How do you define Time?

Antibuddha, let me pick a bit. You say that "... intuitive understandings... should certainly not be considered as truth." I've skipped over enough in this quote to misrepresent your point, I'm afraid. But let me just note that you seem to be making a distinction between private truth (intuitions) and public truth (verified theories). Einstein's mathematical intuitions were "true" before they were proven, that it to say, before the private was made public. By the way, I acknowledlge that "intuitions" can be mistaken, just as hypotheses can be falsified.

I define Time as the best Pink Floyd song.

Tiaha wrote, "If time stood still nothing else could move." I've long thought just the opposite; just like space is the only thing that does NOT exsist, so matter has something to exsist in, time is the only thing that does NOT move, so we can record, or cronolize matter. While the space part is easier to convey, by the vacuum demonstrations of others, the only way to convey my time theory is this: The only way to acheive PERFECT time on a clock is to stop it. Then it will be perfect once every twelve hours. Unlike Naval observetory time, which is only the closest MOVING instrument to perfect time. Any three dollar watch can give a manisfestation of true time by standing still.

Tiaha wrote, "If time stood still nothing else could move." I've long thought just the opposite; just like space is the only thing that does NOT exsist, so matter has something to exsist in, time is the only thing that does NOT move, so we can record, or cronolize matter. While the space part is easier to convey, by the vacuum demonstrations of others, the only way to convey my time theory is this: The only way to acheive PERFECT time on a clock is to stop it. Then it will be perfect once every twelve hours. Unlike Naval observetory time, which is only the closest MOVING instrument to perfect time. Any three dollar watch can give a manisfestation of true time by standing still.

But what IS time?

Is it even real?

Can you hold it? Can you see it?

We can see the effects of it.

But what is it?

This, I submit, even the best scientists have no clue on.

We do not know what Time is.

Its kind of bizarre actually. We can know all these things about the physical universe, but we actually know very little about Time. We don't appear to have the foggiest about it. Its like a fish trying to analyze the water it is swimming in.

Time surrounds us so completely, can we ever know it?

We just know that it appears to be an aspect of this dream of reality we are in.

extra medium,

I think you are trying to imagine time as a "WHAT" when it is more like a "WHEN"

I think we actually know quite a lot about it.

Time itself doesn't have to exist. Things did exist, things existed before those things and things probably will exist. Therefore time is.

Having said that I'm happy to argue the opposite.
Space/Time is theorised to be one and the same, no?

I cant remeber if ive posted this allready, and i cant be bothered to look, but i think it was einstein that said 'Time only exists so everything didnt happen at once'

I go by what i said before, time can be both those things eorl, because it is theorised in general, for the purpsose of mankind to know when to get up and go to work, and time doesnt have to exist, or things can appear timeless, because of personal reasons.

to add to this discussion, i want to ask: 'what was time before i was born?' what was the concept of time like before i existed? did it start when i was born?

maybe this will help separate the two different points i made. On the other hand, it could just confuse things.....

And we don't want any confusion do we your Ethereal Majesty?
We want things to be clear and precise otherwise there will be misunderstandings.

What was "time" before we made up the concept (with clocks and calendars)? I think it was just "change."
The physicist's "T" is a technical construct wed to that of space. Without measurement neither space or time would have existence for them.

Is there time without memory? Not psychological time anyhow.

But astronomers can see light that left the stars many years ago, so they can see into the past. Time exists in that sense.

Coluber, interesting concept. What would be our perception if we had a total absence of memory, I mean if we could not recall what happened a millisecond earlier? Things would not appear static, but without some memory change would be unperceived. Wow.
Do astronomers actually see the past, or do they see a present CONDITION that occured in the past? Light that left a distant star has come to us as an (unchanged?) condition NOW. It has not arrived to us THEN.
Mind stretchers.

hmm. those are two very interesting additions to the conversation.

If we keep on like this maybe we could make me a bernard's watch!!

PQ, what's a "bernard's watch"?

JL: Havent u ever seen that kids programme about bernard who has a watch that stops time, and it means he can cheat in tests, and lie in every morning, and all this stuff? its well cool. I used to love it.
Would completely de-value life though.

As brad pit said in the film Troy 'The gods envy us because we're mortal, it makes everything more beautiful'

Interesting thought ...... would time exist if we were immortal? Or would we just not notice it..... Without time would things just blink in and out of existence, or like thoughts spring out of nothing then, return to nothing only existing in the shadows of the circles we walk each day......... mortal or immortal

Well, making coffee is part of my circle so cu....

Earl,
I can go along with the thought that time and space could be the same thing.

Except for a basic measuring tool, that we created. I'd have to agree in a strange way. I'd have to say I feel as though time is similar to an onion. Everything is layers upon layers of "time" but it all consists in one onion (visual expression only) theoretically... so, in a way that I can't quite put my mind around, everything could possibly be happening at the same "time". Because if there is an eternity and "time" is infinite the best explanation of that would be a circle. . . it's going around and around on top of itself. . . kind of.

So, IF time is change, then the advent of time moving backward would be the unimaginable phenomenon of conditions occuring in reverse, e.g., a broken bottle reconstructing itself. Nevertheless, I don't believe that "time" is unilineal, moving necessarily only from past to future. It just seems that way to us because of our constitutions.

I define time when the landord shouts "Time gentleman please. 'ave you no 'omes to go to."

Time is what we humans use to measure the expenditure of our existence.

RIP: Born XX/XX/XX Died xx/xx/xx