What is Time?

Originally posted by twhitehead
Actually the 'flow' of time is an illusion. The only reason you believe people only get older not younger is your knowledge of the future is not nearly as good as your knowledge of the past, so you conclude that the past is fixed and the future is not and therefore that the past 'has happened' and the future has not. But when you look at the fine details ...[text shortened]... mechanics suggests that the past is also flexible ie one could say it hasn't happened yet.

The term illusion refers to a specific form of sensory distortion. Unlike a hallucination, which is a distortion in the absence of a stimulus, an illusion describes a misinterpretation of a true sensation. For example, hearing voices regardless of the environment would be a hallucination, whereas hearing voices in the sound of running water (or other auditory source) would be an illusion.
(Definition from wikipedia)

Delusion refer to false perceptions or ideas. An illusion is a false mental image produced by misinterpretation of things that actually exist: A mirage is an illusion produced by reflection of light against the sky. A hallucination is a perception of a thing or quality that has no physical counterpart: Under the influence of LSD, Terry had hallucinations that the living-room floor was rippling. A delusion is a persistent false belief: A paranoiac has delusions of persecution.
(Definition from dictionary.com)

So to make sure we understand your idea. Would you say the "flow" of time is
an illusion like "a magic trick" or a "mirage"?

Originally posted by RJHinds
So to make sure we understand your idea. Would you say the "flow" of time is an illusion like "a magic trick" or a "mirage"?

Yes.
We 'remember' the past better than the future and therefore (incorrectly) conclude that the past 'happened' and the future didn't and that we are moving from the past to the future.

But all the laws of physics work both ways and don't actually say "this direction has happened and that direction hasn't."
They only say: "entropy is higher this way and lower that way".

Originally posted by twhitehead
Yes.
We 'remember' the past better than the future and therefore (incorrectly) conclude that the past 'happened' and the future didn't and that we are moving from the past to the future.

But all the laws of physics work both ways and don't actually say "this direction has happened and that direction hasn't."
They only say: "entropy is higher this way and lower that way".

Since, by definition, an illusion describes a misinterpretation of a
true sensation, what is the true senstation and how would you
describe it in the case you are talking about?

Originally posted by RJHinds
Since, by definition, an illusion describes a misinterpretation of a
true sensation, what is the true senstation and how would you
describe it in the case you are talking about?

The true sensation is our memories of the past. It is true that there are fewer possible pasts than possible futures. That is a consequence of certain laws of nature of which the uncertainty principle and the directional nature of the increase of entropy.
The illusion is that we interpret that to mean there is only one past and the future is not fixed.
The reality is that many possible pasts exist, and many possible future exist. The difference being that the possible futures far exceed the possible pasts.

Originally posted by twhitehead
The true sensation is our memories of the past. It is true that there are fewer possible pasts than possible futures. That is a consequence of certain laws of nature of which the uncertainty principle and the directional nature of the increase of entropy.
The illusion is that we interpret that to mean there is only one past and the future is not fixed.
...[text shortened]... ible future exist. The difference being that the possible futures far exceed the possible pasts.

If it is an illusion, what keeps us from seeing the truth?
And why then should we settle for less than the best possibe
past and future?

Originally posted by RJHinds
If it is an illusion, what keeps us from seeing the truth?

Nothing. Hence, I have seen the truth.

And why then should we settle for less than the best possibe
past and future?
Because we don't get to choose.

Originally posted by twhitehead
Nothing. Hence, I have seen the truth.

[b]And why then should we settle for less than the best possibe
past and future?
Because we don't get to choose.[/b]

Who's choice is it then.