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Single Idea 19475

[filed under theme 27. Natural Reality / C. Space / 6. Space-Time ]

Full Idea

Relativity says space and time are on the same footing - together they are the fabric of reality. Quantum mechanics, on the other hand, treats time and space differently, with time occasionally seeming more fundamental.

Gist of Idea

Relativity makes time and space jointly basic; quantum theory splits them, and prioritises time

Source

New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2013.06.15)

Book Ref

-: 'New Scientist magazine' [ 2013], p.36

A Reaction

Interesting. When talking about time, people glibly cite relativistic space-time to tell you that time is just another dimension. Now I can reply 'Aaah, but what about time in quantum mechanics? Eh? Eh?'. Excellent.

The 16 ideas with the same theme [relative space and time, treated as one system]:

14014 Space alone, and time alone, will fade away, and only their union has an independent reality [Minkowski]
21232 Space-time arises from the connection between measurements of space and of time [Einstein, by Farmelo]
15482 We can't think of space-time as empty and propertyless, and it seems to be a substratum [Martin,CB]
20640 Space-time is indeterminate foam over short distances [Close]
22931 We distinguish time from space, because it passes, and it has a unique present moment [Le Poidevin]
15194 Time, as it appears in standard modern science, is bad verificationist metaphysics [Smith,Q, by Le Poidevin]
14735 Space is 3D and lacks a direction; time seems connected to causation [Sider]
15021 The central question in the philosophy of time is: How alike are time and space? [Sider]
14588 Modern metaphysicians tend to think space-time points are more fundamental than space-time regions [Hawthorne]
14901 Spacetime may well be emergent, rather than basic [Ladyman/Ross]
14924 If spacetime is substantial, what is the substance? [Ladyman/Ross]
22913 The universe expands, so space-time is enlarging [Bardon]
19475 Relativity makes time and space jointly basic; quantum theory splits them, and prioritises time [New Sci.]
19955 Space-time may be a geometrical manifestation of quantum entanglement [New Sci.]
19948 Einstein's merging of time with space has left us confused about the nature of time [New Sci.]
23002 In relativity space and time depend on one's motion, but spacetime gives an invariant metric [Baron/Miller]