Does Time Exist A Physicists Perspective

Time is certainly a very complex topic in physics, and there are people who believe that time does not actually exist. One common argument they use is that  Einstein proved that everything is relative, so time is irrelevant. In the bestselling book The Secret, the authors say Time is just an illusion. Is this really true? Is time just a figment of our imagination? Among physicists, there is no real doubt that time does really, truly exist. Its a measurable, observable phenomenon. Physicists are just divided a bit on what causes this existence, and what it means to say that it exists. Indeed, this question  borders of the realm of metaphysics and ontology (the philosophy of existence) as much as it does on the strictly empirical questions about time that physics is well-equipped to address. The Arrow of Time and Entropy The phrase the arrow of time was coined in 1927 by Sir Arthur Eddington and popularized in his 1928 book The Nature of the Physical World. Basically, the arrow of time is the idea that time flows in only one direction, as opposed to dimensions of space which have no preferred orientation. Eddington makes three specific points in regards to the arrow of time: It is vividly recognized by consciousness.It is equally insisted on by our reasoning faculty, which tells us that a reversal of the arrow would render the external world nonsensical.It makes no appearance in physical science except in the study of the organization of a number of individuals. Here the arrow indicates the direction of progressive increase of the random element. The first two points are certainly interesting, but its the third point that captures the physics of times arrow. The distinguishing factor of the arrow of time is that it points in the direction of increasing entropy, per the Second Law of Thermodynamics. Things in our universe decay as a course of natural, time-based processes ... but they do not spontaneously regain order without a lot of work. Theres a deeper level to what Eddington says in point three, however, and that is that It makes no appearance in physical science except... What does that mean? Time is all over the place in physics! While this is certainly true, the curious thing is that the laws of physics are time reversible, which is to say that the laws themselves look as if they would work perfectly well if the universe were played in reverse. From a physics standpoint, theres no real reason why the arrow of time should by necessity be moving forward. The most common explanation is that in the very distant past, the universe had a high degree of order (or low entropy). Because of this boundary condition, the natural laws are such that the entropy is continuously increasing. (This is the basic argument put forth in Sean Carrolls 2010 book From Eternity to Here: The Quest for the Ultimate Theory of Time, though he goes further to suggest possible explanations for why the universe may have started off with so much order.) The Secret and Time One common misconception spread by an unclear discussion of the nature of relativity and other physics related to time is that time does not, in fact, exist at all. This comes across in a number of areas that are commonly classified as pseudoscience or even mysticism, but Id like to address one particular appearance in this article. In the best-selling self-help book (and video) The Secret, the authors put forth the notion that physicists have proven that time does not exist. Consider a few of the following lines from section How Long Does It Take? in the chapter How to Use the Secret from the book: Time is just an illusion. Einstein told us that. What quantum physicists and Einstein tell us is that everything is happening simultaneously. There is no time for the Universe and there is no size for the Universe. All three of the statements above are categorically false, according to most physicists (especially Einstein!). Time is actually an integral part of the universe. As mentioned earlier, the very linear concept of time is tied into the concept of the ​Second Law of Thermodynamics, which is seen by many physicists as one of the most important laws in all of physics! Without time as a real property of the universe, the Second Law becomes meaningless. What is true is that Einstein proved, through his theory of relativity, that time by itself was not an absolute quantity. Rather, time and space are united in a very precise way to form space-time, and this space-time is an absolute measure that can be used - again, in a very precise, mathematical way - to determine how different physical processes in different locations interact with each other. This does not mean that everything is happening simultaneously, however. In fact, Einstein firmly believed—based on the evidence of his equations (such as E mc2)—that no information can travel faster than the speed of light. Every point in space-time is limited in the way it can communicate with other regions of space-time. The idea that everything happens simultaneously is exactly counter to the results that Einstein developed. This and other physics errors in The Secret are perfectly understandable because the fact is these are very complex topics, and they are not necessarily completely understood by physicists. However, just because physicists dont necessarily have a complete understanding of a concept such as time does not mean that its valid to say they have no understanding of time, or that theyve written off the whole concept as unreal. They most assuredly have not. Transforming Time Another complication in the understanding of time is demonstrated by Lee Smolins 2013 book Time Reborn: From the Crisis in Physics to the Future of the Universe, in which he argues that science does (as the mystics claim) treat time as an illusion. Instead, he thinks that we should treat time as a fundamentally real quantity and, if we take it seriously as such, we will uncover laws of physics that evolve over time. It remains to be seen if this appeal will actually result in new insights into the foundations of physics. Edited by Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.

Leadership Styles And Leadership Behavior - 970 Words

Over the past two weeks, I am able to understand and realized that it is important for any leader, not to apply the same leadership style in every situation (Northouse, 2015). This is due to the fact that all followers under any leadership behavior, may have different competencies (skills) level, confidence (commitment) level, cultural background, and mind-sets that could affect their productivity, if it is not properly matched by their leader’s behavior. Leaders’ who continuously apply one dimensional leadership behavior, may not realize the costs that they have directly and/or indirectly incurred to the organization in terms of underperformance, absenteeism, low morale, and frequent staff turnover. The cost may be even more, if more technical staffs are affected as they can be a critical component of any organization. So, it is basically how and when a leader adjust his or her leadership behavior style through directing, coaching, supporting, and delegating that closely match with followers’ level of competence and commitment. Therefore, leaders’ have to closely monitor their followers’ commitment and attitude at work on daily basis and adjust their leadership behavior accordingly, due to unforeseen changes to circumstances each follower may going through on a daily basis. Situational leadership theory provides me with some good insights into how a leader adjusted his or her leadership behavior to match the development needs of the followers (Northouse, 2015, p.95).Show MoreRelatedOrganizational Behavior and Leadership Style1329 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Organizational Behavior and Leadership Style Abstract: This paper examines the leadership position I would occupy in the fictional Commerzbank and details the leadership style I would take on as their VP of Development. 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Theme in Lenses free essay sample

Theme in Lenses Imagine for a moment a world where there are no feelings or warmth, no smiles or tears. A world where people are no longer people, but pieces of metal. We would only see this world as dead, not beautiful. Leah Silverman’s Lenses foreshadows this imaginary world as our future. The message that the way we are made, as unique individuals, is the most beautiful is conveyed through the main character Corinne’s thoughts, emotions and viewpoint. The author uses Corinne’s thoughts to support the message. An example of this can be found on page 2 where Corinne thought â€Å"but her new eyes will not be brown, and they will not shine with her laughter†. Corinne believed that the grey mechanical eyes simply couldn’t compare to her friend Grusha’s real eyes that â€Å"hold you when you look into them†. Another example is the use of personifications in the story. We will write a custom essay sample on Theme in Lenses or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Corrine described Grusha’s eyes as eyes that danced, flashed and shined; just as how she would describe living, breathing people. This emphasizes how the eyes contribute to the individuality and beauty of a person, and the fact that nothing can replace them. Corinne’s thoughts led to her distressed emotions on the up-coming surgery to replace Grusha’s eyes. The reason for her distress reinforces the message because the source of that distress does not come form the fear of an unsuccessful surgery, but the idea that her friend will no longer possess real eyes. Corinne loved Grusha’s brown eyes that told a story. She felt that it would be easier to â€Å"carve her own heart out of her chest† than to replace Grusha’s eyes. She also felt extremely guilty about taking ways Grusha’s eyes because she believed that by taking away those eyes, she would also take away a part of Grusha that made her unique: a part of Grusha’s soul. Although Grusha was the one that would ultimately lose her eyes, the author chose to write the story not in her perspective but in her friend Corinne’s. This is another way the author used to express and emphasize the message. Due to the fact that Grusha needed well-functioning eyes for her profession and her sight, she does not have much of a choice. She may not have wanted to replace her eyes, but there wasn’t any room for compromises. By writing the story in Corinne’s point of view, the author is able to introduce a truer feeling of sadness and loss. Another reason is the fact that people tend to overlook certain details about themselves, such as the feelings their eyes convey. By using Corinne’s voice, the author emphasizes the aliveness of Grusha’s eyes. A world made of pieces of metal is only filled with emptiness and loneliness. There is no hatred and sadness, but there is no happiness and love either. It may be a perfect world in people’s eyes, but it will never truly be beautiful. By creatively using the main character’s thoughts, emotions and viewpoint, Leah Silverman clearly conveys the message that nothing is more beautiful than the way we are made as unique individuals.