A Different Perspective on Time – "Is it a Flow or a Set Order?"

We usually say that time "flows" when we talk about it.
Expressions like "time flies" or "the years go by" are common.
But if we take a step back and think,
is time really flowing? Or are we just experiencing a sequence that is already predetermined?

This thought is somewhat similar to a movie film.
All scenes already exist in order on the film.
We are merely watching one scene at a time projected by the projector.
Isn't time perhaps like that? Everything might already be predetermined,
and we are just under the illusion that we are 'experiencing' this moment?

But what does science say?

This is where Einstein's theory of relativity comes into play.
The theory of relativity throws cold water on such questions.
Why is that?

Because the order of time is not absolute.

For example, to you on Earth, event A happens first,
and event B happens later.
However, to an alien traveling in a spaceship at the speed of light,
it may appear that event B happens first, and A happens later.

This is called "the relativity of simultaneity."
So, who is it that has determined the "set order"?
If the order can change depending on the observer,
can 'order' truly be an absolute truth?

Then why do we perceive a 'flow'?

Interestingly, the brain believes that time flows.
We see changes, distinguish cause and effect, and live in memories of the past and expectations of the future.
If there were no flow of time, all these experiences would indeed be meaningless.

Yet we clearly feel that today is different from yesterday, and tomorrow will be different from today.
This is due to the way the brain processes information,
as it continuously processes sensory stimuli,
recognizing time through 'change' and 'difference.'

In short, the flow of time may be
an 'illusion' created by the brain,
but it is a very vivid reality for us.

Is everything really predetermined?

The term "set order" is essentially connected to the idea that everything is predetermined.
In philosophy, this is called determinism.

"The fact that you are reading this article right now was already predetermined!"
"The answer to what will happen tomorrow is already somewhere in the universe!"

This is the claim.

But science again raises its hand and says, "Wait!"
This is due to quantum mechanics.
When we enter the microscopic world, it seems that everything moves purely by probability.
The position of a single electron is also a probability, and we cannot perfectly predict what will happen.
Some scientists even shout, "The essence of the universe is chance!"

The claim of a predetermined order is not as simple as it seems, right?

In the end, does time flow, or does it follow a set order?

Philosophically, either could be correct.
But scientifically, for now,
the evidence leans more towards "time flows."

The time we feel, the way we live,
and above all, our belief in the existence of choices.

All of these make the idea that "time does not just flow as predetermined,
but we are creating it" more convincing.

So don't worry too much.
The future might still be an unwritten film.
Depending on the choices you make right now,
the next scene of that film might be written anew.