What Is Time? | Answers With Joe

Get 20% off a premium subscription to Brilliant at www.brilliant.org/answerswithjoe
Time is something we experience every day, and it seems like something we'd be familiar with. But when you dig into it, it gets weird. So what exactly is it? And how does it work?
Support me on Patreon!
/ answerswithjoe
Get cool nerdy t-shirts at
www.answerswithjoe.com/shirts
Interested in getting a Tesla? Use my referral link and get discounts and perks:
ts.la/joe74700
Become a channel member and get access to exclusive livestreams and content here:
/ @joescott
Follow me at all my places!
Instagram: / answerswithjoe
Snapchat: / answerswithjoe
Facebook: / answerswithjoe
Twitter: / answerswithjoe
Saint Augustine, the Christian monk was once asked what is time, and his answer was, “If no one asks me, I know what it is. If I wish to explain it to him who asks, I do not know."
The ancient Egyptians measured time with obelisks that served as sundials, water clocks that flowed at a steady rate, and of course hourglasses.
It was the Babylonians that first divided the day into hours made up of 60 minutes each with 60 seconds per minute, this was all the way back in 1800 BCE.
It was the great Dutch astronomer and physicist Christiaan Huygens who invented the first pendulum clock in 1656, which used a weight that swung at specific intervals to keep time. This would be the most precise way to keep time for nearly 300 years.
1927 saw the invention of the quartz crystal clock, which uses the piezoelectric properties of quartz which vibrates at a rate of 32,768 Hz, giving it an accuracy of 6 parts per million.
But the most accurate measure of time we’ve been able to conceive so far is the atomic clock, which uses the natural resonance of a cesium atom.
Ss the scientific revolution began to take hold, the main argument around time was had by the Absolutists and Relationalists.
Absolutists believed in absolute time. The idea that time was an independent, absolute constant of the universe, that it wasn’t affected by our perception of it or by the interaction of matter.
Sir Isaac Newton was one of these Absolutists.
The Relationalists saw time as a measure of change. Basically arguing that the only reason time exists is because of the changing state of matter.
Newton’s second law of thermodynamics states that in a closed system, entropy will always increase over time. Entropy being a movement toward a state of equilibrium.
By the way, another really interesting way to look at entropy is through a statistical mechanics model, which was championed by Ludwig Boltzmann.
There’s a more philosophical debate on the nature of time that has to do with how it actually progresses, between what they call tensed and tenseless theories of time.
The tensed theory of time states that the future doesn’t exist yet, that it’s a tree with branches that spread as the now passes through the tree.
The tenseless theory of time suggest that the past, present, and future are all equally real and what we experience as time is just the now passing down the timeline.
Einstein stated in his 1905 paper on special relativity that the laws of physics and the speed of light must be the same for all uniformly moving observers. And for this to be true, space and time can no longer be independent. This was the only way for the speed of light to be constant for all observers.
But it was Minkowski three years later who came up with the idea that space and time could be seen as a single four-dimensional spacetime fabric. He closed out his paper on the subject by saying, "Henceforth space by itself, and time by itself, are doomed to fade away into mere shadows, and only a kind of union of the two will preserve an independent reality".

[@gingerninjafpv630]

"Depression comes from living in the past, anxiety comes from living in the future and happiness comes from living right now" Joe, you blow my mind!

[@no_alias_for_me]

Isn't that a buddhistic saying?

[@veldafsu100]

I love this theory!

[@EcoAku]

@@no_alias_for_me It is Buddhist, also Christian, Hindu, Zen... It's a concept shared by enlightened people all over the world, who became (for better or worse) spiritual leaders. ;) Nowadays, Eckhart Tolle speaks about it brilliantly in his books.

[@stevestone76]

I guess that's why meditation attempts to get you to focus on the the present moment.

[@SquirrelASMR]

I have anxiety and depression lmao.

[@rivule]

Joe's Main Cam: 'Yeah he has his life together. All organized.' Tangent Cam: 'lol you thought'

[@iAmNovaFilms]

I read this as this transition to a tangent cam happened in my watch through

[@amkurian]

Video Joe Scott made in 2019 after watching Tenet in 2020

[@falynoliver81]

Underappreciated comment.

[@GigaDanMan]

I went to upvote this comment, only to discover I already had. Yet I have no recollection of doing so. 😳

[@mikeflannery7905]

Much more entertaining than Tenet though

[@nickgrey6994]

BRILLIANT!!!

[@austinwiseman3186]

That movie still hurts my brain

[@hdufort]

In high school (I was 14 years old), I actually wrote a short story about a guy trying a time machine he built. He programs a date just a few minutes in the future, and dies embedded in a mountain. My teacher didn't fully understand the reasons why this happened, so he found my story only mildly interesting and I got a good, but not excellent, grade. :(

[@davidtatum8682]

Yea, Lotta variables involved in time travel. Everything is moving in relation to something else. Your protagonist most likely would have wound up in the vacuum of space. Not a good way to go from what I understand. A friend of a friend told me.

[@rickreed123]

I always wondered what would happen if you went back in time to the instant before you jumped back in time.

[@thewayiseeit01123]

How old are you now?

[@judethaddeus9856]

We don’t fully understand either because you never explained it

[@hdufort]

@@thewayiseeit01123 Over 45! 😅

[@thapeloafrika6459]

Thank god there's a logical explanation for the random banana eating, for a second there I thought you were gonna move right along LOL

[@clementmartinez121]

Good thing he didn't show it coming out the other end.

[@xenan7889]

@@freedomcounty6736 What

[@freedomcounty6736]

@@xenan7889 WHAT UP!!! JAWL HURR??? BOP!!! TIME IS A LIBERAL ATHEIST CONSPIRACY!!! LOOK AT THE EVIDENCE!!! ITS ALL THEIR!!!

[@beaubeaukitty5301]

Gotta Love those Banana Sandwich's with Black pepper and mayonnaise. Or the Elvis Deluxe with Bacon & Honey & Peanut butter fried in a buttered pan

[@juuk3103]

@@freedomcounty6736 Republicans have such amazing intelligence, stop flexing your chromosomes man

[@trongborg]

This video came out just in time! I'll show myself out thank you...

[@joescott]

And the pun wins the day.

[@junkjunk2493]

jeez...brilliant

[@VikingMuayThai]

but where did the Babylonians get their knowledge??

[@IskanderVFX]

😂😂😂

[@darrenjames9891]

I'm get your coat

[@Blalack77]

"If no one asks me, I know what it is. If I try to explain it to he who asks, I don't know"... I feel like that about a lot of things.

[@YourMom-yw9rk]

Grandpa told my dad and he told me. It doesn’t matter what you know if you can’t communicate it to someone else. Not sure I agree but hey that’s what you think when you write procedures for a living 😂😂

[@Blalack77]

@@YourMom-yw9rk I've heard that exact same thing quite a bit too. I think it was one of my friend's dads and he said "If you can't explain it to a little kid, then you don't really understand it"... My friend is in the process of becoming a middle school teacher - that might be part of the reason.

[@toddtrojek6521]

I don’t have time this stuff!

[@Highlander760]

Seems very much like what they showed in "Tenet". Your ahead of your time Joe!

[@heisag]

I suppose i kinda belong in the tenseless theory group, that time sorta don't exist. However, since i am paid by the hour, i usually keep quiet about it.

[@chrissonofpear1384]

Have you read any of Julian Barbour's claims on time? Or Lee Smolin's?

[@TomTomTom9146]

Same here, apart the paying part, I'm 16 and don't have a job yet but I still think in that way and didn't know that there's a group called the tenseless, thanks!

[@BenSullinsOfficial]

What do we want? TIME TRAVEL! When do we want it? IT'S IRRELEVANT!

[@retluoc]

HA! Good one!

[@Aerospace_Gaming]

Nice one

[@ytnoname1189]

Where do we want it? THAT'S A COMPLICATED QUESTION WITH A LOT OF MATH INVOLVED

[@lukes2219]

Teslanomics with Ben Sullins I remember seeing this on redit the day I first went on it

[@lordodysseus]

This joke was the only good thing in Terminator Genisys.

[@jonigomez7250]

My mind easily wanders around and I struggle with anxiety... You help me to stay in the present. You do this by always giving me something interesting to think about right this second and it's more helpful than you can imagine and because you are interesting in the way that you are, you manage to keep my attention throughout the video, I don't even mind when you plug your t-shirts. Just I guess, thank you, all around for all the great information and for being something that can keep me from going crazy!

[@johnmcm7690]

Adhd

[@jonigomez7250]

@@johnmcm7690 I have a very over active imagination and ocd

[@colemanwalsh7477]

"Depressions is living in the past and anxiety is living in the future" those are words of philosophical wisdom that are so true and an underrated statement in my eyes.

[@realitycheck3363]

"Time is what keeps everything from happening at once.'" - Ray Cummings 1922

[@TH-xo4zx]

Heheheh.. Cummings..

[@realitycheck3363]

@@TH-xo4zx Not just Cummings. Ray Cummings. He was probably a storm trooper or something.

[@NeorecnamorceN]

Who says everything isn't happening all at once but we just perceive it as linear...🤯

[@lordk.gaimiz6881]

Wow

[@travischance5332]

@@NeorecnamorceN Life inside a singularity, seeing itself as the result of a big bang.

[@napadave58]

"Daddy ... Where do bananas come from?” ‘Er ... Joe Scott’s mouth.'

[@foexsnake]

Wow, I have got to say that this video has really impacted me. I stumbled upon it while looking through my recommended and near the end where you said depression comes from living in the past and anxiety comes from living in the future where as happiness comes from living in the now really clicked for me. Thank you so much man and keep up your amazing work

[@robertduncan8801]

Thank you! You're the only person I've ever heard have that evaluation of time travel and physical displacement. :D

[@imac1957]

It does give on explanation as to why we have not seen time travellers from the future yet. They keep missing.

[@mrman5517]

i saw this video pop up, and thought to myself "it's about time!"

[@vph1r819]

fucking hell you deserve that like here you go

[@tezzo55]

Only for the time being :-B

[@antonystringfellow5152]

LOL !!!!!

[@madhououinkyoma]

noice

[@iresco3924]

@@freedomcounty6736 what?

[@one-of-us9939]

Unless someone can prove me wrong: Time was invented by people who charge interest.

[@stanislavzoldak2198]

That sounds like something Terry Pratchett would say.

[@AJ-ut8cz]

@John Cray here's the link www.google.com

[@vph1r819]

oh my god

[@thenewtalkerguy496]

Wow that's deep

[@zabdas83]

Absolutely true! Tax is the same!

[@petroc62]

Anybody else see that scene from Spaceballs playing in their mind while Joe was talking?? "When will then be now?" "Soon..."

[@eelooplanitia6640]

I love how he's just *extruding* banana.

[@davidhuber6251]

Not finishing the banana bothered me more than it should have. Great video.

[@LisaBowers]

Yeah, but since that scene was filmed in one take, I'd say that wasn't the _only_ banana he ate. If he had to do several takes, then he was probably full up to his neck with bananas and couldn't stomach that last bite. _Ooor,_ he got it right the first time and he hates finishing bananas. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@jameswhitman3934]

I'm so glad I watched this rather than just listening to it like I normally do.

[@anavrin5245]

Lmao same he’s hilariously good

[@mundusuys8739]

I'm glad the banana escaped certain demise.

[@spacepopeXIV]

Yes, yes, YES! I started watching your videos again after a while of not watching them, hoping to get that awesome sense of learning about an idea or concept that absolutely blows my mind, and will permanently stick with me forever and thus forever change my perspective about the world around me. This video absolutely helped me get my fix, especially that idea of the universe stretching being what we perceive as the movement of time. That is insane because it makes so much sense.

[@Hyraethian]

9:20 just remember that your standing, on a planet that's evolving, and revolving at 900 miles an hour. Its orbiting its reckoned 90 miles every second, the sun that is the source of all our power; And the sun, and you, and me, and all the stars that we can see, are moving at a million miiiiles a daaaay, in an outer spiral arm, at 40 thousand miles an hour, of the galaxy we call the milky way!

[@sandragoodman2227]

One of my favorite songs!

[@imac1957]

Thank Eric Idle.....

[@Sleve-McDichael]

Almost perfect. "It's orbiting at 90 miles a second, so it's reckoned"

[@fernandocabette6050]

You can time travel to the future by moving slowly too. The less i do each day, the more days blur together and woosh, a week went by and i did nothing useful...again...

[@davidtatum8682]

Yea, I have to will myself to take a piss. My life is a dumpster fire.

[@therocinante3443]

I've got to try and explain this to my boss... "I'm not REALLY an hour late boss!"

[@integrazimmy]

This is the real reason why moms say don't talk with your mouth full... You might go back in time and end up at the center of Earth's core. 🤣

[@joescott]

Bosses get very anti-philosophical when you try this.

[@chrissonofpear1384]

Thoughts on if entropy can be a reliable measure of time? It seems to just 'measure information backward'.

[@nephicus339]

@@joescott yes. yes they do.

[@OdariArt]

Dude that's too funny. Totally something I would do.

[@robynsmith4164]

January 19, 2022 - Joe, I just watched and enjoyed you talking to me about 2.5 years ago! I’ve watched MOST of your videos and have to keep going to the past to enjoy more of your videos in my future! You are right, time IS hard to understand 😁

[@krisscecil]

It's so nice to hear a person who takes an example, an illustration, etc, and unpacks it into the real world. It takes a vivid imagination within the confines of Reason to do so effectively. As my name suggests, I'm a Christian preacher. Your point regarding ACTUAL time travel necessitating the involvement of radical space travel as well brought back some favorite memories! Instances when I tried to convey the radical implications of the following statement written by a man, John the apostle, who claimed to be an eyewitness to the event: "The sea [of Galilee] became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going." John 6:18-‬21 Everyone gets caught up in walking on water. Please don't misunderstand. That was still an amazing feat, impossible using any means of their time. But you and I have seen people walk. We've also seen the surface of a lake or ocean. Is it that difficult to juxtapose the two to imagine what that would KIND OF look like? The other feat is far more subtle, quite unassuming as mere words on a page, almost too simple allowing the reader to miss it over and over again. 1. The Sea of Galilee is about 8 miles at its widest, and 13 miles at its longest. The distance between the cities mentioned in the section (Tiberias and Capernaum) is about 6 miles; just over 5 if the starting point was north of Tiberias on the shore by the mountain. 2. The writer and many of the men on the boat were fishermen. Of that very sea. They knew exactly how far they had traveled, and how far they still had to go. Even if they had gone over half the distance, they still would've at least had a mile, if not two, still to go to reach shore. 3. The word translated "immediately" is in almost every instance in the New Testament rendered "immediately." If John had meant to say something like, "The trip then became 'super easy, barely an inconvenience,'" the Greek language can handle it. So if John's account actually occurred, not only did Jesus teleport himself, he teleported the people on the ship, AND the ship! This was done instantaneously rather than creepy tunnel Willy Wonka style. So instantaneously, in fact, the only thing perceptible to John was the change in surroundings, not the boat lurching or anything. For a few minutes, I tried to start calculating the cosmic distance he would've traveled over the given time, meaning he would've also had to compensate for different velocity at their destination. Then I realized the vectors wouldn't have changed at all, and if they did, it would've been infinitesimal, even locally, due to the word "immediately." "But that means He didn't travel through Time!" First off, you're correct. But realize what it does mean! Much like the episode "Stasis" in Tales from the Loop, he either stopped Time allowing the ship to travel in an instant, or he shortened the space between two spots. Or both. He controlled spacetime. Notice his words in John 8:58, after which they try to kill him for claiming to be God: "Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am." I love asking people what that means. Invariably: "Before Abraham was, Jesus was." Nope. You got the tenses, the contexts of Time wrong. Before Abraham existed in the past, Jesus EXISTS in the PRESENT. Moving a boat, or foretelling future events, or healing people from miles away are CRAZY easy for a being that IS everyWHERE and everyWHEN. All at the same time. Sounds like something 4+dimensional entering our meager 3rd dimension as we're propelled by that 4th dimension ourselves. We're in the lazy river of Time. Jesus created the river, and then got it moving. Great video, Joe! Had me brainstorming ALL DAY! 👍

[@davidbjacobs3598]

"Ironically by the time you've even processed that very moment, it's already in the past." Joke's on you - I paused the video!!

[@Arterexius]

It's still in the past as pausing the video, doesn't pause time. You're actually resuming your percieved reality of the now, as you pause the video, since the recording of Joe in the video, is just that. A recording. It's showing a Joe of the past and not of the present. As you're watching the video, your mind percieves that past as the now, as you are still in the now, but the video remains of the past. You'll first realize the awakening of that past as the video ends and you fully resume your percieved reality of the now.

[@davidbjacobs3598]

​@@Arterexius Eh, I feel like this comment is in the past. Never look back, it distracts from the now.

[@Arterexius]

@@davidbjacobs3598 Haha, well it truly is in the past, but how will you learn in the now, if you never look back?

[@davidbjacobs3598]

@@Arterexius I make exceptions for Incredibles quotes. That should be enough.

[@thenewtalkerguy496]

@@Arterexius whoooosh

[@uptown3636]

That banana thing in reverse was trippy. As Joe "unchewed" the banana into bigger and bigger bits, the banana reassembled itself into a whole bite, at which point Joe spat it back onto the whole banana, which resorbed it. Such is the pervasiveness of entropy that it is mentally uncomfortable just to watch it run in reverse.

[@thenewtalkerguy496]

Perhaps. But I think you may be generalizing a little too much. Perhaps your incomfortability has more to do with watching someone spit up food than it has to do with entropy. I mean... crapping out food is following the laws of entropy too, would it make you uncomfortable to watch someone else do it? But I think I'd be perfectly comfortable watching an egg be unfried, so I dont think "entropy" is the deciding factor about what is "comfortable to watch" here.

[@mikiasg8867]

14:22 That spoke to me brother. Words to live by!!

[@zackmano]

Miller's equation: T=KoS×F Time keeps on slippin into the future... ✌💙

[@Witnessdomaining]

You ate a banana, then an ananab ate you.

[@MattJDylan]

...in soviet russia...

[@jacobvanveit3437]

Should it not be “you ate a banana, then: ?uoy eta ananab a” Lol

[@robertgoss4842]

Superb observation!

[@lancheloth]

You ate banana then you throw up ananab...

[@IshtheStomach]

Banana for scale!

[@pairot01]

Yesterday Joe: No one thinks about the people in 200 years!! Today Joe: The only time that matters is right now :P

[@PhilthySteel]

Beautiful

[@MIck-M]

I got smug poisoning off that apology to the future thing. Dropped in to see if it was going to be a continuing trend and am glad to see this one is a bit more... watchable.

[@LegionOfWeirdos]

It's like he's about to do an inspirational TED talk.

[@davidbjacobs3598]

Yesterday Joe doesn't matter. You know what comes from living in the past? Depression!

[@alalalala57]

@@MIck-M We get it, you don't care about the future.

[@csos636]

Love that quote u said there... about depression and anxiety... perfect

[@jasonplant5432]

Joe you are simply genius! I really liked the backwards video and how you're hand gestures were so almost on que and definitely appropriate. So good.

[@s1ashii733]

Joe: *peels a banana * Me: Is this science related?

[@emilandersenaudio]

hahaha yess!!

[@AngelProductions777]

Idk but it might be bc bananas produce anti matter

[@imdawolfman2698]

Can it really be that in 7 months nobody realized that eating the banana was the tease he mentioned at the beginning of the video that he had never done before. ✲´*。.❄¨¯`*✲。❄。*。(๏̯͡๏) *✲´*。.❄¨¯`*✲。❄。*。¨¯`*✲

[@Jorgant4]

Loved the video as always, but... Mouth sounds from the banana...*shudders*

[@balthazarfitzpatrick7770]

Yeah that was a bit of a gamble. If it wasn't Joe I would have jumped ship a second before the first bite.

[@cawfeedawg]

weirdo

[@matthewmax]

Yea. I couldn’t make it through.

[@thatguycarlos]

Yup. Gross. 🤮

[@davidcunningham6177]

I stuck with it as I assumed he was doing it for a reason...because why else would the dude be eating a banana while talking and making a video?!

[@lancheloth]

Hi Joe, I watching this and the rest of your video with my son... We share the revelations and the headaches... Thank you for giving me the means to spend time with my son and connect with him... Love your works..

[@konstanstinostzavaras1983]

Thank you for sharing Joe it was an excellent informative video

[@sibel2209]

heck yeah, time to have an existential crisis before bed!

[@fanrosefabrose9457]

right on shedule

[@trg1408]

WOOOOO 😂

[@dougrogan379]

It's the best....time

[@adilator]

What is Time? Baby don't hurt me... Don't hurt me... No more.

[@resistanceisfutile520]

Reminds me of that scene in black panther

[@mildlifeisatrisk5727]

Damn, I came here (too late) to write the very exact same thing! 😅 Guess Time just hurt me again 😄

[@nephicus339]

i only wish they let Andy Serkis do a full cover of that song in Black Panther.

[@Mike504]

Wait a minute, did you just grab my ass?

[@lizahasbeenhere.836]

Lol love it ....

[@gerryrodriguez3025]

Didn't know Joe Scott quoting Lao Tzu "If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are happy you are living in the present..." Is something i needed right now. Thanks Joe...

[@thugTaters]

Tenseless time theory finally put together what I've always thought in my head. I knew somewhere out there someone had that idea and it had to be online but for the life of me I couldn't figure out what to Google. In my brain (which, admittedly, doesnt know much about the topic) it makes the most sense.

[@azizrobinson1515]

Brilliant point raised on how when you travel back in time, you need to also travel back in space. Awesome explanation!

[@greezooo]

🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌

[@antonystringfellow5152]

I realized that one myself on hearing about a guy who claims he traveled back in time decades, as part of some military project. After just a few seconds wondering if that might be in some way possible, I realized how ridiculous this claim was. He' would have quickly died, in deep space, billions of miles away from Earth, in a part of space where the Earth would only arrive decades later.

[@evilben3810]

the banana bit reminded me of the red dwarf episode "Backwards"!

[@lauriethomasmd3760]

I so agree with you that we experience time as a proportion of our lives. This gives me comfort when I hear about the death of a child. To that child, they lived a lifetime.

[@ronschlorff7089]

In "the Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy" Ford Prefect said to Arthur Dent: "Time is an illusion; lunch-time doubly so!" I'm sticking with that explanation,..... at least for the next few years!! ;D

[@JamFilledDonut]

I don't think Newton had anything to do with the second law of thermodynamics

[@joescott]

Yes, Carnot should have been credited.

[@JamFilledDonut]

@@joescott Cool thanks for the response!

[@uremawifenowdave]

Joe Scott I would say that Carnot laid the foundations for the second law. Carnot’s theorem was concerned with the maximum efficiency of any possible engine, but was theorised at a time when the obsolete caloric theory of heat (where heat was seen as a fluid moving from hot to cold bodies) was still being considered seriously. Carnot’s theorem (1824) came long before the first law of thermodynamics had been defined by Clausius in 1850. Clausius and Kelvin then went on to define their respective statements of the second law; Clausius’ Statement being defined in 1854 and Kelvin’s Statement being defined in 1851.

[@seanhannagans]

To be fair, he did have a second law... . But the second law of thermodynamics is: "You don't talk about thermodynamics" - Tyler Durden.

[@marekkaletka6746]

Tell this to atoms, once constituting Newtons body.

[@janhemstad]

The thing we've never seen Joe do before: eat a banana and then vomit it back together. 🍌

[@maxnullifidian]

Yeah, I was wondering why he was eating a banana, and figured he was going to eat it in reverse. I anticipated the future past!

[@stvp68]

Jan Hemstad Ah, THAT’s why the video didn’t match the audio!

[@osgiliath4]

@@stvp68 I think it did though

[@whosscruffylookin95]

Joe please never do this again XD

[@Lowlander-ci7is]

Am I a bad person if it turned me on? 😎

[@karlesmcquade2863]

Wow. Nicely done! This video is not just an insightful exposition on the nature of time, it's also an artistically meaningful illustration. Bravo.

[@jamessharier7529]

The banana skit was awesome and proves why the here and now is truly the only time travel we experience

[@dvdemon187]

13:30 Thank you, for making this point. I can't exactly remember, at what point in my life I realized this fact, but it was really enlightening. Simple and logical. I also noticed, that not many people realize this simple fact and I'm always thrilled, when someone explains it.

[@2010kevinsmith]

“Now” is a gift. That’s why we call it the “present” :-)

[@MegaMaurizione]

Cringe

[@crackedemerald4930]

Ah yes, Kung Fu turtle.

[@zavoj_youtube]

Only in english, sorry

[@lix8888]

I had a good time watching this. thank you

[@ryanhasza5882]

Loved your banana reverse, and the time slipping reference... Lol,.. Awesome

[@pwnmclovin1]

"There is a saying; Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present." -Oogway, the humble turtle from Kung Fu Panda

[@lonestarr1490]

Works only in English.

[@scottyb616]

There is also a saying "Life is like a roll of toilet paper. The close you get to the end, the faster it goes." - my 7th grade science teacher.

[@bartrigby2795]

You quoted a f**king cartoon get f**king real

[@miguelpereira9859]

@Allison VP That is correct but it's spelled "presente"

[@ichibanalpha]

9:10 But in steins gate they address this and come up with a solution of locking the time machine to the gravitational field of the earth, or something. So theres that.

[@BlakeRyanFilm]

ichibanalpha I’ve never seen that concept published anywhere but that is exactly what I’ve theorized as the only possibility to hold some relative positioning to the Earth. Though, I still would count in the spinning and tilt of the Earth which (if slipping between spacetime via wormhole) would most likely drop you either higher or lower in elevation from where you began oppose to where you reappeared.

[@evanfaustin5744]

i love this guy he makes me feel like a big brain bc i can understand half of the science stuff he says thanks joe!

[@TygreKitty]

Great explanation

[@guitarguru.3572]

I’m absolutely loving your videos. I’ve been sending several links to my son. He’s only 12, but he’s incredibly eager to learn about higher-level topics, such as relativity. I really appreciate that you cover complex topics without coming across as pretentious or boring, and you have an ability to explain things that pretty much anyone that’s paying attention can understand. You are a gentleman and a scholar, sir. Thank you.

[@bigsteve1664]

You've definitely raised your son well. Hope he's still fascinated by learning. I hated school and learning stuff I wasn't interested in in general. Never done any homework or revision for exams etc. Luckily for me I could retain what I was taught in class to a decent extent so when it came for final exams I scraped by with B's and C's which I was happy with. It's only been since I turned 23ish that I started to study science for the fun and joy of learning for the sake of it. I wonder sometimes with regret if I actually had this thirst for knowledge during my school years, whether I could have done better, went to university, and been in a different line of work. I'm a network engineer, which is still a good job, but always get those 'what if' moments. Sorry for my life story lol.

[@HighFlyActionGuy]

How many times did you draw up that time reversal scene before you decided on the banana?

[@battlefieldcustoms873]

HighFlyActionGuy ded lololol

[@HighFlyActionGuy]

@҉ I think it was clutch. Without using a prop it would have been harder to see and understand exactly what he meant as time moved backward.

[@Arterexius]

@҉ Most people do. Take a stroll through your city and look at people dining in the local cafés. Most of them are talking and eating on the same time. The eating part is merely because it would be a great thing to do while hanging out.

[@JohnDoe-ni7kl]

Thank you for being very educating to a common audience

[@nikolo98]

The final part about living in the perpetual moment is one of the smartest things I’ve heard. Great way of putting it!

[@jonbresler3295]

You're older than you've ever been. And now you're even older. And now you're even older. And now you're even older. You're older than you've ever been. And now you're even older. And now you're older still. - They Might Be Giants

[@joescott]

Not to put too fine a point on it...

[@TheSuzberry]

I am older than I ever intended to be.

[@liquidminds]

I read your comment from Bottom to top... Still checks out.

[@nozack5612]

And younger than you shall ever be.

[@bobbailey4954]

No kidding

[@MarkAhlquist]

My favorite: Time keeps everything from happening at once!

[@altortugas5979]

The relational nature of how we experience time Is not about how old we are, but how fast our brain is making memories. You make a lot more memories, encoding information as a matter of cognitive development, when you are younger. That’s the same reason why “time slows down” in moments of stress, you are making more memories, encoding information at a high rate, so that you have the most information to make decisions as quickly as possible. This also explains why traumatic distress can be an outcome of extremely stressful situations, because you have encoded lots of information into memory of that stressful moment.

[@seltelle3429]

❤️ You always keep me learning and laughing at the same time

[@ERROR_-_404]

The banana improved the talk about teleportation a lot.

[@Diggnuts]

It helped with scale..

[@miguelangelriveiro]

Does the banana help you to "slip" in time??? ... maybe only when it is on the floor... Thanks for another fantastic video!

[@Krakology]

i have had the same argument, if i go back in time, the earth wasn't there. nice to see others on the same path of logic

[@kenaujak]

The perfect video for 3 am existentialism. Glad I found this.

[@kms1011]

"Depression comes from living in the past, anxiety comes from living in tge future, and happiness comes from living now" Well What the fuck’s my brain doing when i’ve been dealing with depression and anxiety for years. My brain’s an overachiever

[@raylovelace8588]

Think Robin Williams.

[@RedRum.]

Millennial problems lol

[@pete2861]

Thank you for bringing up the problem of traveling in time and the planet not being there. This has been one of my big issues with the concept of time travel, you need to travel in space as well as in time. Explained nicely. ;)

[@danieljensen2626]

Yeah, except it wouldn't really work the way he says either because there is no universal reference frame. The surface of the Earth moves with respect to the core, the Earth as a whole moves with respect to the sun, the sun moves with respect to the galaxy, the galaxy moves with respect to the local group, the local group moves with respect to the Virgo Supercluster, the Virgo Supercluster moves with respect to the Laniakea Supercluster, the Laniakea Supercluster moves with respect to the CMB, the CMB moves with respect to everything outside the observable universe... There's no way to pick where that chain ends, so saying you'd end up somewhere else isn't actually any more accurate than saying you wouldn't move at all. It would really depend on how your time machine worked, if it worked at all.

[@pete2861]

@@danieljensen2626 I think we are saying the same thing. You would (in my mind) travel in time but remain 'local' in space. So the earth wouldn't be where you are.

[@danieljensen2626]

@@pete2861 But local doesn't mean anything. Your time machine being tied to a specific location on Earth honestly makes more sense than it being tied to the sun or the center of the universe or something. But again, it all depends on how your time machine works.

[@pete2861]

@@danieljensen2626 'local' meaning you are not moving through space-time. the earth is moving through space-time. So when you time travel, if it were possible, you are not traveling through space, you are only traveling through time. So local means some specific non-changing position in space-time, not a geographical location on a body moving through it.

[@danieljensen2626]

@@pete2861 That's the problem though, there's no such thing. Motion is relative, everything is both moving and not moving. If you're thinking of positions in space as a point on a graph with coordinates, stop doing that because it's impossible. You say that the Earth is moving through space-time, but that's a meaningless statement because you haven't specified what it's moving relative to. The Earth isn't moving at all relative to itself, and it isn't moving at all relative to us (unless of course you're driving or walking or something). There are no such things as universal fixed points in Space-time that travel only in time and not in space, it depends on your reference frame. And no reference frame is better than any other. If your reference frame is Earth, you'd stay on the Earth. If it's the sun, yes you'd be ahead or behind the Earth in it's orbit. But your reference frame could just as well be any cosmic ray shooting past the Earth, in which case you'd fly off in a random direction. Or your reference frame could be Elon's Roadster from the Falcon Heavy Launch. If you're thinking "well the Sun in the correct reference frame", stop thinking that, because it isn't. There's no such thing as a "correct" or "incorrect" reference frame. They're all equally valid.

[@BathersonMote]

In a way, it is impossible to live in "the now". Each of us is living in both the past and the future at the same time. Everything you see, hear, feel, and taste takes time to travel and be processed by the brain. When we see a bird, it took time for that light to reach the eye, the signal from the eye took time to travel to the brain and finally be processed. The same happens if we stub our toe, it takes time for the nerves to transmit that signal to the brain. The same goes for taste and hearing. Even if only by a tiny fraction of a second, our brain is experiencing the past. Our consciousness, from the body's viewpoint is living in the past, and because our body is experiencing things that our consciousness has yet to experience, it exists in the future. Basically, we're living in the past, the future, and two separate nows.

[@richardlarson1636]

Listen to the banana spiel. It was heartfelt. Why? No script. Genuine contemplation. Good on ya.

[@TangoNevada]

What time is it? "Now or when you asked me"?

[@willyamramos1957]

Who need Vsauce when we have Joe Scott. This was amazing dude, thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.

[@alexanderoweka9716]

This video is a time trip, and I'm so high right now, it's amazing!

[@ssgyates]

Love your closing

[@artificernathaniel3287]

"Hey yall, Texan Vsauce here!" Your intro reminded me of their intros they used to do.

[@jch8175]

Nathaniel Pool when did he say taht

[@Bran-don321]

Outstanding! This was one of my favorite videos. You did a terrific job explaining and portraying a theory of time travel. Great job sir

[@BrightestBlessings7899]

I believe that each of us is born into world knowing everything and to begin choosing our direction in life to accomplish our true purpose. We will keep coming back over and over to accomplish this. I can hardly wait to see what happens. Because we are all still in the middle of it. Brightest Blessings.

[@foxxfury145]

Yes this is good to watch before bed. *no sleep*

[@hareecionelson5875]

The past is history, the future is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why we call it the present. ~ Master Oogway

[@gepzene1]

Perfect

[@JohnHoggard_aka_DaddyHoggy]

In Quantum Leap - Sam could only jump back in time within his own lifetime.

[@mrfast1esmc]

Luv Ya Joe !! Brick, NJ

[@itza22veveritza]

Love your videos,Joe!!!👏👏👏👍🏻

[@josephvalvano829]

You consistently expand the minds of all your viewership. Kudos!

[@ronschlorff7089]

I agree! Big African Antelopes to you, Joe!!

[@terryforshee5203]

**expanding minds** classic entropy in action. 🤔

[@6stringsbrainfingers]

Just found your channel the other day Joe. Subbed and love it!

[@Dragonspun]

You really pulled off that banana part extremely well. What you were saying matched up with your movements so perfectly. As long as I didn't look at your mouth moving (or the banana), I'd probably have been convinced there was nothing amiss. Well done. :)

[@samogumi5063]

Talk of equalibria, I have two devices with youtube simultaneously playing this video. Not wierd at all. Luv u and your emotional intelligence+ sublime comic timing. More Joe please!

[@nicholasperkins4655]

Banana and Anti-matter! Love the inside joke there!

[@cmdr.shepard]

You mean Anti Banana.

[@earshotmedia7629]

Didn't get this the first time. Was very distracted by the banana.

[@Mike504]

If the present matters. And I'm watching Joe now. That means Joe matters.

[@cesarangeles1204]

Joe mama

[@Actionray]

Dude when you pulled out that banana i lost my shit lmfao so funny

[@andrewedis9907]

The distance thing in time travel has always bugged me too. I'm happy to see im not the only one!

[@sumitkapoor5188]

I really love your channel.. I have seen all your videos and i even re-watch them all the time

[@UATU.]

Sumit Kapoor ditto!

[@jnanashakti6036]

God bless your tangent cam. It is also your "tidying required" cam.

[@smellthel]

I think we exist at all times simultaneously but we feel like time is passing in one way because from our perspective things forward in time didn’t happen yet

[@stevekeeler2736]

Awesome as always Joe, thoroughly entertaining. What I don’t get is why on earth so many people would find the time to dislike this video?