Time might not be a fundamental feature of our universe
In short: What if time doesn't actually exist until something changes? Physicists have created a laboratory mini-universe to test this radical idea. By isolating 24,000 atoms from the outside world, they proved that the flow of time can emerge naturally from internal shifts rather than an independent ticking clock.
Modern physics explores the possibility that time is not a built-in background feature of reality. The Wheeler-DeWitt equation serves as a primary theoretical framework, portraying the entire universe as one static quantum state. Within this framework, particles show dual wave and particle characteristics; furthermore, the usual flow of moments originates from internal system connections instead of an outside clock. This perspective suggests that time is a relational property rather than an independent constant. It offers a new way to describe dynamics in quantum gravity as effectively as traditional methods.
To test this, Professor Giovanni Barontini at the University of Birmingham constructed a hermetically sealed quantum system using 24,000 rubidium atoms. Researchers used laser beams to split these atoms into two zones—an unobserved "dark" area and a "bright" observed one—after chilling them to mere billionths of a degree above absolute zero. This setup mimicked a simplified universe where the bright sector repeatedly expanded and contracted, mirroring a Big Bang followed by a hypothetical Big Crunch. The atoms were held within a magneto-optical trap inside a glass cell. Two different laser frequencies formed the thin barrier between the two regions.
The experiment demonstrated that time emerged from changes in entropy—the disorder or spread of the atoms as they moved between regions. Because the system was completely isolated, researchers reconstructed the sequence of events using only internal information. When the particle distribution stopped changing, time effectively halted. This provides experimental evidence for "entropic time," where the direction of time is defined by the average increase in entropy within a system's internal dynamics. In stochastic thermodynamics, entropy can occasionally decrease due to random fluctuations. However, it still trends upward on average, ensuring that entropic time maintains a clear direction.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: What Is Time? Mini Universe Created in a Lab Provides Intriguing Answers
- Also: Physicists created a tiny universe where time emerged without a clock
- Also: Scientist's ‘mini‑universe’ measures time without clock - University of Birmingham
- Also: Scientist creates 'mini‑universe' to measure time without a clock
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/space-what-is-time-mini-universe-created-in-a-lab-provides-intrigu.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Cosmology · More in Space · Latest · A–Z · All topics
