h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Had to get the train into Leeds today.

Amused myself whilst waiting by watching the digital clocks on the two neighbouring platforms tick off the seconds in their respective timezones: platform 2 is 13 seconds ahead of platform 1, and yet both are the same strip of concrete, between two tracks.

I was pondering: if they really were two timezones, becaues we can communicate across them, would this be any use?

I'm currently listening to Shaun Micallef's breakfast show via webcast: he's in Melbourne, Australia so it's already 6am Wednesday there, & it's 9pm Tuesday here. But I can't get him (or anyone else there of course) to ring me up with the lottery results for tonight, because, once it's 7pm there, it'll only be 10am here, & when it's 7pm here, that's too late to buy a ticket!

In other words, their Wednesday is our Tuesday. If this doesn't make your brain do backflips, think about the same principle applied to the stars, & lightyears. Where is 'now'?

I think I've strayed from my point (whatever it was...)

My theory is it isn't any help to see what's happening in another time, as by the time you communicate with that time, it's too late (or early, depending on which way round you're viewing history of course).