People talk about progress and achievement; people talk about knowledge and truth; people talk about truth and justice; and people talk about beauty and love. But you and I know that the real nub and the true hub of life and existence is none of the above. It is time itself, that quintessentially mysterious and elusively capricious citizen of this universe. It reveals and reflects all that there is, has been, and ever will be. When we know time, when we know it with the intimacy of a good friend, that “aha” moment will be the greatest moment of our history, and of all histories.

Of course, that “aha” moment would appear to be a long long way away. We seem at this juncture, and for many junctures to come, to be in a situation of “your guess is probably as good as mine”.

Which is why this website will become a forum for all the various news and views about the fundamental question of what time is. And feel free also to expound on what time is not. That’s important too…

“Le plus important est invisible…” said the little prince in Antoine de St. Exupéry’s classic book. And time, the most important thing of all, is an invisible thing. If indeed it is a thing. Perhaps it is only seen in its effects. Perhaps it can only be seen by the heart.

Many are satisfied with an operational definition. Something like “time is what I measure with a clock”. I do not find this sufficiently satisfying. And as our clocks become more and more and more accurate they don’t tell me enough of the essence and nature and true being of time. The snowflake of time which was right there in my hand disappears before I really understood what it was.

There are a lot of false substitutes to the explanation we seek. At this time of year, New Year’s Eve, we are reminded that the human concepts of time are so often artificial. We celebrate a time that we have decided is significant, but to the Universe of true meaning, it has no meaning. Let’s eschew the artificial, and seek that holy grail.

Happy New Year, one and all.

Avec amities

Jack