Group Members:
Bernales, Alma Mae
Colonia, Fretzy
Razonable, Roche Lee
Salas, Rochelle
People have different perceptions about time. In this review, we examine the ideas given by specific sources about the measurability/immeasurability of time.
According to Encarta, scientists introduced three different methods in determining time. First is the “standard time”which is the usual clock of today in which people use in their day-to-day time. Furthermore, it also stated that “standard time” is based on the “division of Earth’s sphere into 24 equal time zones”. Second is the “dynamical time”. It is said that “dynamical time”is based by the astronomers on the movement of the phenomena in the outer space, like the “Earth’s orbit around the sun”, and also the “orbital motion of the moon and other planets. Lastly, Encarta added atomic time which is also considered as the most accurate of all the methods which is based on the “frequency of the electromagnetic waves which are absorbed by certain atoms on molecules”.
But before modern technologies for measuring time are added, According to Parker(n.d.), scientists measure time based on the earth’s movement as it rotates on its axis. He pointed out that this basis came up by the idea of other movements like the movement of the sun and the movements of the permanent stars in the sky as earth do the rotation. Moreover, this basis of the idea given by the scientists was used by the people way back in the Mesopotamian civilization. Since, there is no clock, lack of knowledge, and no instruments to tell what time is, people before used the sun as the basis of their time. They use their own shadows to tell whether it is morning, noon, or afternoon. They also use the formation of the stars which is the constellations, to know the changes of the weather.
On the other hand, a different perception about time appeared when Bergson(1990) contest the idea about time which is not what we observe on our day to day life, like the ticking of the clock, the changing of hours to days, the beating of our heart and so as everything else in space. Bergson’s idea contradicts to the conventional motions of time as imposed by Einstein and other physicists.
Bergson (1990) explained that the memory in between the past and the present is vital in determining the order of interconnecting events. Without such, one mcan never find a link between the two different instances. For example, the missing link between the theory of man’s evolution from apes to homo sapiens can never be proven since there is no existing memory that justifies what really happened.
Furthermore, Bergson (1990) proposed that time moves in one direction – from past to present to future. He also noted that we have a glimpse of our future because we perceive it as a product of our current actions. On the other hand, having experienced the past and the present, we achieve absolute certainty. For example, if you are a computer science student, you perceive yourself as a programmer in the future, but you can’t change the fact that once in your life, you were a computer science student; we cannot change our past, but we can shape our future.
Real time is the experience of a continually occurring event as perceived by an individual. It’s definite and immeasurable occurrences due to the fact that time cannot be interrupted or categorized into subdomains (Bergson, 1990).
Bergson’s idea is evident in Thomas Mann’s book, “The Magic Mountain” which illustrates the connections of time to “illness, religion, world view, life and death.” This novel shows the author’s reflection about human life.
In Mann’s novel, Hanz Castorp breaks the cold life of Joachim. A life similar to the constant ticking of the clock, so bring that he could call his everyday existence as a routine. When Hanz came, he added excitement to Joachim’s life and colored his days during Hanz’ stay. Then when Hanz is gone, everything went back to the way it was before, a perfect example of how time comes, remains and leaves.
The main characters of Mann’s novel, Hanz and Joachim, show different ideals about time. As described in the book, Hanz and Joachim have different perceptions about time because of their varied experiences/situations.
Hanz finds his new environment boring “strange” because he felt that “time runs slowly” at that place. But after getting acquainted with the people there, he found that this new place is interesting and enjoyable. When Joachim noticed this, he immediately pointed out that Hanz’ plan of a three-week stay in the sanatorium is too short. He said that Hanz should not hurry himself home because people might consider a lot of their time with him because he only came for a visit. Hanz told Joachim not to worry, because he can be with him whenever he wants too, when he asked “why measure time with space”. He pointed out that it takes “20 hours by train” when you go to Davos from Hamburg. And it only takes split second to travel from one place to another using your mind.
The reason why Hanz and Joachim have different perceptions of time, though they are living with the same clock is explained when Emerson said that in Einstein’s theory of relativity, here can never be a universal clock for all of us because time’s movement is relative to the observer’s speed while moving. He also explained that time moves slowly if the observer is travelling at high speed or almost to that speed of light while time moves faster to a person in low velocity.
He also said that Hanz stands that time moves smoothly but he also accepts that in reality it does not. This is seen in his discussion with Joachim, when he said that we only suppose that time moves smoothly so that we can measure it. These assumptions are needed so that there will be ease and order in the society.
