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Time, Space, Physical Dimension

The dis-embedding and re-embedding of time, space and matter are nowadays gaining new degrees of intensity and meaning.

A complex worldwide constitution of space-time-physical size interactively connects at least three dimensions: micro (e.g. relations person-to-person), meso (e.g. ethnic groups, communities) and macro (e.g. great areas of civilisation and the Planet itself).

Different places of the world, different time (archaic, rural, industrial, post-industrial) and different size (small, medium, large) are so much connected that it possible to conceive a new unity between diversity.

Three interconnection tendencies can be noticed.

One of them regards the perception of time. Once the separation of three time dimensions (past, present and future) was taken for certain, today there is more awareness of the relativity effect of time due to the simultaneous existence of three times, the present of the past, the present of the present and the present of the future (as wrote by S. Agostino centuries ago).

Another tendency concerns the effect of the time dimension on the spatial dimension. Local and global become in fact both relevant and concurrent, and have to be managed in an integrated manner (glocacity).

Finally (third tendency), as far as time and space dimensions are linked and have effects on the physical dimension, there is possibility to connect whole processes that could decelerate the day-by-day flow of time, energy, matter as well as of people.