Uploads from Quanta Magazine

Currently Playing: Is Time Real? The Physics Behind the Illusion of Time

What if time isn't fundamental at all? Physicist Carlo Rovelli reveals how modern physics, from relativity to quantum gravity, has gradually erased time from its equations. In its place, we find change, entropy, and the deep connection between the universe's evolution and our own perception of its flow. Featuring Rovelli's thermal time hypothesis, this video explores how our sense of past and future arises from the physics of heat. Read the corresponding interview with Rovelli at Quanta Magazine: https://www.quantamagazine.org/carlo-rovellis-radical-perspective-on-reality-20251029/ --------- Quanta Magazine is an editorially independent publication supported by the Simons Foundation. We focus on developments in mathematics, theoretical physics, theoretical computer science and the basic life sciences. READ free math and science articles on the Quanta website: www.quantamagazine.org LEARN about the Simons Foundation: www.simonsfoundation.org FOLLOW our social channels: - Instagram: quantamag - Bluesky: @quantamagazine.bsky.social‬ - Facebook: quantanews - X: quantamagazine