Concept Of Space-time Research Articles

Being-Time, or How Traditional Japanese Thought Collided with Western Philosophy and Modern Physics at Hiroshima

The atom bomb that annihilated Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945, proved Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. Mass became energy and the classic Western dialectic of three-dimensional space and linear time was displaced by the integrated concept of spacetime. On that day, modern physics also collided with the traditional Japanese understanding that space and time are interdependent phenomena. This collision speaks to conceptual parallels relating Buddhist thought, modern Japanese philosophy, phenomenology, and the physics of spacetime. The thirteenth-century Zen Buddhist monk Dōgen said that all phenomena are made possible by the universal principle of emptiness and that our existence arises with each moment in what he termed Being-Time, where past, present, and future co-exist. The Japanese philosopher Nishida Kitarō, along with Tanabe Hajime and Watsuji Tetsurō, saw reality as a multi-dimensional field of space-in-time where the individual subject no longer stood apart from the objective world but instead arose dynamically as contingent activities rather than an autonomous thing. The German philosopher Martin Heidegger rejected the rational binary of subject and object in Western thought and grounded our “being” in phenomena that came from their temporal being-in-the-world rather than representing some preexisting objective reality. The physicist Albert Einstein radically rethought the dialectic of three-dimensional space and linear time, used to schematize the physical world in the West since antiquity, and theorized the relativity of spacetime, in which all phenomena occur in space in relation to their place in time. Interwoven, these intellectual threads stripped the bombing of Hiroshima of its historical inevitability. The story of human experience lost its customary sense of going <i>somewhere</i> predetermined and was revealed instead to be an endlessly discrete accumulation of moments that could go <i>anywhere</i> at every transient and directionless moment in time.

Quantum nature of spacetime near the black hole singularity

The concept of spacetime loses its usual interpretation at the essential singularity of a black hole. In consequence, all laws of physics must fail at this classical singularity. This unphysical behavior of spacetime at the singularity originates from general relativity. In order to have a consistent description of spacetime, this singularity must disappear in a quantum mechanical description of spacetime which is expected to be given by a quantum theory of gravity. In this paper, we therefore attempt to describe the quantum nature of spacetime in the vicinity of the (classical) singularity of a black hole. We take the Kantowsi–Sachs representation for the interior spacetime of a black hole and include inevitable vacuum fluctuations of matter field in the Klein–Gordon representation. Hence we obtain the Wheeler–DeWitt equation for the black hole interior and solve this equation exactly yielding a general expression for the interior wave function of the black hole. Admissible wave functions consistent with the DeWitt boundary condition implies that the Hilbert space has three nonoverlapping sectors distinguished by the relative character of the eigenvalues. Regular quantum black holes with admissible and well-behaved wave function having no singularity can exist only in two of those sectors. However, the remaining sector does not contain any regular quantum black hole.

Time Electron Theory

What is time? Is it a physical quantity, illusion, or dimension? Defining time is challenging and fascinating. We often consider time as a dimension to help us understand the concept of space-time. Time undeniably exists, but we can only sense its presence through its effects. For instance, if we take two apples, one bought months ago and the other just a day ago, we can tell that one apple was bought a long time ago because it had rotted. We express time as the effect caused by it. If there were no effects of time on this universe, then the concept of time would not exist [1,2].

Towards a sociology of the future: An exploration in cognitive social theory

The aim of this article is a sociology of the future. Since the standard sociological practice of extrapolating from everyday semantics of the future and the time-consciousness of modernity is inadequate, an integrated cognitive sociological perspective allied to critical theory is introduced. It makes visible an essential dimension of social life that is either largely taken for granted, misunderstood or ignored by identifying different levels of cognitive structures organising minds, institutions and culture and following their role in societal dynamics. This perspective mediates the sociocultural and naturalistic approaches and introduces the concept of space-time. Centrally, a modal analysis of the key present-past-future sequence is presented, with the focus on the distinct status of the future. It is modally conceptualised, not simply in terms of possibility as is usual, but rather in terms of its modality as a necessary formal generic cultural model that makes the future in the first place conceivable and enables an orientation towards it to be established and maintained. The resulting cognitive sociological account offers a novel theoretical understanding of the future which could facilitate thorough sociological and critical theoretical analyses in the societal space-time field.

对相对论的基本原理分析及不同时空观念的阐述和论证

对相对论的基本原理分析及不同时空观念的阐述和论证

Space without Time and Time without Space in Education

Aims: The objectives of the article are three-fold: first, to show that space and time are interrelated when teaching and learning is considered, creating the need to examine space and time in an integrated and inter-dimensional framework; second, to propose an integrated approach to the concept of space-time as a useful teaching and learning issue, allowing us to unmask the true time-space consideration in education; and third, to argue for the relevance of analyzing the concept of space-time (S-T) as a paramount issue in the research on teaching and learning. Study Design: Due to the ongoing societal and technological changes, the S-T is changing extremely fast and new conceptualizations are required in order to examine how such evolving space-time approaches can operate as a tool for teaching and learning. This paper provides such a conceptualization. Methodology: This article should be considered as a theoretical contribution to how the existing conceptualization of space-time in education should be redefined to address emerging teaching and learning paradigm shifts, which have an impact on its consideration and use. As a theoretical paper it does not follow the traditional approaches of research papers (i.e., provide: exact methodology, collection of data, analysis and conclusions based on the analysis). Results: It has been established: first, that in education the spatial domain is not defined by the classroom, while the temporal domain is not defined by the lessons’ timing; second, space and time are multi-dimensional, which have an impact on how space-time should be considered; and third, the S-T has evolved from a four-dimension (space: x, y, z; time: t) consideration to a multi-dimensional and later on to an inter-dimensional concept, demanding an integrated approach to teaching and learning.

COSMOLOGICAL SCALE FACTOR IN THE RELATIONAL APPROACH

In recent years, within the framework of the relational approach to the description of space-time and physical interactions, a number of studies have been carried out to substantiate the observed cosmological effects. In particular, it has been shown that the cosmological redshift described by the linear part of the Hubble law and the cosmic microwave background can be the result of contributions from emitted but not absorbed electromagnetic radiation. To describe the nonlinear part of the Hubble law, a logarithmic coordinate transformation was used, associated with the existence of a limiting observed distance, expressed by the gravitational radius of the observable Universe. The use of such a transformation must be justified by showing how it can be obtained in the derivation of space-time concepts for a system of a large number of emitters and absorbers. The article provides this rationale: it is shown that when deriving classical distances in the relational approach, there are two possibilities for determining the distance scale, they correspond to the scales of comoving and proper distances in cosmology, while the scale factor is expressed through the partition function of the configurations of emitters and absorbers.

Stimulus intensity modulates perceived tactile distance.

Several features of tactile stimuli modulate the perceived distance between touches. In particular, distances are perceived as farther apart when the time interval between them is longer, than when it is shorter. Such effects have been interpreted as a form of 'psychological relativity', analogous to Einstein's conception of a four-dimensional space-time. We investigated whether similar effects occur for stimulus features other than time, specifically stimulus intensity. We hypothesised that perceived distance would be increased when the two stimuli differed in intensity, since they would then be farther apart in a multi-dimensional feature space. Participants made verbal estimates of the perceived distance between two touches on their left hand. Intensity was manipulated such that both stimuli could be intense, both could be light, or one could be intense and the other light. We found no evidence for change in perceived tactile distance when stimuli intensity mis-matched. In contrast, there were clear effects of average stimulus intensity on perceived distance. Intense stimuli were judged as farther apart than light stimuli, and mixed stimuli were intermediate. These results are consistent with theories of general magnitude representation, which argue that multiple dimensions of magnitude are dependent on a shared underlying representation of domain-general magnitude.

String Theory Bounds on the Cosmological Constant, the Higgs Mass, and the Quark and Lepton Masses

In this paper, we elaborate on the new understanding of the cosmological constant and the gauge hierarchy problems in the context of string theory in its metastring formulation, based on the concepts of modular spacetime and Born geometry. The interplay of phase space (and Born geometry), the Bekenstein bound, the mixing between ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) physics and modular invariance in string theory is emphasized. This new viewpoint is fundamentally rooted in quantum contextuality and not in statistical observer bias (anthropic principle). We also discuss the extension of this point of view to the problem of masses of quarks and leptons and their respective mixing matrices.

Understanding relativistic time: Exploring the concepts of spacetime and time dilation

Relativistic time deals with concepts as spacetime and time dilation. I will try to explain this as clearly as possible. To explain the concept of spacetime is not at all impossible, although it is four-dimensional. But that means that we define it using four numbers. If we describe us through age, weight, height, and IQ, that would be a four-dimensional representation of us.

Formation and Development of Space-Time Concepts in Ancient China: With a Focus on Chen ⾠’s Meaning

Formation and Development of Space-Time Concepts in Ancient China: With a Focus on Chen ⾠’s Meaning

What can analysis of Space-Time of Action tell us about medium-term changes in adults’ and children’s access to place of activity? The example of Bogotá

This article draws on the space-time prism as formalized in time-geography (Hägerstrand 1970) and on spatial analysis methods to examine medium-term changes to household members’ access to place of activity, against the backdrop of urban change. The analytical framework thus uses the concept of Space-Time of Action (Demoraes et al. 2020a), referring to the combination of all the places of work or study that individuals go to, and the time taken to reach them from home. The analysis is based on two surveys conducted in Bogotá (Colombia) in 1993 and 2009 to apprehend individuals’ spatial mobilities. Two groups at different stages in their life course and co-residing in the same households are studied: schoolchildren and working adults. First, Space-Times of Action are calculated and mapped using kernel outer rings delineating the concentration of destinations for the two groups and the nine survey zones at each date. Second, the statistical significance of the discrepancies between Space-Times of Action is assessed using a bivariate colocation test. The test indicates overall stability in children’s access to place of schooling, but a more contrasting situation for adults.

Social Space-Time: On the Concept of Social Space-Time and Its Empirical Relevance to Biography

Attempts to reconcile space and time from a social-science perspective have recently become more common. This article goes about this task by developing a workable concept of social space-time, focusing on the connections between historicity—the relationship of the past, present, and future as it is constructed in the social sphere—and social constitutions of space such as the home or the nation-state. In the context of an exploratory study within the area of biographic constructions, this article draws upon twenty-four biographical-narrative interviews to reconstruct constitutions of time and space. It will be shown that certain relationships between past, present, and future concur with certain spatial constitutions. Space-time is therefore a concept that enriches empirical and theoretical work in the social sciences. Macrosociological analyses of modernity, of a transition to flexible accumulation, or processes of exclusion can be elucidated by differentiation between the proposed concentric-linear, networked-episodic, and insular-cyclical space-time types.

Rethinking special relativity, spacetime, and proposing a discontinuum

Following Einstein’s 1954 speculation that it is possible physics is based on a discontinuum theory, and that the continuum concept along with space and time must be discarded, the discovery of a new interpretation of the constancy of the speed of light leads to the discovery of three systems of measure used by inertial observers, which leads to rethinking the concept of spacetime and re-designing the foundations of physics.

Causal nonseparability and its implications for spatiotemporal relations

Quantum nonseparability is a central feature of quantum mechanics, and raises important philosophical questions. Interestingly, a particular theoretical development of quantum mechanics, called the process matrix formalism (PMF), features another kind of nonseparability, called causal nonseparability. The PMF appeals to the notion of quantum process, which is a generalisation of the concept of quantum state allowing to represent quantum-like correlations between quantum events over multiple parties without specifying a priori their spatiotemporal locations. Crucially, since the PMF makes no assumption about the global causal structure between quantum events, it allows for the existence of causally nonseparable quantum processes. Such processes are said to have an indefinite causal structure. This work aims at investigating the philosophical implications of causal nonseparability, especially for the notion of spatiotemporal relations. A preliminary discussion will first study the formal connection between quantum and causal nonseparability. It will be emphasised that, although quantum processes can be seen as a generalisation of density matrices, the conceptual distinction between the two notions yields significant differences between quantum and causal nonseparability. From there, it will be shown that, depending on the interpretative framework, causal nonseparability suggests some kind of indeterminacy of spatiotemporal relations. Namely, within a realist context, spatiotemporal relations can be epistemically or metaphysically indeterminate. Finally, it will be argued that, in spite of the disanalogies between standard and causal nonseparability, similar implications for spatial relations can already be defended in the context of standard quantum mechanics. This work highlights the potentially very fruitful explorations of the implications of quantum features on the conception of spacetime, keeping in mind that quantum and spacetime theories are expected to be unified in a future theory of quantum gravity.

On the Edge of Time and Space: The Udis of Oghuz

Abstract This paper looks at the role of anthropological notions of time and space in the rituals, everyday life, discourse and the notable spaces of the Udi community in Oghuz (former Vartashen, Azerbaijan). This particular Udi community is examined through and studied within the context of the above-mentioned concepts. The text focuses on the local sacred plane tree, several chapels and narratives of the locals in relation to the concept of spacetime. This paper looks at how the idea of spacetime shapes the Udi community of Oghuz and its symbolic role in performing the identity within this community. Relying on ethnographic fieldwork in Oghuz and accompanying historical research, the paper shows the complex entanglement of spacetime narrative in the lives of the local Udis.

Effects of Environmental Regulation on Green Total Factor Productivity: An Evidence from the Yellow River Basin, China

Based on the data of 59 prefecture-level cities in the Yellow River Basin from 2011 to 2019, this paper uses the Slack Based Measure-Global Malmquist Luenberger (SBM-GML) model to measure green total factor productivity (GTFP) of the cities. Under the space–time concept of the Basin, heterogeneity analysis of the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River Basin is conducted. On this basis, a panel Tobit model is constructed to analyze the impact of environmental regulation on GTFP in the whole basin, upstream region, middle region and downstream region. The results show that the intensity of environmental regulation in the Yellow River Basin increases gradually, which is the highest in the lower reaches, followed by the middle reaches; spatially, the intensity of environmental regulation shows a certain aggregation trend. The green economic growth is realized in the whole basin, and the green technology progress effect is the driving factor of GTFP. The GTFP distribution in the upstream region is relatively concentrated, showing a slow upward trend. The distribution of GTFP in the middle reaches is discrete, and the annual difference is large. In the downstream region, it shows a trend of decline first and then increase. Environmental regulation promotes GTFP in the whole basin, upper, middle and lower reaches, accompanied by certain spatial differences. The Yellow River Basin breaks through the cost effect brought by environmental regulation and triggers technological innovation, thereby enhancing GTFP; the “Porter hypothesis” has been verified in the Yellow River Basin.

The FLRW Universe Metric in 4+1 Spacetime Dimensional with Spherical Coordinate Invariance

The Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) universe metric is an abstraction of the distance between two points in a time-evolving universe. The evolution of the FLRW universe can be either expansion or contraction. In this article, the FLRW universe metric in 4+1 spacetime is formulated. When this metric is relatively one dimension higher than the original metric. The addition of these dimensions is based on the assumption that the laws of physics have the same shape in the higher dimensions. A mathematical modeling idea is based on a spatial 4-dimensional isotropic sphere system immersed in this 5-dimensional spatial system. Then, Minkowski’s flat spacetime concept was used to couple the spatial dimensions with the temporal dimension. Thus, we find the FLRW universe metric in 4+1 spacetime. The result of formalism shows that there is a radius quantity in the extra metric dimension, and this radius quantity forms the angle with the other two spatial dimensions. Then, we also show that the dimension of the cosmic scale factor will always be relatively higher than the spatial dimension of the metric. This has implications for the expansion or contraction of the FLRW universe model which remains valid in high dimensions.

L’Inachevé et le devenir : L’esthétique du temps chez François Cheng

François Cheng studied the issue of time in Chinese painting with a particular interest in the notions of the unfinished and becoming. The two notions are understood as the essence of Chinese artists’ distinctive conception of time and influence later Cheng’s literary works. Through combining classical Chinese painting theories with his novel, this article investigates the notions of the unfinished and becoming embodied in Cheng’s Le Dit de Tianyi, and the Taoist aesthetics in his conception of space-time. In the first part, I examine the notion of the unfinished which is reflected in Tianyi’s fresco of Yumei, and which allows the fresco to develop and to participate in the rhythm of the universe. In the second part, I discover that the boundaries between past, present, and future are conflated in the novel, like a scroll which contains at the same time the déjà-vu and the unknown. Finally, I discuss the notion of becoming by analyzing Tianyi’s comments on Proust’s lost and regained time, and I argue that his life experience also contributes to the forming and establishment of his time cycle which is both recognized and unexpected.

Transformation of the concept of space-time in sculpture of the XX-XXI century. Part 1: avant-garde, modernism

Transformation of the concept of space-time in sculpture of the XX-XXI century. Part 1: avant-garde, modernism