Privileged moment called “now” doesn’t show up in any formulas or models in physics.
But we don’t know the map is 100% accurate.
Moreover, in order to move from the past to the future, “now” would need its own separate Dimension of Time, Arrow of Time, and Cursor of Time to move in, making any conceivable mathematical models of Cursor of Time infinitely recursive.
That depends on how literally you take the metaphors of cursors and movement. The Growing Block Universe theory perhaps needs only one extra dimension.
illusion
We suspect that Cursor of Time is one out of the multitude of Qualia. If true, Cursor of Time is as illusory as subjective redness of color red.
Qualia are not necessarily illusory. If you put your hand on a hot (objectively) stove, it feels hot subjectively.
Moreover, we know that it is certainly not 100% accurate, because we still have multiple gaps in our understanding. My point here is that we haven’t encountered any physical process which would require “now” to be somehow special. It does not mean we won’t encounter it in the future, but it is worth mentioning that we haven’t encountered it yet.
That depends on how literally you take the metaphors of cursors and movement. The Growing Block Universe theory perhaps needs only one extra dimension.
For each point X in (n−1)th-dimensional universe to be special, there must exists a point Y in nth-dimension of Growing Block Universe for which X would be special.
I.e., if Growing Block Universe grows in nth dimension, we can say that and at the point Y it grew all the way up to X, making X special only from the perspective of Y, but not globally special across the entire Growing Block Universe.
In turn, in order to make the point Y special, we need a non-special point in (n+1)th dimention, and so on up to infinity.
I.e., if Growing Block Universe is n-dimensional, the “Growing” part would be only (n−1)th-dimensional, and nth-dimension part would be static.
Qualia are not necessarily illusory. If you put your hand on a hot (objectively) stove, it feels hot subjectively.
I’m not claiming that Qualia is illusory. On the contrary, Descartes’s “Cogito, ergo sum” suggests that qualia might be the only thigh for which we can claim with certainty that it is not illusory.
I suggest entertaining the possibility that Cursor of Time itself might be illusory, making us think at every point in time that this moment is somehow special and that the time “flows”.
I.e., if (and that’s a big if) Cursor of Time is indeed an illusion, it would mean that “now” is no more special than “here.”
But I want to show that the phenomenon I try to explain cannot be reduced to Growing Block Universe, unless the Growing Block Universe is infinitely dimensional, which is not something totally unimaginable, but isn’t parsimonious either.
But we don’t know the map is 100% accurate.
That depends on how literally you take the metaphors of cursors and movement. The Growing Block Universe theory perhaps needs only one extra dimension.
Qualia are not necessarily illusory. If you put your hand on a hot (objectively) stove, it feels hot subjectively.
Moreover, we know that it is certainly not 100% accurate, because we still have multiple gaps in our understanding. My point here is that we haven’t encountered any physical process which would require “now” to be somehow special. It does not mean we won’t encounter it in the future, but it is worth mentioning that we haven’t encountered it yet.
For each point X in (n−1)th-dimensional universe to be special, there must exists a point Y in nth-dimension of Growing Block Universe for which X would be special.
I.e., if Growing Block Universe grows in nth dimension, we can say that and at the point Y it grew all the way up to X, making X special only from the perspective of Y, but not globally special across the entire Growing Block Universe.
In turn, in order to make the point Y special, we need a non-special point in (n+1)th dimention, and so on up to infinity.
I.e., if Growing Block Universe is n-dimensional, the “Growing” part would be only (n−1)th-dimensional, and nth-dimension part would be static.
I’m not claiming that Qualia is illusory. On the contrary, Descartes’s “Cogito, ergo sum” suggests that qualia might be the only thigh for which we can claim with certainty that it is not illusory.
I suggest entertaining the possibility that Cursor of Time itself might be illusory, making us think at every point in time that this moment is somehow special and that the time “flows”.
I.e., if (and that’s a big if) Cursor of Time is indeed an illusion, it would mean that “now” is no more special than “here.”
The phenomenon you are trying to explain is itself subjective and local.
Agree.
But I want to show that the phenomenon I try to explain cannot be reduced to Growing Block Universe, unless the Growing Block Universe is infinitely dimensional, which is not something totally unimaginable, but isn’t parsimonious either.