Approaching the question of time, Rovelli does not seek to immerse listeners in complex mathematical theories, preferring to share his thoughts without excessive abstractions. He believes that understanding the fundamentals of physics is not necessary for everyday life, but sometimes it is useful to step back and ponder deeper meanings.
“Time is a fascinating topic that touches our most profound emotions. It shapes our lives and at the same time takes away everything we hold dear. Reflecting on time leads us to contemplate the meaning of our existence. That is why I have dedicated my life to its study,” shares the physicist.
In his new work “The Order of Time,” published in April, Rovelli explores how we perceive time and argues that it is absent both at micro and macro scales. He presents compelling arguments that chronology and continuity are merely stories we tell ourselves to make sense of our existence.
The Illusion of Time
Rovelli asserts that time is merely a perspective, not a universal truth. This perspective is shaped by our biology and evolution, as well as our place on Earth and in the cosmos.
“From the standpoint of beings that are just a small part of the world, it seems to us that it flows through time,” explains the physicist. However, at the quantum level, time intervals are so small that they cannot be divided, and therefore, time itself does not exist.
He also emphasizes that, in fact, objects as such do not exist. The universe consists of countless events. For example, a stone is an event occurring at such a speed that we cannot capture it. In reality, the stone is constantly transforming, and in the future, it will take on a different form.
“In the elementary grammar of the world, there are neither spatial nor temporal processes — only processes that transform physical quantities from one to another, allowing us to calculate possibilities and relationships,” explains the scientist.
Rovelli argues that what we perceive as the orderly flow of time is related to the fact that Earth has a unique entropic connection with the rest of the universe. Thus, the movements of our planet create an illusion of order for us, which is not always present in all corners of the universe. Time, much like orchids growing in the swamps of Florida, is a product of the planet we live on and its interaction with the environment.
The world seems orderly to us, moving from past to present, linking causes and effects, thanks to our perspective. We structure events in a linear sequence, connecting them with outcomes, which creates the sensation of time.
According to Rovelli, the universe is much more complex and chaotic than we can imagine. People rely on simplified descriptions that ignore countless other events, relationships, and possibilities. Our limitations create a false or incomplete sense of order that does not reflect the full picture.
The physicist asserts that we “blur” the surrounding world to focus on it, and that is why he states: “Time is ignorance.”
What? Wait!
If this seems abstract, it is. However, there are relatively simple examples that confirm that time is something fluid, and human perception of time is merely an experience, not an inherent part of reality.
For example, if you are looking at the distant planet Proxima b through a telescope, Rovelli explains that “now” on Earth and on that planet do not coincide. The light you see from Earth is a reflection of what happened on Proxima b four years ago. “There is no single moment on Proxima b that can be matched with the present here and now,” says Rovelli.
This idea may seem strange until you start to perceive it as something familiar, like an international phone call. You are in New York, talking to friends in London. When their words reach you, a few milliseconds pass, and “now” is no longer the same as the moment when the interlocutor replied, “I can hear you.”
Moreover, time is not the same for all places. A person in London experiences a specific moment of the day differently than in New York. While it is morning in New York, it is already afternoon in London, and when it is evening in New York, it is midnight in London. The same time is only possible in limited locations, and even this phenomenon is relatively new.
It was only in the 19th century, when train travel required a unified time, that “noon” coincided in New York and Boston. Until the need for precise time coordination arose, each place, even neighboring villages, used its own time. “Noon” occurred when the sun was at its zenith, and in Europe, church bells announced its arrival at different times in various regions. By the 20th century, we arrived at time zones — a business decision, not a scientific fact.
Rovelli also notes that time flows differently in different places. At the top of a mountain, time moves faster than at sea level. Similarly, clocks on the floor run slightly slower than those on the table.
Additionally, the perception of time depends on what you are doing. Classes in quantum physics seem endless, while time at a party flies by unnoticed.
These differences serve as evidence that “there are legions of times,” as the physicist says. And none of them correspond to a universal concept of time.
“Time is a layered and complex concept with many different properties arising from different approaches,” asserts Rovelli. “The structure of time differs from the naive understanding we have.” The simplified perception of time we are accustomed to works in our daily lives, but it is completely inapplicable to describe the universe “in its depths or vastness.”
Time is the story we tell ourselves
Ultimately, although physics reveals the mysteries of time, Rovelli argues, this does not satisfy us as humans. What we perceive as the flow of time is actually the result of randomness, naivety, and limitation.
In his view, what we perceive as time is a mental process occurring in the space between memory and expectation. “Time is the form in which we, beings with brains based on memory and foresight, interact with the surrounding world: it is the source of our identity,” he says.
Essentially, time is the story we tell in the present tense, both individually and collectively. It is the interaction of the internal and external, based on our perception of past events and the anticipation of future ones. It is this narrative that shapes our notion of “self,” which many neurologists, mystics, and physicists consider a collective delusion.
Rovelli asserts that without memory and expectation, we could not feel the flow of time and would not even know who we are. In this context, time is an emotional and psychological experience. “It is weakly connected to external reality,” he concludes, “but it is primarily what happens in our consciousness.”
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