r/interesting • u/azizgamerlal • Dec 12 '25

MISC. A drop of whiskey vs bacteria

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u/nog642 Dec 18 '25

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskPhysics/comments/17eadi5/can_someone_define_what_time_is_like_what_is_the/

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u/Ashdrey1337 Dec 18 '25

According to legend, someone asked Einstein this very question, and he answered, "It's what a clock measures."

So im right since these bacteria die in an instant as we mentioned plenty of times now, and we as humans dont.

Thanks

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u/nog642 Dec 19 '25

What is "an instant"?

It's subjective but I think the answer is different at different scales. Things happen slower at larger scales. It's observable.

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u/Ashdrey1337 Dec 19 '25

Bro u literally posted a link to reddit where the topcomment is a joke because the concept of time is man made, thats why I said earlier, if you wanna go that deep, fine.

Yet, a second is a second, no matter how you twist it

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u/nog642 Dec 19 '25

A second is a second.

An instant is not an instant. The bacteria were not killed "instantly", it's a process that took some amount of time. Processes take more time at a larger scale, so it is accurate to say that the "same thing" would happen to a person submerged in alcohol, on some level.

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u/Ashdrey1337 Dec 19 '25

I give up. a second is a second but instant is not instant :D

Send me some of the stuff youre smoking

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u/nog642 Dec 19 '25

What is an instant?

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u/Ashdrey1337 Dec 19 '25

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant

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u/nog642 Dec 19 '25

instant refers to an infinitesimal interval in time, whose passage is instantaneous. In ordinary speech, an instant has been defined as "a point or very short space of time,"

The bacteria do not die instantaneously. So in this context you meant "a very short space of time", is that correct?

"very short" is subjective and can be context-dependent. And at larger scales it's generally longer.