"How can something exist without a beginning?!?!?!?!" -g-
Class? Does anybody have the answer to Johnny's question?! ;-)
Damn good question! I do not, however, find it any more puzzling than the question of endings. Both concepts when applied to everything invite the same assumption--NOTHINGNESS.
So how can there be nothingness? There probably can't. Intuitively, any before or after must exist as something--even in the absence of time and space as we (weakly) understand them. Therefore, I think that everything is something and "always" (smile) has been and that "nothing" is a mental construct that does not exist. Whatever is outside of space, time, this universe--or that...it is SOMETHING. This mitigates the anxiety of calling things "nothing" and tying our brains into knots, nuts, or whatever.
So having solved that problem (smile) we need to stop asking how long something existed before part of it expressed as time particles or time waves or time outs. Time is a comparison. If we stop comparing--then time stops...for us. So emulate some people on this thread! Stop thinking and time will stand still for you, too! :-)
So here is a serious question: If every single atom (and all her parts) stopped moving everywhere in all of existence--would there still be time? In other words, if time is some sort of actuality or field of any kind...then we ought to be able to figure it out. Otherwise, it is just the way the human mind understands motion/change.
Of course, many would probably say that if all motion ABSOLUTELY stopped then all matter including space/time would have collapsed but I think that is begging the question. The fact of the matter is that if I were powerful enough to take every particle in existence and put them in the exact same position (and spin/movement) they were in (say) on your last birthday, then I would be back in time and eating cake and drinking Chivas with you. And all I would have done is move things--like setting up the snooker balls again--only more precise and on a slightly larger table. Hmmm... |
