Directions and goals

June 28, 2017 2:22 pm ⋅ rag

The measurement of the length of a motion follows the course of motion at its own pace. It is a measurement of something passive, and the motion may be past when the measurement takes place.

Cartesian space lacks direction. The independent axes are just coordinates that describe a passive space. The origin is arbitrary and the direction hidden in the coordinates. There are three coordinates, three dimensions to this physical space.

Modern natural science excludes teleology. There are no natural goals, no directions. Nature is passive. If there is any goal-seeking, it must come from outside nature.

The measurement of the time of a motion follows the course of motion at its pace. It is a measurement of something active, in motion while the measurement takes place.

A direction is a command and a course. Go West, young man is a course to take and a direction to follow. Trains are distinguished by their destinations. Their direction is indicated by the last stop. The goal and the direction are the same.

Motion in transportation always has a goal, a direction. Motion is physical, but the goal is part of the motion. There’s always a destination.

The destination is some distance away. It takes time to reach the destination. It makes a difference which direction is taken. There are two directions and one distance, which makes three dimensions.

Time in transportation has three dimensions.

Posted in: Knowing, space & time ⋅ Tagged: physics, space & time, transportation

Introduction to 3D time with 1D space

June 27, 2017 1:22 pm ⋅ rag

Since Newton, time has been the usual and ultimate independent variable for physics. This contrasts with problems in transportation, where time is often optimized. Whether transporting goods across the world, commuters across town, or athletes to the finish line, length is the independent variable against which time is measured and optimized. If length is taken as the independent variable for physics, a mechanics results that is different from Newton’s but equivalent to it. In what follows we explore the basic kinematics and dynamics with length as the independent variable, first in classical, then in relativistic mechanics.

To represent time on a map, one may use isochrones (time contours), as in this map of tsunami travel time in hours:

Or time may be used instead of length, as in this map of European rail travel times in hours:

Note that in this map it is time that is two dimensional, not space. It looks like a distortion of the spatial representation, but it is not a distortion. It is a time map with units of time rather than units of length. The multidimensionality of time will be a main feature of taking distance as the independent variable.

Length could be included as a distance from a particular place, represented by an iso-distance contour. That is, length is reduced to one dimension if time is the dependent variable.

Units such as natural units may be adopted to equalize the units for length and time, i.e., by adopting a constant modal speed dependent on the mode of travel. However, they are still different measurements. Such units allow constant speeds to be represented the same, whether in space or time, which minimizes the seeming distortion of a time map.

As I pointed out here, an independent variable is given to us and so not in our control, at least not within a motion toward a given destination. It may seem to flow on independently. A clock is like that, and it gives us a sense that time flows. But a stopwatch starts and stops at our command. Time no longer flows.

Length can seem to flow if we allow it to. Consider a hop-on, hop-off transit system with a fixed route. It cycles through its various destinations and then repeats the cycle. The distance between two stops may be read from an odometer by subtracting the earlier from the later distance. This is just like finding the time between two points with a clock. Only here it’s the transit system that flows on, accumulating distance indefinitely. Distance flows instead of time.

Posted in: Knowing, space & time ⋅ Tagged: physics, space & time, transportation

Units of time-space

June 24, 2017 2:32 pm ⋅ rag

The kinematic units of time-space are straightforward opposites of space-time units:

Distimement has units of seconds, minutes, hours, days, or years.

Pace and celerity have units of distance over duration: s/m or min/km or min/mile. Compare speed and velocity with their units of m/s, km/hr, or mi/hr.

Prestination has units of s/m² or min/km² or min/mile². Compare acceleration with its units of m/s² or km/hr².

Angular celerity has units of seconds per radian, seconds per degree, seconds per revolution, etc. Compare angular velocity with its units of radians per second, degrees per second, revolutions per minute, etc.

Strophence is the rate of change of angular celentum of an event, which has units of seconds per radian², seconds per degree², seconds per revolution², etc.

For dynamics time-space units are needed that correspond to mass and force etc.

Vass is the nonresistance of an event to a change in its state of motion when a net gorce is applied; it is the inverse of mass. Vass has units of kg^–1.

Celentum is the vass times the celerity, so it has units of s m^–1 kg^–1, which is the inverse of momentum.

Gorce is the prestination times the vass, so it has units of s m^–2 kg^–1. Compare the unit of force, the Newton, N, which is the force needed to accelerate one kilogram of mass at the rate of one m/s² in the direction of the applied force. Analogously, we could define an Unton, U, (= UnNewton) as the gorce needed to prestinate one kg^–1 of vass at the rate of one s/m² in the direction of the applied gorce.

Effort is a constant gorce that moves an event a unit of distimement. The joule, J, is defined as the work expended by a force of one newton through a displacement of one metre. Analogously, we could define the Quoule, Q, (quasi-joule) as the effort expended by a gorce of one unton through a distimement of one second.

The watt, W, which is the time rate of work, which is one joule per second. Exertion is the space rate of making effort, with unit of one quoule per metre, which might be called one DeWatt, D.

The gravitational constant, G, equals 6.674 × 10⁻¹¹ m³⋅s⁻²⋅kg⁻¹. The levitational constant, H, equals 2.233 × 10¹⁷ kg⋅s⋅m^−3/2.

Posted in: Knowing, space & time ⋅ Tagged: physics, space & time

Time and light

June 21, 2017 5:08 pm ⋅ rag

This post continues on the subject of light conventions, see here.

In ordinary life today clocks are very common and portable. Time is everywhere and is everywhere the same (apart from adjustments for longitude, that is, time zones). It’s as if the signals from clocks arrived instantaneously everywhere, near or far. This is equivalent to a convention about the speed of light: the incoming speed is instantaneous. In order that the round-trip speed of light equal c, the outgoing speed of light must be equal to c/2. And time is 1D because it is a scalar quantity. This is the modern, Newtonian conception of time.

In another convention, the Sun is a global time keeper that casts its light and shadow everywhere, and is everywhere the same (apart from adjustments for longitude). It’s as if the sun sends out its light so that it reaches everywhere at the same time. In order that the round-trip speed of light equal c, any return reflection would be at the speed of c/2. And time is 3D because the position of the Sun is a 3D vector and the relative motion of the Sun is 3D, as observed in its diurnal and annual cycles. This is implicitly the ancient conception of time.

Einstein proposed a new convention: the speed of light is the same everywhere, independent of whether it is being sent or received. This is a middle position between the extremes of instantaneous and c/2 light speeds. However, the invariant interval was developed on 3D space +1D time dimensions, and so is 4D. In order to be completely neutral between the extremes, we would need to affirm 3+3 dimensions with an invariant interval of 6D.

Posted in: Knowing, space & time ⋅ Tagged: space & time

The original creation story

June 20, 2017 3:18 pm ⋅ rag

The fact that many creation stories from around the world have been preserved (see here) shows that there is something behind them all. It shows us that something happened at the very dawn of time that human beings were aware of and considered important and tried to pass on.

Now imagine trying to preserve a story for thousands of years. How would you do it? If you wrote it on paper, the paper would disintegrate over time. If you inscribed it on stone, the stones could be buried over time. If you taught it to your children, how would you know if they passed it on correctly? All this and language changes so that the story might be misunderstood.

That is to say it’s not surprising that there are many variations of the creation story. It’s impossible now to combine them into one account because they are so different. For example, the role of water in the various stories makes some of them creation stories and some more like flood stories. How can we ever sort this out?

When you read of the creation and flood in Genesis, you can start to see how the other creation stories are all related to it. Both creation and flood are covered but in separate narratives. Instead of rivalries between purported gods, there is the orderly creation by the divine creator of a universe that we know is very ordered.

There are unique aspects to the Genesis account, too. This author notes several: Study Bible Shorts: The Uniqueness of the Genesis Creation Story – The Identity of God, No Rival Gods, Creation out of nothing, The Value of Humanity, and The Sabbath.

What about creation stories that are older than the Bible? Writing was not invented in the early days of humanity so stories were passed on orally. It’s of little significance which story was written down first. What counts is the reliability of the source, whether oral or written. The Bible has been zealously preserved for thousands of years. Other written accounts languished in caves and underground, forgotten and rejected.

To preserve a story for thousands of years you’ll need a group of people dedicated to preserve it intact. The Hebrew people have a well-deserved reputation for preserving their oral and written traditions. They (and later the Christians) have been fanatic about preserving the Bible over thousands of years. The Bible contains the original story.

Where does that leave ancient mythologies? They are a combination of corruptions of Genesis and legends about people such as Adam and Noah that sometimes made them into gods or superhuman beings. They indirectly reflect what actually happened, of which the key events are preserved in Genesis.

Posted in: creation, Knowing ⋅ Tagged: creation

Law of levitation

June 19, 2017 6:20 pm ⋅ rag

This was derived for circular orbits here. In this post it is derived directly from Newtonian gravitation.

The law of gravitation states that the gravitational force is proportional to the product of the masses divided by the square of the semi-major axis, A_s, of the orbit:

F = G mM / A_s².

Because of Newton’s second law, the gravitational acceleration is

a = Gm / A_s².

The object is to transpose this into time-space by expressing it in terms of prestination and vass. The first step is to use Kepler’s third law, which is an estimate that states:

T² ∝ A_s³, or

T^4/3 ∝ A_s²,

where T is the sidereal period. This may be expressed in terms of the radial time, i.e., the corresponding time to traverse the semi-major axis, A_t = t, estimated as a proportion of the period:

A_t = t ∝ T,

so that

t^4/3 ∝ A_s².

This allows the gravitational acceleration to be expressed in terms of radial time:

a ∝ mt^–4/3.

The next step is to integrate, with a = dv/dt:

∫ dv = ∫ C₁ mt^–4/3 dt = –3 C₁ mt^–1/3 + C₂ = v.

Then integrate again, with v = dr/dt:

r = ∫ dr = ∫ –3 C₁ mt^–1/3 + C₂ dt = –(9/2) C₁ mt^2/3 + C₂t + C₃,

where the radial distance r = A_s. For the purposes of stating a law, set C₂ = C₃ = 0, and then solve for t:

t = –(2/9mC₁)^3/2 r^3/2 = –C₄ nr^3/2,

where n is the vass. Then take the derivative:

dt/dr = –(3/2) C₄ nr^1/2 = u,

where u is the celerity. Take the derivative again to get:

du/dr = –(3/4) C₄ n/r^1/2 = b,

where b is the prestination of levitation, since the sign is the opposite of gravitation. This leads to

Γ = H nN/r^1/2,

for vasses n and N, the levitational constant H, and the levitational gorce Γ.

Posted in: Knowing, space & time ⋅ Tagged: physics, space & time

Design and entropy

June 19, 2017 4:20 pm ⋅ rag

A carrier is the baseline transmission (such as a wave) that is modulated for a signal. Carriers have minimum entropy. Their opposite, noise, has maximum entropy. A signal conveys a message between a sender and a receiver. The entropy of signals is between that of the carrier and noise.

Carriers are the canvas for the artist. The canvas starts out blank. Then paint is added, which is the signal for the viewer. Noise would be like splotches of paint that somehow got put on the canvas. If the canvas were all noise, the signal would be completely covered with random bits of paint. The signal is designed to be between these extremes.

The closer a signal is to looking like the carrier, the lower the entropy and the simpler the message. The closer a signal is to looking like noise, the higher the entropy and the less the complexity of a message that can be transmitted. With the carrier alone or noise alone there is no message.

Design works the same way. A carrier alone or noise alone exhibit no design. A simple design would be similar to a carrier or to noise. A more complex design would be between the extremes of all carrier and all noise.

Entropy is a way to determine the presence of design. The more that entropy is in-between zero and the maximum, the more likely it is a result of design. A simple measure of design may be constructed from entropy as follows:

Define a design index, Ξ (xi) from the entropy, H, as

Ξ := (H – H_min) / (H_max – H_min),

which ranges from zero if H = H_min to one if H = H_max. If the design index is one-half, then H is the mid entropy. The closer the value of Ξ is to one-half, the more likely the distribution is the result of design.

2015, updated

Posted in: Knowing, science ⋅ Tagged: design

Knowledge and repetition

June 16, 2017 11:30 am ⋅ rag

Consider the distinction between repeatable events from unrepeatable events. Repeatable events includes events that have repeated or may be repeated at will (as in a laboratory) or may possibly repeat in the future. Unrepeatable events are events that are very unlikely to repeat or are impossible to repeat. It is said that science only studies repeatable events, and it can be argued that history is the study (science) of unrepeatable events – not that it excludes repeatable events but that it focuses on unrepeatable events.

“Nature” could be defined as the realm of repeatable events. Then natural science would be the study of nature or repeatable events. Those events that are unrepeatable would be left to historians but ignored by natural scientists. But could such scientists rightly study the past while ignoring unrepeatable events? Ignorance of unrepeatable events would be a limitation and a defect. We would not expect historians to ignore repeatable events, so why expect scientists to ignore unrepeatable events?

We may well expect events that only involve inanimate nature are repeatable in some way. But are all events with living beings repeatable? The position of naturalism says, Yes. But at some point we need to say, No, at least some living beings have free will (or whatever you want to call it) so that their actions may be unrepeatable, and thus beyond the purview of a science of repeatable events.

Knowledge of repeatable and unrepeatable events may need different methodologies to address both kinds of events but it could not ignore either kind without bias. We need both the study of history, with its unrepeatable events, and the study of science, and its repeatable events, as independent disciplines. The synthesis of science and history would require a different discipline, perhaps called “scihistory” or “histence”, that would balance the input of each discipline with the other.

Posted in: history, Knowing, science ⋅ Tagged: history, science

Posts on space and time alphabetically, updated

June 15, 2017 3:02 pm ⋅ rag

I previously listed posts on space and time alphabetically here. Below is an alphabetical listing that includes those posts and the ones since then (with hyperlinks):

1D space + 3D time again

1D space and 3D time

2D space + 2D time

3D time + 1D space, pace, and lenticity

3D time in ancient culture

6D as two times 4D

6D space-time collapses into 4D

A new geometry for space and time

Absolute vs relative space, time, and dimension

Actual and default speeds

Actual and potential time and space

Alphabetical glossary

An introduction to co-physics, part 1

An introduction to co-physics, part 2

Angles in space and time

Arrow of tense

Average spacetime conversion

Basis for the symmetry of space and time

Bibliography of 3D time and space-time symmetry

Center of vass

Centers of time measurement

Centripetal prestination

Change flows

Characteristic limits

Characteristic speeds

Circular orbits

Claims about time

Claims about time, updated

Clock race

Complete Lorentz group

Complete Lorentz transformation

Complete spatial and temporal Lorentz transformations

Consciousness of space and time

Conservation of celentum

Conventions of here and now

Conversion of space and time

Converting space and time

Coordinate lattices

Corresponding equations of motion

Cycles and orbits

Defining space and time

Derivation of Newton’s second law

Diachronic and synchronic physics

Different directions for different vectors

Dimensions of dimension

Dimensions of movement

Dimensions of space and time

Direction and dimension

Direction and units of magnitude

Direction in three-dimensional time, part 1

Direction in three-dimensional time, part 2

Direction in three-dimensional time, part 3

Directional units

Distance without time

Distance, duration and dimension

Distance, duration, and angles

Dual differential physics

Dual Galilei and Lorentz transformations

Duality of space and time

Duals for Galilean and Lorentz transformations

Dynamic time-space

Dynamics for 3D time

Equality of space and time

Equations of motion in space-time and time-space

Equations of motion in time-space

Event-structure metaphors

Fixed sizes and rates in space and time

Flow of independent variables

Flow of motion

Foundations of mechanics for time-space

Four perspectives on space and time

Four rates of motion

Four space and time dimensions

Galilean and co-Galilean transformations

Galilei doesn’t lead to Lorentz

Galilei for space and time

Galileo revised

Geometric and temporal unit systems

Geometric vectors in physics

Glossary of time-space terms

Gravitation and levitation theories

Gravity with dependent time

Homogeneity and isotropy

Homogeneity and isotropy of time

Independent and dependent time

Insights on the complete Lorentz transformation

Invariant interval check

Inverse terminology

Is space one-dimensional?

Is time three-dimensional?

Kinds of relativity

Limits of the Lorentz transformation

Lorentz and co-Lorentz transformations

Lorentz for space & time both relative?

Lorentz for space and time

Lorentz generalized

Lorentz interpreted

Lorentz transformation for 3D time

Lorentz transformation in any direction

Lorentz transformations and dimensions

Lorentz with 3D time

Lorentz without absolutes

Measurement

Measurement by motion

Measurement of space and time

Measures of speed and velocity

Measuring mass

Measuring movement

Mechanics in multidimensional time

Minimum speeds

Modes and measures

Modes of travel

More equations of motion

Motion equations revised

Motion science basics

Movement and dimensions

Movement and measurement

Multidimensional time in physics

Multidimensional time in transportation

Multidimensionality of time

Necessary and possible dimensions

Newtonian laws of motion in time-space

No change in time per distance

No motion as zero speed or pace

Non-uniform motion

Numbers large and small

Observability of the rotation of the earth

Optimizing travel time routes

Outline of spacetime symmetry paper

Pace of light

Paceometer

Parallel equations of motion

Parametric time and space

Passenger kinematics

Perspectives on space and time

Phases of a 3D time theory

Physics for travelers

Places and events

Places in time

Problems in mechanics, part 1

Problems in mechanics, part 2

Proof of three time dimensions

Reality and relativity

Relating space and time

Relativity at any speed

Relativity of time at any speed

Representations of space and time

Simple harmonic motion

Simple motion in space and time

Six dimensional spacetime

Six dimensional space-time

Six dimensions of space-time

Space and time expanded

Space and time from the beginning

Space and time standards

Space, time and causality

Space, time, and arrows

Space, time, and spacetime

Speed and its inverse

Speeds and velocities

Subluminal and superluminal Lorentz transformations

Sun clocks

Superluminal Lorentz transformation again

Switching space and time

Symmetric laws of physics

Symmetries and relativities

Symmetry of space and time

“Synchronizing” space

Synchrony conventions

Temporal and spatial references

Terminology for space and time, part 1

Terminology for space and time, part 2

Terminology for space and time, part 3

Terminology for time-space

The flow of time and space

The physics of a trip

The speed of spacetime

Three arguments for 3D time

Three dimensional clock

Time and circular motion

Time and distance clocks

Time and linear motion

Time on space and space on time

Time scale maps

Total time

Transformations for one or two directions

Transformations for time and space

Transportation and physics

Travel in space and time

Travel time and temporal displacement

Two one-way standard speeds

Two ways to symmetry

Uniform motion

Variations on a clock

Velocity puzzle

Velocity with three-dimensional time

What is single-value time?

Why time is three dimensional

Work and energy, exertion and verve

Posted in: Knowing, space & time ⋅ Tagged: physics, space & time, transportation

Posts on space and time chronologically, updated

June 15, 2017 2:52 pm ⋅ rag

I previously listed posts on space and time chronologically here. This is a chronological list that includes the posts since then, starting with the most recent (with hyperlinks):

Outline of spacetime symmetry paper

Work and energy, exertion and verve

Circular orbits

Foundations of mechanics for time-space

Distance, duration, and angles

Alphabetical glossary

Center of vass

Equations of motion in space-time and time-space

Derivation of Newton’s second law

Clock race

Centripetal prestination

Motion equations revised