* Studies of the Way Things Ought To Be *

Out of Time

If time is an arrow pointing to the future then it can be visualized as a line. If the distance traveled in time is visualized as an arrow, then we have another line. The first line (time) can be thought of as the x axis and distance can be imagined as the y axis. With just these two lines the relation between them creates an illusion.

If time and distance follow the same line all is well. But what if two objects follow other lines? If there is an angle between them, the elapsed time appears behind the timeline of the other. The distance will seem greater since it will seem to be in the past.

In the graph, notice that two objects can have traveled the same distance in the same time but appear to be both further away and at different times. Looking at the object at the end of line D1 we see that it's traveled the same distance in the same time as the horizontal (x axis) object. If we look at the object on line D1 it appears further back in time and more distant than it actually is. We will see the object distoerted by our perspecive.

Now visualize the gragh as a section of a sphere. Time and distance can follow an infinite number of angles extending the distortion of perspective to every object in space. In this scenario, can we really be sure of where and when anything is? Are our measurements only valid for objects near our own line of time and distance?

Consider the sphere having infinite angles pointing in every direction. In this configuration, how can we know if an object is near of far in either time or distance? The greater the angle the greater the uncertainty.

Notice also that as the angle increases, the line of sight will follow a curve which can futher distort the peception of both time and distance. What kind of geometry will we need to employ to resolve this distortion?

How does this affect the apparance of a red shift used to calibrate distance and apparent motion? How does this affect the apparent age of the universe?

Can we even observe objects that are at angles greater than 90° from our time and distance lines? Is part of the universe forever hidden and inaccessible. Maybe what we see "out there" is a kind of mirror image, seen through a lens of distorted perception.

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