Spacetime-realist

A Spacetime-realist is an individual who adheres to the philosophical view that spacetime, the unified four-dimensional continuum of space and time, is a fundamental, objective reality. They believe spacetime exists independently of observers and their experiences. This perspective often implies that past, present, and future events exist equally, in a block universe, as opposed to being sequentially created. This contrasts with presentism or growing block universe theories, which assign a unique reality only to the present moment or the present and past.

Spacetime-realist meaning with examples

• Dr. Anya Sharma, a dedicated Spacetime-realist, built her physics research on the block universe concept. She argued that all moments exist simultaneously, challenging the traditional notion of a flowing 'now'. This perspective, while counterintuitive, allowed for elegant explanations of phenomena like special and general relativity, supporting her commitment to a fixed past and future.
• The implications of quantum entanglement were hotly debated by many philosophers. As a Spacetime-realist, Professor Ramirez posited that even entangled particles maintain their spacetime coordinates irrespective of any observation. His stance emphasized the timeless nature of these connections, adding strength to the block universe theory he championed, where particles stay within their position.
• Critiquing the dominant view of time as linear, Evelyn, a Spacetime-realist, explained that the illusion of a flowing 'now' is due to a misunderstanding of our perspective within the block universe. She believed that our subjective experience, which is just a single instance of time, is a distortion of an objective truth.
• In a thought experiment, a Spacetime-realist might consider an alien civilization experiencing all of spacetime at once. This being, unlike humans, could perceive events as a whole instead of only in a 'present'. It would observe our past, present and future simultaneously, demonstrating the objective nature of a block universe.