(OPE-L) Re: Ajit's paper

From: Gerald A. Levy (Gerald_A_Levy@MSN.COM)
Date: Wed Jun 02 2004 - 11:36:00 EDT


Hi Howard.

> Do I have to measure time by a clock?  Can I measure it by distance
> travelled,

Not unless the speed that you are travelling remains constant (and you
are travelling in a straight-line without any obstructions or counter
forces, e.g. current).

> or dinner being ready,

Surely you must know that different cooks take different amounts of
time to prepare dinner.  Even the time taken to prepare dinner by the
same cook depends on what's being cooked for dinner and with what
technology.

> or by the quantity of a thing, say sand  passed through an hourglass?

That's just a primitive form of clock.

> Can I tick away seconds in grains of gold?

You would have to calibrate the 'hourglass' differently, but I guess you
could substitute grains of gold for sand.  Another type of clock.

Now what does any of  this has to do with Ajit's question?

In solidarity, Jerry

PS: I bought some dried mango and will bring it with me to sea as
per your suggestion.  No, one can't measure time by the quantity of
dried mango consumed at sea. One can measure time, though, by
observation of the sun and moon and related phenomena, e.g. tides.


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