New theory proposes time has three dimensions, with space as a secondary effect

Image courtesy google

A fascinating new theory, proposed by a scientist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, suggests a radical shift in our understanding of the universe: time, not spacetime, is the single fundamental property of reality, and it exists in three dimensions, with space emerging as a secondary effect.
This theory, developed by associate research professor Gunther Kletetschka at the UAF Geophysical Institute, challenges the long-held notion of spacetime as a unified four-dimensional entity (three spatial dimensions plus one time dimension). Instead, he proposes that the three dimensions of time are the “primary fabric of everything, like the canvas of a painting,” while space is “more like the paint on the canvas rather than the canvas itself.”
Here’s a breakdown of the key ideas:

  • Three Dimensions of Time: Unlike our everyday experience of time as a linear, forward progression, this theory posits two additional temporal dimensions. While the exact nature of these extra dimensions is complex, one interpretation suggests that moving along a second temporal axis could allow for exploration of alternative outcomes or possibilities, while the ability to transition between these possibilities constitutes the third.
  • Space as Secondary: This is a profound inversion of our current understanding. Instead of time unfolding within a spatial arena, space itself is seen as a manifestation or consequence of the deeper, three-dimensional structure of time.
  • Resolving Physics Puzzles: Kletetschka’s mathematical framework suggests that viewing time as three-dimensional naturally resolves several long-standing problems in physics, particularly those arising from the incompatibility between quantum mechanics and gravity. It offers a way to unify these two fundamental theories.
  • Predictive Power: The theory predicts specific gravitational wave signatures that could potentially be observed by future detectors, offering a way to experimentally test this groundbreaking idea.
    If confirmed, this theory would fundamentally rewrite our understanding of existence, impacting our concepts of mass, energy, forces, and even the very nature of reality. It’s a bold and intriguing step in the ongoing quest to comprehend the universe.

Time not space plus time

Image courtesy google

Time, not space plus time, might be the single fundamental property in which all physical phenomena occur, according to a new theory by a University of Alaska Fairbanks scientist

The theory also argues that time comes in three dimensions rather than just the single one we experience as continual forward progression. Space emerges as a secondary manifestation.

“These three time dimensions are the primary fabric of everything, like the canvas of a painting,” said associate research professor Gunther Kletetschka at the UAF Geophysical Institute. “Space still exists with its three dimensions, but it’s more like the paint on the canvas rather than the canvas itself.”

Those thoughts are a marked difference from generally accepted physics, which holds that a single dimension of time plus the three dimensions of space constitute reality. This is known as spacetime, the concept developed more than a century ago that views time and space as one entity.

Kletetschka’s mathematical formula of six total dimensions—of time and space combined—could bring scientists closer to finding the single unifying explanation of the universe.

Kletetschka’s work, published April 21 in Reports in Advances of Physical Science, adds to a long-running body of research by theoretical physicists on a subject outside of mainstream physics.

He writes that his mathematical frameworkfor three-dimensional time improves on others’ proposals by making testable reproductions of known particle masses and other physical properties.

“Earlier 3D time proposals were primarily mathematical constructs without these concrete experimental connections,” he said. “My work transforms the concept from an interesting mathematical possibility into a physically testable theory with multiple independent verification channels.”

The theory could be used to predict currently unknown particle properties and aid in pursuing the origin of mass—and, ultimately, helping solve one of the biggest questions in physics.

What is 3D time?

Three-dimensional time is a theory in which time, like space, has multiple independent directions—typically imagined as three axes of time motion, similar in concept to the spatial X, Y and Z axes.

Imagine you are walking down a straight path, moving forward and therefore experiencing time as we know it. Now imagine another path that crosses the first one, going sideways.

If you could step onto that sideways path and remain in the same moment of “regular time,” you might find that things could be slightly different—perhaps a different version of the same day. Moving along this perpendicular second path could let you explore different outcomes of that day without going backward or forward in time as we know it.

The existence of those different outcomes is the second dimension of time. The means to transition from one outcome to another is the third dimension.

Kletetschka said his theory overcomes some of the problems with earlier three-dimensional time theories that are based on traditional physics.

Those earlier theories, for example, describe multiple time dimensions in which cause-and-effect relationships are potentially ambiguous. Kletetschka’s theory ensures that causes still precede effects, even with multiple time dimensions, just in a more complex mathematical structure.

In three-dimensional time, the second and third dimensions are thought by some researchers, notably theoretical physicist Itzhak Bars of the University of Southern California, to become apparent, or unfold, at levels of extreme energy such as during the early universe or in high-energy particle interactions.

If time has three dimensions could time 🕰️ machine be possible

Image courtesy google

The possibility of time travel, especially to the past, is a deeply complex and often paradoxical subject in physics. While the new theory proposing three dimensions of time is revolutionary, it doesn’t automatically mean “time machines” as depicted in science fiction would become possible.
Here’s a breakdown of how the three-dimensional time theory might relate to the concept of time travel:

  1. A New Framework for Understanding Time:
  • Our Current Understanding: In Einstein’s relativity, time is typically treated as a single dimension, intertwined with three spatial dimensions to form spacetime. “Time travel” in this context usually involves manipulating this spacetime fabric (e.g., through wormholes, or traveling near the speed of light for time dilation).
  • The Three-Dimensional Time Theory: Gunther Kletetschka’s theory suggests that our linear experience of time is just one dimension (t_1) within a larger, three-dimensional temporal reality (t_1, t_2, t_3).
  • One interpretation is that the second temporal dimension (t_2) allows for the exploration of “alternative outcomes” or “possibilities” without moving backward or forward in the familiar flow of time.
  • The third dimension (t_3) then represents the ability to transition between these different possibilities.
  1. Implications for “Time Travel”:
  • Accessing Different Futures/Pasts (Possibility Space): If t_2 and t_3 govern a “possibility space” or “alternative timelines,” it might suggest a way to access different historical paths or future outcomes. This isn’t necessarily “traveling back in time” to our specific past and altering it, but rather moving to a different branch of temporal existence where things unfolded differently. This could offer a way to bypass paradoxes like the “grandfather paradox” by simply shifting to a reality where your grandfather wasn’t killed.
  • Unifying Physics, Not Necessarily Enabling Time Machines: The primary motivation for Kletetschka’s theory is to unify quantum mechanics and gravity, solving long-standing puzzles in physics. While it offers a new way to conceptualize time, it doesn’t immediately provide a blueprint for building a device that lets you physically jump to a specific year in the past or future within our familiar timeline.
  • “Traveling” within Temporal Dimensions: If space emerges from these temporal dimensions, then “traveling” within these temporal dimensions would likely involve manipulating the fundamental fabric of reality itself. This is far more complex than simply moving through space.
  • Still Highly Speculative: It’s crucial to remember that this is a new theory. It’s mathematically robust and addresses some fundamental problems, but it requires experimental verification (e.g., detecting the predicted gravitational wave signatures). Until then, it remains a theoretical framework.
    In summary:
    While the existence of three dimensions of time opens up fascinating conceptual avenues for how reality functions and how “time” might be navigated, it doesn’t directly translate to the feasibility of building a traditional “time machine” that lets us effortlessly jump to historical events in our experienced timeline. It might, however, suggest that the “past” and “future” are more complex and multidimensional than we currently conceive, potentially allowing for the exploration of different temporal pathways or outcomes.
    The exact implications for time travel remain speculative and would depend on the detailed mathematical and physical consequences of these additional time dimensions, if they are indeed validated.

Please like subscribe comment your precious thoughts on universe discoveries

Full article source google

One thought on “New theory proposes time has three dimensions, with space as a secondary effect

Leave a reply to shivatje Cancel reply