
Constant change:
We are in constant change, that is; our bodies and minds are changing
constantly. At molecular level everything that makes our self is in constant
change, and so is our minds. Our minds are refreshed with newer thoughts, ideas
and memories and many old memories fades away. Every entity be it living or
non-living experience constant changes, that is each and every organism, and
all living and non-living things on earth, the landmasses, continents, planets
and even stars which are in constant change.
How the earth looks like at one period of time is not the same as how it
is at another or when we considered Sun, the hot plasma which burns constantly
through nuclear fusion makes it in constant change with matter getting depleted
and the Sun’s core fuses millions of tons of hydrogen into helium every second.
Each and every entity in the universe is in constant change during it’s
journey from birth to death. Each and every entity in the universe from the
smallest to the largest goes through these stages during it’s course of
journey:
Birth ––> growth ––> saturation ––> decline ––> death.
There isn’t anything in the universe which remains the same forever
without goes through these stage other than GOD Himself !
Constant motion:
We are in constant motion. The earth is in constant motion on it’s own
axis and revolves around the sun. Hence each and everything on Earth can be
considered to be in motion. Sun in turns moves along the Milky way galaxy.
So, matter keeps changing constantly and planets follow cyclic patterns,
leading to days, months, and years to pass for each planet.
Events happen and everything changes and the changes that happen is
leading to what we perceive as time and it is not that as time flows everything
changes.
Meanwhile, it is quite easy to understand which entity was created first,
and what drives each other, and which is dependent on the other.
For example, were the carnivores (like lions, tigers etc) or the
herbivores (deer, zebras, gazelle etc) created first? Obviously, it should be
the herbivores as the existence of carnivores are directly dependent on them.
Similarly, was Earth or Sun created first? Obviously, Sun as Earth is
held in its orbit by Sun, and Earth derives energy from sun to sustain. Earth
thrives because of Sun.
So, by this idea, we can try to figure out what drives each entity.
So how about time? What drives time?
Is time driven by clocks?
After all clocks are man-made devices to keep track of time, similar to
a thermometer to record body temperature or a speedometer in a car to track the
speed.
Clocks keep track of the so-called time which we believe to be flowing,
but time is not dependent on clocks or anything earthly.
Time is dependent on light and the sensation of time is felt because of
light.
We see the world and we perceive how events happen in the universe
through light. Information travels through universe at the speed of light.
There is no other medium which can convey the happenings or events in universe
faster than light and hence all other media loses their significance in
comparison to light. During thunderstorm, when lighting flashes it conveys the
event of an implosion that took place within the clouds and the sound of thunder
loses the significance in conveying the same event as it was already conveyed
by light.
Hence it can be concluded that the changes happening and the events all
across the universe is brought forth because of light, and if light from one part
of the universe is yet to reach somewhere, where the observer is then it can be
assumed that the light source doesn’t exist or the event has not happened. The
event happens for the observer only when he perceives that event to have
happened.
When the universe was newly created, “light” was created first and as a
result “time” too came to existence. Time is the sensation felt for the
observer when light travels through space. When traveling at the speed of light,
time doesn't exist, as time exists only for the observer observing the distance
covered by light travelling at the constant speed, no time is there for the
photon of light.
LIGHT - TIME - SPACE.
Both Time, and Space has relevance only because of Light. If light
doesn't exist, time and space lose its relevance or existence. If the very first
ray of light emitted, at the time of creation of universe is yet to reach
certain parts of the universe, then it is as good as saying those parts of
universe doesn't exit.
Considering the relationship between LIGHT - TIME - SPACE,
instead of calling the fabric of space as "space-time", as per
Einstein's well know theory of relativity, it would be more accurate to call
light as "Light-time" and leave space as "Space" itself.
Speed
= Distance ÷ Light-time; and Distance = Speed * Light-time.
In
this equation, the time being calculated has to be the time taken based on the
light from the light source which drives the planet where the observer
is. Or the light source which governs that object for which you are
applying this equation.
In our
solar system, if we are considering time as the ‘light-time’ based on the light
from the sun, similarly in a different planet in another galaxy (say in
Andromeda galaxy) it would be based on the light from that specific star.
I do
agree to the concept of heavier objects in space which warps space around it as
per Einstein’s relativity theory but only that space needn’t have to be
considered as “space-time” but rather space itself, and light as “light-time”.
The Sun warps the space around it. Similar to placing a heavy metal ball on a
huge block of rubber foam, how the heavy metallic ball warps the foam, in
similar fashion in outer space stars and planets warps and bends the space
around it based on the object’s mass and gravity.
Time has prevalence only in the space where light travels, but for
"light" no time exists.
If light doesn't exist, universe itself won't exist and time won't exist.
Light is the foundation stone of the universe.
Time is fully dependent on light. Time can be thus defined as the ratio
of distance covered by light at constant speed, and the for each individual the
measure of time is dependent on the light taken into account.
For instance, on earth, the light from sun is taken into account, and
time is based on that. Whereas in other planets of some other galaxy,
whichever be the light source it determines the time in that planet. Time is
thus relative and not absolute across the whole universe.
Time is only existing in the material world; and in the spiritual world,
time has no existence or relevance.
The speed of light remains the same to all observers and that is because
light brings forth the sensation of time. Hence when we consider the three
parameters – Distance, Speed and Time, speed of light remains the same and
constant for all observers.
When we observe automobiles travelling at different speeds – say
bicycle, motorbike, car, train etc, we perceive the events through light. So,
for different observers be it the motorbike rider or car driver or a pedestrian
they perceive the other objects at different speeds relative to the observer.
We capture the information and perceive the events through light and the time
taken is brought forth by light. Hence for light no matter wherever be the
observer the speed of light is the same (the ratio of distance and time taken
remains the same).
Finally, the answer to the question – “What is Time?” would be – “Light
is Time!”.
Written by,
Suveen Jacob Abraham.
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