Skip to content
Quantum Babble
  • Home
  • About QB
  • Recommended Reading
  • Archives
  • Contact
  • QB on Facebook
October 23, 2013 Craig Quantum Physics

First Experimental Evidence That Time Is an Emergent Quantum Phenomenon

“One of the great challenges in physics is to unite the theories of quantum mechanics and general relativity. But all attempts to do this all run into the famous ‘problem of time’  — the resulting equations describe a static universe in which nothing ever happens. In 1983, theoreticians showed how this could be solved if time is an emergent phenomenon based on entanglement, the phenomenon in which two quantum particles share the same existence. An external, god-like observer always sees no difference between these particles compared to an external objective clock. But an observer who measures one of the pair — and so becomes entangled with it–can immediately see how it evolves differently from its partner. So from the outside the universe appears static and unchanging, while objects that are entangled within it experience the maelstrom of change. Now quantum physicists have performed the first experimental test of this idea by measuring the evolution of a pair of entangled photons in two different ways. An external god-like observer sees no difference while an observer who measures one particle and becomes entangled with it does see the change. In other words, the experiment shows how time is an emergent phenomenon based on entanglement, in which case the contradiction between quantum mechanics and general relativity seems to melt away.”

Here is a link to the write-up on the experiment.

This is a link to the experiment paper at the Cornell University Library. The PDF is on the right side.

 

Share this:

  • Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn

Related

Previous Many things come from our pain and the lessons we learn Next Change your words, change your world

Leave a thought Cancel reply

CAPTCHA
Refresh

*

Random Quote

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.Albert Einstein
… (next quote)

Search the site for anything!

*** Subscribe via Email ***

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 64 other subscribers

Categories

  • My Thoughts
  • Self Improvement
  • Spirituality
  • Quantum Physics
  • Love
  • Uncategorized

Random Posts

  • Reveal Your Life’s Purpose by Asking These 15 Questions
  • It’s a New Year but it’s more importantly a new day
  • New Research Confirms Consciousness Survives the Death of the Body
  • Synchronicities all around you
  • Hunter S. Thompson’s Letter on How to Find Meaning and Purpose in Life

Recent Comments

  • Craig on Do you even know what happy looks like?
  • Mindy on Do you even know what happy looks like?
  • Yendi on To The Woman I Have Always Loved
  • Craig on When it’s hard to breathe
  • Mindy on When it’s hard to breathe

Links

  • GlideWing
  • On Truth & Reality

Archives

© 2026 Quantum Babble — a place to breathe, think, and wonder