Time is an illusion- 20 things you didn't know

Physics & Math / Cosmology
20 Things You Didn't Know About... Time

If you've just stumbled onto this RSS feed and remember to subscribe to Subjective Reality via Email to ensure you can enjoy the latest post(s).

1. “Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so,” joked Douglas Adams in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Scientists aren’t laughing, though. Some speculative new physics theories suggest that time emerges from a more fundamental—and timeless—reality.
2. Try explaining that when you get to work late. The average U.S. city commuter loses 38 hours a year to traffic delays.
3. Wonder why you have to set your clock ahead in March? Daylight Saving Time began as a joke by Benjamin Franklin, who proposed waking people earlier on bright summer mornings so they might work more during the day and thus save candles. It was introduced in the U.K. in 1917 and then spread
4. Green days. The Department of Energy estimates that electricity demand drops by 0.5 percent during Daylight Saving Time, saving the equivalent of nearly 3 million barrels of oil.
5. By observing how quickly bank tellers made change, pedestrians walked, and postal clerks spoke, psychologists determined that the three fastest-paced U.S. cities are Boston, Buffalo, and New York.
6. The three slowest? Shreveport, Sacramento, and L.A.
7. One second used to be defined as 1/86,400 the length of a day. However, Earth’s rotation isn’t perfectly reliable. Tidal friction from the sun and moon slows our planet and increases the length of a day by 3 milli seconds per century.
8. This means that in the time of the dinosaurs, the day was just 23 hours long.
9. Weather also changes the day. During El Niño events, strong winds can slow Earth’s rotation by a fraction of a milli second every 24 hours.
10. Modern technology can do better. In 1972 a network of atomic clocks in more than 50 countries was made the final authority on time, so accurate that it takes 31.7 million years to lose about one second.
11. To keep this time in sync with Earth’s slowing rotation, a “leap second” must be added every few years, most recently this past New Year’s Eve.
12. The world’s most accurate clock, at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Colorado, measures vibrations of a single atom of mercury. In a billion years it will not lose one second.
13. Until the 1800s, every village lived in its own little time zone, with clocks synchronized to the local solar noon.
14. This caused havoc with the advent of trains and timetables. For a while watches were made that could tell both local time and “railway time.”
15. On November 18, 1883, American railway companies forced the national adoption of standardized time zones.
16. Thinking about how railway time required clocks in different places to be synchronized may have inspired Einstein to develop his theory of relativity, which unifies space and time.
17. Einstein showed that gravity makes time run more slowly. Thus airplane passengers, flying where Earth’s pull is weaker, age a few extra nano seconds each flight.
18. According to quantum theory, the shortest moment of time that can exist is known as Planck time, or 0.0000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 second.

19. Time has not been around forever. Most scientists believe it was created along with the rest of the universe in the Big Bang, 13.7 billion years ago.

    
    

    There may be an end of time.

    Three Spanish scientists posit that the observed acceleration of the expanding cosmos is an illusion caused by the slowing of time. According to their math, time may eventually stop, at which point everything will come to a standstill.

Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

Syncretist was a term of disparagement

syn·cre·tism (sngkr-tzm, sn-)

n.

1. Reconciliation or fusion of differing systems of belief, as in philosophy or religion, especially when success is partial or the result is heterogeneous.

2. Linguistics The merging of two or more originally different inflectional forms.

If you've just stumbled onto this RSS feed and remember to subscribe to Subjective Reality via Email to ensure you can enjoy the latest post(s).

Syncretist was a term of disparagement used by theologians to describe those who cherry-pick the religions and theological beliefs. Personally, I got really sick of growing up with Catholic dogma and started to look around at other ways of making sense of the world - hence I put my worldview together according to what interests me and what appears to be workable and useful and sometimes inspiring and energising, and not harmful. Hope that makes sense. Your description sounds good also - I like it

Syncretism consists of the attempt to reconcile disparate or contrary beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought.

I guess this makes me a Syncretist!! 

I'm both new age (depak chopra follower) AND Christian (John Bradshaw student)




The term may refer to attempts to merge and analogize several originally discrete traditions, especially in the theology and mythology of religion, and thus assert an underlying unity allowing for an inclusive approach to other faiths.

Syncretism also occurs commonly in literature, music, the representational arts and other expressions of culture. (Compare the concept of eclecticism.) Syncretism may occur in architecture as well. There also exist syncretic politics, although in political classification the term has a somewhat different meaning.

Heterogeneous is an adjective used to describe an object or system consisting of multiple items having a large number of structural variations. It is the opposite of homogeneous, which means that an object or system consists of multiple identical items. Matters of a quantum can exist in homogenous or in heterogeneous or in combined distributions. The term is often used in a scientific (such as a kind of catalyst), mathematical, sociological or statistical context.

Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

Gastric Problem Options: Passing Gas has to go out somewhere

Link

Sh** happens.... you're better off if it does 

cause it hurts real bad if Sh** DOESN'T happen!!

Calvinistic Belief System

What is Calvinism:

It is a series of theological beliefs first promoted by John Calvin (1509-1564), one of the leaders of the Protestant reformation. They were affirmed by the Synod of Dordt (1618-1619 CE) as being the doctrine of salvation which is contained in the Bible. It laid the foundation for Reformed Theology.

Calvinism is often summarized by The Five Points of Calvinism, which are easy to recall by using the acrostic "TULIP:"

T: This usually stands for "Total depravity:" This is often mistaken to mean that humans are all hopelessly, intensely sinful. Actually, it means something quite different: as a result of Adam and Eve's disobedience to God -- the Fall of Man -- sin has extended to all parts of every person's being: "his thinking, his emotions and his will." 1

Sometimes, this has been called "Total inability." This is the concept that it is impossible for the ordinary "natural" human to understand the Gospel's message. They are spiritually helpless. First, God must first decide to intervene in the form of the third personality within the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, the person is lost forever.

See:
Romans 5:12: "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." (KJV)
Mark 4:11: "And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables."
U: This stands for "Unconditional Election." This is the concept of predestination: that God has divided humanity into two groups. One group is "the elected." It includes all those whom God has chosen to make knowledgeable about himself. The rest will remain ignorant of God, and the Gospel. They are damned and will spend eternity in Hell without any hope of mercy or cessation of the extreme tortures. God made this selection before the universe was created, and thus before any humans existed. The ground or grounds that God uses to select the lucky few is unknown. What is known is that it is not through any good works on the part of the individual. It is not that he extends knowledge to some in order to find out who will accept salvation and who will not.

There is a degree of tension within the Bible concerning precise division of responsibility between God and humans on this matter. The Bible does not resolve this issue.
Hyper-Calvinists believe that a person has zero responsibility for their own salvation; it is all up to God.
Arminians teach that humans have free will and thus can accept or resist the call of God.
See:
Romans 9:15: "For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."
Romans 9:21: "Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?"
L: This stands for "Limited atonement" or "Particular Redemption." This is the belief that Jesus did not die to save all humans. He only died for the sake of specific sins of those sinners who are saved.
See:
Matthew 26:28: "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."
Ephesians 5:25: "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it."
I: This stands for "Irresistible Grace:" This is the belief that every human whom God has elected will inevitably come to a knowledge of God. The elect cannot resist the call.
See:
John 6:44: "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day."
Romans 8:14: "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."
1 Peter 5:10: "But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you."
P: This stands for "Perseverance of the saints:" This is the "Once saved, always saved" belief -- that everyone who has been saved will remain in that state. God will begin and continue a process of sanctification which will continue until they reach heaven. None are lost; it is impossible for them to lose their salvation.
See:
Philippians 1:6: "That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ."
Romans 8:28-39: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified....Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?...For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
John 6:39: "And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day."

==========

==========

Objections to Calvinism:

There are many conflicting belief systems within Christianity which are opposed to Calvinism:

Universalism: This term has many meanings. Today's most common meaning is that all individuals will eventually attain Heaven. None will be lost forever in Hell. Whether or not they have been saved during their lifetime is unimportant; the number and degree of sins that they have committed is also of no consequence.
Arminiansm: This is comprised of a series of beliefs which were first advocated by a break-away group of Dutch Calvinists. They teach beliefs that deviate significantly from each of The Five Points of Calvinism:
That each person is not spiritually helpless. She/he has free will and can choose to be saved
God selected the Elect on the basis of his foreknowledge of who would respond and be saved.
Jesus died so that everyone had a chance to be saved. But first, the person must choose to accept salvation.
Man has free will and thus can resist the call of God.
Arminians differ on whether a person can lose their salvation or not. 2
Some religious liberals There is little unanimity of belief among this group, Many conservative Christians would call them non-Christians or pseudo-Christians. Liberals place little emphasis on the doctrines of salvation and Hell. Some believe:
It would be irrational for God to create the universe, the Earth and humans, and have predestined almost all of people to spend eternity being tortured in Hell.
The concept that, because of a single act performed by Adam and Eve, some 240 generations (6,000 years) ago, every human is now intrinsically sinful, is irrational.
Supporters of Calvinism believe that individuals are sent to Hell because of their beliefs: i.e. they have not trusted Jesus as Lord and Savior who died for their sins. There are countries of this world who incarcerate and even torture people for their beliefs. But they are considered pariah nations. The best of humanity considers it immoral to imprison or punish people because of thought crimes.
They believe that people have free will. We are quite capable of resisting a call by God.
Calvinism asserts that God does not select some people to be the elect on the basis of any virtuous quality or positive act. Rather it is outside of one's power to become a part of the elect.

If a person chose to reward individuals on the basis of race, then we would call that person a racist. If they chose on the basis of gender, we would call him/her sexist. If the choice was made on the basis of sexual orientation, she/he would be called homophobic. Modern ethics condemn sexism and racism; many liberals consider homophobia equally unethical. We don't know the criteria that God chooses. But it would appear to be immoral by today's religious and secular ethical standards.
Some religious conservatives who are not Calvinists also object to Calvinism. Feelings run high on this topic. Reviewing a book by Dave Hunt: 3
Well known Christian author Tim Lahaye said that "...Calvinism is perilously close to blasphemy."
Joseph Chambers, a pastor, author and radio host wrote: "Calvinism makes our Heavenly Father look like the worst of despots"
Elmer Towns, Dean of the School of Religious Liberty, said "Hunts' book exposes traditional Calvinism for portraying God in a totally unscriptural manner."
Michael T calls, a book reviewer for Amazon.com refers to Calvinism as "A God-dishonoring scheme." He quotes A. M. Hills: "...Such is Calvinism, the most unreasonable, incongruous, self-contradictory, man-belittling and God-dishonoring scheme of theology that ever appeared in Christian thought. No one can accept its contradictory, mutually exclusive propositions without intellectual self-debasement.... It holds up a self-centered selfish, heartless, remorseless tyrant for God, and bids us worship Him."
Some of the other reviews of Dave Hunt's book are also quite vitriolic. 3


References:

"Calvinism" Center for Reformed Theology and Apologetics," at: http://www.reformed.org/calvinism/
"Arminianism and Calvinism," a comparison at: http://home.earthlink.net/~andrepar/compare.htm
Dave Hunt, "What love is this: Calvinism's misrepresentation of God," Loyal, (2002). Read reviews or order this book safely from Amazon.com online book store
Dave Hunt, James White, "Debating Calvinism: Five points; two views," Multnomah, (2004). Read reviews or order this book safely from Amazon.com online book store

Perceptions and Reality

Did you know the sky isn't blue?

If it was really blue, then why isn't it blue at night?

Our atmosphere doesn't have a color, not an intrinsic color. The only reason we perceive it as blue is due to our sun's radiation, the sun heats up the molecules of air and they turn a blueish hue... but only as viewed from down here.

Our perception fools us into thinking that reality is real. Our perceptions about addiction are just as skewed as the concept of the sky being blue.

Followers of the 12 step model of addiction remediation all adhere to the precept of us being powerless over addictions. There is a point to be made but that point covers up the fact incorporated in this notion carries a presupposition:

Who is "WE"?

Our perception is that "WE" as defined in the "we are powerless" statement is that "we" are the voice in our minds ear. The voice we hear when we talk to ourselves.

that isn't US

it's our EGO... and our ego is a tiny, minuscule part of us.

Want to see how childish the notion that our ego is who we are?

Up till now you thought planets orbited around larger heavenly bodies, correct?

NOPE

that is an illusion.

Bodies in orbit are, in reality, falling in a straight line. Just as if you dropped a rock off of the leaning tower of pizza like Galileo did.

Orbits appear to be circular because space is curved. What we're seeing is curved space spiraling down somewhere just like watching water spiral down a toilet.

More coming...

If E=M, than it must follow M=E

e=mc2: 103 years later, Einstein's proven right
…

PARIS (AFP) – It's taken more than a century, but Einstein's celebrated formula e=mc2 has finally been corroborated, thanks to a heroic computational effort by French, German and Hungarian physicists.

A brainpower consortium led by Laurent Lellouch of France's Centre for Theoretical Physics, using some of the world's mightiest supercomputers, have set down the calculations for estimating the mass of protons and neutrons, the particles at the nucleus of atoms.

According to the conventional model of particle physics, protons and neutrons comprise smaller particles known as quarks, which in turn are bound by gluons.

The odd thing is this: the mass of gluons is zero and the mass of quarks is only five percent. Where, therefore, is the missing 95 percent?

The answer, according to the study published in the US journal Science on Thursday, comes from the energy from the movements and interactions of quarks and gluons.

In other words, energy and mass are equivalent, as Einstein proposed in his Special Theory of Relativity in 1905.

The e=mc2 formula shows that mass can be converted into energy, and energy can be converted into mass.

By showing how much energy would be released if a certain amount of mass were to be converted into energy, the equation has been used many times, most famously as the inspirational basis for building atomic weapons.

But resolving e=mc2 at the scale of sub-atomic particles -- in equations called quantum chromodynamics -- has been fiendishly difficult.

"Until now, this has been a hypothesis," France's National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) said proudly in a press release.

"It has now been corroborated for the first time."

For those keen to know more: the computations involve "envisioning space and time as part of a four-dimensional crystal lattice, with discrete points spaced along columns and rows."

Ego is a singularity

I got this idea from one of my favorite books: "The ReEnchantment of the World" by Morris Berman.

The singularity bit is mine though.


The entire monotheistic methodology of religion, since the Jews first entertained that thought process is from a point of view that is like a 'singularity'.

We view the universe from OUR point of reference, every thing is measured, distance for example, measured as "we're here" and "that's over there".

My take on this is as follows:

There is no time, and yet we're all going to die.

The only *time* that's real is NOW.

Our ego has no alternative but to live in the past for the express purpose of future probability estimating. 

Our Ego is genetically incabable of living in or operating in the NOW.  All our ego knows of "NOW" is a theoretical possibility. 

It's ONLY FUNCTION is to hunt through our past experiences to see if "X" new incoming stimuli has ever crossed our paths before (it checks the database of past experiences) 

and it can not do any thing other than that.

What is our ego looking for?

It wants to formulate a possible profile. Why? What for?

It thinks it's job is to do probability estimating of potential dangers or benefits... of "X" incoming stimuli as it relates to X's impact on the future.

Ego has no choice other than to observe the known universe from "ITS" perspective.

Ego assumes that there IS NO OTHER perspective.

God on the other hand views ALL perspecitves 

how does he/she pull that off?

by not having ANY perspective.

God is no where.

Because he is ALL wheres (there isn't any*where* for him to go, cause he's there already)

This is Emmanuel Kant's idea I think...

so in summary: Ego see's the world as if the world was a singularity

God or Source Energy and our soul see's the world from 180°  out.

From a singularity point of view... time is linear

From God's point of view... there isn't any *time*

the universe was created a moment ago

... and we're still gonna die and we still have to pay taxes.

dual or parallel universes that are incongruent with one another