The Illusion of Time Part I - What is Time? (B2/C1)

See below for the lesson

Time is, without doubt, a real thing in some sense. We all use it, organise our lives around it, and often find that we don't have enough of it. When I talk about the "illusion of time" I am not saying it doesn't exist in any way whatsoever; I am rather making a point about what it is not, and how we imagine it to be something it is not. I do this especially because I believe that mistaken ideas about what time is lead to wild misunderstandings about the universe and our existence in it.

So, what is time?

Time breaks down into the ordering of events. Time, inasmuch as it exists, is a product of this basic aspect of reality wherein some things happen before, after, and simultaneously with (a.k.a "at the same time as") others.

The purpose of timekeeping -- of knowing and tracking "the time" -- is to effectively and efficiently organise the order in which people in a society do things relative to each other and relative to the events of the world around us. The act of establishing some agreed-upon official time ("the time") boils down to synchronising activities and events, like the earth's rotation. Before clocks, people used to meet and do things at sunrise, sunset and so on. With clocks, which we all synchronise to be in the same position simultaneously as well as with the earth's rotation, we expand this ability to organise when -- i.e. in which order -- people in society do things. Master clocks, which are ever more sophisticated and supposed to tell the "official time", are simply the clocks we all agree to synchronise with and which are themselves synchronised with the earth's rotation. They are nothing more and nothing less than this.

"Length of time" is always relative. The "length" of time an event takes can only exist as and can only be determined by the number of repetitions that some other event completes while the event to be measured runs its course. "Six days" really means six rotations of the earth; "one hour" really means 1/24 rotations of the earth. The official definition of a second is a fixed number of repetitions of some subatomic process. Luckily, it so happens that many events have a pretty consistent rate of repetition relative to each other; for example, the caesium-133 atom seems to consistently have 794243384926337 radiation periods for every rotation of the earth, or there abouts. If one of these were to drastically slow down or speed up relative to the other (and this is always happening very slightly), then we would have a mess and would need to redesign our timekeeping arrangements and technology.

To sum up, all there really is is events -- infinite events -- and their observed ordering. There is no actual absolute "time of day". Likewise, there is no actual absolute second, minute or hour, and no such thing as "length of time" beyond the relative repetitions of different events. Any conception of a "universal timeline" is entirely the product of social arrangements and agreements described above -- of synchronising activities with the earth's rotations.

If you ponder this, then perhaps you will begin to see that it makes very little sense to ask: "How old is the universe?", since the universe existed before the earth, before the sun, and before atoms. In fact, it makes no sense whatsoever. This will be the topic in part II.

1

Discuss :

Why do we always seem to be short on time?

Have you ever experienced time dilation (the sense of time slowing down)? If so, when?

Use of English Exercises

2

Multiple Choice Cloze

Choose the correct word for each gap

Time is, without 1)_________, a real thing in some 2)__________. We all use it, organise our lives around it, and often find that we don't have enough of it. When I talk about the "illusion of time" I am not saying it doesn't exist in any way whatsoever; I am rather making a point about what it is not, and how we imagine it to be something it is not. I do this especially because I believe that 3)___________ ideas about what time is lead to 4)___________ misunderstandings about the universe and our existence in it.

So, what is time?

Time 5)____________ down into the ordering of events. Time, inasmuch as it exists, is a product of this basic aspect of reality wherein some things happen before, after, and 6)____________ with (a.k.a "at the same time as") others.

1. a) controversy b) dispute c) issue d) doubt

2. a) degree b) sense c) regard d) notion

3. a) controvertial b) mistaken c) derogatory d) ham-handed

4. a) wild b) crazy c) insane d) derranged

5. a) falls b) breaks c) dies d) hands

6. a) simultaneously b) conjunctive c) perpendicular d) tandem

Answers: 1-d, 2-b, 3-b, 4-a, 5-b, 6-a

3

Discuss:

What do you make of the idea that time is an illusion? Do you agree?

4

Open Cloze

Fill each gap with one word

The purpose 1)_________ timekeeping -- of knowing and tracking "the time" -- is to effectively and efficiently organise the order 2)_________ which people in a society do things relative 3)___________ each other and relative to the events 4)____________ the world around us. The act of establishing some agreed-upon official time ("the time") boils 5)___________ to synchronising activities and events, like the earth's rotation. Before clocks, people 6)__________ to meet and do things at sunrise, sunset and 7)__________ on. With clocks, which we all synchronise to be in the same position simultaneously as well as with the earth's rotation, we expand this ability to organise when -- i.e. in which order -- people in society do things. Master clocks, which are ever more sophisticated and supposed to tell the "official time", are simply the clocks we all agree to synchronise with and which are themselves synchronised 8)___________ the earth's rotation. They are nothing more and nothing less than this.

Answers: 1-of, 2-in, 3-to, 4-of, 5-down, 6-used/had, 7-so, 8-with

5

Discuss:

The article mentions the historical use of the sun for timekeeping. Can you think of other primitive methods for timekeeping?

What other primitive technologies have you heard about?

Word Formation

Fill the gaps by changing the form of the word given

1-relate 2-determinant 3-definite 4-atom 5-luck

6-consistency 7-radiate 8-design

"Length of time" is always 1)___________. The "length" of time an event takes can only exist as and can only be 2)___________ by the number of repetitions that some other event completes while the event to be measured runs its course. "Six days" really means six rotations of the earth; "one hour" really means 1/24 rotations of the earth. The official 3)___________ of a second is a fixed number of repetitions of some 4)___________ process. 5)___________, it so happens that many events have a pretty 6)____________ rate of repetition relative to each other; for example, the caesium-133 atom seems to consistently have 794243384926337 7) _____________ periods for every rotation of the earth, or there abouts. If one of these were to drastically slow down or speed up relative to the other (and this is always happening very slightly), then we would have a mess and would need to 8)_____________ our timekeeping arrangements and technology.

Answers: 1-relative, 2-determined, 3-definition, 4-subatomic/atomic, 5-luckily, 6-consistent, 7-radiation, 8-redesign

6

Discuss:

Were you aware of the official definition for a second? Does this surprise you?

7

Read the final part of the text and look at the discussion questions

To sum up, all there really is is events -- infinite events -- and their observed ordering. There is no actual absolute "time of day". Likewise, there is no actual absolute second, minute or hour, and no such thing as "length of time" beyond the relative repetitions of different events. Any conception of a "universal timeline" is entirely the product of social arrangements and agreements described above -- of synchronising activities with the earth's rotations.

If you ponder this, then perhaps you will begin to see that it makes very little sense to ask: "How old is the universe?", since the universe existed before the earth, before the sun, and before atoms. In fact, it makes no sense whatsoever. This will be the topic in part II.

Discuss:

What do you think of the ideas expressed in the text?

Do you believe we can determine the age of the universe, and if so, how?

What concepts from physics do you find confusing or contradictorary?

What do you make of the saying: "Time is money and money is time"?