Re: virus: Social Metaphysics

David McFadzean (david@lucifer.com)
Sun, 28 Sep 1997 12:48:00 -0600


At 04:20 PM 9/26/97 -0700, Tadeusz Niwinski wrote:

>This is slightly out of topic: What do you mean by "right at this moment"?
>If I understand Einstein's theory of relativity correctly, it will take us
>thousands of years to see those stars, true, but the photons from these
>stars will need no time to get here (when you travel with the speed of light
>the time does not change). This always puzzled me and may help in this
>"what's real" discussion.

I suppose you want a definition that doesn't make reference to a synchronized
clock? :) OK, how about: two spatially separated events take place at the
same time if a signal traveling at light speed sent from the respective
locations would arrive at an equidistant observer simultaneously. Importantly,
the signal doesn't actually have to be sent. But if it was, the consequent
would hold true.

--
David McFadzean                 david@lucifer.com
Memetic Engineer                http://www.lucifer.com/~david/
Church of Virus                 http://www.lucifer.com/virus/