A new study suggests that a natural tendency toward an increase in complexity (rather than a decrease in order) is the driving force behind time’s arrow. (Image credit: Gabriela Secara, Perimeter Institute)
Why does time flow forward? A new paper suggests that the traditional explanation is flawed and suggests a new one.
Current theories invoke the law of entropy, which states that systems naturally move from more ordered states to more disordered ones. But the authors point out that the early universe – a tiny ball of super-hot plasma – may have actually been more disordered than the stately galaxies and solar systems we see today.
The researchers argue that instead the driving force behind time’s arrow may be a natural law that requires an increase in complexity, rather than a decrease in order.
Original research paper published in Physical Review Letters on October 29, 2014.
Names and affiliations of selected authors
Tim Koslowski, University of New Brunswick, New Brunswick
