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Why do most physicists believe time is finite? What proof do we have that time is not infinite and therefore will never end?

And how can 'time' actually come into existence if something coming into existence (cause and effect) requires time? Wouldn't this mean time is infinite and therefore not going to end?

Frank Hubeny
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user202315
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  • I made an edit which you may roll back or continue editing. I tried to emphasize what I think your questions were by breaking them into two paragraphs. – Frank Hubeny Jul 28 '18 at 16:32
  • Possible duplicate of [Philosophy - Does the block universe theory of time mean that life will repeat after death?](https://philosophy.stackexchange.com/questions/54024/philosophy-does-the-block-universe-theory-of-time-mean-that-life-will-repeat-a) – Dan Hicks Jul 28 '18 at 17:09

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'Most physicists' - care to cite that?

The majority expectation on current information is heat death, that the universe will simply wind down, exhaust it's entropy, until no more change is possible. Only in the most abstract sense will time cease though. The other major scenario, depending on how dark matter and dark energy work out, is a 'big rip', where galaxies continue to accelerate apart from each other, becoming seperated by their own event horizons. This experience considerably slower heat deaths.

But the nature of time is an open question. Given that general relativity, the theory of gravity and time, needs to be reconciled with quantum field theory, it's very likely that will shift our understanding of space-time, probably to seeing it as emergent from a wider event space.

Scientists don't do proofs. They do evidence. And the jury is very much out.

CriglCragl
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