Does the Universe have a Frame Rate ?

In summary: It's just that I've never heard of "Plank time" before.It would appear that on a subatomic level, things do move forward, but I'm not sure how the camera would capture that.In summary, the universe has a frame rate.
  • #1
Braders790
3
0
Does the Universe have a "Frame Rate"?

Surely, thinking about it, things can't just smoothly transpose from one location to another, there must be regular gaps, (far to quickly for us to notice) where it "jumps" from one point in space to another. I think this because it seems hard to imagine how something can go from one place to another perfectly smoothly with absolutely no "gaps" between "frames". Otherwise, the frame-rate would be infinite, which is impossible. Sorry if this seems stupid it's just something that has intrigued me.

My physics teacher said this seemed viable, and said it could have something to do with the properties of sub-atomic particles.
 
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  • #2


Surely, thinking about it, things can't just smoothly transpose from one location to another, there must be regular gaps, (far to quickly for us to notice) where it "jumps" from one point in space to another.
No.
I think this because it seems hard to imagine how something can go from one place to another perfectly smoothly with absolutely no "gaps" between "frames".
The universe is not limited by your imagination.

Processes as short as 10-25 seconds can be observed (indirectly), and I think a step size close to that value would seriously influence those results.
On the Planck scale (10-43 seconds), things might look different.
 
  • #3


Braders790 said:
... I think this because it seems hard to imagine ...

To expand on what mfb said, one of the first things that you MUST do if you are going to study either cosmology or quantum mechanics is realize that our "instincts / common sense / intuition / etc" are UTTERLY USELESS for very large and very small scales. We rely on those thing to tell us about human scales, where they ARE useful, but they are not extensible to large numbers of things at very large and very small scales.
 
  • #4


mfb said:
No.
The universe is not limited by your imagination.

Processes as short as 10-25 seconds can be observed (indirectly), and I think a step size close to that value would seriously influence those results.
On the Planck scale (10-43 seconds), things might look different.

I mean, faster "gaps" than we could possibly perceive. so if you filmed, say a car going past, and slowed it down hundreds of billions of times, (assuming the camera had no frame-rate limit) would it still appear to be moving smoothly, or would it, (on a sub-atomic level) phase out of, and into existence moving forward as it does so. If I'm wrong, could you explain how, (physically) it's possible that things in the universe move completely smoothly, with no frame-rate what-so-ever because I can't see how that would work
 
  • #5


Braders790 said:
I mean, faster "gaps" than we could possibly perceive. so if you filmed, say a car going past, and slowed it down hundreds of billions of times, (assuming the camera had no frame-rate limit) would it still appear to be moving smoothly, or would it, (on a sub-atomic level) phase out of, and into existence moving forward as it does so. If I'm wrong, could you explain how, (physically) it's possible that things in the universe move completely smoothly, with no frame-rate what-so-ever because I can't see how that would work

I don't see why it shouldn't work. A bit of understanding of calculus, especially differential equations, wouldn't hurt, a lot of it studies "instantaneous" conditions, and solutions to relations between "instantaneous" conditions.

Note that time being quantized (which is pretty much what you're suggesting) is possible, though, with current observation, if it is quantized, then the "frame rate" is absurdly fast.
 
  • #6


Whovian said:
I don't see why it shouldn't work. A bit of understanding of calculus, especially differential equations, wouldn't hurt, a lot of it studies "instantaneous" conditions, and solutions to relations between "instantaneous" conditions.

Note that time being quantized (which is pretty much what you're suggesting) is possible, though, with current observation, if it is quantized, then the "frame rate" is absurdly fast.

I've read that Plank time is the amount of time it takes light to travel 1 plank unit, and light is the fastest thing in the universe, and the plank is the smallest thing in the universe, (which we can measure). 1 Plank length is 1.616199 × 10^-35 Metres. The speed of light is 300,000,000 m/s (give or take). There is approximately 6.18735688 × 10^34 Planck lengths in 1 metre. Therefore there is 1.85 x 10^43 Plank lengths covered in 1 second by light, so would this be the universal frame-rate 1.85 x 10^43 Fps?
 
  • #7


Braders790 said:
I mean, faster "gaps" than we could possibly perceive. so if you filmed, say a car going past, and slowed it down hundreds of billions of times, (assuming the camera had no frame-rate limit) would it still appear to be moving smoothly, or would it, (on a sub-atomic level) phase out of, and into existence moving forward as it does so.
I think I understood quite well what you meant.
If I'm wrong, could you explain how, (physically) it's possible that things in the universe move completely smoothly, with no frame-rate what-so-ever because I can't see how that would work
Use real numbers to describe time. Actually, all current models of physics do that, and they work extremely well.
You cannot simulate this perfectly on a digital computer - so what?
 
  • #8


I think one good argument why discrete time is implausible is that it is hard to discretize equations of motion so that energy and other quantities are conserved. While with continuous time, we can write down differential equations, and these then imply the conservation of energy quite easily.
 
  • #9


Braders790 said:
the plank is the smallest thing in the universe

No, I don't think so. It is just a particular measure. It IS way smaller than anything we can currently measure, but so what?
 
  • #10


Braders790 said:
Surely, thinking about it, things can't just smoothly transpose from one location to another, there must be regular gaps, (far to quickly for us to notice) where it "jumps" from one point in space to another. I think this because it seems hard to imagine how something can go from one place to another perfectly smoothly with absolutely no "gaps" between "frames".

That usually the justification for atomism, but that type of argument isn't really convincing IMO. Sure, given our limited minds, we cannot conceive of dimensions or processes without viewing them as something discrete, but that doesn't mean that the world we live in necessarily has to be the same. In fact, such "frames" or "building blocks" may not even exist at all for all we know, and may be nothing more than just an artifact of our minds.
 
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  • #12


The problem with this thread and the way it is going is that a lot of the discussion, and the way it started, it based on PERSONAL PREFERENCE. When it is based on that, then this becomes purely speculative and in direct violation of the PF Rules that everyone has agreed to.

We welcome such topics. HOWEVER, it must be based on either accepted peer-reviewed journals, or based on established physics. If you are arguing for something, and you are simply using what feels OK with you and nothing else, then that is not allowed. If you want to know if time is discrete, or can be discrete, then ASK JUST THAT, without imposing your opinion of it, especially when you don't know much about that subject area. If not, topic such as this will continue to be either locked, or deleted for rules violation.

Zz.
 

1. What is meant by the "frame rate" of the universe?

The frame rate of the universe refers to the idea that the entire universe, including all matter and energy, may operate on a fundamental level of discrete, quantized increments of time. This concept is similar to the frame rate in video games or film, where a series of still images are shown quickly in succession to create the illusion of continuous motion.

2. How would we measure the frame rate of the universe?

Currently, there is no known way to measure the frame rate of the universe. This is because the concept is purely theoretical and has not yet been proven or observed in any way. Scientists are still exploring various theories and approaches to try and understand the fundamental nature of time and its potential quantization.

3. What implications would a quantized frame rate of the universe have?

If the universe does indeed operate on a quantized frame rate, it would have significant implications for our understanding of the laws of physics. It could potentially explain phenomena such as the discreteness of matter, the speed of light, and the arrow of time. It could also have implications for the study of quantum mechanics and the nature of space-time.

4. Can we prove or disprove the existence of a frame rate for the universe?

As of now, there is no definitive way to prove or disprove the existence of a frame rate for the universe. It is a theoretical concept that is still being explored and studied by scientists. However, advancements in technology and further research may one day lead to evidence that supports or refutes this idea.

5. How does the concept of a frame rate for the universe relate to the theory of relativity?

The theory of relativity, specifically the idea of time dilation, is often cited as a potential explanation for a frame rate of the universe. According to the theory, time can appear to pass at different rates for different observers, and this could potentially be related to the frame rate of the universe. However, there is still much debate and research needed to fully understand the relationship between these two concepts.

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