| | » | Fundamental Cosmic Clock May Be Ticking Incredibly Fast
Does this mean time is moving much faster in deep space than it is on Earth?
Some physicists are considering the idea that there is a fundamental cosmic clock which is ticking at an extremely fast rate. Although time is usually thought of as the fourth dimension, it possibly is the result of a physical process, such as the ticking of a built-in clock.
According to a theoretical study published June 19 in Physical Review Letters, this cosmic clock must be ticking faster than a billion trillion trillion times per second. In particle physics, tiny fundamental particles gain properties through interactions with other particles or fields. Physicist Martin Bojowald of Penn State University believes particles could experience time when they interact with a similar type of field. The field could oscillate in the form of regular ticks, “just like what we do with our clocks,” he says.
Physicists admit time is a puzzling concept. Two important physics theories actually clash on how they define time. In quantum mechanics, time is a fixed background. But in the general theory of relativity, time can shift in weird ways. We know that a clock on a massive object such as the Earth will tick more slowly than one farther away, such as on an orbiting satellite.
Physicist Flaminia Giacomini of the Perimeter Institute in Waterloo, Canada says that the concept of time is very important in attempts to combine the two theories into one theory of quantum gravity. Researchers consider the effect a fundamental cosmic clock would have on how atomic clocks behave. Atomic clocks are the most precise clocks we have, but if the fundamental clock ticked too slowly, the atomic clocks would prove to be unreliable. So far, the atomic clocks seem highly reliable.
Quantum physics limits how finely seconds can be divided. Planck time is the assumed limit, 10 to the negative 43rd power. In studying the question of whether the fundamental clock exists, Planck time is a reasonable pace for this clock to tick. Its ticking rate is “already surprisingly near to the Planck regime,” says Perimeter physicist Bianca Dittrich. “Usually the Planck regime is really far away from what we do.”
However, Dittrich believes there is probably not just one fundamental clock in the universe but a variety of processes which could be used to measure time. In the future, more precise atomic clocks could help scientists understand what makes the universe tick.
Comment: How to fit starlight from stars billions of light-years away into a universe which, according to the Bible, is only a few thousand years old continues to be a nagging problem for creationist physicists. There have been several attempts at finding a solution, but they in general seem to have shortcomings.
Not being a physicist or astronomer, I can’t say if this current research offers any help for creationists who are studying the starlight travel problem. But it certainly seems to be suggesting that if the fundamental clock is ticking so incredibly fast in distant space, time might be moving so much faster in deep space too. If true, that might help solve the starlight travel problem.
At the very least, secular physicists admit that “time is a puzzling concept in physics.” They too still have serious problems understanding the universe and the concept of time. This may be even more reason for us just to accept what the Bible says about the creation. Stars were created on the fourth day and this event happened only a few thousand years ago. These are facts.
We likely will understand everything when we get to heaven, God willing. Meanwhile we remember God’s wisdom is so much greater than ours. “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how untraceable his ways (Romans 11:33, EHV)!
And what mere mortal could have come up with the plan of salvation which God freely offers us? The Father sending His only Son to Earth to suffer and die for our sins, which will result in heavenly bliss for all who believe this message.
Reference: Emily Conover, “The universe might have a fundamental clock that ticks very, very fast,” Science News [July 13, 2020].
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QUESTION OF THE DAY
For how long after the “sell by” date are eggs good to eat?
Eggs are safe to eat for up to five weeks after the “sell by” date. To discover when the eggs were packed, look for the number under the “sell by” date. The three-digit sequence in the middle of this number tells the number of days in the year when the packing occurred. For instance “041” means the eggs were packed on the 41st day of the year, or February 10.
Source: 19 Health and Nutrition Secrets that Can Change Your Life,” Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter [advertisement].
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About Me--Warren Krug
Decades ago I attended a so-called Lutheran university where I could have lost my faith. The science professors promoted the theory of evolution and made fun of anybody who believed in the account of creation as presented in the book of Genesis. Thanks be to God, some creationist literature and the Bible soon helped get me back on the right track. Ever since then I have taken an active interest in the creation/evolution controversy.
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