What time is it really?

***Saturlight*** · 09-07-2007

Does anyone know the real time on the planet? All countries have different times zones, but is there one specific time right now, and all the other clocks are either in front of it or behind it. Thanks.

**PaulR** · 09-07-2007

No. All times are relative it's only a convention that the world is split into time zones. It was only Britain's imperial might that defined Greenwich as being the divide between East and West.

There was an attempt by the French during the French Revolution to set up a rival dividing line through Paris but they also wanted to decimalise it and that scuppered its chances.

As an aside, and related to the question, they also tried to decimalise the calendar. They still retained 12 months but divided them into 30 days and made the equivalent of the week 10 days long, giving 3 "weeks" to each "month".

**Lancelot** · 09-07-2007

Most countries acknowledge GMT as the standard (even us when in BST).
However, EST, central time, etc seems to prevail to the exclusion of all else over 'there'

L.

**dig deep** · 10-07-2007

There is no time, al least not one that is exact

When did the time start ? (and why ?)

It was invented by some slave owner, just to make it sure that everybody was working at least 10 hours/day (still the same)

But, as I said, there is no time at all. Someone invented a second but a second is longer when U travel fast (and when U are bored)

So, no time

**Analoguesat** · 10-07-2007

It was the coming of the railways that lead to the need to standardise time. Western Cornwall is about 15 minutes behind London, which would have played havoc with the timetables, so Railway Time (based on London of course) was introduced to standardise the timetables.

**Lancelot** · 10-07-2007

Western Cornwall time.

I like that lots, may well have to set my watch to that just so I can explain.

Nice one AS.

L.

***JTA*** · 10-07-2007

time really doesn't exist, it's something artificial created by mankind to keep track of things, amoung other things as distance or quantity.
nature does not keep track of time - things evolve in a pace which is relative to the speed by which that object is moving in space.
time started when mankind "invented" a method of tracking this evolution. Evolution itself has allways been there, it has no beginning or no end, it is an intimite part of nature itself.

**Analoguesat** · 10-07-2007

Who needs time anyway - I wander around in a happy little world of my own most of the time anyway

Occasionally it intersects with reality

***Park Royal*** · 10-07-2007

quote "Occasionally it intersects with reality "
Like when you are waiting for a roicket to launch a satellite, or when you have to be at the airport to catch a plane

Parky

**T_G** · 10-07-2007

*sings loud* Taaaaaaahaaaaaim is on my side

**Analoguesat** · 10-07-2007

Originally Posted by Park Royal

quote "Occasionally it intersects with reality "
Like when you are waiting for a roicket to launch a satellite, or when you have to be at the airport to catch a plane
Parky

As Adam says in Mythbusters

" I reject your reality and substitute my own"

***Yorks*** · 10-07-2007

Originally Posted by JTA

time really doesn't exist, it's something artificial created by mankind to keep track of things, amoung other things as distance or quantity.

Not sure really

. If you stole a banana from a monkey while his back was turned - would he notice it was gone?
Would he be able to tell you at what time you took it?
(Impressive on two counts, 1 - being able to tell the time, and 2 - being able to talk). Moderator material me thinks

**dig deep** · 10-07-2007

No moderate monkey would EVER turn his back to a banana

But if he did

I think he would look for it and then simply forgot that he had one.

So no monkey business with the time

***JTA*** · 10-07-2007

1. yes
2. he would'n care when you took it. he'll find you and he'll clobber you.
3. a monkey can't talk, but he can rip your arms off.
so better put that banana back before he notices you took it !

***Yorks*** · 10-07-2007

The monkey spoke to me - but I did not understand him.
He probably also thinks that I have no understanding of the concept of time.
I gave the banana back.

**Salty25** · 10-07-2007

Of course, it should be noted that time does exist within the human body, and more importantly within the human brain.

IIRC, the human brain actually works on a 25 hour clock, and uses time indicators - clocks, watches, regular events - as 'zeitgeits' to self correct within the 24 hour system.*

* Or something like that.

**PaulR** · 10-07-2007

Originally Posted by Salty25

Of course, it should be noted that time does exist within the human body, and more importantly within the human brain.

IIRC, the human brain actually works on a 25 hour clock, and uses time indicators - clocks, watches, regular events - as 'zeitgeits' to self correct within the 24 hour system.*

* Or something like that.

I thought the body had a slower clock? A throwback to the time when the Earth rotated more quickly than nowadays.

Or so I seem to recall - could all be age induced false memories.

**waverider** · 10-07-2007

I think now GMT is now regarded as UT, and on that note I'm running out of time on this thread!

***2cvbloke*** · 10-07-2007

Originally Posted by Salty25

Of course, it should be noted that time does exist within the human body, and more importantly within the human brain.

IIRC, the human brain actually works on a 25 hour clock, and uses time indicators - clocks, watches, regular events - as 'zeitgeits' to self correct within the 24 hour system.*

* Or something like that.

Sounds about right to me, I'm always running on 25 hour days....

**dig deep** · 11-07-2007

Time depends on speed (if U use a clock that is)

The faster it goes the slower is the time until U reack the speed of light

then there is no time (like I said earlier)

When U think U see a nice sunset then the sun was gone by 8 mins

as the beams need some 8 mins to travel that far

***JTA*** · 11-07-2007

ah - no !
the light of the sunset may have taken 8 minutes to get here, the sunset itself is a "local" event which is taking place 'as you see it'.

**Llew** · 11-07-2007

Often I have the rather strange ability to wake up at the precise time that I tell myself to do so just before going to sleep.

If that time coincides with the time I have set my alarm to, I wake up about one second before it goes off

Doesn't work after too much imbibing the night before though

Llew

**Salty25** · 11-07-2007

Originally Posted by PaulR

I thought the body had a slower clock? A throwback to the time when the Earth rotated more quickly than nowadays.

Or so I seem to recall - could all be age induced false memories.

It's related to the perception that time 'flies' when you're having fun and that time seems to come to a standstill when you're waiting for something.

Basically, the more things you're doing, the less the brain is able to account for the passing of time.

How fun psychology is

**Channel Hopper** · 16-07-2007

It's always time for a beer.

**dig deep** · 16-07-2007

Sure, as U don´t trawel too fast when U have a beer.

No need to risk a lost drop

I wonder who first set the time ?

A bartender ? It´s time Gents ?

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What time is it really? For those of you with an appetite for the scientific and technical, whether it be lofty theory or more practical discussion.

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