Could Time Be More Fundamental Than Matter?

[hamsar]

I have a speculative question about the foundations of quantum mechanics.

We normally treat time as a parameter in which physical systems evolve. My question is: **what if time is not a physical object or a force, but is nevertheless the most fundamental structure of reality?**

We consider the electron to be an elementary particle because we have no experimental evidence that it is composed of anything smaller. But could the situation be reverse

 

[renormalize]

My question is: **what if time is not a physical object or a force, but is nevertheless the most fundamental structure of reality?**

Modern physics does not consider time to be "a physical object or a force", rather it is one of 4 coordinates that together specify locations in the 4-dimensional spacetime manifold that constitutes the universe.

 

[PeterDonis]

I have a speculative question about the foundations of quantum mechanics.

Please note that personal speculations are off limits here.

We normally treat time as a parameter in which physical systems evolve.

In non-relativistic QM, yes. But as @renormalize points out, that's not true in relativistic physics (including quantum field theory). And our best current belief is that relativistic physics is more fundamental, so its treatment of time is the one you need to look at if you want to ask fundamental questions.

My question is: **what if time is not a physical object or a force

As @renormalize points out, it is neither in our current physics. And that includes non-relativistic physics as well as relativity, which is the context in which he made his post.

but is nevertheless the most fundamental structure of reality?**

This is just meaningless words unless you have an actual model behind it that makes predictions.

We consider the electron to be an elementary particle because we have no experimental evidence that it is composed of anything smaller.

True. But this does not seem to have anything to do with the topic of time.

But could the situation be reverse

I don't know what this means. But it looks like more personal speculation, which, as noted, is off limits here.

 

[PeterDonis]

The thread is closed as it is based on personal speculation. @hamsar there is plenty of literature on the foundations of quantum mechanics. If you can find something in that literature that gets at whatever issue you are interested in, you can start a new thread with an appropriate reference as a basis for discussion.