Absolutely true. We measure time by counting events that change … like the sun rising every day, or the earth going round the sun, or caesium isotope emissions or a mechanical clock.
Time is part of our created world, not some axis outside of it like Newton thought.
Einstein discovered what time is, and it changed our science dramatically.
But did it exist before then ?
Bit like oxygen
Some discoveries exist but dont always have a name.
Read the book
Also this
And if you are not confused by then, have a look at this interview
All that assumes time is linear. Some suggest that time is fractal …
" Fractal time is a concept that suggests time is not linear but instead exhibits complex, repeating patterns —much like fractals in geometry. These patterns are self-similar across different scales, meaning that the same cycles and rhythms recur over various periods, from days to centuries."
Well I’m a young’n compared to some of you here. I’ll be 42 in a few months. Being disabled means I’m effectively retired. I don’t have some place to be every day. From my perspective time has been moving noticeably faster since I hit my late 30s.
Being home the vast majority of the time can make it a challenge to stay occupied. Lately, it feels as if some days (and evenings in winter) drag on and on while the weeks and months are flying by. I still can’t believe we’re 25 years into the new century!
It is important to find something to do. There are plenty of opportunities for that in FOSS software.
Also do you read? You have probably gathered that I am a bit of a bookworm.
In reading , especially non-fiction, you will discover new things to investigate.
Thanks. I try to stay busy overall. I have a sister and house to take care of. Mostly that’s just busy work but pretty much maxes me out physically for the moment. I am working to build up my endurance. I’d like to start walking again this summer. Before I got sick I walked 4.5 km 3 or 4 times a week. I loved it.
I love to read. I have ~100 or so books in boxes and milk crates tucked into every corner of my bedroom. Plus free e-books and magazines on my iPad thru my library system. BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE
..The local library is literally next door to me. I’ll never run out of reading material. ![]()
I love experimenting on the computer. Breaking virtual machines every which way I can then figuring out how to fix them, etc.
Sorry for the derail..now back to your regularly scheduled thread.
That is not a derail… it is right on topic.
Sounds like you have a few irons in the fire.
Sorry to hear that your disability has forced a changé of direction in your life. Especially at such a young âge. Hopefully time, patience and following medical recommandations will still allow you a fulfilling life adapted to your capabilities.
Please keep active on this site we appreciate your contributions
Sorry, but this is nutty professor nonsense. [Full disclosure: I’ve been an adjunct prof and a VP of a college.] I’m 70 and am as busy learning and applying new technology, learning and interacting online, working on home improvement projects, and more - as I’ve ever been. There’s not a moment of boredom (in fact I resent having to sleep). Time seems to fly because I’m so busy, not because I’m bored. There never seems to be enough time in a day.
I think that is what the original post meant … if lots of events fly past quickly, time flies past with them, also quickly.
When they refer to loss of time, I think they mean a disconnect… few events = nothing to count time by.
At 70 you are only middle aged for this forum. I could not handle your schedule now at 80. I have to space things out.
Yes, I found that time seems to fly on 2 occasions.
1 When you are having fun.
2 When you are busy.
When I worked, I rather be a little busy because the day would past by very quickly and before I knew it, it was quitting time.
There is another angle to this topic.
We are all talking about hours in the day.
As one gets older, there is a realization one may only have a few years left. Combine that with not being able to do things as quickly, and you get a feeling that you may only be able to achieve a few more goals. Choice of goals becomes important. You do not want to waste time on unimportant things. Timewasting interruptions become irritating.
So this aspect is more about years than hours. I feel that birthdays come around more rapidly. I feel that the world is passing me bye at an ever increasng rate. I can not keep up with the flow of external events. I am being left behind.
What can I do? I think most elderly people become more withdrawn because of this internal slowing down.
There is also a sense in which the world really does tick over faster than it used to … especially the digital world. We countered that by moving out of the city rat race… rural life is slower… but now I am feeling that even that is leaving me behind.
What others feel about this ‘not keeping up’ phenomenon?.
Whilst away we had a food stop on route and the first spot we found had either macdonalds or Kentucky fried chicken, not much option, but I needed to eat. Neither offered counter service it was posts of screens where you ordered. I tried, my wife tried, in the end a young girl finally said you struggling ? Yes…. She did the order for us. I blamed the language but really trying to follow the order was just to complex.
I find I want to book more holidays further away in time to cram as much into my life as possible, not travel further just revisit places. I want to book next Christmas but the flights schedule is not yet available.
Silly really but if I have another year booked I am going to make it to then.
Similar with doctor appointment want to book next year and him agree, bit like a garantie I will live that long.
I have yet another angle. We are as young and may be in the best shape we will ever be going forward. Realizing that may prevent us from putting off things to do later when we feel better or have lost some weight or fill in the blank.
I’m not a big fan either.
I can connect with this feeling. Most of my family and relatives were gone before or by 82. I will be 76 soon. So I wonder how much longer do I have?
But there is another real concern. A couple of relatives that may it past 82 were no longer in their right mind. I do not want to be alive like a vegetable. I rather be dead.
An old joke. “Of all the things I’ve lost, I miss my mind the most.”
My son-in-law works in IT with a small company and some of the things he talk about is hard to relate to even tho I worked in IT 25 years ago. And I have even told him those exact words “I feel like I am being left behind.”
@nevj, Neville, A very good posting.
One thing is keeping active both physical and mental. This site helps us all by making us think.
Social interaction is said to help, for some of us we are distant from family, friends so electronic exchange does help keep us social. For me its the only time I communicate in english
I swim, cycle, walk, paddleboard trying to keep fitting and active. I hope to last to pass a good âge, but will have spent several of those years in the water. Gained or lost ?
Yes good topic.
Have not seen that, but at the doctors surgery you used to check in with a screen, but they decided it was infectious so went back to talking to a receptionist
In Church now they pass around the plate plus a credit card machine. At least we have a choice there.
Do it now. You may never get another chance. One of the best decisions we made was early retirement. It was financially stressful, but it let us do something completerly different while we were still physically capable.
On mind and matter… interesting quote from Ronald Knox
“Things matter because there is somebody who minds”
Staying mentally active is an important preventative against cognitive decline.
We have a distance issue. Most of .au has tryanny of distance, but clinging to the big city has its issues too. Modern communications help a lot with this.
Thanks to all.
I enjoyed airing these time concerns
My last doctor had a battle axe on reception, you had to wear armour to visit. My new doctor does it all himself, he comes out of his office, greets you with a handshake then invités you in. The urologist does the same except he has a secretaryafterwards to make sure he gets paid.
Funny but I prefer the pharmacie as the girls who serve are all really nice and friendly helpful, perhaps they take pitty on me and think #poor# grandad cannot understand the language. That’s what my wife tells me and I thought they were just trying to chat me up.
But they are only about 20 years old and get younger every visit!