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Week 1 Reflections

I really enjoyed the conversation about time, specifically the delineation between M-Time and P-Time. I have felt held hostage by time, sometimes with a loathing for the concept. I have also felt a pang of self-consciousness about my preoccupation with time when the people around me seem indifferent to schedules and deadlines. Hall's description breaks down the time paradigms elegantly and helped me to see the contradictory views with which I approach time. I see points on both sides of the chart that I have tried to fit into one view of time, leading to frustration. I strongly associate the P-Time, and for years have dreamt of the scenario where I build the foundation of my life in accordance with those values. Some of the details include living closer to natural cycles and working for myself. However, we live in a western society and M-time rules. I adhered to M-time to make it through all of my formal education, many jobs and even to strengthen relationships with family members. It's helpful to have the M-time paradigm broken down in the chart so I can relax in an M-time scenario, knowing the rules and limitations. When I'm in a P-time scene during travels or with certain friends, I will enjoy it, and rest up for those M-time deadlines.

I was also left very curious about the idea that the earth's tides slowed down the rotation of the moon on its axis. I knew that the moon and tides were linked, but I did not know the extent of it. I enjoyed the visuals and explanations included in the articles linked below. Basically, the moon makes one complete rotation on its axis in the same amount of time it takes for it to complete one orbit around the Earth. This is why we on Earth only see one side of the moon. But the other side of the moon is not dark! It sees as much sun as the side we can see. It's simply "in the dark" for us, since we cannot see it. I adore the poetic description from the University of Illinois which describes Pluto and its moon, Charon, as being "locked in a tidal embrace." I enjoy feeling like we are in an embrace with our moon. The gravitational pull of the Earth has slowed the spinning of the moon to match our pace; in turn the friction between the moon and the Earth is slowing the rotation of the Earth, thus the extra second we stray from the atomic clock every 500 days. To my delight this concept brought me back to the time arrow of entropy. I visualize the energy which propels the moon and Earth to spin on their axes steadily dispersing as their rotation slows.

Articles on the dark side of the moon and tidal locking:


Comments

  1. LidaRose15 May 2017 at 15:48

    Amy,

    Your descripitons of time remind me of Ying and Yang. P- Time you enjoy restfully; M-time, you feel hostage. Perhaps the physics of this lesson is for tease out how we can merge the two. Both have pros and cons.

    ReplyDelete

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