Time and Technology March On Together
The pace of living quickens continuously, yet a full understanding of things temporal still eludes us
Features
Time's Passage is Probably an Illusion
From the fixed past to the tangible present to the undecided future, it feels as though time flows inexorably on. But that is an illusion
Why Some Physicists Want to Get Rid of Time
The concepts of time and change may emerge from a universe that, at root, is utterly static
Physicists and Philosophers Unite to Study Time's Arrow
Physicists can't seem to find the time—literally. Can philosophers help?
How to Build a Time Machine
It wouldn't be easy, but it might be possible
Does Time Tick at the Same Rate for Everyone?
Hypothetical twins who age at different rates suggest the answer is no
Biological Clocks Operate on Many Scales
Whether they're counting minutes, months or years, biological clocks help to keep our brains and bodies running on schedule
How the Brain Creates a Chronology of Consciousness
Several brain structures contribute to “mind time,” organizing our experiences into chronologies of remembered events
In Science and in Culture, Time Is Elastic
What is time? The answer varies from society to society
Timekeeping Has a Long, Colorful History
Our conception of time depends on the way we measure it
Units of Time Stretch from Here to Eternity
The units of time range from the infinitesimally brief to the interminably long. The descriptions given here attempt to convey a sense of this vast chronological span
Ultraprecise Clocks Approach Chronometry's Final Frontier
Atomic clocks are shrinking to microchip size, heading for space—and approaching the limits of useful precision
In Einstein's Universe, Airplanes and Staircases Are Time Machines
Some experimental optical clocks are so precise that even a small change in elevation or velocity makes them register the passage of time differently
String Theory Predicts a Time before the Big Bang
String theory suggests that the big bang was not the origin of the universe but simply the outcome of a preexisting state
Sean Carroll Entangles Time and Entropy
A timely conversation with physicist Sean M. Carroll about how our one-way trip from the past to the future is entangled with entropy and the origin of the universe
Spacetime Is Not Necessarily Continuous
We perceive space and time to be continuous, but if the amazing theory of loop quantum gravity is correct, they actually come in discrete pieces
Time's End Will Be the End of Endings
Could time end? Yes. And no. Recent work in physics suggests a resolution to the paradox
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- From the Editor
What Time Is It?
