Researchers at the University of Surrey have recently published a study in Scientific Reports challenging our understanding of time. The study suggests that while the fundamental laws of physics do not distinguish between the past and the future, there remains a mysterious asymmetry in the Universe.
According to the study, both classic Newtonian equations and quantum equations allow for the movement of time in both directions. However, in reality, we observe an irreversible “arrow of time” where events unfold in a forward direction.
To explore this concept, scientists utilized a model known as Markov speakers, which considers the quantum state of an object solely based on its current parameters without regard to past states. By analyzing hypothetical cloud overheated particles expanding with the universe, researchers found that the process would appear the same even in reverse time.
Despite the fact that quantum physics does not differentiate between the past and future, the mystery of why time appears to flow in one direction remains. One hypothesis suggests the expansion of the universe following a big bang event may have resulted in the creation of two parallel worlds, one moving forward in time and the other moving backward.
While these ideas are purely speculative at this point, they provoke contemplation on the nature of time and its potential symmetry. For now, time travel remains a concept confined to theory, and our clocks continue to tick forward.