The fundamental laws of physics don't say that time should only move forwards. Yet we never see any reversal of time. The arrow of time may be the result of quantum-mechanical amnesia that erases any trace that time has moved backwards. In the world of large-scale objects, increasing entropy is associated with the flow of heat, which always goes from a hot object to a colder one. Change in entropy can also be described as a flow of information: the higher the entropy of a system, the less information it contains. In the quantum world, a box full of particles gains entropy – and loses information – when it becomes more entangled with the outside world. An outsider who observes the box may become more entangled with it. This entanglement – which involves the loss of information in the particles – increases the information available to the observer. In this context, the unceasing growth of entropy, and hence the second law of thermodynamics, may be just an illusion, an artefact of quantum mechanics. The laws of quantum mechanics are time-symmetric, which means that time can flow both forwards and backwards. If you analyse [the laws] carefully, you'll see that all the processes where things run backwards can happen, but they don't leave any trace of having happened. In systems in which entropy has decreased, the connections or correlations between events and observers is wiped out. Lacking this information, observers like us cannot see such an event (Physical Review Letters, vol 103, p 080401). Humpty Dumpty may reassemble himself, but we do not see this happen because the information about such events is not preserved. It's as if such information is, in effect, erased from our memory. We have no evidence yet that nature behaves quantum mechanically at larger scales. Being creatures of habit, we are trained to have only memories of the past. It is possible to conceive we could biologically change this. I personally find the idea of watching Jenkins unmaking omelettes to Floyd unplaying bricks in walls rather distressing, especially when hungry. Harrington did promise an answer by Tuesday and appears to have let us down or caused a severe bout of quantum-mechanical amnesia by unburning black candles.
On 28 Aug, 20:24, Chris Jenkins <[email protected]> wrote: > As a quick aside on Pink Floyd... > I listen to Pandora, as I love the Music Genome project for finding me new > and interesting music based on my existing tastes. I find nothing works as > well for accurately predicting what I'll like. However, my Pink Floyd > channel invariably serves up Pink Floyd more than anything else. They're > just one of a kind. > > On Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 10:16 AM, [email protected] < > > > > [email protected]> wrote: > > > Bwahahaha! > > > On 28 Aug, 15:15, Chris Jenkins <[email protected]> wrote: > > > ...is the ENGLISH way... ;) > > > > On Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 10:12 AM, frantheman < > > [email protected]>wrote: > > > > >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntm1YfehK7U > > > > > "hanging on in quiet desperation ..." > > > > > Francis > > > > > On 28 Aug., 14:00, Pat <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > I'll leave you, this weekend, to ponder how time works. Because we > > > > > exist at the very edge of the expansion of Space-Time, we are able to > > > > > experience the actual movement as the bow-wave rushes forward > > (through > > > > > the ether). The expansion of Space-Time draws energy forward through > > > > > the ether and drags us with it, as we are nothing but part of the > > > > > energy that is. Because of the way space-time works, in that space > > and > > > > > time are relative to one's place in it and to the free movement of > > > > > energy (C), it 'appears' from our vantage point that space-time is > > > > > expanding away from us. But that is because of how relativity > > > > > 'appears' when existing on the edge of the expansion. It's really > > > > > that simple, we're riding the wave of the expansion and that's why we > > > > > experience the motion itself. That which is experienced is always on > > > > > that leading edge of the expansion. And that's why we perceive > > 'now'. > > > > > > Have a great weekend, All!!- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
