Beyond the Dynamical Universe: Unifying Block Universe Physics and Time as Experienced

What is the universe ultimately composed of and what makes it run? According to the reigning mechanical universe paradigm, we can liken physical reality to chess pieces ruled by a computer program. But, this dynamical way of thinking has led to a serious impasse. Despite decades of effort, theoretical physics has not reconciled general relativity and quantum field theory while philosophy of physics has not produced a consensus interpretation of quantum mechanics or relativity. Neither has an explanation for the existence of consciousness including the experience of time. This book argues that these and many other problems of the mechanical universe paradigm are hinting that physics is struggling to birth a new paradigm. The authors resolve these problems using their proposed new paradigm called Relational Blockworld. Accordingly, physical reality is likened to a four-dimensional crossword puzzle-the block universe-where the ultimate ‘constituents’ are spatiotemporal relations situated according to a global, adynamical organizing principle.