Coursera Spring Sale
40% Off Coursera Plus Annual!
Grab it
Explore the fundamental question of why time appears to flow in one direction despite the time-reversal symmetry of physical laws in this colloquium lecture by Mahendra Verma from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur. Examine the apparent contradiction between microscopic time-reversal symmetry and macroscopic irreversibility through multiple theoretical frameworks. Investigate how conservative systems with many particles undergo thermalization, connecting this process to the second law of thermodynamics and macroscopic time asymmetry. Analyze additional time-symmetry breaking mechanisms including multiscale energy transfer in driven dissipative nonequilibrium systems and turbulence, where energy flux from large to small scales determines temporal direction. Study the role of open systems in creating irreversibility through particle and energy exchanges with the environment. Consider how causality and asymmetric objects contribute to breaking time-reversal symmetry. Learn why conclusions based on idealized models—point particles, spherical objects, and isolated systems—may lead to incorrect understanding of macroscopic world evolution. Gain insights into the complex interplay between microscopic symmetries and macroscopic phenomena that gives rise to the observed arrow of time in nature.
