Advances in our understanding of the physical universe have dramatically affected how we view ourselves. Right at the core of all modern thinking about the universe is the assumption that dynamics is an elemental feature that exists without question. However, ongoing research into the quantum nature of time is challenging this view: my recently introduced quantum theory of time suggests that dynamics may be a phenomenological consequence of a fundamental violation of time reversal symmetry. I show here that there is consistency between the new theory and the block universe view. I also discuss the new theory in relation to the human experience of existing in the present moment, able to reflect on the past and contemplate a future that is yet to happen.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Foundations of quantum mechanics and their impact on contemporary society'.
Advances in our understanding of the physical universe have dramatically affected how we view ourselves. Right at the core of all modern thinking about the universe is the assumption that dynamics is an elemental feature that exists without question. However, ongoing research into the quantum nature of time is challenging this view: my recently introduced quantum theory of time suggests that dynamics may be a phenomenological consequence of a fundamental violation of time reversal symmetry. I show here that there is consistency between the new theory and the block universe view. I also discuss the new theory in relation to the human experience of existing in the present moment, able to reflect on the past and contemplate a future that is yet to happen.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Foundations of quantum mechanics and their impact on contemporary society'.
Abstract In their recent articles Gruber, Block and Montemayor (2022: Front. Psychol., 13, 718505) and Buonomano and Rovelli (2022: arXiv:2110.01976) discuss the differences between time in physics and psychology. With the aim of commenting on their views, we first outline a few general aspects of relativity theory, and some of the core elements of our approach, referring the reader to Aerts (1996: Found. Phys., 26, 1627–1644; 2018: Found. Sci., 23, 511–547), Aerts and Aerts (2004: in A. C. Elitzur, S. Dolev and N. Kolenda (Eds), Quo Vadis Quantum Mechanics? Possible Developments in Quantum Theory in the 21st Century, pp. 153–207) and Aerts and Sassoli de Bianchi (2023: arXiv:2307.04764) for more details. In our approach, the ability of the experimenter to freely choose to perform or not to perform an experiment is explicitly considered and applied to the typical twin-paradox situation. This leads to the definition of a four-dimensional spacetime reality for each observer, a personal block universe. This is compatible with the existence of a local contextual present for each observer, travelling on their worldline, from their personal past to their personal future. Global spacetime becomes, as a corollary, a structure full of measurement-induced bifurcations towards the future, thus fundamentally nondeterministic. We analyze and highlight how this nondeterministic global reality is the one that follows from an operational approach inspired by quantum foundations, opening a way for an integration of relativity and quantum.
This paper introduces a theoretical framework that bridges the conceptual divide between quantum mechanics and relativity by proposing a fundamental building block of the universe: the “Space-Time* quantum.” The theory posits that every object possesses an inherent property, Time* — defined as the reciprocal of its intrinsic frequency. The Space-Time* quantum is a composite entity, consisting of a timeless space energy and a kinetic Time* energy. This framework provides a new perspective on wave-particle duality, the double-slit experiment, and quantum entanglement. It re-examines the principles of Special Relativity, offering a conceptual and visual explanation of phenomena such as time dilation and length contraction as a consequence of changes in the Space-Time quanta. The theory also provides an alternative view on the origin of the universe and the nature of gravity, suggesting that gravitational effects arise from an energy deficiency rather than a curvature of spacetime. This paper establishes a conceptual foundation for further mathematical development to test and validate these new insights.
Modern quantum mechanics, despite its relativistic extensions, provides intriguing support for a present-centered view of time. This paper argues that quantum phenomena – indeterminacy, wavefunction collapse, the Born rule, and temporal asymmetries in measurement – challenge the static block universe of eternalism and instead elevate the present moment to ontological prominence. Remaining largely interpretation-neutral, we draw on a range of perspectives (from Einstein’s relativity to collapse models, and thinkers like Heisenberg, Rovelli, Maudlin and others) to show that quantum theory operationally distinguishes past, present, and future in a way classical physics did not. We examine how the measurement problem and the randomness of quantum outcomes resist a fully eternalist description, highlight how quantum mechanics introduces an arrow of time at a fundamental level, and consider proposals (e.g. GRW theory, delayed-choice experiments) that make a global present – or something akin to it – conceptually necessary. Classical philosophers and physicists from Einstein to Schrödinger are discussed alongside contemporary voices. While stopping short of endorsing any single ontology outright, we contend that the empirical success of quantum theory re-opens the case for presentism or related “A-theoretic” models of time. In closing, we introduce Existential Realism as a novel metaphysical framework aligning with these insights – one which preserves the special status of the present while accommodating the reality of past and future in a more dynamic ontology. The result is a rigorous yet accessible interdisciplinary inquiry: quantum physics, we conclude, prefers the present, suggesting time’s passage and the now are more than mere illusions.[1] [1] https://quoteinvestigator.com/2024/03/18/stubborn-illusion/#:~:text=%3E%20On%20Michele%20Besso%20%281873,245
In classical mechanics and standard quantum theory, time is treated as an absolute and external parameter, a universal background against which physical events unfold. The foundational theories of modern physics challenge this view. In special relativity, the passage of time depends on an observer's velocity; in general relativity, it depends on the local gravitational potential. This dynamic, observer-dependent nature of time raises fundamental questions about its status and necessitates a unified framework for performing operational calculations that are consistent across these domains.
Nearing a century since its inception, quantum mechanics is as lively as ever. Its signature manifestations, such as superposition, wave-particle duality, uncertainty principle, entanglement and nonlocality, were long confronted as weird predictions of an incomplete theory, paradoxes only suitable for philosophical discussions, or mere mathematical artifacts with no counterpart in the physical reality. Nevertheless, decades of progress in the experimental verification and control of quantum systems have routinely proven detractors wrong. While fundamental questions still remain wide open on the foundations and interpretations of quantum mechanics, its modern technological applications have captured the fascination of the general public and are having a transformative impact on society. This brief article acts as Introduction to a Special Issue in the Philosophical Transactions of Royal Society A, following from a dedicated Scientific Discussion Meeting where these fascinating topics were explored, giving rise to stimulating debates among speakers and audience. The present issue thus aims at conveying the spirit of those discussions.