Existing for Zero Seconds

[Farid7]

Is it possible to exist for zero seconds? It might seem impossible, but if we look at it mathematically, it seems very plausible.

If it was impossible, it would also mean it is impossible for time as well. Which would make time impossible, because time cannot exist for more than zero seconds.

Let's suppose that time is 1 seconds. It cannot be 1 second for let's say .25 seconds more. Because, it requires 0.25 seconds passing and time still being 1 seconds.

 

[sjastro]

Is it possible to exist for zero seconds? It might seem impossible, but if we look at it mathematically, it seems very plausible.

If it was impossible, it would also mean it is impossible for time as well. Which would make time impossible, because time cannot exist for more than zero seconds.

Let's suppose that time is 1 seconds. It cannot be 1 second for let's say .25 seconds more. Because, it requires 0.25 seconds passing and time still being 1 seconds.

It can’t be done in quantum mechanical processes as it violates the HUP (Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle).
Most people are familiar with the position-momentum expression for the HUP, Δx.Δp ≥ h/4π, but there is also the energy-time relationship of the HUP.

ΔE.Δt ≥ h/4π

Δt can never be zero as the HUP is violated and the change in energy E, ΔE is undefined.

 

[AV1611VET]

Is it possible to exist for zero seconds?

Not unless you're God.

 

[Shemjaza]

Is it possible to exist for zero seconds? It might seem impossible, but if we look at it mathematically, it seems very plausible.

If it was impossible, it would also mean it is impossible for time as well. Which would make time impossible, because time cannot exist for more than zero seconds.

Let's suppose that time is 1 seconds. It cannot be 1 second for let's say .25 seconds more. Because, it requires 0.25 seconds passing and time still being 1 seconds.

Photons exist for zero seconds within their own frame of reference.

They travel at the speed of light and time doesn't pass at that speed.

 

[Farid7]

It can’t be done in quantum mechanical processes as it violates the HUP (Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle).
Most people are familiar with the position-momentum expression for the HUP, Δx.Δp ≥ h/4π, but there is also the energy-time relationship of the HUP.

ΔE.Δt ≥ h/4π

Δt can never be zero as the HUP is violated and the change in energy E, ΔE is undefined.

Not all laws stay true in every case. This has to be true for the HUP, as well. For example, if you add 1 + 3, you get 4. The sum is larger than both of the addends. You would expect this to be true every time you do addition. But, it cannot be true in the case of adding a number to Infinity. You get a sum equal to one of the addends.

Photons exist for zero seconds within their own frame of reference.

They travel at the speed of light and time doesn't pass at that speed.

Interesting.

 

[sjastro]

Not all laws stay true in every case. This has to be true for the HUP, as well. For example, if you add 1 + 3, you get 4. The sum is larger than both of the addends. You would expect this to be true every time you do addition. But, it cannot be true in the case of adding a number to Infinity. You get a sum equal to one of the addends.

This doesn’t even make any sense as the HUP is not a law but based on quantum mechanics.
Δt can be the time interval describing a physical process for the half life of a radioactive atom, how long an atom is an excited state or the life span of virtual particle/antiparticle pairs which pop into and out of existence from the vacuum energy to name a few.

In all cases ΔE is the uncertainty in the energy measurement and the HUP tells us the shorter the time interval Δt the larger the uncertainty ΔE.

Clearly Δt can never be zero as the uncertainty ΔE becomes infinitely large so it make no sense to think a physical process can exist for zero seconds.

Interesting.

When it comes to photons one needs to carefully distinguish between coordinate time and proper time.
The coordinate time of an object depends on the observer and can vary according to the speed of the observer or the object, this is where special relativity comes into the picture with the concept of time dilation.
Proper time can be thought of as the time elapsed for a clock attached to the object under observation.

When the object is a photon in a vacuum, its proper time is zero hence the photon does not experience the passage of time in its frame of reference, but in our frame of reference as the observer it has a non zero coordinate time such as measuring the time it takes for a photon emitted from the Sun's surface to reach us.