In terms of the "big freeze" predicted as the end of the universe....

It may not be the "end".... time may keep going.....

19 minutes ago, julius2 said:

In terms of the "big freeze" predicted as the end of the universe....

It may not be the "end".... time may keep going.....

Is there any credible discussion of time stopping in the heat death scenario?

30 minutes ago, swansont said:

Is there any credible discussion of time stopping in the heat death scenario?

Well ... possibly.
Once maximal entropy is reached, and the universe is essentially at equilibrium, no processes can go forward or backward.
Sure, there will be some small oscillations about the equilibrium state, because of QM, but how would you measure the passage of time ?
( if this wasn't off topic, it would make an interesting discussion )

Edit - I see you fixed that problem. Thanks.

Edited 3 hours ago3 hr by MigL

4 minutes ago, MigL said:

Well ... possibly.
Once maximal entropy is reached, and the universe is essentially at equilibrium, no processes can go forward or backward.
Sure, there will be some small oscillations about the equilibrium state, because of QM, but how would you measure the passage of time ?
( if this wasn't off topic, it would make an interesting discussion )

I can see how you couldn’t measure time in that case, but is time dependent on that? Does time pass if there’s nothing around to experience it?

Interesting question.
But keeping in mind that ALL processes would be halted, and QM oscillations could go backwards or forward, there would be absolutely no way to detect the passage of time.
If time is redundant, would it still exist indepenently ?

2 hours ago, MigL said:

Interesting question.
But keeping in mind that ALL processes would be halted, and QM oscillations could go backwards or forward, there would be absolutely no way to detect the passage of time.
If time is redundant, would it still exist indepenently ?

Are quantum oscillations well understood?

If so ,is the nature of quantum oscillations a key to any question as to whether or not "time" might cease to exist and , like Samsung pull down all of "creation" with it and prevent its reemergence in any form at all-copper fastening a certified "death" of everything that was or could be ?

I have read that quantum fluctuations can be visualized collectively as a kind of "foam:.

Is there any structure of any kind to this foam or are we talking about a never ending vista of randomness?