Clocks don’t show the time, they show us numbers, and we have learned to translate the numbers into the time. Numbers label things, and clocks count numbers. When we look at our watch, we convert the numbers into the language of time.
Each person's time of day is personal, depending on their activity and where they are going, and we translate the numbers on a clock into our personal activity.
Our system of timekeeping further defines the language of time. The Earth has 24 time zones, but we can only be in the Now moment at all “times.” The phrase, the past is history, the future is a mystery, and the present is a gift, says it clearly.
Everything exists simultaneously in the world regardless of the numbers on a clock. Time isn’t relative, and time isn’t something that can change, move, or stop. Clocks are tools with numbers that change, but clocks don’t change the "time."
Time dilation happens to clocks, not to "time." Depending on the environment, clocks are unable to count seconds accurately.
Time Only Exists in Our Minds
Time exists only in our minds. What does that mean? Clocks show us numbers, and we have been taught to know what the numbers mean. If clocks didn’t exist, we would see the time by looking at the position of the Sun and guessing the time of day.
The “time of day” isn’t just a number; it’s the position of Earth’s rotation compared to the Sun. You can gather information, such as “time” for lunch when the Sun appears overhead (as long as it’s not overcast). When the sunset happens, you know it’s time to go home, eat, and get ready to sleep until the sunrise wakes you up.
So time comes from the rhythm of daylight and darkness each day. However, the times will vary depending on your distance from the equator and the seasonal periods during Earth’s orbit around the sun.
The concept of time comes from the movement and rotation of our planet. Thus, time is a measurement of motion, and the measurement exists on clocks as numbers. We look at the clock's numbers and do some math in our minds to tell the time.
Consider that time, as we know it, only exists on Earth and in our minds, and every planet would have a system of different numbers on its clocks. It's strange that we also think that there's another kind of time that allows the universe to exist.
Do Things Take Time?
It takes "time" to measure the time. Time is the measurement of motion, in order to know the duration and speed of events. The universe doesn't need time to exist. Atoms, electrons, and photons are constantly moving.
If you suggest that it takes "time" for things to move, and without "time," things can't move, then you are confused by the duration of things as a force causing the motion.
Clocks measure the duration of motion in numbers of seconds, hours, or days. Time isn't a force causing motion. Time is the measurement of the motion. Our language has twisted the meaning of time into an essential presence so that even scientists assume that time is needed before something can move.
Wow, isn't it strange how time confuses us? For example, we always say the Sun moves across the sky instead of saying the Earth rotates. It doesn't take time for Earth to rotate, it rotates by a kinetic force, but we call the duration of the rotation “time.”
One complete revolution of Earth is one day, but it didn't use time to rotate. The measurement of the rotation is 24 hours because we assigned the time as 24 hours. It's challenging to describe time without using our time-based language, but I trust you understand what I mean.
What is the Definition of Time?
Time is the name of our motion-measuring system. The invention of clocks allows us to keep track of Earth's motion and our daily activities and events. Calendars let us keep track of our history and future events.
Things don't happen because of time, and the time on a clock cannot cause a physical event. Clocks and time are different things, and we use them to measure the motion or duration of objects and events.
If a clock travels at the speed of light, the clock stops ticking, but time doesn’t stop. If a clock enters a black hole, the clock slows down and stops ticking, but time for the clock doesn’t stop.
A clock is a tool, and time is the duration of movement. The universe doesn’t stop moving because a clock stops. Any change to a clock’s ticking rate is caused by a force of gravity, and the resulting time dilation cannot cause a physical change. My book Einstein Misled By Time explains more.
It’s alarming that we misunderstand time. Time exists only in our minds… Everything in the universe is moving and vibrating because of a force. Time isn’t a force. Time is a measurement of movement made by using a clock.
Clocks are tools, and time is a concept derived from the motion of the Earth. This “Earth time” has nothing to do with the rest of the universe. Yet we calculate the age of the universe based on the motion of our planet. We measure the speed of light using the Earth’s speed of rotation.
We need to remember that everything is moving without using time. Time exists in our mind after we use a clock to measure an event or activity and translate the numbers into the duration of time.
Needless to say, we need clocks to keep track of every activity in our daily lives. But if we can believe that time doesn’t make us grow older, we can live a less stress-free life.
Time comes from the motion of our planet, so time is the measurement of Earth’s motion. Thus, it doesn’t matter how we measure the motion; it’s still the same motion. Whether we measure the duration of a second with a stopwatch or an atomic clock, the second is the same. There’s no difference in the duration of a second.
However, if one of the clocks is moving or in a different environment, then the measurement of its second will be different. But it’s not a different time. It’s a measurement difference, which Is called time dilation.
It’s sad that we call it time dilation when it’s simply a measurement error of the motion being measured, namely the rotation speed of Earth. Let’s call it motion dilation, but it doesn’t sound as nice as time dilation. I hope that explains the definition of time. Cheers…
Thanks for reading my newsletter at https://lovinthings.com/. I hope you are having a lovely day, and that you join me for another "time" together. With love, Erik Lovin.