Time in Science and the Arrow of Time Einstein’s Relativity and Consequences Quantum Theory of Fields and the Fabric of Space and Time Status of Time in Physics Ramis Movassagh Department of Mathematics, MIT/Northeastern September 17, 2012 Ramis Movassagh Status of Time in Physics Time in Science and the Arrow of Time Einstein’s Relativity and Consequences Quantum Theory of Fields and the Fabric of Space and Time Outline Time in the scientific methods Conception of time throughout history Space-time in physics Origin of space-time Measuring time Information and time Modern views of fabric of space-time Ramis Movassagh Status of Time in Physics Time in Science and the Arrow of Time Einstein’s Relativity and Consequences Quantum Theory of Fields and the Fabric of Space and Time Out - of - line Time in psyche (perception/intensity) Time in religion Existence (now-ness, illusion of time) Reality Philosophy of time Management of time and its use Determinism with relation to free will Mythology Ramis Movassagh Status of Time in Physics Time in Science and the Arrow of Time Einstein’s Relativity and Consequences Quantum Theory of Fields and the Fabric of Space and Time What is time? Ramis Movassagh Status of Time in Physics Time in Science and the Arrow of Time Einstein’s Relativity and Consequences Quantum Theory of Fields and the Fabric of Space and Time What is time? [mass noun] the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole - Oxford Dictionaries Ramis Movassagh Status of Time in Physics Time in Science and the Arrow of Time Einstein’s Relativity and Consequences Quantum Theory of Fields and the Fabric of Space and Time What is time? [mass noun] the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole - Oxford Dictionaries Time is the continuing sequence of events occurring in apparently irreversible succession from the past through the present to the future and a measure of the durations and frequencies of events and the intervals between them. -Wikipedia Ramis Movassagh Status of Time in Physics Time in Science and the Arrow of Time Einstein’s Relativity and Consequences Quantum Theory of Fields and the Fabric of Space and Time What is time? [mass noun] the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole - Oxford Dictionaries Time is the continuing sequence of events occurring in apparently irreversible succession from the past through the present to the future and a measure of the durations and frequencies of events and the intervals between them. -Wikipedia Ramis Movassagh Status of Time in Physics Time in Science and the Arrow of Time Einstein’s Relativity and Consequences Quantum Theory of Fields and the Fabric of Space and Time Less controversial Wiki hits "time is what clocks measure" "time is what keeps everything from happening at once" Comment: Whoever wrote this didn’t believe in causality. Ramis Movassagh Status of Time in Physics Time in Science and the Arrow of Time Einstein’s Relativity and Consequences Quantum Theory of Fields and the Fabric of Space and Time The Scientific Method Key element in science is experiment Confidence in experiment requires reproducibility There is a tacit assumption of homogeneity in time when performing experiments. Ramis Movassagh Status of Time in Physics Time in Science and the Arrow of Time Einstein’s Relativity and Consequences Quantum Theory of Fields and the Fabric of Space and Time The Scientific Arrogance Zealous belief in comprehensibility of nature The Eventual Goal of Science is to provide a single theory that describes the whole universe - S. Hawking, Briefer History of Time Demanding a unified view especially developed in countries that were monotheistic (e.g. unifying forces, string theory etc.) Ramis Movassagh Status of Time in Physics Time in Science and the Arrow of Time Einstein’s Relativity and Consequences Quantum Theory of Fields and the Fabric of Space and Time Physics Physics is mainly concerned with the state and evolution in time of material particles and fields given the couplings among them. Newton's 2nd F = m a = m x “law of motion” Physics (empirical) Math (differential equation) Ramis Movassagh Status of Time in Physics Time in Science and the Arrow of Time Einstein’s Relativity and Consequences Quantum Theory of Fields and the Fabric of Space and Time Physics Physics Physics is mainly concerned with the state and evolution in time of material particles and fields given the couplings among them. t > 0 t = 0 Ramis Movassagh Status of Time in Physics Time in Science and the Arrow of Time Einstein’s Relativity and Consequences Quantum Theory of Fields and the Fabric of Space and Time (non) determinism (non) determinism Omar Khayyam (1048–1131) Ramis Movassagh Status of Time in Physics Time in Science and the Arrow of Time Einstein’s Relativity and Consequences Quantum Theory of Fields and the Fabric of Space and Time (non) determinism And the first Morning of Creation wrote What the Last Dawn of Reckoning shall read. Omar Khayyam (1048–1131) Ramis Movassagh Status of Time in Physics Time in Science and the Arrow of Time Einstein’s Relativity and Consequences Quantum Theory of Fields and the Fabric of Space and Time Existence Static Existence: “Block Universe” t Person B's Life events y Person A's Life events x Ramis Movassagh Status of Time in Physics Time in Science and the Arrow of Time Einstein’s Relativity and Consequences Quantum Theory of Fields and the Fabric of Space and Time Determinism Absolute, true and mathematical time, of itself, and from its own nature flows equably without regard to anything external, and by another name is called duration... Sir Isaac Newton (1649 -1736) Principia Ramis Movassagh Status of Time in Physics Time in Science and the Arrow of Time Einstein’s Relativity and Consequences Quantum Theory of Fields and the Fabric of Space and Time Arrow of Time Good References: ● S. Carroll's talks and book ● Schrödinger, 'what is life?' ● H Price, Time Arrow (Phil.) Ramis Movassagh Status of Time in Physics Time in Science and the Arrow of Time Einstein’s Relativity and Consequences Quantum Theory of Fields and the Fabric of Space and Time Arrow of time t 0 Ramis Movassagh Status of Time in Physics Time in Science and the Arrow of Time Einstein’s Relativity and Consequences Quantum Theory of Fields and the Fabric of Space and Time Arrow of time Many ways of having such evolution t t > t 0 0 Ramis Movassagh Status of Time in Physics Time in Science and the Arrow of Time Einstein’s Relativity and Consequences Quantum Theory of Fields and the Fabric of Space and Time Arrow of time ? t > t t 0 0 Ramis Movassagh Status of Time in Physics Time in Science and the Arrow of Time Einstein’s Relativity and Consequences Quantum Theory of Fields and the Fabric of Space and Time Arrow of time YES! “...You would have to wait a long time” - L. Boltzmann NOT Many ways of having such evolution t > t t 0 0 Ramis Movassagh Status of Time in Physics Time in Science and the Arrow of Time Einstein’s Relativity and Consequences Quantum Theory of Fields and the Fabric of Space and Time Micro vs. Macro States Microstates: any particular configuration in the phase space Macrostate: sets of macroscopically indistiguishable microstates S = kB lnD Entropy is lack of information, lack of structure Ramis Movassagh Status of Time in Physics Time in Science and the Arrow of Time Einstein’s Relativity and Consequences Quantum Theory of Fields and the Fabric of Space and Time Phase Space Probabilities Second law of thermodynamics: time evolution of the state S ≥ 0 t > t0 t = t0 Ramis Movassagh Status of Time in Physics Time in Science and the Arrow of Time Einstein’s Relativity and Consequences Quantum Theory of Fields and the Fabric of Space and Time The second law of thermodynamics Equilibrium is death for living matter So why is the universe so complex (life, structure, etc.) ? ? Ramis Movassagh Status of Time in Physics Time in Science and the Arrow of Time Einstein’s Relativity and Consequences Quantum Theory of Fields and the Fabric of Space and Time What is Life? S = kB lnD D: amount of disorder Ramis Movassagh Status of Time in Physics Time in Science and the Arrow of Time Einstein’s Relativity and Consequences Quantum Theory of Fields and the Fabric of Space and Time What is Life? S = kB lnD 1 S = k ln = −k lnD drawn B D B D: amount of disorder Ramis Movassagh Status of Time in Physics Time in Science and the Arrow of Time Einstein’s Relativity and Consequences Quantum Theory of Fields and the Fabric of Space and Time Drawing order and pushing equilibrium away Ramis Movassagh Status of Time in Physics Time in Science and the Arrow of Time Einstein’s Relativity and Consequences Quantum Theory of Fields and the Fabric of Space and Time Drawing order and pushing equilibrium away Ramis Movassagh Status of Time in Physics Time in Science and the Arrow of Time Einstein’s Relativity and Consequences Quantum Theory of Fields and the Fabric of Space and Time Ludwig Boltzmann (1844 - 1906) ...That in Nature the transition from a probable to an improbable state does not happen equally often as the opposite transition, should be sufficiently explained by the assumption of a very improbably state of the whole universe surrounding us ... Ramis Movassagh Status of Time in Physics Time in Science and the Arrow of Time Einstein’s Relativity and Consequences Quantum Theory of Fields and the Fabric of Space