Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture

Message-ID	<4E111CBD.3070006@SPAM.comp-arch.net> (permalink)
Date	2011-07-03 18:51 -0700
From	"Andy \"Krazy\" Glew" <andy@SPAM.comp-arch.net>
Organization	comp-arch.net
Newsgroups	comp.arch
Subject	Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture
References	(1 earlier) <6s5ud8-ikv2.ln1@ntp6.tmsw.no> <4e0e2a2f.820481@news.aioe.org> <ko13e8-bm4.ln1@ntp6.tmsw.no> <4e0f0fb6.148514@news.aioe.org> <4E10B476.4070405@SPAM.comp-arch.net>

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On 7/3/2011 11:27 AM, Andy "Krazy" Glew wrote:
>> On Sat, 02 Jul 2011 10:33:53 +0200, Terje Mathisen<"terje.mathisen at
>> tmsw.no"> wrote, in part:
>
>>> Add in relativity and you realize that it might not be even
>>> theoretically possible to determine which of two events happened
>>> "first".
>
> At the moment there still exist interpretations of modern physics,
> including relativity, that admit causality, that deny the possibility of
> non-causal loops.
>
> (Notice that I have said this carefully: there are, of course, many
> versions of modern physics that enthusiastically embrace denial of
> causality and the arrow of time.)
>
> This means that even relativistic systems, under these interpretations,
> are partial orders. And every partial order can be converted into a
> total order. Usually in many different ways.
>
> I do not think that such total orders are especially useful if you want
> to prove a "happened before" statement, since there can usually
> be constructed multiple total orders, in at least some of which the
> "happened before" statement you wanted may not be true.

By the way, I am well aware that I have betrayed myself as a QUOD 
(QUantum Orthodoxy Doubter).  Or is that ROD (Relativity Orthodoxy Doubter)?

If I'm a QUOD, I'm in good company: Einstein, Schrodinger, Bohm, Bell. 
By coincidence, I spent much of this afternoon sitting beside my broken 
down car, waiting for a tow and then a lift, reading "The Infamous 
Boundary: Seven Decades of Heresy in Quantum Physics" by David Wick.

I'm not really a Relativity Doubter: I just don't think that causality 
has been totally put aside. Yet.  It may one day be.

In any case, I am not advocating a total time or absolute order.  Quite 
the contrary: I think that we might as well get used to the lack thereof.

I only mention certain attempts to create a total order, such as Intel's
synchronization of clocks, and Lamport time, as examples of the other 
side of the argument.

Thread

Notions of Time in Computer Architecture "Andy \"Krazy\" Glew" <andy@SPAM.comp-arch.net> - 2011-06-29 15:12 -0700
  Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture Robert Myers <rbmyersusa@gmail.com> - 2011-06-29 22:08 -0400
  Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture Terje Mathisen <"terje.mathisen at tmsw.no"> - 2011-06-30 14:13 +0200
    Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture Morten Reistad <first@last.name> - 2011-06-30 18:19 +0200
    Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture ChrisQ <meru@devnull.com> - 2011-06-30 21:23 +0100
      Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture Rick Jones <rick.jones2@hp.com> - 2011-06-30 19:42 +0000
        Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture Terje Mathisen <"terje.mathisen at tmsw.no"> - 2011-07-01 10:46 +0200
          Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture Rick Jones <rick.jones2@hp.com> - 2011-07-01 15:17 +0000
            Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture ChrisQ <meru@devnull.com> - 2011-07-04 16:51 +0100
      Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture nmm1@cam.ac.uk - 2011-07-01 05:54 +0100
    Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture "Andy \"Krazy\" Glew" <andy@SPAM.comp-arch.net> - 2011-06-30 22:42 -0700
    Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture jsavard@excxn.aNOSPAMb.cdn.invalid (John Savard) - 2011-07-01 20:16 +0000
      Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture Terje Mathisen <"terje.mathisen at tmsw.no"> - 2011-07-02 10:33 +0200
        Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture nmm1@cam.ac.uk - 2011-07-02 09:26 +0100
        Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture jsavard@excxn.aNOSPAMb.cdn.invalid (John Savard) - 2011-07-02 12:40 +0000
          Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture nmm1@cam.ac.uk - 2011-07-02 16:14 +0100
          Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture Robert Myers <rbmyersusa@gmail.com> - 2011-07-02 16:48 -0400
            Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2011-07-02 14:27 -0700
              Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture Stephen Sprunk <stephen@sprunk.org> - 2011-07-03 15:07 -0500
                Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture Terje Mathisen <"terje.mathisen at tmsw.no"> - 2011-07-04 08:15 +0200
                Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture Morten Reistad <first@last.name> - 2011-07-04 17:50 +0200
                Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture Terje Mathisen <"terje.mathisen at tmsw.no"> - 2011-07-04 21:21 +0200
                Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2011-07-04 23:44 -0500
                Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture Terje Mathisen <"terje.mathisen at tmsw.no"> - 2011-07-05 07:51 +0200
                Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2011-07-05 01:56 -0500
            Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture Morten Reistad <first@last.name> - 2011-07-03 19:28 +0200
          Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture "Andy \"Krazy\" Glew" <andy@SPAM.comp-arch.net> - 2011-07-03 11:27 -0700
            Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture nmm1@cam.ac.uk - 2011-07-03 22:13 +0100
              Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture "Andy \"Krazy\" Glew" <andy@SPAM.comp-arch.net> - 2011-07-03 18:53 -0700
                Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture nmm1@cam.ac.uk - 2011-07-04 08:34 +0100
            Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture "Andy \"Krazy\" Glew" <andy@SPAM.comp-arch.net> - 2011-07-03 18:51 -0700
            Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at (Anton Ertl) - 2011-07-04 09:20 +0000
              Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture Robert Myers <rbmyersusa@gmail.com> - 2011-07-04 12:26 -0700
                Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture EricP <ThatWouldBeTelling@thevillage.com> - 2011-07-04 19:35 -0400
                Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture Bernd Paysan <bernd.paysan@gmx.de> - 2011-07-08 15:48 +0200
            Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2011-07-05 15:24 -0700
              Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture "Andy \"Krazy\" Glew" <andy@SPAM.comp-arch.net> - 2011-07-08 09:25 -0700
                Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture Robert Myers <rbmyersusa@gmail.com> - 2011-07-08 12:12 -0700
                Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture "Andy \"Krazy\" Glew" <andy@SPAM.comp-arch.net> - 2011-07-08 17:27 -0700
                Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture Robert Myers <rbmyersusa@gmail.com> - 2011-07-09 18:07 -0400
                Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture EricP <ThatWouldBeTelling@thevillage.com> - 2011-07-10 12:03 -0400
                Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture Robert Myers <rbmyersusa@gmail.com> - 2011-07-10 13:02 -0700
    Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture Bernd Paysan <bernd.paysan@gmx.de> - 2011-07-08 15:13 +0200
  Re: Notions of Time in Computer Architecture Gubbi <gubsan100@hotmail.com> - 2011-07-01 00:50 -0700

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