Science fiction, science fact: What is time?
What is time? In the latest online poll of our Science fiction, science fact project you told us that you'd like an answer to this question. So we went to ask the cosmologist and theoretical physicist Paul Davies about the nature of time and revisited the musings of cosmologist John D. Barrow on the beginning of time and the physicist Kip Thorne's take on time travel. We also bring you two timely articles from FQXi who are our partners on this project. Happy reading!
And don't forget to vote for the next question you'd like to have answered!
What is time? — Newton thought that time was absolute. Einstein thought it was relative. Today some people think it doesn't exist at all. Or is it an emergent phenomenon? Paul Davies explores.
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This interview is also available as a podcast.
What happened before the Big Bang? — Did the Big Bang mark the beginning of time? Not if we live in a bubble multiverse, says John D. Barrow.
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This interview is also available as a podcast.
Is time travel allowed? — We're all on a journey towards the future, but can we travel into the past? Find out with Kip Thorne.
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Time and the multiverse — Why does time appear to flow in one direction only? This article from the FQXi community website explores the question, assuming that we live in a bubble multiverse.
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The crystallising Universe — According to Einstein, the past present and future all have the same character. So why do we feel that there's a special moment called "now"? This article from the FQXi community website looks for an answer in quantum mechanics.
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