Richard A. Muller - Now : The Physics of Time read TXT, FB2, DOC
9780393285239 English 0393285235 "Now" is a simple concept--you're reading this sentence now. Yet a realdefinition of "now" has eluded even the great Einstein. We know thattime stretches and is affected by gravity and velocity. Yet, as eminent physicistRichard A. Muller points out, it is only today that we have all the physicsat hand--relativity, entropy, entanglement, antimatter, and the Big Bang--toexplain the flow of time. With these building blocks in place, Muller reaches astartling conclusion: our expanding universe is continuously creating not onlynew space but also new time. The front edge of this new time is what we call"now," and this moment is truly unique--it is the only moment in which we canexercise our free will. Muller's thought-provoking vision is a powerful counterto established theories in science and philosophy, and his arguments will sparkmajor debate about the most fundamental assumptions of our universe., "Now" is a simple conceptyou're reading this sentence now. Yet a real definition of "now" has eluded even the great Einstein. We know that time stretches and is affected by gravity and velocity. Yet, as eminent physicist Richard A. Muller points out, it is only today that we have all the physics at handrelativity, entropy, entanglement, antimatter, and the Big Bangto explain the flow of time. With these building blocks in place, Muller reaches a startling conclusion: our expanding universe is continuously creating not only new space but also new time. The front edge of this new time is what we call "now," and this moment is truly uniqueit is the only moment in which we can exercise our free will. Muller's thought-provoking vision is a powerful counter to established theories in science and philosophy, and his arguments will spark major debate about the most fundamental assumptions of our universe., You are reading the word now right now. But what does that mean? What makes the ephemeral moment now so special? Its enigmatic character has bedeviled philosophers, priests, and modern-day physicists from Augustine to Einstein and beyond. Einstein showed that the flow of time is affected by both velocity and gravity, yet he despaired at his failure to explain the meaning of now. Equally puzzling: why does time flow? Some physicists have given up trying to understand, and call the flow of time an illusion, but the eminent experimentalist physicist Richard A. Muller protests. He says physics should explain reality, not deny it. In Now , Muller does more than poke holes in past ideas; he crafts his own revolutionary theory, one that makes testable predictions. He begins by laying out with the refreshing clarity that made Physics for Future Presidents so successful a firm and remarkably clear explanation of the physics building blocks of his theory: relativity, entropy, entanglement, antimatter, and the Big Bang. With the stage then set, he reveals a startling way forward. Muller points out that the standard Big Bang theory explains the ongoing expansion of the universe as the continuous creation of new space. He argues that time is also expanding and that the leading edge of the new time is what we experience as now. This thought-provoking vision has remarkable implications for some of our biggest questions, not only in physics but also in philosophy including the ongoing debate about the reality of free will. Moreover, his theory is testable. Muller s monumental work will spark major debate about the most fundamental assumptions of our universe, and may crack one of physics s longest-standing enigmas. "
9780393285239 English 0393285235 "Now" is a simple concept--you're reading this sentence now. Yet a realdefinition of "now" has eluded even the great Einstein. We know thattime stretches and is affected by gravity and velocity. Yet, as eminent physicistRichard A. Muller points out, it is only today that we have all the physicsat hand--relativity, entropy, entanglement, antimatter, and the Big Bang--toexplain the flow of time. With these building blocks in place, Muller reaches astartling conclusion: our expanding universe is continuously creating not onlynew space but also new time. The front edge of this new time is what we call"now," and this moment is truly unique--it is the only moment in which we canexercise our free will. Muller's thought-provoking vision is a powerful counterto established theories in science and philosophy, and his arguments will sparkmajor debate about the most fundamental assumptions of our universe., "Now" is a simple conceptyou're reading this sentence now. Yet a real definition of "now" has eluded even the great Einstein. We know that time stretches and is affected by gravity and velocity. Yet, as eminent physicist Richard A. Muller points out, it is only today that we have all the physics at handrelativity, entropy, entanglement, antimatter, and the Big Bangto explain the flow of time. With these building blocks in place, Muller reaches a startling conclusion: our expanding universe is continuously creating not only new space but also new time. The front edge of this new time is what we call "now," and this moment is truly uniqueit is the only moment in which we can exercise our free will. Muller's thought-provoking vision is a powerful counter to established theories in science and philosophy, and his arguments will spark major debate about the most fundamental assumptions of our universe., You are reading the word now right now. But what does that mean? What makes the ephemeral moment now so special? Its enigmatic character has bedeviled philosophers, priests, and modern-day physicists from Augustine to Einstein and beyond. Einstein showed that the flow of time is affected by both velocity and gravity, yet he despaired at his failure to explain the meaning of now. Equally puzzling: why does time flow? Some physicists have given up trying to understand, and call the flow of time an illusion, but the eminent experimentalist physicist Richard A. Muller protests. He says physics should explain reality, not deny it. In Now , Muller does more than poke holes in past ideas; he crafts his own revolutionary theory, one that makes testable predictions. He begins by laying out with the refreshing clarity that made Physics for Future Presidents so successful a firm and remarkably clear explanation of the physics building blocks of his theory: relativity, entropy, entanglement, antimatter, and the Big Bang. With the stage then set, he reveals a startling way forward. Muller points out that the standard Big Bang theory explains the ongoing expansion of the universe as the continuous creation of new space. He argues that time is also expanding and that the leading edge of the new time is what we experience as now. This thought-provoking vision has remarkable implications for some of our biggest questions, not only in physics but also in philosophy including the ongoing debate about the reality of free will. Moreover, his theory is testable. Muller s monumental work will spark major debate about the most fundamental assumptions of our universe, and may crack one of physics s longest-standing enigmas. "