Those who understand the math maintain that the equations of time work just as well if the “arrow of time” moves forward or backward, contrary to the way we experience it only as a forward motion.
Reinforcing that last month, the University of Surrey announced, “a new study reveals that opposing arrows of time can theoretically emerge from certain quantum systems.”
While acknowledging the “obvious” forward thrust of experiential time, the study concludes, “the underlying laws of physics do not inherently favor a single direction. Whether time moves forward or backwards, the equations remain the same.”
Dr. Andrea Rocco, the study’s lead author offered the example of spilled milk spreading in one direction to satisfy our expectations, but then contrasted that with “the motion of a pendulum that look[s] just as believable in reverse.”
This esoteric scientific notion currently plays itself out on the American political stage. The key plank in Donald Trump’s MAGA movement is to Take America Backwards – back to a false golden age where white males dominated all aspects of society.
Upon taking office, Trump fired Coast Guard Commandant Linda Fagan, a four-star admiral, whose main offense was apparently her gender. The claim of the Coast Guard’s low rate of fentanyl interceptions [since most of that drug is smuggled in by land or air] ignores the Coast Guard record of seizing “more cocaine than the DEA, FBI, Border Patrol and every local law enforcement agency in the nation combined, 212,000 pounds in 2023, the last year accounted for,” according to Daily Kos.
And, of course, Trump’s Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth believes military standards have been lowered to allow brave women into combat.
Undoing the civil rights gains of minorities also takes us back to bad old times of the discrimination against people of any color but white – and the disabled and the disadvantaged. The vilification of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs reveals a selfish, sickening bigotry that would limit opportunities to the well-to-do, who have convinced themselves that they are the victims of an unjust society. Backwards, ho!
In the unconstitutional attack on the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of birthright citizenship, Trump’s minions cited a 19th century law barring Native Americans from citizenship. [That’s what he thinks of you, cowardly Tom Cole.] And, yes, an Idaho state legislator told a Native American who was challenging him on an issue to “Go back to where you came from.”
Perhaps the Trump/Musk Administration’s most egregious backwards time travel was sending Vice President J.D. Vance to Munich [Munich!] Feb. 14 to tell our long-time allies that they need not worry about the aggression of the Russian attackers and occupiers in Ukraine.
Did anyone spy the ghost of Neville Chamberlain in the shadows advocating the appeasement of Hitler?
The lack of historical knowledge among anti-education Republicans should surprise no one. Trump’s blather about annexing Canada reflects an atavistic idea older than our country. Twice in 1775 Continental armies attacked Quebec. We were repulsed both times.
And 1775 has special significance for Trump. The Colonies were ruled by a king. It has been his aspiration to rule as a king [or “dictator,” as he promised last year] ever since he got off his golden throne in NYC and entered politics.
So, as counter-intuitive as the notion of time moving backwards appears to us, we are witnessing it on a daily basis.
Such as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. saying that a major measles outbreak that has claimed the life of one unvaccinated child in West Texas was “not unusual.”
Well, such epidemics were “not unusual” 100 years ago or so when a great aunt took her four youngsters to visit a home where measles were rampant. All four children died. Yeah, we’ve heard of herd immunity and the calculated casualties it creates.
Those bad old days are where we are heading under the misguidance of Russia’s Orange Agent and the GOP’s Wayback Machine.
