Reading Assignment 1 for the lecture on Time.

The WWW is full of information on the nature of time. This information ranges from very detailed (e.g. papers on string theory and general relativity) to crack pot. Below are a few links that I think are at a reasonable level.

In your reading, you are looking for the answer to the question: What is time?

As you read, it might be good to do the following things:

• Do not worry about reading all the material on each of the sites. You should read the main page and try to understand the discussion.
• If you have a question about something you read, make a note and ask in class or office hours.
• Keep a notebook (3 ring binder, or an electronic version) of explanations you think are particually good, or that help you understand the material.

Topics and links:

Introduction - From PBS with a number of good links: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/time/through.html

History of time - Too much material, but fun to look at some of it: http://physics.nist.gov/GenInt/Time/time.html

More on Time travel - http://science.howstuffworks.com/time-travel.htm

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