Subatomic Reversibility of Time?

[shostakov]

I'm posting as a music student (composer) who is interested in philosophy, particularly philosophies of time. Recently, I've my interests have tended towards the writings Fraser, Whitehead, Eddington, Russell and the like. I only mention this because responses to my question are only helpful if they assume a very weak mathematical background (like Russell's ABC of Relativity). . .

I heard in a lecture recently that at the subatomic level certain particles (I think it might have been electrons and positrons. . . not sure) can interact in such a way that the interaction can be viewed as having happened both in forward and in reverse time, i.e. the "effect" is, or at least appears to be, produced prior to the "cause."

I assume this is a generally accepted aspect of quantum theory? If accepted, what is the theory known as?

Thanks.

 

[sokrates]

The equations that describe the microscopic dynamics of matter is exactly identical in both time directions.

But in the macroscopic world this is rarely the case. For instance, we are used to seeing a car starting to move, heating the road but we "know" it is impossible to observe road getting cold and car moving forward.

It is very difficult to arrive at this "arrow of time" using microscopic theories, because from a pure dynamical point of view, there's no difference between the two examples.

In physics, these two separate theories evolved independently (thermodynamics -- dynamics) and they were finally connected by L. Boltzmann.

But the emergence of irreversibility is still an open-ended question in some ways, I still see a few PRL papers every now and then on the subject.

You could check Ludwig Boltzmann and Boltzmann equation, emergence of irreversibility, etc...


Edit : I play the piano (mostly classical Western) but Shostakovich is someone I cannot "survive" more than 10 minutes, I hope you don't get offended

 

[charng]

I can confirm that the idea of subatomic reversibility of time is a well-established concept in quantum theory. It is known as the CPT (charge-parity-time) symmetry, which states that the laws of physics are unchanged when particles are replaced with their antiparticles, space is inverted, and time is reversed. This means that a process that occurs in one direction of time can also occur in the opposite direction without violating any physical laws.

However, it is important to note that this concept applies only at the subatomic level and does not necessarily apply to larger scales. At the macroscopic level, the arrow of time is still an important concept and is evident in the irreversible nature of many physical processes. This is known as the arrow of time paradox, which is a topic of ongoing research and debate in physics and philosophy.

Regarding your interest in philosophy, the concept of subatomic reversibility of time raises interesting questions about the nature of time and causality. It challenges our traditional understanding of cause and effect, and raises questions about the fundamental nature of reality. It is an area of study that continues to fascinate and challenge scientists and philosophers alike. I would recommend exploring the works of the philosophers and scientists you mentioned to further your understanding of this concept and its implications.