Time Does Not "Flow" — Why Does Only the Future Come? A New Scenario of the Arrow of Time Created by "Information"

Time Does Not "Flow" — Why Does Only the Future Come? A New Scenario of the Arrow of Time Created by "Information"

1) "The Flow of Time" Was Supposed to Be Obvious

The second hand moves, morning comes, and night falls. We live as if we are on a one-way train from "past → present → future." We are born, age, and die—never in reverse order. Therefore, time seems like a fundamental component that is "there from the beginning," much like air.


However, physics has struggled with this "obvious" notion for over 100 years. Time can indeed be measured. But when it comes to explaining "what time is" in the language of the fundamental equations of the world, things become suspiciously shaky.


2) Relativity Stretches Time, Quantum Theory Assumes It

The first shock was the theory of relativity. Time is not an absolute flow common to all but changes its pace due to gravity and motion. The fact that observers in different motions cannot synchronize "simultaneity" quietly shattered our intuition. Time became intertwined with space, forming a four-dimensional fabric known as "spacetime."


On the other hand, quantum mechanics is more straightforward. Quantum equations describe "how things change over time" but do not explain the origin of time itself. Time is silently borrowed as an "external clock" placed in the background.


Here arises a serious discrepancy. When trying to create a "unified theory" that places gravity (relativity) and quantum (quantum mechanics) on the same footing, time sometimes disappears from the equations. The universe appears as a "frozen tableau"—this is the famous "problem of time."


3) "Time Progresses Because Entropy Increases" Lacks the Final Touch

The classic explanation for the arrow of time is thermodynamics. A glass shatters and scatters, but the fragments do not spontaneously return to their original state. The direction in which disorder (entropy) increases appears as "the future." We are tempted to say that the fact that memory can only be formed in the past is related to irreversibility.


However, there remains "homework" here. The fundamental microscopic laws (quantum equations) are structured in a way that does not distinguish between past and future. The direction of time becomes apparent when considering the statistics of many particles and their interactions with the environment. More troublesome is the initial condition problem of "why did the universe start with low entropy?" Despite the overwhelmingly more common disordered states, why did the universe have such an unusually "ordered beginning"?


4) Enter the "Information Revolution"—Information Is Not Just a Ledger

A recent "quiet revolution" has elevated information to the main role. Information was once a convenient tool (a mathematical memo) for organizing states and probabilities. However, where thermodynamics, quantum, and gravity intersect, treating "information as merely an abstract entity" leads to contradictions.


A symbolic example is the black hole. If a black hole thermally evaporates through Hawking radiation, it seems like the information of objects that fell in is "lost as heat." However, quantum theory does not allow information to be completely erased. This leads to the conclusion that "information is not arbitrary; it is physics itself." Erasing information requires an energy cost, and preserving or recording it requires physical resources—information is not the world's ledger but part of the world itself.


Furthermore, discussions linking gravity and thermodynamics have provided support. Ideas have emerged to derive the geometry (curvature) of spacetime from principles of entropy and information, suggesting that gravity might not be a "fundamental force" but rather an "emergent property." Just as temperature arises from the behavior of a collection of molecules, gravity and spacetime might arise from a deeper layer.


5) Spacetime as a "Memory Medium"—The Universe Does Not Forget Events

The core presented in this article is here. It views spacetime itself as a medium for recording information. Instead of the continuous and smooth spacetime depicted by relativity, there is a layer composed of "discrete elements" with finite capacity, where traces of quantum information remain—this is the image.


The important stance is that "recording" is not a metaphor. Interactions inevitably leak information into the environment, leaving traces. Although equations can theoretically be run backward, in reality, it is nearly impossible to completely rewind, including the "information scattered around." The reason a broken glass does not return is not simply because it is "disordered," but because the event is written into various parts of the universe.


Thus, the universe incorporates not only "what is now" but also "what has happened so far." Regions with many interactions hold many information traces, while regions with few interactions are closer to a "blank slate." Spacetime is not a neutral stage but a participant that constrains and shapes future events.


6) Time Is Not a "Background" but a "Result"—Irreversible Information Accumulation Creates Order

Here begins the dive into the "true nature of time." Instead of placing time at the start, it builds the order of time from the irreversible "writing of information" of events.


The concept is simple. Each time an interaction occurs, information is inscribed into the universe. The inscribed information cannot be "globally erased" under the constraints of thermodynamics and quantum mechanics. This "increase in indelible records" provides the natural sequence of events, the arrow of time. Early states have fewer records, while later states have more. The difference between future and past appears as the asymmetry where the universe holds information about the past but not the future.


The provocative appeal of this framework lies in its reduced reliance on the "initial condition lottery" of entropy. Without first assuming why the universe began with low entropy, it can be said, "As long as interactions occur and information is irreversibly inscribed, time progresses."


7) Could Dark Matter Also Be "Information Traces"?—The Scent of Ambitious Unification

Going further, this "accumulation of information" is said to affect gravity as well. If the curvature of spacetime depends not only on mass and energy but also on the distribution of quantum information (especially entanglement), regions that have recorded many past interactions might curve more strongly (behaving as if gravity is stronger).


The author suggests that the "invisible gravity" required by galactic rotation, etc., might be interpreted not as unknown particles (dark matter) but as the residual effects of information accumulated in spacetime. Dark matter, dark energy, and the arrow of time all arising from the same "irreversible writing of information"—this sentence symbolizes the ambition of the entire article.


Of course, this is where the debate becomes most heated. Dark matter is an observational "bundle of phenomena" in astronomy and cosmology, and while explanations are not limited to particle hypotheses, alternative proposals require rigorous scrutiny. The more attractive the unification, the higher the bar for verification.


8) Not Just "Philosophical": How to Test It

Time theory is often said to be "more philosophy than science." However, the article attempts to delve into testability.


First, black holes. If information is not lost, the information of falling objects should be inscribed in spacetime "before" the horizon and leave an impact even after evaporation. Hawking radiation might not be completely random but could subtly reflect the "history" of the black hole. Although current technology makes this difficult, the claim is that there is a target to aim for.


Next, the laboratory. In controlled systems like quantum computers, it is shown that even if the fundamental equations are reversible, the way information is written, spread, and retrieved can generate an "effective arrow of time." The attempt to bring cosmic-scale discussions down to laboratory size is significant.


9) Reactions on SNS: The Striking Phrase "The Universe Writes Time Into Itself"

 


When this article spreads, people's reactions are divided into two main points.


One is the "poetic and strong sentence." The concluding phrase, "Time is what the universe continues to write into itself," is easily quoted. Indeed, on X (formerly Twitter), posts expressing surprise at the overturning of the concept of time while quoting this sentence can be seen.


The other is the "all-inclusive feel." The stance of trying to place not only the arrow of time but also dark matter and dark energy on the same platform is received as stimulating. On X's post snippets, there is a movement to share while mentioning the idea that dark matter, dark energy, and the arrow of time come from a single process.


In tech-oriented communities, it's interesting how metaphors quickly convert to a "more engineering-like" direction. In a Hacker News thread, there are joking comments likening the universe to a "revision control system (version control)," and associations emerge that view the speed of light as "latency in information transmission through space." Moreover, a simple yet sharp question is posed: "If interactions accumulate, do old galaxies turn into black holes?"


And above all, the candid impressions of those "struck" by the article become visible. Comments with a tone like "It's the first time I've read about stitching time into a discussion of information and gravity; it's incredibly convincing" pull readers towards the "difficult but interesting" direction.


On the other hand, the excitement on SNS is amplified by the "strength of words" rather than the strictness of the content itself. Time and cosmology inherently possess a strong magnetic field of romance. Therefore, whether this is a "theory descending into verification" or a "charming unification story" will be determined by future theoretical refinement and the accumulation of observations and experiments.


10) Conclusion: Towards Physics That Does Not Assume Time

What this article proposes is a shift from a worldview that initially places time as a "flowing entity" to one that builds time as an "increase in the universe's records." Spacetime retains information, and interactions leave indelible traces. Therefore, events acquire an order, and we call it "the progression of time."


If this perspective is genuine, the arrow of time, the black hole information problem, the emergence of gravity, and even dark matter and dark energy could potentially be connected by a single thread. Of course, the more unified the thread, the more difficult the verification becomes. However, the attempt to push forward the question "Time is not a background" with the concrete physical quantity of information holds a heat worthy of being called a "quiet revolution."


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