#entropy and time

[frank-olivier]

Physics, Philosophy, and the Fabric of Time: An Examination of Asymmetry

The human perception of time is fundamentally asymmetric, marked by a clear distinction between past and future, and an irreversible flow of events. This inherent asymmetry starkly contrasts with the time-reversal symmetry of fundamental physical laws, from Newton’s mechanics to quantum mechanics and relativity. Delving into this paradox reveals a complex interplay between philosophical inquiry and physical explanation, highlighting the challenges of reconciling our macroscopic experiences with the symmetric laws governing the microscopic realm.

At the heart of this dilemma lies the paradoxical coexistence of time-reversal symmetric physical laws with our asymmetric experience of time. While microscopic laws are indifferent to time’s direction, macroscopic phenomena—such as the second law of thermodynamics’ entropy increase and our disparate access to past and future—unequivocally demonstrate time asymmetry. Ludwig Boltzmann’s statistical mechanics offers a partial explanation through entropy, but this is complicated by the time-reversal symmetry of microscopic laws, suggesting equal probability for a process and its reverse.

The “Past Hypothesis,” proposing a universe initiated in a low entropy state, may provide a framework for understanding observed time asymmetries. Combined with statistical mechanics, this hypothesis explains why physical processes appear asymmetric and why our knowledge of the past exceeds that of the future. It also touches upon our belief in influencing the future, not the past, with profound implications for causality, free will, and the nature of time.

Pursuing a physically grounded explanation, rather than definitional or grammatical interpretations, is crucial. The limitations of current laws in accounting for the arrow of time highlight a knowledge gap, necessitating innovative insights at the intersection of thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, and statistical mechanics.

Further understanding may emerge from exploring quantum mechanics’ probabilistic nature and its influence on our understanding of time, as well as examining the universe’s initial conditions and evolution in setting the arrow of time. An interdisciplinary approach, integrating philosophical and physical theories, promises to address causal and knowledge asymmetries, potentially reconciling symmetric physical laws with our asymmetric experience of time.

Resolving this conundrum promises not only to illuminate the nature of time but also to contextualize human existence within the universe’s unfolding narrative, highlighting the profound interconnectedness of human perception, physical laws, and the cosmos. As we navigate the complexities of time asymmetry, novel perspectives may transform our understanding of the universe and our place within it.

Prof. David Albert: A Masterclass on Time‘s Arrow (Robinson Erhardt, December 2024)

Tuesday, December 17, 2024

[jonathanmoya1955]

One Last Breeze

One Last Breeze It sneaks under the threshold of the long shut door,over the shedding skin of peeling wallpaper,past the dusty spines of now unread books—turning pages no one meant to leave,step less, voice less— a curious breeze.It seeks the crack in the window—to leave this vault of knowledge behind—these graves beyond, both named and unknown—all these heavy stones and plastic flowers in…

[o-hora-o]

A very christmas art right there

[uusagh]

Cheers!

[the-great-horse-cocktail]

Alternate timeline where Stanley doesn’t accidentally ruin Ford’s project but he still doesn’t get into Geek Life University bc some kid showed up with a baking soda volcano

[sweetberry-roebuck]

Hey y'know when the current moment is transcendently beautiful and meaningful and true, but you know that it is temporary and you can't help but feel existentially haunted by that fact. You know when you are experiencing beautiful heartrending art and you feel lost in the moment and then its over. You know how you'll experience art or human connection or a walk on a nice day and you know the sunlight on your skin will fade and you'll forget how it felt to be this warm.

You know in video games when there is one experience-definingly gleeful or touching or viscerally emotional moment that soon ends and leaves you with something more complicated, more doomed, more cyclical? You know? You know how it feels to dig your claws and teeth into a moment and try as hard as you can to feel it and to remember it and to make it part of yourself? Do you know??

[mari-thesapphic-lady]

Rio: *sigh*

Rio: I miss my wife, sis.

Infinity: *stare at her*

Eternity: *starts laughing*

Rio: I miss her a lot.

[rbrooksdesign]

∑FEETc: Divisor Matrix Table (DMT) 19, digital painting, June 19, 2025, Reginald Brooks

∑FEETc

*Fractal

*Entanglement

*Entropy

*Time

*Consciousness

[damnation-valley]

yknow i think we need to talk more about Wilson in the true ending

how he starts out as this small and helpless thing trapped inside a defective non-mobile body despite being fully sentient, only to then become part of (and consequently become) something unfathomably large and powerful, something more than just a building, or just a compound, or just a control system. i could (and just might) argue that uploaded Wilson (and with him the Arbeit and Combine systems) approaches the definition of a hyperobject, or perhaps fits it to a t. but my point here is: all of that was possible because, back when he was small and powerless to enact any sort of agency over even his own existence, someone helped him. yes, meeting 36 was basically a coincidence, and yes, originally he took Wilson with him because he had no other choice, but what matters is that when he was given a choice to leave him (which would make his traversal infinitely easier), 36 took him along. and it matters so much that even when he had every reason to believe Wilson was gone, he still fulfilled the wish timidly shared with him hours prior. underneath the snappy remarks and the "shut up"s and the emotional constipation, 36 cared, and in the end, that was enough to save Wilson. so of course, when the roles are suddenly reversed, and now it's 36 who is powerless to escape the torture inflicted on him, Wilson comes to help with no hesitation. of course he does.

[leftshiftwashere]

New Year Bringers 👅

[lemon-3ds]

[endlesslytired]

[o-hora-o]

Happy New Year!!! And happy birthday to my precious boy!!! 🎄🥂

[clubsheartsspades]

What if I decided to write a cute Outer Wilds short story? What then?

[machinafulmen]

EVERYONE SAY HI TO COMMANDER FUFFY

in my rp group's plot, she got separated in a different universe from the rest of the rebellion army and they never went back to rescue her, so she decided shes going to carry on their ideals on her own terms.

[ohnoitsz1m]

!!FLASHING, EYESTRAIN, LOTS OF BLOOD!!

ITS FINALLY DONE

I started this animatic aages ago but it's finally done :D

Go play this mod or listen to Agnes and Hilda (album this song is from)