Killing time

[Guest guest]

Does time exist? Is our perception of the world different from its

true reality? Is our concept of time fundamentally flawed? These are

the central questions raised by KILLING TIME, a provocative

documentary that explores the nature of time.

The film centers on the work of n Barbour, a prominent

Theoretical Physicist, who gained notoriety with the publication of

his landmark book, " The End of Time " (1999). In it, Barbour presents

the concept of time as a human construct, not as a separately

existing dimension.

In a series of interviews, using nothing more than a Polaroid to snap

random pictures, Barbour illustrates the development of his radical

theory. He explains that physics has always been grounded in Sir

Isaac Newton's conception of time as an invisible river that exists

and flows independently of the objects in the world.

However, through his work with collaborator Bruno Bertotti, and his

own attempts to reconcile the conflict between Quantum Mechanics and

Einstein's Theory of Relativity, Barbour came to the conclusion that

Newton was wrong.

Barbour posits that time is, in fact, an illusion - a measure imposed

on the world by humanity. He explains this with the concept of

a 'now', which he describes as a snapshot in time - a completely

frozen, self-contained instant (much like a Polaroid photograph).

Time is simply the measure of the space between two separate and

unrelated 'nows.'

Barbour concludes by constructing a 3-dimensional model of eternity,

using it to show how the past, the future (in the traditional linear

sense), and countless other possibilities, are all present and

occurring at once.

Fascinating and thought- provoking, KILLING TIME is an elucidation of

Barbour's controversial theories on time, and a radical rethinking of

our accepted notion of the world in which we live.

Killing Time :

WideBand :http://noorderlicht.vpro.nl/rmstreams.db?13681116

Killing Time:

SmallBand :http://noorderlicht.vpro.nl/rmstreams.db?13682986

Language :english with dutch subtitles

[Guest guest]

*****This matches my understanding of the " reality " of time -- that

time is a function of (i.e., a creation of) thought. In the absence

of thought (which constructs the past, present and future

time " zones " ), there is only " now! " and there is never any problem,

difficulty or upset with " now! " However, the moment we *think*

about " now! " it becomes " then, " the past, and problems/upset may (or

may not) appear. Ditto for the future, also a creation of thought,

imagination, and fantasy. The mental action of thought posits a

future " out there " somewhere, ready to grab us and harm

us. " Oh...but I don't know what's going to happen! " the worried mind

pleads. So true, so true. When we watch a movie for the first time

(if we haven't read the reviews or heard about it), we don't know

what is going to happen. Do we fret about it? Actually, that not-

knowing is part of the thrill, the joy, the fun! of movie-watching

(or book reading). Why do we fret so about not knowing what's going

to happen in our own movie? Do we imagine ourselves to be any

more " real " than the fictional character in a movie, play, or novel?

And if we do, why is that? And is that a useful way of being? Does

it contribute to peace, serenity, and joy?

Does time exist? Is our perception of the world different from its

true reality? Is our concept of time fundamentally flawed? These are

the central questions raised by KILLING TIME, a provocative

documentary that explores the nature of time.

The film centers on the work of n Barbour, a prominent

Theoretical Physicist, who gained notoriety with the publication of

his landmark book, " The End of Time " (1999). In it, Barbour presents

the concept of time as a human construct, not as a separately

existing dimension.

In a series of interviews, using nothing more than a Polaroid to snap

random pictures, Barbour illustrates the development of his radical

theory. He explains that physics has always been grounded in Sir

Isaac Newton's conception of time as an invisible river that exists

and flows independently of the objects in the world.

However, through his work with collaborator Bruno Bertotti, and his

own attempts to reconcile the conflict between Quantum Mechanics and

Einstein's Theory of Relativity, Barbour came to the conclusion that

Newton was wrong.

Barbour posits that time is, in fact, an illusion - a measure imposed

on the world by humanity. He explains this with the concept of

a 'now', which he describes as a snapshot in time - a completely

frozen, self-contained instant (much like a Polaroid photograph).

Time is simply the measure of the space between two separate and

unrelated 'nows.'

Barbour concludes by constructing a 3-dimensional model of eternity,

using it to show how the past, the future (in the traditional linear

sense), and countless other possibilities, are all present and

occurring at once.

Fascinating and thought- provoking, KILLING TIME is an elucidation of

Barbour's controversial theories on time, and a radical rethinking of

our accepted notion of the world in which we live.