Did humans really only create timekeeping tools, not time itself?
For thousands of years, humans have invented a variety of timekeeping tools to measure time, from the earliest sundials (gui), mechanical clocks, pendulum clocks to modern atomic clocks, human beings have continuously improved the accuracy of time measurement. As time passed, more and more people began to question and explore the nature of time. However, human beings have begun to realize that the concept of time is not as simple as everyone thinks, and the concept of time has repeatedly refreshed human cognition, and there are still unsolved mysteries to this day.
What is the nature of time?
Aristotle, the famous ancient Greek philosopher, was one of the first philosophers to question the nature of time, and he believed that time was the manifestation of changes in motion, and for him time was only a record of motion. If everything in the world is not moving and changing, then the concept of time does not exist. For example, every clock has moving parts, and we can't measure time without movement, but with movement and change, we can measure time. In other words, the movement and change of all things in the world is more essential than time, which seems to mean that time is only a concept created by human beings, and time itself does not exist. Aristotle's view of time has influenced many philosophers and physicists, and his view of time is still as outdated as it is today.
On the basis of Aristotle, Newton coordinated. Newton believed that four coordinates or four numbers were needed to define an event, and these four coordinates were three spatial coordinates and one temporal coordinate. For example, when we ask someone to dinner, we need to tell them where and when the date will be made, and that's what makes sense. For Newton, time is only a label for a certain time in the universe, and in a sense, Newton's four coordinate systems also belong to four-dimensional space-time. In addition, Newton also digitized time, in Newton's theory of mechanics, Newton regarded time as a background parameter to describe the motion and change of objects, and Newton believed that time is absolute. In other words, time is independent of the environment, and Newton's view of time has had a profound impact and has largely been used to this day, ruling for centuries.
It wasn't until the beginning of the 20th century, when Einstein proposed the special theory of relativity, that Newton's view of time was really challenged, in which Einstein regarded time as the fourth dimension, and time and space together form a four-dimensional space-time, which means that time and space are interconnected and do not exist independently of each other. Albert Einstein believed that time is relative, that time is affected by the motion of the observer and the gravitational field, from elementary particles to the universe itself, and countless experiments have proven the theory of relativity to be correct. However, although the theory of relativity has withstood the scrutiny of experiments, Einstein's view of time has caused a series of problems and controversies, some of which have not yet been resolved.
There are also many philosophical views on time, such as the presentism that the "present" is the only time that really exists, and the past and the future are only our knowledge of them, which is an illusion, while the eternalism or block cosmology holds that the present, the past, and the future are all equally real, that is, the past, present, and future already exist at the same time, which also means that the future is already predestined. The growth block universe theory, on the other hand, holds that the past and present are real, while the future does not exist, and is open-ended and grows over time.
These philosophical perspectives are helpful for physics, and in general, although physicists and philosophers differ in their understanding of time, they both believe that time is an important concept with great significance for understanding the universe, life, and human existence.
Look at the nature of time from several other perspectives!
Quantum Physics Perspective: According to the perspective of quantum physics, time is thought of as a continuous flow rather than a static entity. The evolution of time in quantum mechanics is described by the Schrödinger equation, which describes the evolution of quantum systems over time. Quantum physics also raises the possibility that time may be discrete, rather than continuous. This means that time may consist of a series of discrete points in time, rather than a continuous stream of time.
If you put an electron at a certain coordinate point and do nothing, the electron will slowly and spontaneously spread out like a wave packet, and eventually become a plane wave. Note that this is not an increase in inertia or entropy, and the energy can remain constant throughout the process. This is when electrons have kinetic energy, and it always tends to run up. That is, the coordinate operator does not have eigenstates, it can only find the eigenstates of momentum.
Essentially, the conventional approach is to introduce an environment as a "catalyst", that is, this environment can have no interaction with the electron, no entanglement, and as long as it exists, it can prove that the electron will spontaneously go from an asymmetric state to a symmetric state. This catalyst action is the most spontaneous kinetic behavior I know of, and it doesn't even require the environment to do anything, just stay there, which is less demanding than perturbation theory, and certainly less demanding than entropy increase. By the way, the entropy increase process of classical thermodynamics has no time of freedom, the entropy increase is from one equilibrium state to another, and the quantum non-adiabatic process is another matter, don't get confused.
Once there are more particles, entropy begins to play a role, and there are some delocalized tendencies that are blocked, which we usually call interactions. For example, the interaction of the nucleus with electrons causes the electrons to be trapped and can no longer be delocalized. As a result, the repeated competition between particles and fluctuations forms a complex material world, and dynamic changes occur all the time, and some changes are perceived by humans, so the independent variable called time is written.
Initially, mechanics noticed that macroscopic matter had a tendency to spontaneously move in a uniform straight line. Time is introduced as the most transcendental independent variable to characterize such a motion process. If an object is moving from left to right, you can think of it as the atoms in the first row on the right move first, and then pull the second and third rows forward. The atoms in the back row run to the position before the atoms in the front row, and due to the interaction, the wave function of the atoms in the front row collapses and is relocalized to a more front position. Since only the rightmost atom is delocalized or diffused to the right without retardation, a directional uniform motion to the right is formed. From the point of view of particle physics, the interaction is done through the absorption and release of bosons, and it is not known what exactly is absorbed and released between atoms, so maybe it is called a phonon.
From the perspective of Heidegger's philosophy: In Heidegger's philosophy, time is understood as a way of being. He believed that time was not just an objective measuring tool, but a part of human existence. Heidegger argues that time is experienced and understood in the process of human existence, and it is intimately related to human existence and meaning. Time is seen as a special way of human existence that shapes our lives and experiences.
From the perspective of Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching: Lao Tzu mentioned the "Tao" in the Tao Te Ching and regarded it as the root of the universe and all things. The Tao is considered to have no beginning and no end, transcending the limits of time. In Lao Tzu's view, time is seen as relative and finite, a concept created by human beings. He emphasized the realm of transcending time, believing that people should pursue a connection with the Tao and transcend the constraints of time.
From the perspective of Zhou Yi: Zhou Yi is one of the important classics in ancient Chinese philosophy, which contains some reflections on time. The "Yi" in Zhou Yi refers to change, and it believes that time is constantly changing and flowing. Time is seen as a force that influences the change and development of all things. Zhou Yi also mentioned "heavenly time", which refers to the natural laws of the universe and the order of time. Time is seen as part of the cosmic order in Zhou Yi and is closely related to human behavior and destiny.
From the perspective of primitive Buddhism: In primitive Buddhism, time is seen as a manifestation of impermanence and impermanence. Buddhism emphasizes that everything is impermanent, including time itself. Time is conceived as a cycle with no beginning and no end, constantly changing and flowing. The concept of "dependent arising" in Buddhist teachings holds that everything is interdependent and interactive, and that time is also a part of it. The Buddhist perspective emphasizes transcending the realm of time and seeking liberation and the recognition of impermanence.
From a Brain Science Perspective: Brain science studies the neural basis of time perception and time perception. Studies have shown that neuronal networks in the brain are involved in the process of encoding and perceiving time. The perception of time is achieved through the brain's processing and integration of external stimuli. Research in brain science has revealed the complexity and diversity of time perception, as well as the important role of time in cognition and behavior.
From a psychological perspective: Psychology studies an individual's perception, experience, and utilization of time. Time perception is the individual's subjective perception of the passage of time, while time experience is the individual's subjective understanding and evaluation of time. Psychological research has shown that an individual's perception and use of time is influenced by cognitive, emotional, and social factors. An individual's time perception and time management ability have an important impact on their quality of life and well-being. The study of psychology helps us understand the impact of time on an individual's behavior and mental state, and how to better manage and use it.
What is the existence of time? Let's look at an experiment done by the Americans.
In 1989, in order to confirm the existence of time, the United States deliberately let a young woman live in a closed underground cave for 210 days, only to find her sitting in a corner with dull eyes and a haggard face three months later......
We all know that there is a universal way to judge time in the world, that is, day and night, so if one day day and night do not exist, then human beings can still perceive the existence of time?
At the end of the 80s of the last century, scientists from NASA in the United States conducted an experiment specifically. They planned to put a normal person in a room without any clocks and watches, and could not communicate with the outside world, observe his behavior and habits, and see if he still had a sense of time, and the whole experiment was planned to be carried out for 210 days. The reason why NASA came up with such a plan is also very simple, if humans really fly out of the solar system one day in the future, will astronaut time still exist?
They soon began to recruit volunteers, and many of them, after listening to the requirements and conditions of the experiment, simply refused, and did not communicate with people for 210 days, which was too difficult. But a woman named Alison was very excited to sign up for the experiment.
It turns out that Alison is a philosophy graduate, and she is also curious about how time exists, although she became a housewife after graduating from college, she has always had a great passion for science and philosophy. After a detailed physical examination and assessment, Alison successfully became the only volunteer of this experimental project.
After a period of adjustment, Alison's physical condition was at its best, and she also walked into NASA's pre-set laboratory on this day. The lab is underground, more like a cave, with several bookshelves in addition to the necessary supplies and beds, which Alison has asked to place. In her opinion, books are a cure for everything, which can help him get through these 210 days of boring life. With the doors of the laboratory closed, the 210-day experiment officially began.
NASA also invited medical experts and psychologists to participate in the experiment, and they needed to watch Alison's behavior through a monitor to analyze her condition at this time. In the first week of the experiment, the staff found that Alison's life was quite regular, and when she got up and when she went to bed was not much different from the outside clock. The psychologist observed Alison's expression through a monitor and believed that Alison's mood was very calm at the moment.
After another week, the staff noticed that there was a clear problem with Alison's biological clock, she woke up earlier and went to bed later, and sometimes she didn't even know whether to sleep or not. At this time, it can be clearly seen from her behavior that she is a little irritable, and in the previous week, she could read normally, but this week, she can't read books either. As time went on, Alison's condition got worse and worse, and her body clock was completely gone.
She appeared for a full 48 hours, forgetting to sleep and eat, and her mental outlook was also very poor, and the staff were worried about her physical condition and reminded her if she needed to end, but Alison still chose to continue to persevere. As the experiment progressed, so did Alison's condition, and when psychologists analyzed her behavior and facial expressions, they decided that the experiment should be close to Alison's limit.
It has been 3 months since Alison walked into the underground laboratory, and after discussion and judgment, the staff decided that Alison must stop the experiment immediately, otherwise her life will be in danger. When the staff opened the door to the underground lab, Alison crouched in the corner with a blank face, her eyes blank, and no matter what the staff called her, she received no response.
In desperation, the staff had to give her a sedative first, let her sleep, and then send her to the hospital for examination and treatment. The results of the examination showed that Alison had no physical problems, just weakness caused by lack of rest, but she had a lot of psychological problems. In particular, the disorder of the biological clock made it difficult for her to communicate effectively with the outside world, and NASA found a lot of psychologists to reluctantly alleviate such a situation.
It wasn't until Alison recuperated for a month that she returned to normal, and NASA staff began asking Alison how she felt during the experiment. Alison said that in the initial period, she was able to control her routine very well, and she did not feel any discomfort in her body. But as time went on, her body began to experience a lot of discomfort, and she herself noticed that her biological clock was disordered, but there was no way to adjust it.
In the later stage, the whole person has a very serious psychological problem, without any concept of time, and can only sleep when he is particularly tired. After such a three-month experiment, NASA staff now have a deeper understanding of time. Although time is invisible, the human biological clock changes with the change of day and night, which is necessary for human life, otherwise it is easy to cause irreparable consequences.
What is the ideal time for human beings?
The famous Italian physicist Carlo Willi summarized the six properties of time in his book The Order of Time.
(1) Independence, time is independent. Time is not affected by the outside, or time is impossible to stop, no one can go back to the past, travel through the future, or stop time, all life will eventually age and die, in the face of ruthless time, human beings seem very powerless.
(2) Unity, time is unified. Everyone is equal in front of time, people all over the world have time at a uniform speed, the length of time is the same, and no one can have an hour more than others in a day. Although time is uniform, people's perception of the passage of time varies from person to person, and this phenomenon is influenced by physical and psychological factors.
(3) Simultaneity, time is simultaneous. If we think that two events are happening at the same time, your roommate is having breakfast, and a supernova is exploding 100 million light-years away from Earth, although you can't see these things happening at the same time, but you firmly believe that these things are happening at the same time, and that it just takes some time for the photons to reach their eyes, which is equivalent to observing the occurrence of many events in the universe from God's point of view.
(4) Directionality, time has a direction. The direction of time cannot be reversed, and time will only flow from the past to the future constantly, which also leads to the fact that time can distinguish between the past and the future. The past and the future are not equal.
(5) Continuity, time is continuous. Time is a continuous process that flows continuously, without any intervals or holes, mathematically, time is considered as a continuous variable, and we can use arbitrarily exact numerical values to represent time.
(6) Certainty, time is certain. The flow of time always follows a fixed order. The order in which events occur is uniquely determined, and the outcome of events is unique, so there is no so-called parallel universe, in other words, there is only one timeline of the universe from the beginning to the end.
The above are the six characteristics of time, and this set of time view is very in line with our intuitive feeling of time, at least in our daily life, these six characteristics are correct, just because time has these six characteristics, human beings can formulate a time standard, establish a fairly stable society, once the concept of time becomes complicated, then the world is chaotic.
If there were extraterrestrial civilizations, would they have the concept of time? The answer of physicists is: Not necessarily! This is because human beings have created time and timekeeping tools and idealized standards for time by observing cyclical events in nature. Assuming that the definition of a second is 1 in 86,400 of one rotation of the Earth, if you tell someone that you took 6 hours in class, then you are actually saying that I took a quarter of a week of the Earth's rotation in class, which seems to mean that time is just a conversion intermediary. Not only that, but since Galileo's time, the concept of time has been abstracted and mathematized, which has indirectly led to the gradual decline of the concept of time.
It was not until modern times that physicists discovered that the fundamental equations of quantum gravity did not include time as a variable, meaning that time is not the most essential existence in the universe.
For the nature of time, I support the "growth block universe theory": space-time always grows with the passage of time, and as the present continues, new fragments are added, after which it slides forever into the past. Importantly, because in block theory, fragments of the future have not yet been created (and will only be created when the future becomes the present), the future does not actually exist. It is appearing every second of the past, but we cannot say that at any point the future already exists. It's as if we're on a runaway train, but the track is only laid after we pass it. But there are still some problems with the growth block universe theory itself. It explains the past well and argues that we have sufficiently clear evidence that the past exists: by causality, past events directly affect the present. However, it is questionable about what is being described as it is now.
We know exactly what exists now because we are always in this state. But how exactly do we define "now"? And how do we measure these so-called fragments of space-time? Is "now" a second, a minute, a whole day, or is it much smaller than any of them? The smallest unit of time ever recorded is the femtosecond, defined as one trillionth of a billionth of a second. So, is the definition of "now" so small? or is it smaller?
Is it so small that, despite the fact that it is our continuous reality, we can't actually perceive it?unfortunately, there is no answer to this question...... If we think we live in femtosecond-by-femtosecond time, we are now suddenly an extremely fragile thing. But maybe you don't believe in the block universe or the growth block universe theory? For a presentist, we only perceive and exist in the moment. Every moment you experience is now...... So, that's the only dimension of time that we can realistically recognize.
However, presentism goes further than the block theory because it bluntly claims that the past does not exist either. Of course, archaeological and historical evidence suggests that the past was real, but for presentists, because dinosaurs don't exist now, they didn't exist at all.
Modernism is not as sensational as the Block-Growing Cosmology, mainly because this unconventional belief does not hold water, and even does not stand up to the simplistic scrutiny of other philosophers of time. No matter how we understand time, we know that dinosaurs existed, or that they happened yesterday, and the presentism cannot explain it.
Whether you personally agree with these views, or you fully believe in other views on the nature of time, we have at least some scientific creed to help us understand time, in some of the strange ways in which time can be presented. Time seems to fly by when we're having a good time, but time seems to pass slowly if we're waiting for something. For two people, at the same moment, it will feel as if time flies quickly, and the future seems to be in front of us or far away.
Is time flowing at different speeds here? Is it smoother than other models we know? Maybe those pieces of the present, increasing in the growing blocky universe, but in some way it's uneven? Maybe each of us experiences different sized slices of time, determined by any number of variables—such as mood, past experiences, or age. Again, at the moment we cannot quantify how these fragments are formed.
However, when studying time under extreme conditions, there are places in the universe where it does not even exist at all: for example, inside black holes. Black holes distort not only the space around them, but also time itself...... All the way to their singularity. According to some theories, if you fall into a singularity, you will witness the entire history of that particular point in space.
The future will lie ahead of you, possibly all the way to the end of the universe. Of course, if you do find yourself in this situation, you will never be able to escape and tell others about it. And you don't need to look at the past or the future to know that you're dead. However, from a purely hypothetical point of view, this experience will once again imply that the future does exist.
However, neither science nor philosophy can truly determine the existence of the future. We just know that it will at least happen in the future, and we can plan and predict it. We know that the sun will rise tomorrow, and every week, every month, and every day for billions of years from now on. We also believe that the Sun will eventually become a red giant star and burn the Earth down...... So, if we accept the "theory of the universe growing blocks", then now these particular fragments are really important. At the end of the day, any idea, model, or theory has nothing to do with the fact that the future will come or not. But what we do now affects what happens next. There are many explanations as to whether the future exists, but it is always close at hand.
According to the growth block universe theory of time, both the "past" and the "present" exist, while the "future" does not yet exist. "Now" is an objective nature that can be likened to a moving spotlight. As time goes on, the world gets bigger and bigger, and as a result, the blocky universe can be said to be growing. Blocky growth should occur in the "now", a very thin fragment of space-time, with more space-time constantly forming. The growing blocky theory should not be confused with the blocky cosmology theory, also known as eternalism. The growing blocky view is an alternative to eternalism (which existed in the past, present, and future) and presentism (where only the present exists).
These statements are my foolish opinion, so please listen to them.