Physicists led by Nicola Bortolotti suggest that time might possess an inherent, microscopic jitter rather than ticking perfectly. This theoretical finding stems from research into how spontaneous wavefunction collapse—the process where quantum possibilities settle into single outcomes—might interact with gravity and spacetime. While the predicted fluctuations are currently too small to be detected by even the most advanced atomic clocks, they offer a potential mathematical bridge between the conflicting realms of quantum mechanics and general relativity.
The theoretical physicist and best-selling author finds inspiration in politics and philosophy for rethinking space and time.
Carlo Rovelli's work focuses on reconciling general relativity and quantum mechanics through **Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG)**, which proposes that spacetime is discrete and emerges from interactions, not as a pre-existing background. He also advocates for **Relational Quantum Mechanics**, asserting reality is defined by interactions and perspective – there is no objective, observer-independent reality. A key idea is that **time is not fundamental** but an emergent property linked to entropy. While promising, LQG faces challenges in making testable predictions.
Essentially, Rovelli argues for a shift from seeking absolute truths to understanding a relational, perspective-dependent universe.
Carlo Rovelli's work focuses on reconciling general relativity and quantum mechanics through **Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG)**, which proposes that spacetime is discrete and emerges from interactions, not as a pre-existing background. He also advocates for **Relational Quantum Mechanics**, asserting reality is defined by interactions and perspective – there is no objective, observer-independent reality. A key idea is that **time is not fundamental** but an emergent property linked to entropy. While promising, LQG faces challenges in making testable predictions.
Essentially, Rovelli argues for a shift from seeking absolute truths to understanding a relational, perspective-dependent universe.
This paper presents a model where gravity, through its fundamental unification with matter, explains the collapse of the wavefunction. The model is local, parameter-free, and makes testable predictions, proposing that the time evolution of quantum states deviates from the Schrödinger equation due to gravitational effects, leading to a natural explanation for why macroscopic superpositions do not occur.
This article explores the intriguing idea that the laws of physics, specifically gravity, might be manifestations of computations performed by a fundamental substrate. The authors delve into the possibility of a universe where information processing is central to understanding gravity and other physical phenomena.
As the author succinctly states, “gravitational attraction is just another optimization mechanism in a computational process that plays a role in reducing the computational power and compressing information.”
As the author succinctly states, “gravitational attraction is just another optimization mechanism in a computational process that plays a role in reducing the computational power and compressing information.”
