Which came first – time or space?
Time and space are two complex principles that are undeniably linked, so is asking which one came first another 'chicken or the egg' dilemma?
Asked by: Tristan Smith, Whitstable
According to Albert Einstein, space and time are simply different aspects of the same entity now called ‘spacetime’. It therefore seems plausible that they came into existence simultaneously. That said, recent research combining Einstein’s work with quantum theory has led some theorists to conclude that space may actually give rise to the phenomenon we experience as time.
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Authors
James is staff writer at BBC Science Focus magazine. He especially enjoys writing about wellbeing and psychology.
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