Posted by: Colin Beckingham
on October 10, 2008 08:10 PM
The current title was not the one I proposed to the editorial staff, but I did support the new one for the following reasons:
The origins of the word 'travel' lie in the difficulty of moving one's corporeal existence from one place to another (http://www.etymonline.com). When the creative cloud passed by the earth on its way from star xd9985085 in the late 1890s it not only inspired Einstein and the Theory of Relativity but also H.G. Wells in his novel "The Time Machine." The concept of traveling in time-distance was born since we became aware that time was in fact distance and vice versa, putting miles, km and minutes on the same continuum.
I had also used the word 'distant' in relation to the situation of Newfoundland, in the sense of distant meaning two things standing apart: in this case both geographically and in time according to time zone.
Now you could argue that Toronto and Newfoundland are not distant in time since we can both measure our time distance relative to another time point not fixed on earth. But that does not take into account the difference in time of day (relative to noon local time) which imposes a new distance in terms of mental attitude at the time of day. If I call into a different time zone I need to make the effort to place myself mentally in the time of day at the far end, in order to make it appear to the other person that I am actually in that far place.
The word travel also puts me in mind of the French use of the word as in "le bois travaille," that is in changing humidity wooden boards used in construction can warp and creak of their own accord. And when I call into a different time zone it will be to a place that has a slightly different warping of the space time continuum, which of course is detectable.
Ideally a world clock would not only show me the time in the remote location, but the weather, the state of mind of the person at the other end, time of season relative to the grape harvest, and anything else to help ease the travail of effective communications. I see "making the effort to go the extra mile-hour" as a characteristic of the Open Source community.
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Re: Clocks for time travelers
Posted by: Colin Beckingham on October 10, 2008 08:10 PMThe origins of the word 'travel' lie in the difficulty of moving one's corporeal existence from one place to another (http://www.etymonline.com). When the creative cloud passed by the earth on its way from star xd9985085 in the late 1890s it not only inspired Einstein and the Theory of Relativity but also H.G. Wells in his novel "The Time Machine." The concept of traveling in time-distance was born since we became aware that time was in fact distance and vice versa, putting miles, km and minutes on the same continuum.
I had also used the word 'distant' in relation to the situation of Newfoundland, in the sense of distant meaning two things standing apart: in this case both geographically and in time according to time zone.
Now you could argue that Toronto and Newfoundland are not distant in time since we can both measure our time distance relative to another time point not fixed on earth. But that does not take into account the difference in time of day (relative to noon local time) which imposes a new distance in terms of mental attitude at the time of day. If I call into a different time zone I need to make the effort to place myself mentally in the time of day at the far end, in order to make it appear to the other person that I am actually in that far place.
The word travel also puts me in mind of the French use of the word as in "le bois travaille," that is in changing humidity wooden boards used in construction can warp and creak of their own accord. And when I call into a different time zone it will be to a place that has a slightly different warping of the space time continuum, which of course is detectable.
Ideally a world clock would not only show me the time in the remote location, but the weather, the state of mind of the person at the other end, time of season relative to the grape harvest, and anything else to help ease the travail of effective communications. I see "making the effort to go the extra mile-hour" as a characteristic of the Open Source community.
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