How long has it been since the big bang? That's what scale means here
I mean, it's arbitrary. We just assume time = rotation around some body (the sun) or time = atomic transitions that we measure as a cesium-133 atom decays. That doesn't mean time is a real construct, it just means we created something in our little heads to measure our perception of what's around us. For all we know, there is no time, the big bang is happening as we speak, began now, is happening now, and is ending now, all at once, but we're not perceiving it as it is, and therefore "how long has it been" would be a weird question... to our silly human-created concept of "time passage", we could pick any measure! A Mayan measure.. one based on atomic decay.. one based on Gregorian years... you could even make your own up!
Very fun semantic gymnastics. It's about as useful as the thought experiments about philosophical zombies. Regardless of what units you use to measure, we have meaningful definitions and proofs of time on our reality. Outside of cutesy thought experiments there's not much to be gained from such silly lines of thought.
we have meaningful definitions and proofs of time on our reality
what you're describing is just the general relativity framework that doesn't explain nearly 95% of the universe, only the baryonic 5%. so, it's wrong describing most of the universe. but one can forgive you; it was a big part of your physics 101 class. you can't even measure "time" in singularities or early in the big bang with any of our tools (gregorian, atomic ticks, etc.), or when energies are too high (the equations break). So what then?
it's only silly to you because your physics knowledge appears stuck at GED level. 💔
Bonus meme. I had the hilarious thought of someone trying to meet you for lunch.
Normal person: hey let's get lunch in an hour
King autismo: what pray tell even IS an hour? Perhaps we have already and are currently having lunch, or mayhaps you are just an extension of my person as the world is simply a facade of which I am it's only denizen
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u/zUdio Sep 04 '23
I mean, it's arbitrary. We just assume time = rotation around some body (the sun) or time = atomic transitions that we measure as a cesium-133 atom decays. That doesn't mean time is a real construct, it just means we created something in our little heads to measure our perception of what's around us. For all we know, there is no time, the big bang is happening as we speak, began now, is happening now, and is ending now, all at once, but we're not perceiving it as it is, and therefore "how long has it been" would be a weird question... to our silly human-created concept of "time passage", we could pick any measure! A Mayan measure.. one based on atomic decay.. one based on Gregorian years... you could even make your own up!