The introduction to the book asks us to think about space and time. It suggests that we might think of space as limitless vistas punctuated by planets, or golden ships with people named "Buzz."
I was sort of taken aback by that. I don't think "outer space" when I hear the word "space" in the context of physics. Do you? I think as much of the space between the molecules of an apparently solid surface as I do of the space between planets.
As for time, I don't really believe in it. Someone said, "Time is God's way of making sure everything doesn't happen at once." Or Nature's way, if you prefer anthropomorphism to deism. But that makes sense to me. I think we define movement or change or things like that in terms of time because it's measurable and tidy that way.
Like dividing writing up into paragraphs. It's right and proper and even natural to do so, but it's still a convention. Thoughts don't actually occur in paragraph form.
So these are my random thoughts about time and space. I don't think I've given anything away or gone ahead for those of you who are still waiting for the arrival of your books, but I think it would be interesting to know your current idea of time and space. Then we can see whether our ideas about these things change as we read.
Write in the comments, if you like, or ask Rosie to invite you in as an author so you can write on this page if you prefer. I'm really looking forward to hearing (or seeing) everyone's thoughts.
Rosie, how about opening up the comments so everyone can talk?
ReplyDeleteOkay!
ReplyDeleteI agree about what I think of with space. I rarely think of anything involving planets.. I liked the description he gave though. Sheldon totally bounced around in my head while I read that :P
Oddly enough, I think of space in a finite way. I think I may be alone in that, but I am certain that with my little human brain I cannot grasp the idea of infinity.
ReplyDeleteOpened it up.. but left it only to registered users.. That okay with all?
ReplyDeleteRichard Feynman said infinity is like dirt -- litte bits of it get into everything.
ReplyDeleteBut what do you mean about thinking of space in a finite way?
I can't help but think of space more as distance rather than a void. Space is what's between me and the table, Mars and Venus, galaxy and galaxy.
ReplyDeleteI think you've hit it on the head, Josepha. I think that's why I was surprised at the book's assumption that "space"="outer space."
ReplyDeleteI guess I don't understand what is meant by not believing in time. I don't see time as a man-made convention since there is plenty of evidence to show that time existed before man existed.
ReplyDeleteI think one of the most important parts in the introduction was the reminder that our intuition is very often flat-out wrong when it comes to certain areas of science. We experience life in a human-sized way. It is typically very hard to trust our instincts about the extremely large or the extremely small since we have no basis (outside of science/math) to experience them. Most people cannot really understand what it means to talk about the age of the universe, or the distance to stars, or the mass of an atom. These are so far beyond our typical ability to relate that we have to make up ways to compare them to items or events in our everyday lives just to gain some perspective.
I've personally always had a very hard time understanding even the very high level basics of relativity. Just the idea that time is not constant still blows my mind... so I'm hoping this book can help me in that area a little.
Darin, I think you have a great point about our limited human experiences. We see that any time that people try to define some vast, unknowable thing. Space, God, the beginning of time, the patterns of subatomic particles.
ReplyDeleteWe fashion things after ourselves and bring them under control by containing them within our own images and knowledge.
And also the point that our perceptions and understandings of things aren't reliable. We understand things by developing hypotheses, and then checking new info against what we came up with. Only when things are very far from fitting with our preconceptions are we prepared to re-examine those initial hypotheses.
ReplyDeleteAnd there's a great example of this in Chapter 1. Do we all have books? Can we move on to Chapter 1?
How do I join this group? What book are we reading? HELP. I think you have to add me or something.
ReplyDeleteOkay, figured out the book. I looked at the other post. Brilliant! I'll try to pick it up today.
ReplyDeleteWelcome aboard, Alissa!
ReplyDeleteWelcome Alissa! :)
ReplyDeleteI haven't been able to find the book in Fort Smith. Should have it via Amazon on Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteI seem to be following this thing twice - can you delete the one without the picture? thanks.
ReplyDelete