#imaginary time

[quantanaut]

What is imaginary time?

While imaginary time sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, I wouldn’t say it’s anything so grand. Really, it’s just a handy mathematical tool physicists can use when analyzing quantum and relativistic systems. Mathematically, imaginary time runs perpendicular to real time, creating a 2-D ‘complex plane’ of time. Using imaginary time can be helpful to explain certain events in statistical mechanics and cosmology, but its actual ‘existence’ can be debated.

As Stephen Hawking once said “From the viewpoint of positivist philosophy, however, one cannot determine what is real. All one can do is find which mathematical models describe the universe we live in.”

[timespanner]

Einstein And Hawking Had Different Ideas About The Concept Of Imaginary Time

How is the ideology about time and imaginary time different for Einstein and Stephen Hawking? This question was originally answered on Quora by Paul Mainwood.

[andrewpcannon]

Tribute to Stephen Hawking

My Tribute to Stephen Hawking, thankful for his work in the arena of theoretical physics.

Yes, I know he denied the existence of God. Frankly, I think it is very un-Christian to make fun of the man because of this fact. Let me ask you this, person who claims to be a Christian: If Christ is judge, why have you taken His responsibility upon yourself? I may question whether you are actually a Christian, then again, it is not my place to do so either. Christ alone is worthy. Some of you…

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[eka-mark]

Temperature lives on the Riemann sphere.

John Baez (see here for details)

[ho316]

One might think this means that imaginary numbers are just a mathematical game having nothing to do with the real world. From the viewpoint of positivist philosophy, however, one cannot determine what is real. All one can do is find which mathematical models describe the universe we live in. It turns out that a mathematical model involving imaginary time predicts not only effects we have already observed but also effects we have not been able to measure yet nevertheless believe in for other reasons. So what is real and what is imaginary? Is the distinction just in our minds?

Stephen Hawking

[ameerkatofficial]

I am going to be that one science fiction writer who writes about "imaginary time" and none of you honkeys can stop me!

[urbanchristiannews]

Stephen Hawking Warns Artificial Intelligence Could Be a 'Real Danger', Robots Could 'Outsmart Us'

Stephen Hawking Warns Artificial Intelligence Could Be a ‘Real Danger’, Robots Could ‘Outsmart Us’

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (YouTube screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)

In a hilarious appearance on John Oliver’s HBO show, the famous physicist muses that robots could “outsmart us.”

(more…)

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[thecomedybureau]

John Oliver Goes All the Way to Cambridge to Chat with Stephen Hawking

John Oliver did indeed interview the legendary Stephen Hawking on Last Week Tonight. Their discourse consisted of AI, the fate of the planet, and imaginary time, but Oliver seemed pretty concerned to see what the theoretical chances are to get with Charlize Theron. Turns out Hawking or his "sentient computer" are pretty good in engaging in a witty repartee with Oliver.

Watch the extended interview here.