What do you think of the "Now Hypothesis"?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the "Now Hypothesis," a concept introduced by Richard Muller, which posits that the expanding universe not only creates new space but also new time, defining each moment as "now." Participants express skepticism regarding the hypothesis, noting that it originates from a pop science article rather than a peer-reviewed scientific paper. The consensus is that without empirical support or testable predictions, the hypothesis lacks scientific validity. The thread concludes with a call for references to legitimate scientific literature that discusses this idea in a rigorous context.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of cosmology and the expanding universe
  • Familiarity with the concept of time in physics
  • Knowledge of scientific literature and peer review processes
  • Ability to differentiate between pop science and academic research
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the concept of spacetime in general relativity
  • Explore peer-reviewed articles on the nature of time in cosmology
  • Investigate theories of time that make testable predictions
  • Read Richard Muller's works for a deeper understanding of his hypotheses
USEFUL FOR

Physicists, cosmologists, science communicators, and anyone interested in the philosophical implications of time and space in modern physics.

Hunter235711
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I just read the following article about a book by Richard Muller.
http://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2016/09/27/495608371/now-and-the-physics-of-time
What do you all think of it? Is this really a new idea?

"I think that only now can we finally understand the concept of now. In cosmology, we think of the expanding universe as the continuous creation of new space; the universe continues to grow as the space between galaxies increases. That recognition makes it plausible that in the ongoing expansion, the universe is creating not only new space but also new time. Each newly created moment is what we refer to as now. Let's call this the "Now Hypothesis.""
 
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Although it is written by a professor of physics, this is a pop science article (and the book it refers to is a pop science book), not an actual scientific paper or textbook. So it is not really a good reference for actual science discussion. If you can find an actual scientific paper or textbook where this hypothesis is discussed as an actual scientific theory--i.e., something that makes predictions that can be tested, and which aren't simply the same predictions made by current theories--please start a new thread referencing that. This thread is closed.
 

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