Brian Greene: Time Travel is Possible | Big Think

TL;DR

Time may not be a fundamental quality of reality but rather a framework our brains impose on our perceptions. Time travel to the future is possible according to Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, but traveling back to the past is highly unlikely based on current scientific understanding.

Transcript

we know that time in some sense is at rock bottom that which allows change to take place right when we we say that time has elapsed we notice that because things now are different from how they were a little while ago that's what we mean by time elapsing but is time some fundamental quality of reality or is it something that our brains impose on ou... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤯 Time may not be a fundamental aspect of reality but a construct of our minds to organize our perception and aid survival.
• 🖤 Albert Einstein's theory of relativity supports the possibility of traveling to the future by manipulating time through speed or proximity to a black hole.
• 👮 Time travel to the past is uncertain and currently unsupported by scientifically established laws, although some proposals exist at the edge of our understanding.

Questions & Answers

Q: Is time a fundamental quality of reality?

It is possible that time is not a fundamental quality but rather a framework imposed by our brains to organize our experience and enhance survival, although this does not negate its significance.

Q: Can we travel to the future?

Yes, according to Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, time travel to the future is possible by traveling near the speed of light or near a black hole, where time elapses more slowly.

Q: Can we travel to the past?

While no definitive proof exists, current scientific understanding suggests that traveling back to the past is highly unlikely. Proposed methods are at the edge of known physics and may be ruled out in the future as our understanding progresses.

Q: Is there a molecule or ingredient of time?

It is speculated that there might be an ingredient of time, much like molecules make up matter, but it may bear no resemblance to the way we experience time. Multiple such ingredients could be necessary to form time as we know it.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Time is a concept that allows us to organize our experience and survive, but it may not be a fundamental quality of reality.

• Time travel to the future is possible according to Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, by traveling near the speed of light or near the edge of a black hole.

• Traveling back to the past is uncertain and not supported by known laws of physics, although some scientists have proposed potential methods.