Time is an illusion? Einsteinian Ideas reflected.

[Niaboc67]

Einstein is quoted as saying "Time is an illusion" others have made utterances throughout the scientific and added that past, present and future all exist in the same form/frame. However, what scientific evidence is there of this? is it mere speculation?

Source:

 

[russ_watters]

I don't think he ever said that; the person who posted that video appears to be interpreting something that isn't in it. The video is using that as a way to explain relativity of simultaneity.

In either case, Relativity is exquisitely well proven by experiments.

 

[D H]

I'm moving this thread to special and general relativity, and perhaps it doesn't even belong there. (General physics might be a better home.)

I only got through the first five minutes of the video. Too much physics woo! I'm not a fan of those popularizations of science that wallow in the woo.

I don't have time to write a decent response. To those that do proffer a response, please keep in mind the nature of the question. This question was not asked by someone with a degree in physics. Try to keep it fairly simple.

 

[ZapperZ]

Einstein is quoted as saying "Time is an illusion" others have made utterances throughout the scientific and added that past, present and future all exist in the same form/frame. However, what scientific evidence is there of this? is it mere speculation?

Source:

Don't you want to also figure out what is defined as an "illusion"? After all, you want to know if time is such a thing. Shouldn't you care first of all, when you come across something like this, on what is meant by an "illusion"?

A mirage is an illusion to most people. Do you think the concept of time has the SAME flimsy existence as a mirage? Would physics use such an illusion to not only having a well-defined quantity, but also as a foundation for all of its theories? Think about it!

Zz.

 

[ghwellsjr]

Einstein is quoted as saying "Time is an illusion" others have made utterances throughout the scientific and added that past, present and future all exist in the same form/frame. However, what scientific evidence is there of this? is it mere speculation?

Source:

Can you provide a reference, hopefully online, where Einstein made the statement "Time is an illusion"?

I can give you a reference where Einstein made statements about time that would be at variance with your claim:

http://www.fourmilab.ch/etexts/einstein/specrel/www/

Look at the first article entitled "Definition of Simultaneity". There you will see Einstein defining "Time" and he never suggests that it is an illusion. He does say that it is possible to have a description of time that has no physical meaning but then he points out that it is necessary to have a clear definition of time which he then proceeds to do.

"Meanings" come from "definitions" and Einstein's fundamental definition of time is that it is what a watch (or clock) measures. I think that is a very simple concept that even young children can understand, don't you think?

 

[Dale]

Einstein is quoted as saying "Time is an illusion"

It is a misquote. The quote is: "the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion". This simply refers to the relativity of simultaneity, not the non-existence of time as a whole.

 

[UltrafastPED]

I remember this episode of NOVA; I didn't like it.

Time is the same for everyone - if you mean the time which they experience, and measure with their own "wristwatch"; this is called "proper time" in the lingo of special relativity.

According to Newton, this is the only time there is - the same everywhere, flowing equally in all places and all times.

But by Einstein's day it was known that something was wrong with this description - it was incompatible with Maxwell's equations for electromagnetism, and some disturbing experimental results were indicating that some changes were required. Poincare was the first to elaborate, correctly, on the "relativity of time" - and gave it this name. You can find some of the quotes and references here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relativity_priority_dispute

The answer was that while "proper time" works the same for everybody, if you watch the "proper clock" of something which is moving fast relative to your position - then you will "see" their clock running slow. Furthermore, if multiple observers are in motion relative to each other, they will disagree on which events are simultaneous.

However, Special Relativity tells us how to work with this, and make sense of it all. A good place to start is Taylor & Wheeler's "Spacetime Physics". A few new tools are required, but nothing beyond algebra, and some patience.

When you are done you will see that while time is not an illusion; instead it must be treated as one of four dimensions of spacetime, but following rules that differ from Newton and Galileo ... rules that are compatible with Maxwell's electrodynamics.

BTW, there is an immense amount of experimental support for Special Relativity; it is one of the best tested theories available. Plus if it were wrong, then there would be inconsistencies within Maxwell's equations - and they are in use everywhere for electrical and electronic devices, from motors to cell phones, from mirrors to lasers.

 

[ghwellsjr]

It is a misquote. The quote is: "the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion". This simply refers to the relativity of simultaneity, not the non-existence of time as a whole.

That's good. Where did he say that?

 

[Nugatory]

I don't think he ever said that

I don't either; I've been unable to find any credible source. Most of the sites that claim he did are drifting in the limbo between woo and crackpottery, and misinterpreting something that he did say: "The distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion."

 

[russ_watters]

That's good. Where did he say that?

I'm not sure if it is a quote or paraphrase, but it is discussed about 5 min into the video and it is pretty clearly talking about simultenaity.

 

[stevendaryl]

Einstein is quoted as saying "Time is an illusion" others have made utterances throughout the scientific and added that past, present and future all exist in the same form/frame. However, what scientific evidence is there of this? is it mere speculation?

Source:

Douglas Adams put it this way:

Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.

 

[jbriggs444]

That's good. Where did he say that?

Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Present) cites a source as:

"13. Letter from Einstein to the family of his lifelong friend Michele Besso, after learning of his death, (March 1955) as quoted in Science and the Search for God: Disturbing the Universe (1979) by Freeman Dyson, Ch. 17, "A Distant Mirror", ; also quoted at-Einstein's God (NPR)