Is Time Real? The Physics Behind our Clocks…

Integra Youth
May 22
3 min read

We check the time constantly. On our phones, our watches, our laptops. We schedule meetings, set alarms, and mark birthdays all by this invisible force we call “time.”

But here’s the question: What is time, really—and is it even real?

Let’s explore what science says about time, and whether it’s as real as it seems.

What do humans think time is?

To most of us, time is simple: it moves forward. There's a past we remember, a present we live in, and a future we plan for.

We measure time with clocks—devices that count repeating actions:

A pendulum swinging
A quartz crystal vibrating
Atoms in atomic clocks oscillating billions of times per second

Time zones, calendars, and even seconds are human-made systems to make sense of something deeper. But the strange question is: Are we measuring something that truly exists… or just organizing change?

The Physics of Time

In the 1600s, Isaac Newton believed time was absolute—constant and universal. It ticked the same for everyone, everywhere.

Then came Albert Einstein.

In 1905, his theory of special relativity shattered that idea. According to Einstein:

Time slows down the faster you move
Time runs slower near massive objects like planets or black holes

This isn’t science fiction—it’s been measured.

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station age a tiny bit slower than people on Earth. GPS satellites must correct for time dilation, or your phone’s location would drift by miles.

Time, it turns out, is relative—not absolute. It’s woven into the fabric of spacetime, which can bend, stretch, and warp.

Is Time an Illusion?

Here’s where things get really strange.

In some corners of theoretical physics, time might not be fundamental at all. Some physicists believe it's emergent—a byproduct of deeper processes we don’t yet understand.

Equations in quantum mechanics often don’t need time to work. And in the “block universe” model, past, present, and future all exist simultaneously. Our experience of time moving forward? That might be more about human perception than physical reality.

Imagine a DVD: the whole movie exists at once, but you experience it one scene at a time. That’s how some scientists think about time.

Entropy and the Arrow of Time

If physics doesn’t require time to flow forward, why do we remember the past—but not the future?

The answer may lie in entropy—a measure of disorder.

The Second Law of Thermodynamics says entropy tends to increase. A broken glass doesn’t reassemble. Smoke doesn’t un-burn. This gives time a direction: from low entropy (order) to high entropy (chaos).

This “arrow of time” might not come from time itself, but from the way disorder spreads in a universe that started in a highly ordered state (i.e., the Big Bang).

So, is Time Real?

There’s no simple answer.

Yes, time is real: It has measurable effects (aging, decay, causality), and we need it to make sense of reality.
But maybe not fundamental: It could be an emergent property of deeper laws—like temperature arising from the movement of particles.

In short, time feels real. It acts real. But at the most fundamental level, science hasn’t agreed on what it actually is.

Final Notes

Whether time is an illusion, an emergent effect, or a physical dimension we’ve barely begun to understand—it shapes everything we do. It’s the rhythm of our lives, the structure of our stories, and the backdrop of the universe.

Written By: Krisha L