What is the present, how long does it last?

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The discussion explores the concept of the "present" in the context of relativity and quantum physics, questioning its duration and meaning. It suggests that "present" may be an inadequate term in physics, as it represents a point in time with no duration. The idea of experiencing time as discrete, potentially at the scale of Planck time, is debated, with no definitive evidence supporting this notion. The conversation ultimately concludes that the question of the present is more philosophical than scientific, leading to the decision to lock the thread. The complexities surrounding the present moment remain unresolved within the scientific community.
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According to relative theory and quantum physics, what is the present moment? How long does it last?

What is the meaning of the present tense that human feel in the sense of quantum/ relative physics? Is that we are seeing the Plank time moment to moment?
 
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lemd said:
According to relative theory and quantum physics, what is the present moment? How long does it last?

What is the meaning of the present tense that human feel in the sense of quantum/ relative physics? Is that we are seeing the Plank time moment to moment?

I think "present" is a word in the English language that is not well suited to physics other than to say that it is a "point" in time (having zero duration) just like a "point particle" has no dimensions in space.

As to your question about "... Plank time moment to moment?" I'm not really sure how you mean that. We have no evidence one way or the other as to whether or not time is discrete and if it DOES turn out to be discrete, what the "quantum" of time might be. I've heard discussions saying that it certainly would be much less than one Plank time.
 
discretization of space-time is problematic because it violates Lorentz invariance.
 
lemd said:
According to relative theory and quantum physics, what is the present moment? How long does it last?

What is the meaning of the present tense that human feel in the sense of quantum/ relative physics? Is that we are seeing the Plank time moment to moment?

This is not a question that science attempts to answer. This question currently belongs in the realm of philosophy than actual physics. Thus I'm going to lock this thread.
 

Thread 'Need help understanding particle physics and quantum physics'

So I know that electrons are fundamental, there's no 'material' that makes them up, it's like talking about a colour itself rather than a car or a flower. Now protons and neutrons and quarks and whatever other stuff is there fundamentally, I want someone to kind of teach me these, I have a lot of questions that books might not give the answer in the way I understand. Thanks
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