Is time linear? 

posted by TheWestIsTheBest at 11:58AM CST on April 02

Define your terms there, TWIT-B. The problem of time is a complicated, complicated thing. It appears that time has been monodriectional and non-cyclical dating back to the big bang. However, the low-entropy nature of the universe immediately after the big bang has been something that has confused people for a long time, as there is no real a priori reason why the beginning of time should be especially low-entropy. And of course, there's no evidence for anything that happned between t = 0 and t = 10^-43 seconds, so all sorts of crazy scenearios, even involving circular time systems, could have happened there. Roger Penrose is trying to push something like that now.  

posted by Valatan at 12:31PM CST on April 02

Yup, and time does funny things around black holes and when I shift into 12th gear. Just trying to get my mind around cats in boxes and 4th dimensions without getting caught up in a stoned soul picnic.
Trying to get my mind around this while Sparty and the Mountaineers are playing is gonna hafta wait. 

posted by TheWestIsTheBest at 04:54PM CST on April 03