Arrow of Time
A special issue of Entropy (ISSN 1099-4300). This special issue belongs to the section "Time".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 January 2012) | Viewed by 59187
Special Issue Editor
Interests: time in physics; second law; foundations of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics; the direction of time; philosophy of science; interpretation of quantum mechanics
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Problems connected to the arrow of time remain some of science's largest mysteries. Perhaps because the direction of time plays such a large role in our own lives we maintain a persistent interest in any science that distinguishes the past from future in a robust manner. Whatever the reason, there are many open and fascinating questions associated with the arrow of time in and across many sciences. In statistical mechanics, Boltzmann and many other greats of physics tackled the origins of thermodynamic entropy increase. This puzzle remains, but so do many comparable ones concerning the radiation arrow, cosmological arrow, psychological arrow, and more. What are the origins of these arrows? How are they affected when (e.g.) gravity is taken into account? How do they relate to one another? We hope for progress on these and other questions in this issue.
Prof. Craig Callender
Guest Editor
Keywords
- second law of thermodynamics
- irreversibility
- time reversal invariance
- temporal asymmetries
- initial conditions
- entropy
- reversibility paradox