there is no time
Think about it … We use the notion of time to classify events in the world around us according to whether they have already occurred (the past), are occuring (the present) or still need to occur (the future). Does time really exist or is it but a construction of our mind to help us deal with the world? Does time exist beyond of what we make of it through our perception?
Quantum physics is ‘timeless’. Professor of physics at the University of Marseille, France, extends the understanding of ‘no time’ (reminds me of my Uchronian friends) to our everyday experience suggesting, it is but a construct we use to simplify the world. He uses the following example:
“Take the example of a teacup, sitting on a table, which then falls and smashes into several pieces on the floor. There is nothing surprising about this sequence of events for us. But the idea that the pieces could fly back together and become a whole teacup again seems entirely impossible.
But it’s not actually impossible. There is nothing in the laws of physics that would make such an event impossible–it is only very improbable. It is only because of our limited view of the world, Rovelli argues, that we reject highly improbable future propositions and turn them into impossibilities.”
His colleague, Robin Le Poidevin, professor of philosophy at Leeds University, UK, sees it slightly different.
“He believes that there is a flow of time, although it is not one that moves independently from past to future. Instead, it is made up of a causal chain, with each cause having an effect that leads to another, and so on.
In other words, we cannot see a future where the teacup gets back together if there is no obvious cause for it. “
To both however, human perception is the key factor in how we interpret time.
Fascinating thought experiment. So maybe the future already happened …
Read the full article published by Forbes here as well as their other articles concerning the topic “What is time?”.
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