Two threads for the price of one; How long is NOW? And also; The problem of the chair.

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As in the moment of the present, the actual kinetic, not potential or expended, the here and NOW, the bit we are actually living in, not the past or the future. How long is it? Physiologically? Philosophically? At which point during my typing of the word "radish" is my right index finger in 'now'? At the r, the a, the d? At which point is the r the past and the d the future? How much movement do we see in an instant? If we see a ball kicked 300 yards away and hear the *thump* of foot on leather seconds later, which is 'now'? Is 'now' the distance between the two? I know this seems crazy but I keep thinking about this as I'm walking around, saying to myself "there is no past and there is no future, only the present, but how long is the present?" If the present is a tiny freeze-frame in time's (non)linear procession how come we can see motion?

ARGH!

And also, for all you epistemologists out there (and/or ontologists too), may I proffer the conundrum of the table.

There is a table in a room with four legs, a frame, and a top. One day you replace a leg because it is worn, and place the old leg in the shed. It is still the same table. The next day you replace another leg because it is worn. Two days later all four legs are replaced and all the old legs are in the shed. It is still the same table? The day after that you replace the frame and put the old one in the shed. Still the same table? The next day you replace the top and put the old top in the shed. Still the same table? The day after that you have a shed-sale, and someone buys all your old worn table bits for $1 and puts them back together again in front of you. Which is the table? Are they both the same table? When did your table stop being your table? (You can, if you like, consider this conundrum using Cher instead of the table.)

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 10 April 2003 08:10 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd just like to point out that I meant left index finger; I am not that bad a typist that I only use the index finger on one hand. No no no; I use the index fingers on both hands!

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 10 April 2003 08:16 (twenty-two years ago)

The most important thing to remember when replacing table legs, is not to walk around the streets of London with the old table leg in a plastic carrier bag.

― C J (C J), Thursday, 10 April 2003 08:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Where you using "radish" as an adjective?

― Alfie (Alfie), Thursday, 10 April 2003 09:07 (twenty-two years ago)

I was if you want me to have been doing so. Death of the author and all that.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 10 April 2003 09:08 (twenty-two years ago)

(Were, even.)

Ooo, interactive Nick!

― Alfie (Alfie), Thursday, 10 April 2003 09:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Aye, I'm like one of those "read your own adventure" books only with ILX posts about pointless crap.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 10 April 2003 09:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Now move to page 11.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 10 April 2003 09:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Maybe St Etienne can help us with this one, because they entitled a song "The Way We Live Now". "Now" is however long it takes until the way we live changes. Then, when we are living in that *different* way, "now" refers to that. In short, "now" has no independent existence, it can only relate to something else. We are fooled into thinking that "now" can have independent usage by the fact that we shout "Now!" to indicate that we want done something done straightaway. This is, however, just shorthand - we might start a race by shouting "Now!" but of course we are really saying "(I want you to start running) now!", but if it was expressed in this way it could lose its impact.

― MarkH (MarkH), Thursday, 10 April 2003 09:43 (twenty-two years ago)

I was okay this morning until I started reading this thread. I have a headache now. And by "now", I mean since about 11.23 am and still ongoing.

― C J (C J), Thursday, 10 April 2003 10:04 (twenty-two years ago)

of course the word "moment" did used to have a defintion in medieval times. According to the notes to The Cloud of Unknowing. I think it might have been nine fifty-thirds of a second.

― MarkH (MarkH), Thursday, 10 April 2003 10:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Nick, you think too much! Now go and lobotomise yourself.

As for the table, did you make sure you covered the legs - I have it on good authority that British men can get quite excited by the mere sight of a naked table leg. Hence I also think it's not a good idea to have that many of them lying about in the shed where you might cave in to temptation.

― Wouldn't you like to know (Amused), Thursday, 10 April 2003 11:07 (twenty-two years ago)

http://ilxor.petfield.com/images/table_of_now.jpg

― Alfie (Alfie), Thursday, 10 April 2003 11:10 (twenty-two years ago)

MarkH, is it possible that said St Etienne song is named after this or even this? The thieving buggers! I have the first one; it's very good.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 10 April 2003 11:42 (twenty-two years ago)

And Alfie; thank you so, so much. You cannot measure the pleasure you have given me.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 10 April 2003 11:43 (twenty-two years ago)

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