unilad homepage
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • World News
    • Crime
    • Health
    • Money
    • Sport
    • Travel
  • Film and TV
    • Netflix
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Archive
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Scientists have discovered that time is just an illusion

Home> Technology> News

Published 19:20 10 Jun 2024 GMT+1

Scientists have discovered that time is just an illusion

Strap in, folks, it's time to learn about quantum mechanics

Britt Jones

Britt Jones

google discoverFollow us on Google Discover
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images

Topics: Science, Technology, News

Britt Jones
Britt Jones

Advert

Advert

Advert

If you thought 2024 couldn’t get worse, scientists now believe that time is just an illusion.

Yep, you read that right.

According to the researchers, time may not be something fundamental to our world and is something created by ‘quantum entanglement’.

What is quantum entanglement, I hear you cry.

Advert

Well, quantum entanglement is a complicated science term for when particles become interconnected in the way they influence each other’s state.

The theory cites that the perception of time is due to the entanglement of objects with a reference clock.

According to the researchers, the universe would appear still to anyone observing from the outside.

Scientists now believe time is a construct of quantum entanglement. (Getty Stock Images/ Shapecharge)
Scientists now believe time is a construct of quantum entanglement. (Getty Stock Images/ Shapecharge)

Initially, scientists believed that time is interlinked with the fabric of space and could be warped by gravity, as fans of the movie Interstellar will be aware.

But this might not be the case.

According to quantum mechanics, time does not share the same flexibility, and this could upheave time’s entire nature.

However, even though it’s a pretty cool concept which challenges the basis of our entire system in life, it’s not without its difficulties.

For example, how do you test it out to find out if it’s real?

There really isn’t much of a tangible way to do so where you can see the results, so perhaps it's not time to throw our previous understanding of time in the bin quite yet.

Researcher Alessandro Coppo and his colleagues published their findings in the Physical Review A and their paper explores how our experience of time could be a byproduct of quantum processes.

Time could be based on how particles influence each other, regardless of distance between one another. (Getty Stock Images/ iNDU BACHKHETI)
Time could be based on how particles influence each other, regardless of distance between one another. (Getty Stock Images/ iNDU BACHKHETI)

Even though the theory is still in its baby stage, it could open the doors for a brand new understanding of the universe and how it operates.

Coppo said: "For centuries, time has entered physics as an essential ingredient that is not to be questioned. It is so deeply rooted in our conception of reality that people thought that a definition of time was not needed.

“We believe that nature is genuinely quantum."

Before this breakthrough, time was depicted as the measure of a change in a physical quantity or a magnitude to quantify the duration of events.

Now it might be a byproduct of quantum mechanics and interlinked with quantum entanglement.

That’s crazy.

Do we have to ditch our watches, or?

Choose your content:

3 hours ago
a day ago
3 days ago
  • Manuel Mazzanti/NurPhoto via Getty Images
    3 hours ago

    Artemis II astronaut shares stunning view of Earth you've never seen before

    The Artemis II crew landed from the mission on April 11

    Technology
  • Getty Stock Images
    a day ago

    Tesla owners are showing the reality of owning electric car as they share their average monthly bills

    Turns out there's a handy calculator for you to find out how much you could be spending (and saving)

    Technology
  • Anna Barclay/Getty Images
    3 days ago

    iPhone users warned to change specific setting when using public chargers

    Using public chargers can be risky

    Technology
  • Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
    3 days ago

    Artemis II astronauts share powerful realization they had when returning to Earth

    Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen made history this month

    Technology
  • Scientists have discovered a mysterious tiny world in our solar system
  • Scientists find a link between what time you eat breakfast and an early death
  • Scientists make major discovery as they find male contraceptive that stops sperm production
  • Scientists issue warning over controversial plan to launch 50,000 mirrors into space