Well, I am using the definition of time that comes out of Relativity theory. In that theory, time is just another coordinate, albeit an imaginary one.

An aspect of that theory is that we can look back in time but not forward. Because of the finite speed of light, when we detect light from distant parts of the universe, we are also looking back in time.

Regarding the aspects of time that come from an appreciation of movement, they naturally fall out of the theory as long as we do not approach the speed of light, and as long as we stay away from black holes.

In the lab we can approach the speed of light and the theory seems to work perfectly. We can also detect the bending of light rays near massive bodies like the sun. So in agreement with the theory, we have evidence for gravitational attraction of photons.

We also have indirect evidence of the existence of black holes. But we have no evidence that the theory works inside a black hole. That is assumed to be true as a matter of faith. Science is full of such matters of faith. The closer we look at nature, the more our understanding seems to be by analogy and faith.

An example of analogy is particles. We can experience big particles first hand- like being hit by or hitting a baseball. So we use this image to speak of protons and electrons. Yet these so-called particles are really just confined fields.

So I used an extrapolation of Relativity to suggest that there are regions of "no time" in our own galaxy. But that is purely hypothetical. It does not have to be true. Almost all of super string theory is in this state. That is primarily what makes it like religion. It has to be taken on faith until laboratory evidence of its truth is established. That's unlikely for superstring theory as the required energies are so high. High energy physics is reaching its limits in terms of establishing truth.

• Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: About God, Life and Death (2) - philosofir - November 24, 2000 - 23:42 UTC