Why Prof. Carlo Rovelli's View on Time is actually Wrong? Yes, Time Exist! Please Stop This Nonsense That Time Does Not Exist

Sardar Dilbag Singh Khalsa

Published Feb 6, 2026• 0 citations

Abstract

I am not sure whether space or matter existed or not but i am sure enough that time always existed, but actually we dont have control over it” I present a critical argument on the essay by Prof. Carlo Rovelli. ”Forget Time” is a 2008-2009 essay by physicist Carlo Rovelli arguing that time is not a fundamental feature ofthe physical universe, but rather an emergent, subjective, or relativistic concept. It proposes that quantum gravity requires abandoning the notion of a universal,independent time variable in favor of relational, ”thermal” time. Several modern approaches to quantum gravity propose that time is not a fundamental elementof nature, but rather an emergent or purely relational concept. In this work we critically examine this claim from an operational and dynamical standpoint. We demonstrate that the elimination of time undermines the mathematical and experimental foundations of physics itself. Core structures such as quantum evolution, wave propagation, conservation laws, thermodynamics, and cosmological expansion all require an explicit temporal parameter to retain physical meaning. Without time, the notions of dynamics, causality, and prediction collapse,rendering physical theory observationally empty. We argue that while the classical notion of absolute time may require generalization, the complete removalof time from fundamental theory is neither mathematically consistent nor physically viable. A successful theory of quantum gravity must therefore incorporate time as an indispensable structural element, rather than discard it. Time may be refined, reinterpreted, or extended—but it cannot be eliminated.

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18507777

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