I have been told space and time are illusions. What does that mean?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the concept that space and time may be perceived as illusions, stemming from a talk by a Nobel Prize winner referencing scientists like Witten. The original poster, Marius Jonsson, seeks clarification on why time and space are considered illusions despite their fundamental role in physics, especially in light of black holes and the Big Bang theory. A participant argues that space and time are not illusions but rather dimensions that provide a framework for understanding the universe. They suggest that while our perception of time may be illusory, the dimensions themselves are essential and real. Clear definitions and communication are emphasized as crucial when discussing complex scientific ideas.
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Hello there,

Some time ago, I saw a talk by a nobel prize winner. He quoted two other scientists, one was Witten, the other I cannot remember.

Since that day I have imagined that it must be correct. Why? Because relativity predicts singularities are nonphysical nonsense. Yet, we can observe black holes exists, and most people in the world seems to believe in the Big Bang.

Can someone please explain this to me in layman terms, or near layman terms why time and space is believed to be illusions. I am a hobby-physicist, but not professional.

Thank you for your time.

Kind regards,
Marius Jonsson
 
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Space and time are not illusions, they're dimensions. They create a coordinate system that gives a unique identifier for each possible location in space-time.

Perhaps our perception of the passage of time is a biological illusion, or the perception of an infinite unbounded universe is an illusion but neither space nor time are illusions.
 
Lesson #1 when attempting to communicate science;

Your definitions must be clear and unambiguous. Do not assume that we automatically know what you are talking about.

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