[set fair (OP)]

Perhaps the first scientific model we come across is the ping pong ball model of molecules, used when we learnt the gas laws. Of course gas molecules aren’t really small ping pong balls but the model helps.

I have a model of time that helps me reduce some of the bafflement of quantum physics : - such as the twin slit experiment, the role of the observer, spooky action at a distance. Like the ping pong ball model it is only meant to be helpful and I’m not suggesting time is really like this.

Sorry I don’t know how to include a drawing, you’ll have to imagine or take a minute to draw it yourself. Imagine the first two layers of a brick wall (as most children draw it). The bottom layer the bricks are labelled 1,2,3,… The top layer a,b,c,… Brick a straddles brick 1 and 2 etc. Each brick represents a bit of time – moment, instant or atom of time as you prefer.

  a b c d e …
1 2 3 4 5 …

The rule is that anything eg a photon cannot move from a to b nor from 4 to 5. It can move from 1 to a, from a to1 or 2, from 5 to d or e etc.

Take a photon, if it moves from 1 to a to 2. From the point of the bottom layer of bricks 1 to a happens before a to 2, but from the point of view of the top layer of bricks 1 to a happens simultaneously with a to 2 – they happen in the same instant namely a.

If 1 is the instant a photon is emitted and 1,026 the instant it is detected then the 1,026 bricks are proportional to the elapsed time between emission and detection; well not quite since the bricks for different frequency photons are not the same size.

Having things happen simultaneously helps me do away with the idea of things travelling backwards in time. The photon can happily move from e to 6 to f to 7 to f to 6 to e to 5 exploring different spatial pathways.

This is the bare bones of it, there is more and you can augment the model if it helps you. It may be no use to some people but perhaps others may find helpful as I do.

[chris]

Can you please re-format the title of this thread as a question, in line with the forum policy; please do this within 24h to avoid this thread being deleted.