The replay

Many have wondered why time points in but only one direction. Although theory leaves the door slightly open, for all practical purposes, time moves smoothly forward, always. Given that the status-quo theories have great difficulty explaining space and gravity, let alone time, it is acceptable to dream up other reasons why this is so.

What if contemporary universe is a replay? Just as in a movie, everything flows forward, fully defined beforehand. Every event, every person, every emotion and every motion is predetermined – in fact it has all happened before. It is a replay, a recreation of a previous episode. The outcomes of this movie cannot be altered and it has to unfold in a predefined fashion. In such a scenario, time cannot be reversed – such a question does not arise.

The latest thinking is that the universe will continue to expand and it does not end in a big crunch. This idea may change again when the dark energy is resolved by an improved theory. The big crunch makes the replay elegantly possible. If the quantum disturbance that started it all could be wound up precisely back again, then it can unwind in yet another replay. Such an outcome, albeit being disappointingly dull, cannot be fully rejected.