Hi Jesse, Thanks for your thoughtful reply again.
Your notion of 'simultaneity' in your first paragraph is clock time simultaneity (same clock time readings), not the common actual present moment of P-time. Big difference. So it doesn't apply to my points. Coordinate time is clock time, proper time is P-time, at least as I interpret it. Note the important, crucial, point that clocks measure only clock time. P-time can't be measured by clocks but it is measurable by Omega, the curvature of the universe (see below). However P-time is experienced, and in fact our consciousness of the present moment is the basic experience of our existence. Yes, block time treats time as a 4th dimension. That's correct so far as it goes, but since only the present moment exists that 4th dimension is actually only a surface, not a whole time dimension extending into past and future. Specifically it's the 4th dimension is only present time moment of our 4-dimensional hypersphere in which our 3-dimensions are the surface, and non-existent past time back to the big bang the radius. It is the continual extension of that radius that is the source of the passage and arrow of time and the present moment. And again most of your last paragraph discusses clock time phenomena rather than the common present moment in which those all play out. Best, Edgar On Tuesday, December 24, 2013 8:26:00 PM UTC-5, Edgar L. Owen wrote: > > Liz states that "Special relativity shows that there is no such thing as > a "common present moment". but this is incorrect. > > Actually special relativity shows exactly the opposite. In my book I > explain how this works. It is well known, though little understood, that > everything without exception continually travels through spacetime at the > speed of light according to its own comoving clock. I call this the STc > Principle. This is a well known consequence of special relativity but > actually as I point out in my book this is an even more fundamental > Principle than Special Relativity and Special Relativity is properly a > consequence of it and can be derived from it. > > What the STc Principle says is that the total velocity through both space > and through time of everything without exception is = to the speed of > light. This is the reason that time slows on a clock moving with some > relative spatial velocity, as Special Relativity tells us. > > It also demonstrates that the speed of light is properly understood as the > speed of TIME. That's what c really is. Light just happens to move entirely > in space according to its own comoving clock, therefore its entire > spacetime velocity is in space only. > > Anyway it is precisely this STc Principle that puts both the arrow of time > and a privileged present moment on a firm physical basis. Why? Because it > requires that everything must be in one particular place in spacetime (the > present moment) and moving at the speed of light (the arrow of time). > > So exactly contrary to your statement, it is precisely special relativity, > properly understood, that puts both the arrow of time and a common present > moment on a firm physical basis. > > This insight simultaneously solves two of the big problems of the > philosophy of science, the source of the arrow of time, and the reason for > a common present moment, though no one seems to have recognized this prior > to my exposition in 1997 in my paper 'Spacetime and Consciousness'. > > Edgar > > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
