Why can't we remember the future?

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The discussion centers on the intriguing question of why humans can remember the past but not the future. The primary explanation is that memory is inherently tied to experiences that have already occurred, as the future is yet to happen. The concept of time is linked to entropy, which consistently increases, influencing our perception of time as a linear flow from past to future. Some participants mention that the experience of time may be an illusion, with all moments existing simultaneously, though this does not imply a predetermined future. The conversation touches on the philosophical implications of these ideas, but ultimately, it acknowledges the complexities of physics in addressing such questions. Additionally, there is a reminder about adhering to forum guidelines for discussions.
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Why is it that we can remember the past but not the future?
 
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That is a very quixotic question, but um...

the future hasn't happened yet; our memory only recollects things which have already occurred. Hence, we can't remember the future.
 
Brian Greene discusses this question in either "The elegant universe" or "The fabric of spacetime". I can't remember it all, but it certainly has to do with the time arrow given by the entropy, that is always increasing.
 
Because experience happens in the present. As we experience things, they are recorded in the right and left hemispheres of our brains... some of them anyway. They become available for recall at a later time.
 
I've read that the experience of time as a flowing from the past to the future, is an illusion. All time is in reality present "simultaneously". This does not mean, however, that everything is destined.

Is this true?
 
No.
Well, maybe if...no.
Yes actually, it is possible but...


Welcome to physics.


It is a quixotic question, but quixotic is a noble approach to physics.
 
This doesn't meet the criteria for this forum. leopard please read the Philosophy posting guidelines and if you can meet the criteria, you may repost.
 
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