Why Time Is a Byproduct || Leonard Susskind

Описание: Time is often treated as a fundamental force, something that exists on its own and moves everything along with it. But a closer look suggests that time may not be the driver of reality—it may be the result of it. What we experience as time could emerge from change itself: the shifting of matter, the flow of energy, and the evolution of systems. Without change, there would be no way to mark a “before” or “after,” and without those distinctions, time would lose its meaning.

At the most basic level, physical processes don’t require time as a standalone ingredient; they require relationships. Particles interact, forces act, and states transform. Time appears when we compare these transformations and place them in sequence. In this sense, clocks do not measure time itself—they measure motion and repetition, using regular physical processes to create the illusion of a steady temporal flow.

Human perception reinforces this idea. Our sense of time depends on memory and anticipation: we remember past states and imagine future ones. The brain stitches these experiences together into a continuous narrative, making time feel linear and ever-moving. Yet this flow is subjective. Moments feel long or short depending on attention, emotion, and context, suggesting that time is not a fixed substance but a mental framework built from experience.

Seen this way, time is a byproduct of change, order, and perception rather than a fundamental feature of the universe. It is a useful concept—essential for science, communication, and daily life—but not necessarily a basic building block of reality. By viewing time as something that emerges from processes instead of controlling them, we gain a deeper understanding of both the universe and our place within its constant transformation.