Does time have a physical existence? If it does why are we not able point to it and say there it is? If it does not why do physicists define our universe in terms of its physical properties?
This question is relevant because Einstein theories, the foundation of modern cosmology are based on the physical existence of time or a space-time dimension.
Unfortunately there is absolutely no direct observational or experiment evidence supporting its physicality.
In fact one of the most persistent observations regarding time is that it is not directly perceived in terms of a physical entity such as matter or space but only as a measure of an irreversible physical, chemical, or biological change in a physical system.
However this suggests as was shown in the article “Defining what time is.” Sept 20, 2007 time may only be a non-physical measurement of the sequential ordering of a physical, chemical, or biological change in space similar how a unit of length is a non-physical measure of a change in the ordering of the position of an object in space. This is because similar to time, length is not perceived as matter or space but only as a non-physical measure of where an object is located with respect to a given point in space.
Yet this appears to contradict the assumption that time or a space-time dimension is or has the properties of a physical entity because as mentioned earlier most of us do not perceived it as having the physical properties of matter or space.
However, what is even more damaging to the concept that it has physical properties is that they are not required to define relativistic properties of our universe as many physics seem to think.
This is because Einstein gave us a way of converting a unit of time in a space-time dimension to unit of space in four *spatial* dimensions when he used the constant velocity of light to define its geometric properties. Additionally because the velocity of light is constant he also defined a one to one quantitative correspondence between his space-time universe and one made up of four *spatial* dimensions.
However using Einstein’s equations as is suggested above to redefine the universe in terms of four *spatial* dimensions instead of four dimension space-time would allow one to understand its relativistic properties in terms of the observable properties of the spatial dimensions while maintaining the same quantitative predictive powers as those associated with a space-time dimension because as mentioned earlier there is a one to one correspondence between them.
For example the article “Embedded dimensions” Oct 22, 2007 showed that one can derived all forms of energy including gravitational and kinetic in terms of a displacement or curvature in a “surface” of a three-dimensional space manifold with respect to a fourth *spatial* dimension and why one must assume that kinetic energy is a result of an oppositely directed displacement in its “surface” than the one associated with gravity.
The conclusion that the causality of kinetic energy is a result of an oppositely directed displacement in a “surface” of three-dimensional space with respect to the one associated with gravity is based on the observation that they are oppositely directed. For example, the kinetic energy of an orbiting satellite is oppositely directed with respect to the gravitational energy associated with the planet it is orbiting. Therefore, if one defines gravity in terms of a “depression” in a “surface” of a three-dimensional space manifold with respect to fourth *spatial* dimension one should define kinetic energy in terms of a oppositely directed “elevation” in that “surface”.
However this means according the definitions given in the article “Embedded dimensions” the total energy/mass of an object would be equal to the sum of the displacements of a “surface” of a three-dimensional space manifold caused by the rest mass of an object and that caused by its relative velocity.
Therefore, the energy/mass of an object would be dependent on its relative motion because one must add the energy of its motion to its rest energy/mass.
This defines the mechanism responsible for why the energy/mass of an object increases when viewed by an observer who is in relative motion to it in terms of the geometry of four *spatial* dimensions.
The following analogy can be used to understand and define the relativistic properties length and time
Assume that two “2 dimensional creatures†are living on the surface of two pieces of paper resting on a desktop.
Also, assume the two creatures can view the surfaces of the other piece of paper, which are separated a pencil.
If the diameter of the pencil is increased, the curvature between the surfaces of the two pieces of paper will increase.
Each of these creatures, when viewing the other piece of paper will only perceive the two-dimensional translation of the three-dimensional curvature generated by the pencil.
Therefore, each will view the distance between two points on the surface of the other as shorter since they will view that distance as a two-dimensional translation of a three-dimensional curvature in the surface of the paper and each will measure the distance between them on their piece of paper as being longer then they would if they viewed it on the other piece.
Similarly, because three-dimensional beings could only “view” a three-dimensional translation of a “curvature” or displacement in four *spatial* dimension caused by the motion of a reference frame they will measure distance or length in them as being longer than they would be if viewed as an observer who is not in relative motion to it.
The “movement” of “time†on both surfaces will also be affected.
Each of the two dimensional creatures mentioned earlier will view the others “time†as moving slower because the three-dimensional curvature in the paper makes the distance between events longer than the two dimensional translation of those events. Therefore, it will take longer for events “move” through the curvature in three-dimensional space relative to the time it would take for them to move along two dimension translation of that surface.
Earlier it was mentioned that the magnitude of the displacement or “curvature” an object generates in a fourth *spatial* dimension is dependent on its velocity.
However as mentioned earlier, we have defined time as only being the measure or the “distance between” the sequential ordering of the causality of an event.
Therefore time will become dilated in reference frames that are in motion because of the curvature generated in three-dimensional space by its relative motion, three-dimensional beings in that reference frame will view the distance between events to be longer in it than it would if they were in motion relative to it. Therefore, they will view time in a reference frame that is in motion relative to them as moving slower than if they were in that reference frame because events in those reference frames will have a greater separation.
The velocity of light is constant despite the relative motion of an observer because the foreshortening or shortening of the length or distance the light travels is proportional to the motion of the observer. Therefore, the velocity of light will be constant in all reference frames despite the relative velocities of the observers to those reference frames because velocity is defined in terms of distance divided by time.
It should be remember this scenario applies to all forms of energy including gravitational because, as the article “Embedded dimensions†Oct. 22, 2007 showed, three-dimensional beings perceive energy in terms of the magnitude of a “curvature” in “surface” of a three-dimensional space manifold with respect to a fourth *spatial* dimension.
The Lorentz transformations derived from this theoretical model will take on the same form as the Lorentz transformations derived from Relativity.
This is because this theoretical model postulates that a displacement or curvature in “surface” of a three-dimensional space manifold, with respect to a fourth *spatial* dimension caused by the gravitational or kinetic energy of an object is proportional to the velocity of light.
Therefore, because both Relativity and the above mechanism predict a physical shortening of length and a slowing of time are related to the geometry of space, the form of the Lorentz transformations associated with the foreshortening length and slowing of time will be identical for both of these models.
However, this theoretical model differs from that of Relativity’s in that it defines the magnitude of a foreshortening of length and a slowing or dilation of time in terms of a “curvature” in a “surface” of a three-dimensional space manifold with respect to a fourth *spatial* dimension instead of curvature in four dimensional space-time manifold.
As mentioned earlier the article “Defining energy” derived the mechanism responsible for gravity in terms of a “curvature” in a “surface” of a three-dimensional space manifold with respect to a fourth *spatial* dimension.
However, it was shown earlier that a curvature in a “surface” of a three-dimension space manifold with respect to a four *spatial* dimension was responsible for length foreshortening and time dilation.
Therefore, because both gravitational and the kinetic energy of relative motion are derived from a common “curvature” in a “surface” of a three-dimensional space manifold with respect to a fourth *spatial* dimension they will have a similar effect on physical properties of length and time.
This means both Relativity and this paper predict an observer in a gravitational field will measure the length of an object to be shorter and passage of time to be slower with respect to an observer who is located outside of a gravitational field.
However, as mentioned earlier this paper defines this shortening of length and slowing of time in a gravitational field in terms of four *spatial* dimension instead of four-dimensional space-time manifold.
The “relative” characteristics of a “curvature” in a “surface” of a three-dimensional space manifold with respect to a fourth *spatial* dimension associated with kinetic and gravitational energy would also make it impossible for an observer to determine if an acceleration is caused by gravitational or kinetic energy such as that from an exhaust of a rockets engine.
This is because the mechanism defined above indicates the magnitude of a force associated with both gravitational and kinetic energy is related to the absolute magnitude of a “curvature” a “surface” of a three-dimensional space manifold with respect to a fourth *spatial* dimension.
Therefore, because a three-dimensional observer can only observe the three-dimensional effects of a curvature in four *spatial* dimensions he or she could not determine whether he or she is in a gravitational field or an accelerated reference frame.
This means the concepts contained in this article would make identical qualitative and quantitative and predictions with respect to the relativistic properties of space and time and the inability to determine the casualty of acceleration in terms of the physical properties of four *spatial* dimensions instead of four dimensional space-time because they are based on the analytical and qualitative properties of Einstein’s experimentally verified equation E=mc^2.
As mentioned earlier the primary reason why most scientist assume the physicality of time or a space-time dimension is because the foundation of modern cosmology is based on the physical existence of time or Einstein’s space-time dimension.
Yet as this article shows one can make the same quantitative and qualitative predictions regarding them by assuming they are caused by a physical interaction between the third and fourth *spatial* dimension and not one made up of time.
However this article also suggests the reason why scientists are unable physically observe time or a space-time dimension is because its existence is based on the illusion that it is responsible for the relativistic properties of space, time and energy/mass.
Later Jeff
Copyright Jeffrey O’Callaghan 2012