Have you ever thought about whether your past, present, and future all exist at the same time? Right now, you could be watching this video, being born, and lying on your deathbed simultaneously. Surprisingly, the answer could be yes. But how is that even possible? Let’s dive into how time works.
Imagine the universe as a child painting pictures on paper. Each picture captures everything happening in the universe at a single moment. With each new drawing, new events occur everywhere—births, deaths, and missed buses. Our universe-kid keeps adding new pictures, creating something like a movie, where only the moment we’re in right now is real. The past is what happened before, and the future is yet to come.
But what if time works differently? What if all the drawings are stacked together, creating a block of time that holds the entire history of the universe? In this scenario, past, present, and future moments all exist equally at the same time. This seems odd because we only perceive what’s happening now as real. How can the past and future be real at this moment?
The theory of relativity explains this. Time and space form a connected spacetime, not separate entities. When you move through space, you also move through this block of time, meaning time passes differently for different people. What you perceive as “now” is a slice of this block depending on your motion. So, your “now” is just one of many equally real “nows” in the universe, making the universal past or future non-existent.
Confused? Let’s make it easier. Imagine three alien spaceships. One hovers in space, sharing the same “now” as you. The second spaceship flies away, experiencing a different “now” where it can talk to your ancestors in 1924. The third spaceship flies towards you and can communicate with your descendants in 2124. Each has a valid “now,” making your past, present, and future all coexist right now.
If this is true, the distinction between past, present, and future is just an illusion. The universe isn’t a sequence of events but a static block where everything that happens is already written. But is the future already set? It feels like you can change it with your decisions. However, if the future is predetermined, your choices might just be an illusion.
Except, quantum stuff complicates things. Quantum processes are unpredictable by nature. For example, a radioactive atom’s decay is random and can cause unpredictable changes, meaning the future isn’t set in stone. If quantum events are uncertain, the future isn’t as real as the past.
However, for each individual object—a person, an alien, an atom—the timeline is clear. Your death will always occur after your birth, making your own “now” sensible.
Now, imagine the universe as a growing block. The past forms the bulk, while the present is a bumpy, uneven surface made by countless individual “nows.” Each time something happens or a quantum event becomes certain, the block grows, creating new time. In this view, you can decide your future, like not missing the bus.
So, is time like a movie, a frozen block, or a growing one? Truthfully, no one knows for sure. Some scientists think “now” only makes sense locally. Others believe time is an illusion or emerges from a deeper reality.
And hey, speaking of time, aren’t you about to miss the bus?
