Arrow of time and virtual reality

In summary, the discussion centered around the concept of the arrow of time in classical physics and its relationship to the possibility of a future where virtual and real entities are indistinguishable. The question of whether a person could be born and live their entire life in a virtual world without being able to differentiate the direction of time was posed, with a reference to solipsism as a potential explanation. However, it was concluded that this question has no basis in physics and is purely philosophical. The conversation was then closed.
  • #1
us40
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As we know that in classical world we have a clear arrow of time which points towards future..We can see glass falling from table and break but not the opposite in our world and whole universe... If we watch a film of glass being broken and that film is run in both direction we can easily identify which direction is forward and which is backward...Now my question is that we nowadays heard lot and lot about virtual reality and augmented reality and stuff like that in near future a person can not easily differentiate between real entity and virtual one, so is it possible in 'that' type of future that a child is born and lives his/her whole life in that environment and can not differentiate between direction of time because in whole life he is 'inside' that film (means in virtual world in which anything can happen in any direction of time) which earlier I have mentioned? Sorry for my grammatical mistakes..
 
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  • #3
UltrafastPED said:
Your question is philosophical, and has no basis in physics.

Indeed. Therefore, the thread is locked.
 
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1. What is the arrow of time?

The arrow of time is the concept that time only moves in one direction, from the past to the future. This is based on the second law of thermodynamics, which states that entropy (or disorder) in a closed system will always increase over time.

2. How does virtual reality relate to the arrow of time?

Virtual reality is a technology that creates a simulated environment, often through the use of computer graphics and sensory feedback. It does not have a direct relationship with the arrow of time, but it can be used to manipulate our perception of time by altering our sense of time passing in the virtual world.

3. Can virtual reality change the direction of the arrow of time?

No, virtual reality cannot change the direction of the arrow of time. The concept of the arrow of time is a fundamental principle of the universe, and cannot be altered by technology or human perception.

4. How does the arrow of time affect our experience in virtual reality?

The arrow of time affects our experience in virtual reality in the same way it affects our experience in the real world. Our perception of time passing is influenced by our surroundings and the events happening around us. Virtual reality can manipulate our perception of time, but the fundamental direction of time remains the same.

5. Are there any theories that suggest the arrow of time may not be a universal law?

Some theories, such as the Wheeler-DeWitt equation in quantum mechanics, suggest that time may not be a fundamental concept and that the arrow of time may not be a universal law. However, these theories are still highly debated and have not been proven, so the arrow of time remains a widely accepted concept in physics.

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