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Spacetime and the Passage of Time

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Springer Handbook of Spacetime

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Abstract

This paper examines the various arguments that have been put forward suggesting either that time does not exist, or that it exists but its flow is not real. We argue that:

  1. 1.

    Time both exists and flows.

  2. 2.

    An evolving block universe (GlossaryTerm

    EBU

    ) model of spacetime adequately captures this feature, emphasizing the key differences between the past, present, and future.

  3. 3.

    The associated surfaces of constant time are uniquely geometrically and physically determined in any realistic spacetime model based in general relativity theory.

  4. 4.

    Such a model is needed in order to capture the essential aspects of what is happening in circumstances where initial data does not uniquely determine the evolution of spacetime structure because quantum uncertainty plays a key role in that development.

Assuming that the functioning of the mind is based in the physical brain, evidence from the way that the mind apprehends the flow of time prefers this evolving time model over those where there is no flow of time.

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Abbreviations

ADM:

Arnowitt, Deser, Misner

CBU:

crystallizing block universe

EBU:

emergent block universe

evolving block universe

FLRW:

Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker

GPS:

global positioning system

SHO:

simple harmonic oscillator

TDSE:

time-dependent Schrödinger equation

TISE:

time-independent Schrödinger equation

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mathematics, University of Cape Town, 7701, Rondebosch, Cape Town, South Africa

    George F.R. Ellis

  2. School of Mathematics Statistics and Computer Science, Westville Campus, University of KwaZulu-Natal, 4000, Durban, South Africa

    Rituparno Goswami

Authors
  1. George F.R. Ellis
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Correspondence to George F.R. Ellis .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Pennsylvania State University, 16802, University Park, PA, USA

    Abhay Ashtekar

  2. Institute for Foundational Studies Hermann Minkowski, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    Vesselin Petkov

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Ellis, G.F., Goswami, R. (2014). Spacetime and the Passage of Time. In: Ashtekar, A., Petkov, V. (eds) Springer Handbook of Spacetime. Springer Handbooks. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41992-8_13

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