Unravel the mysteries of the block universe theory, a concept that challenges our understanding of time. Explore the intriguing possibility of time travel and the illusion of time's passage, as we delve into the depths of this fascinating theoretical framework.
According to the block universe theory, the universe is a giant block of all the things that ever happen at any time and at any place
On this view, the past, present, and future all exist – and are equally real
- How can this be?
- The block has four dimensions: three spatial dimensions (length, height, width) plus a fourth temporal dimension (time)
- It is represented by a three-dimensional rectangle or cuboid.
As a time traveller, you are always part of the past
The events in the block are there for all time: they do not change.
- Nothing you do tomorrow will make tomorrow the way it is, and always has been.
- If you travel to the past, you’re in the past. If you don’t, it’s always been there and always will be.
In the block universe, time doesn’t pass
There is no specific present moment, and “past” and “future” moments are relative
- Talk about the “present” or “now” works just like talk of “here”
- Everyone is located in the present, just as everyone is located at the place they call “here”.
- Time or temporal relations of “earlier than” & “later than” exist regardless of the location
Does that mean we can travel in time?
Traveling in time is much more complicated than traveling in space, but it is possible.
- It is possible to travel into the future by traveling very fast, and we know how to travel in the past by using wormholes, which are short cuts through space-time.
