Newton's Clockwork Universe and How We Perceive Time

Have you ever wondered why time seems to tick away in a straight line, second after second, minute after minute? We plan our lives around this forward march of time, setting alarms, meeting deadlines, and even celebrating new years. But what if I told you that this view of time is not the full picture?

Newtonian Physics: The Classical View

In school, we all learn about Sir Isaac Newton, the man who was hit on the head by an apple and suddenly understood gravity. Newton's laws of motion lay the foundation for classical physics and describe a world where time is an absolute entity, ticking away uniformly for everyone, everywhere. Imagine the universe as a giant clock, with gears and springs, all working in perfect harmony. In this "clockwork universe," time is like a river that flows at a constant speed, never changing its course.

The Clockwork Universe

Newton's laws were revolutionary and extraordinarily successful in describing the world around us. They could explain the motion of planets, the tides, and even the trajectory of cannonballs. It seemed like we had figured it all out. In this Newtonian universe, time and space are separate; space provides the stage, and time keeps the score. Time is linear, moving from the past, to the present, to the future. We are mere actors, playing out our roles in a performance that may be either predictable or unpredictable.

Free Will in a Newtonian Universe

In the Newtonian view, time is like an ever-flowing river, and it's easy to assume that we have the freedom to make choices as we navigate its currents. We feel as though we can steer our own boats, making decisions that affect our future course. In this classical perspective, free will seems to coexist naturally with the predictable laws of physics. Our actions, whether small like choosing what to eat for breakfast, or significant like picking a career, seem to be ours to make.

Limitations and What's Next

But what if the stage itself is not as static as it seems? What if the river of time can bend, twist, or even loop back on itself? Newton's laws begin to falter when we consider things like the immense gravity of black holes or the mind-boggling speeds close to that of light. These are the realms where our everyday intuitions about time and space break down.

So, what happens when we look beyond Newton? What new insights await us in understanding the true nature of time? Do we have free will? The answer lies in the groundbreaking work of another legendary physicist: Albert Einstein. But that's a tale for another article. See you next week.