Manchak, JB (2025) Heraclitus + Einstein = ? [Preprint]

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Abstract

This is a non-technical piece concerning a radical type of spacetime asymmetry. The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus is known for his theory of constant flux: "It is not possible to step twice into the same river.” It turns out that one can explore this idea within the context of Einstein's general relativity. A four-dimensional "Heraclitus spacetime" is a model of the universe in which no two events have the same structure. Such models exhibit a radical type of spacetime asymmetry. I first introduce the notion of Heraclitus spacetime. Next, I highlight a curious result: if a model universe has the Heraclitus property, then its local structure completely fixes its global structure as well (i.e. its shape). Finally, I sketch a way in which the radical asymmetry present in a Heraclitus spacetime can be used to clarify a number of topics in the philosophy of spacetime physics.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Manchak, JB jmanchak@uci.edu
Keywords:	Heraclitus, Einstein, Spacetime, Symmetries, Structure
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory General Issues > Structure of Theories Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances
Depositing User:	JB Manchak
Date Deposited:	18 Oct 2025 13:00
Last Modified:	18 Oct 2025 13:00
Item ID:	26960
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory General Issues > Structure of Theories Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances
Date:	2025
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/26960

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