The End of Time: The Next Revolution in Our Understanding of the Universe
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| Author | Julian B Barbour |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Relativity, quantum gravity, nature of time |
| Published | 2000 |
| Publisher | Phoenix (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd ) |
| Pages | 384 |
| ISBN | 0753810204 |
The End of Time: The Next Revolution in Our Understanding of the Universe is a 2000 book by the theoretical physicist Julian B Barbour, published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson / Oxford University Press (Phoenix paperback).
Overview
Barbour argues that time does not exist as a fundamental feature of the universe. Motivated by the clash between general relativity (in which there is no unique, universal time) and quantum mechanics (which seems to require one), he proposes that reality is a vast, timeless collection of static configurations of the universe — instants he calls "Nows," making up a landscape he names "Platonia." What we experience as the flow of time and as history is, on this view, an appearance arising from the structure of these timeless configurations. The book develops a strongly Machian, relational view of physics as a route toward quantum gravity.
About the author
Julian B. Barbour (born 1937) is a British theoretical physicist who has worked independently (outside a university post) on the foundations of dynamics, Mach's principle, and the nature of time. He is well regarded in the foundations-of-physics community for his work on relational and timeless physics.
Publication details
- Author: Julian B Barbour
- Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson / Phoenix
- Published: 2000
- Pages: 384
- ISBN: 0753810204
Links to Purchase Book
- The End of Time (Amazon)