4 Comments

1. 

   Mikhael on January 30, 2014 at 8:19 am

   According to relativity, time is a physical thing. It will exist if humans no longer exist.

2. 

   sophist on January 30, 2014 at 8:31 am

   Yes. Time is another measure of space and as such measures movement. Nothing in the universe is absolutely still. Everything moves so time would still exist without humans.

3. 

   12 Syllogisms on January 30, 2014 at 8:46 am

   Time is a construct of the human consciousness, a measuring device of our percpeption of the movement of objects comparitive to other objects.

   If humans did not exist, the movement of objects would continue, but there would be no creature with the need to create such a “yardstick” as time.

   Away from the earth, that which we measure as “time” appears to move differently; for example we have to keep the clocks onboard our satellites in space updated or they fall behind clocks on earth. This shows us only that our measuring devices work differently under different conditions of physics. It even suggests that under those different conditions our conscious perception of movement might detect differences in movement, or that those different conditions of physics might affect our faculty of consciousness.

   But space travel, even to the moon, has not demonstrated it, has not shown that our consciousness is affected, even when our measuring devices are affected. This is evidence that consciousness of movement which we measure by something we call “time” is unaffected by differences in physics in space, even while our measuring devices are affected.

   Time is a relationship that is perceived. That means is not a “thing” like a planet, a mosquito, or even black matter if it exists. It means time is an existent of consciousness, and only of consciousness.

4. 

   macrodrops on January 30, 2014 at 8:59 am

   That is a very interesting question.
   On the one hand I would say yes because Einstein clearly states in the theory of relativity that time started with space so even if there weren’t any humans time would still go on scientifically.

   On the other hand a more philosophical question is raised when it comes to the recognition and and calulation of time.
   Yes time would “exist” because of the time-space continuum but who would be around to keep track of it?
   Animals don’t really have a sense of time other than their internal body clock.
   Nocturnal animals sleep in the day time and are up at night while others are like us and sleep at night.
   They are more visual when it comes to time and not calculative.
   Light and dark is the only “time” that they consider.
   They don’t have a sense of distance either because there are some animals who travel amazing distances for food, mating and other things.
   So they wouldn’t be able to chronologically measure how long it takes to go to and from places, how close or far something is or even measure their own lifespan.
   They determine all of those things with their sensory mechanisms. (hear, touch, taste, smell and sight) but not with a clock or a set understanding of time and space.
   We are (to the best of my knowledge) the only creatures who are aware of our own lifespan.
   Now animals are aware of danger and death but not in the way we are in my opinion.
   They are more aware of how danger leads to death but I don’t think they see it as an inevitability like us.
   Which is more than likely why they see everything that is foreign as a threat.
   They think anything that is foreign could bring death when really its going to happen no matter what.
   Thus leading me to believe they don’t have a sense of chronological measurement.
   So it is hard to give a yes or no on this because time would be around but if no one is keeping track of it would it matter as much?
   I would say no, chronological time isn’t a big thing for animals and other living things it really only matters to us.
   So it would be around per se but it would just go unnoticed.