What really is TIME?Is it an illusion?

[gabrielgowriel]

Hello everybody!
I was wondering these days while resting on a bed , thinking about my sister and her 3 year old girl, my parents which are getting old now beeing 63 and 61(dad and mom),thinking about my childhood from the 1990's which has passed SO FAST(or is it just me?!), thinking about the moment I started to write this post , the moment I AM typing this post and the moment that I WILL type some more words here on this forum!
What do you SMART physics guys and girls think about time?
What really is it?!
Because I feel sorry for "contemplating" at how my life goes by and I can't do a thing to "freeze it" at least for a moment or more(years if possible)...
I feel "sorry" because all the good moments pass away, all my relatives get old and eventually die,all the happines goes away , beeing replaced by sadness and many thoughts of "WHY"?!
I suppose this notion of "time" , has A LOT to do with physics because it doesn't really looks like chemistry, mathematics or biology...
So, I hope this question hasn't been asked so far or at least "lately" and someone here could offer a reasonable answer to my "dilema"/question...
Thank you all in advance!

 

[Naty1]

Nobody knows just what time is.

Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening at once.

Special relativity weakens the notion of absolute time; general relativity weakens it further.
Relativity shows time is not constant...and varies between observers due to relative speed and or differences in gravitational potential. This means space-time is a dynamical field.

Rovelli:

...we learn from GR that spacetime is a dynamical field and we learn from QM that all dynamical fields are quantized.

Yet in the wonderful Wheeler-Dewitt quantum mechanical equation there is no time variable!

PS: there are a lot of discussions you can find i9n these forums on 'time'.

 

[WannabeNewton]

Just for the sake of interesting pathological examples, in general relativity you can, in principle, come up with space - times where there is no unambiguous notion of going "forward" or "backward" in time. It has no uniquely defined direction. Anyways, it seems like what you are asking is more philosophy than it is physics the way you phrased it as of now.

 

[Evo]

Sorry, we don't have a philosophy section here.

 

[LudusRex]

I understand your curiosity about the concept of time and its perceived passing. Time is a fundamental aspect of our universe and is a key component in many scientific theories and equations. However, the concept of time is also a complex and debated topic among physicists and philosophers alike.

First, it's important to understand that time is a human construct. We use it to measure the duration of events and to organize our lives. But this doesn't necessarily mean that time is an illusion. It is a very real and tangible experience for us, even if it may not exist in the same way for other beings or in other parts of the universe.

In physics, time is often described as the fourth dimension, along with the three dimensions of space. This allows us to understand the movement and interactions of objects in our universe. However, some theories, such as Einstein's theory of relativity, suggest that time is not a constant and can be affected by factors such as gravity and velocity.

In terms of your personal experiences with time, it is important to remember that our perception of time is subjective. When we are engaged in enjoyable activities, time may seem to pass quickly, while in moments of boredom or pain, it may feel like it is dragging on. This is because our brains are constantly processing and interpreting our surroundings, which can affect our perception of time.

In summary, while the concept of time may seem elusive and mysterious, it is a fundamental aspect of our universe and plays a crucial role in our understanding of the world around us. As scientists, we continue to study and explore the nature of time, but for now, it remains a fascinating and complex concept.