The Block Universe: Where All Moments Coexist
The B-theory of time, also known as eternalism or the "block universe" theory, proposes that all events in time—past, present, and future—are equally real and exist simultaneously in a four-dimensional spacetime continuum.
In this visualization, each transparent layer represents a moment in time, and the glowing points represent events. Unlike our everyday experience of time "flowing," the B-theory suggests that time is more like space—all moments exist at once, and our perception of "now" is simply our current position within this eternal block.
Past, present, and future events all exist equally in the block universe. There's no objective "now."
Time functions like a spatial dimension—you can be at different positions, but all positions exist.
The sensation of time "passing" is a feature of consciousness, not a property of time itself.
Einstein's theory of relativity supports this view, showing that simultaneity is relative to reference frames.