PhilSci Archive

Is There an Alternative to the Block Universe View?

Petkov, Vesselin (2005) Is There an Alternative to the Block Universe View? [Preprint]

This is the latest version of this item.

[img]
Preview
PDF
Petkov-BlockUniverse.pdf - Published Version

Download (256kB)

Abstract

This paper pursues two aims. First, to show that the block universe view, regarding the universe as a timelessly existing four-dimensional world, is the only one that is consistent with special relativity. Second, to argue that special relativity alone can resolve the debate on whether the world is three-dimensional or four-dimensional. The argument advanced in the paper is that if the world were three-dimensional the kinematic consequences of special relativity and more importantly the experiments confirming them would be impossible.


Export/Citation: EndNote | BibTeX | Dublin Core | ASCII/Text Citation (Chicago) | HTML Citation | OpenURL
Social Networking:
Share |

Item Type: Preprint
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Petkov, Vesselin
Additional Information: Published in: D. Dieks (ed.), The Ontology of Spacetime (Elsevier, Amsterdam 2006); "Philosophy and Foundations of Physics" Series, Volume 1, pp. 207-228.
Keywords: Block universe, Minkowski spacetime, special relativity, existence
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory
Depositing User: Vesselin Petkov
Date Deposited: 06 Dec 2012 23:30
Last Modified: 06 Dec 2012 23:30
Item ID: 9470
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory
Date: June 2005
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/9470

Available Versions of this Item

Monthly Views for the past 3 years

Monthly Downloads for the past 3 years

Plum Analytics

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item