The Order of Time: Seven Brief Lessons on Physics

 The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli



Read: September 2021

Ironically, this somewhat dense book written on time, strives to prove that time is not an essential component of physics. Written by a physicist working in the field of quantum loop gravity extends the Einsteinian theory to emphasize that space and time are interchangeable and that time is not the arbiter of past and future; that work is done by presence of heat, or entropy.

The ideas take a little time to get into your head, but it is because of what the author says is Newtonian indoctrination of the concept of time in our high school textbooks. He goes on to elaborate on the arc of history of debate about the nature of time. Aristotle considered time not as an independent entity, but only as a measurement of change. On the other hand, Newton elevated concept of time as a 'true' phenomena which would exist even if nothing else changes in the world. The term 't' became ubiquitous in his equations and slowly has seeped into the consciousness of innumerable school going kids through the centuries. Newton was vigorously opposed even in his own lifetime. Legend has it that Leibnitz, the great mathematician, dropped 't' from his name to oppose the absolute concept of Newtonian time.

Then came Einstein, who theoretically proved that time is not constant and it flows differently at different places in the universe. It took a while for his theories to be proved in practice. But the genius man succeeded in changing the concept of time, at least in the books. Since then, the theoretical physicists who are working to build bridges between various strands of the subject, have further elaborated on the nature of time and slowly coming to the conclusion that time is not that important in the world of physics. That your 'present' is just a bubble around you and that the past and future has no meaning from the lens of time.

Little dense, but the book gets to you if you stick with it.


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