The video explains that in Wolfram Physics, time is not an external parameter but emerges from the evolution of the universe’s underlying hypergraph structure, with the application of simple rules constituting the passage of time. This means that all events and processes—including clocks and observers—are patterns within the hypergraph, and time is simply the unfolding of these patterns rather than something imposed from outside.
The video explores the concept of time within Wolfram Physics, challenging traditional notions from both Newtonian and Einsteinian perspectives. Traditionally, time is seen as either an absolute scale (Newton) or a relative one tied to each reference frame (Einstein), with the idea that events occur at specific times according to some clock. However, the video argues that time is not an external parameter or a collection of clocks outside the universe. Instead, time is not something imposed on the universe from the outside; it is something that emerges from the universe itself.
In Wolfram Physics, the universe is modeled as a hypergraph—a network of nodes and edges. The hypergraph itself constitutes space, and the evolution of this hypergraph, through the repeated application of simple rules that update its structure, constitutes time. Time, therefore, is not a backdrop against which events unfold, but the process of change itself: the application of rules to the hypergraph. This means that time is not something that happens to the universe; rather, the universe’s evolution is what we perceive as time.
To illustrate this, the video uses the example of a pulsar—a spinning neutron star that emits regular pulses of radiation. In the hypergraph model, the pulsar, the radiation, and even the astronomer observing the pulses are all patterns within the hypergraph. The application of rules to the hypergraph causes the propagation of these patterns, which we interpret as the passage of time and the occurrence of events. The visualization is highly simplified, but it captures the essential idea: everything, from the spinning of the pulsar to the astronomer’s perception, is just the evolution of the hypergraph.
A key insight is that the evolution of the hypergraph does not occur “in” time; it “is” time. If the rules are applied faster or slower from an outside perspective (such as the speed at which a video is played), everything inside the hypergraph—including all clocks and observers—speeds up or slows down equally. From within the universe, there is no way to detect this change, because all processes and measurements are equally affected. There is no external clock or absolute time against which to measure the evolution; all that exists is the unfolding of the hypergraph itself.
This perspective eliminates the need to assume a separate axis of time, as is required in traditional physics. Instead, time naturally emerges from the computational process that updates the hypergraph. The video concludes by suggesting that this shift in understanding not only clarifies the nature of time but also hints at deeper insights into the nature of the universe itself—insights that will be explored further in future episodes.