Time

Of all of the curiosities in the Universe, time is the most baffling. Einstein used time as something like a fourth dimension when considered in a diagram with the other three dimensions. In theory, the rate, or flow of time is different for almost all observers. Practically speaking, in most instances, the differences are infinitesimal.

The reference frames of time can flow at different rates for different observers, depending on their speed, and on their location in a gravitationally curved field. The notion of time is familiar to us all, but describing how time works, or how we perceive the passage of time, is yet another task.

Physicists right now don't know what causes time, when or if time began, or if it always existed somewhere. Other than relating time to some phenomenon occurring at the speed-of-light, for the best accuracy, very little is absolutely known. Physicists don't know whether there is a minimum interval of time, below which time would be undefined.

Recent developments in superstrings and the T.O.E., or theory of everything may suggest that more dimensions exist than are readily apparent to the eye. If these dimensions, rather than being macroscopic, or big enough to see, were sub-microscopic, and curled up, could represent the reason certain cosmic constants recur regularly. Any hidden dimensions may even hold a clue to the nature of time itself.

If multiple dimensions are curled up, somewhat like an incandescent lightbulb filament of tungsten thread is curled up, then curled up in loops, then curled up in larger loops, the mystery of certain preferred constants may be explained.

The sub-atomic reoccurrence of Planck's constant, the speed of light, c, and the values of atomic spin, electric charge, and the reason for identical properties in sub-atomic particles may all be explained as "resonances" or "oscillations" or "vibrations" of combinations of these loops. Our notions of time itself might even change if time becomes grainy, or choppy.

The presumption is that, at 10-35 meters or so, which is defined as the Planck distance, time, distance, and continuity may all lose their smoothness. There may be a minimum definable distance or a minimum measurable time. There simply would be nothing we could ever use to define or measure anything smaller if these "building blocks" behaved as blocks, or chunks. Since no interactions could be quicker, or distances shorter, and no smaller intervals could be measured, the absolute limits of knowability would be reached.

There has been a proposal that if time really comes in measurable packets, these be referred to as chronons. This would represent the minimum measurable amount of time. The chronon of time would roughly be equivalent to the photon as the minimum possible measurable amount of light.

At this scale, a 1 or a 0 would be all we could tell, full or empty, yes or no. With nothing smaller to measure with than another similar object, comparisons would be limited. Comparatively, we could use an analogy as an on-off switch half-on, or less than fully on. The increase in precision over a pure yes/no, on/off choice would yield no understandable information.