The Mystery of Time
One of the biggest puzzles in physics today is called the problem of time. It shows up when scientists try to connect two of the most important theories: General Relativity, which explains gravity and the structure of the universe, and Quantum Mechanics, which explains how tiny particles behave.
Lamont Williams, in his book The Greatest Source of Energy: A New Theory of Time, offers a bold idea. His Temporal Energy Theory (TET) says that time isn’t just a background for events—it’s actually a form of energy, carried by special particles.
Why Time Is a Problem in Physics
General Relativity treats time as part of “spacetime,” which can bend and stretch under the influence of mass/energy. Near a black hole, for example, time slows down.
Quantum Mechanics treats time differently. It sees time as a fixed clock ticking in the background, not something whose speed changes. This difference makes it hard to combine the two theories into one unified framework.
TET’s New Approach
TET claims that time is made up of three types of particles (t+, t0, and t–):
- The t+ particles flow from space toward matter.
- In the presence of matter, they are transformed into t0 and then to t–.
- The t– particles flow back out into space, where they are converted back to t+, with the cycle repeating.
The t+, t0, and t– can generally be considered to represent the future, present, and past, respectively, at least in terms of energy. The +, 0, and – refer to spatiotemporal charges on the particles, which simply dictate how they will interact with space or matter.
Williams compares this to an electrical circuit, with time as the current that powers the universe. He believes this “time energy” could explain why time disappears in certain equations and might connect gravity with quantum forces. Basically, in TET, gravity utilizes the t+ to t– cycle, while quantum-based forces utilize the t– to t+ cycle—both can be regarded as forward-running clocks. When their mathematical frameworks are united, time appears to disappear from the math, not because there is no time in the universe, but because the two theories utilize equal, yet opposite clocks.
Solving the mystery of the problem of time could change how we understand the universe. It might even lead to new technologies for energy or space travel. TET offers a fresh perspective on some old challenges in the physics of the universe.
Read more about TET in Lamont William’s book, The Greatest Source of Energy: A New Theory of Time.