--- title: "Scientists Are Investigating If Time Warps Near a Nuclear Reactor" description: "A team of physicists are investigating a radical quantum theory of time which posits that there is an asymmetry between time and space." date: "2021-02-05" modified: "2021-02-07" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/scientists-investigating-time-warps-nuclear-reactor" categories: - "Physics" - "Quantum Physics" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "quantum" - "quantum theory" - "space-time" --- # Scientists Are Investigating If Time Warps Near a Nuclear Reactor ![A team of physicists are investigating a radical quantum theory of time which posits that there is an asymmetry between time and space.]() *\Image: pinwhalestock via Pixabay\* A team of theoretical physicists at Griffiths University in Australia are [investigating a radical quantum theory]() of time which posits that there is a asymmetry between time and space. To explain why time points from the past to the future, scientists have proposed that under the second law of thermodynamics, time itself moves towards increased entropy, a measurement of disorder in a system. But the new Australian hypothesis, first proposed by Australian physicist Joan Vaccaro in 2016, suggests instead that this increased entropy isn't the root cause of the direction the "arrow of time" moves — it's just a symptom of the flow of time. The theory suggests that the changes we observe over time aren't fundamentally linked, but emerge as a result of time reversal symmetry violations, otherwise known as "T violations." In [a video]() presenting her work that dates back to 2017, Vaccaro uses an analogy of a tree in the wind. The increased entropy of the leaves appears to "create the dynamic nature of time, but it's just *evidence* that there is something dynamic going on." In this analogy, the wind represents T violations. "All our laws are time reversible, you have exactly the same dynamics in the same directions," Vaccaro explained in the video. But an increase in entropy over time seems to violate these time reversal conditions. Vaccaro suggests that thanks to T violations, matter is able to remain localized in time. Space and time aren't interconnected, as the word "spacetime" often suggests — otherwise objects would be able to blink in and out of existence over time. In other words, Vaccaro argues that T violations stop objects from disappearing at random. To prove her controversial theory, a team of researchers at Griffith University are conducting an experiment that involves the Open-pool Australian lightwater reactor (OPAL), a 20 megawatt nuclear reactor generating a vast stream of anti-neutrinos. Neutrinos subatomic particles that only interact very weakly with matter, while anti neutrinos are their oppositely charged counterparts. The theory goes that if a clock were placed near this reactor, time would be dilated, when compared to a clock some ways away. That's because neutrinos exhibit time symmetry violations, as scientists have [suggested]() in the past. In the experiment, the team placed two highly precise atomic clocks at two different distances from the reactor. If one clock ends up moving at a slower rate, that would be evidence of local T violations closer to the reactor, supporting Vaccano's theory. In other words, if Vaccano's theory is correct, neutrinos would be interacting with matter caused by time, not just by a weak nuclear force. If there isn't any evidence of time slowing down near the reactor, a likely outcome, we'd fall back on current physical models. If proven, Vaccano's theory could rewrite how we understand the connections between space and time — making it highly controversial in the field. **READ MORE:** [Physicists to look for quantum time dilation inside nuclear reactor]() \[*New Atlas*\] **More on time and space:** *[Scientists Are Rethinking the Very Nature of Space and Time]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()