Carlo Rovelli’s radical perspective on reality

Nature of Time: Illusion, Emergence, Arrows

• Several commenters struggle with “time is an illusion,” noting that theories often just rename time as “dynamics,” “rule application,” or “evolution of state.”
• Others argue “time is the evolution of state”: without change, no clock can exist.
• Multiple participants discuss entropy and the thermodynamic arrow. Some see entropy increase as defining the direction of time; others say entropy presupposes a time parameter and can’t explain the flow of time, only its asymmetry.
• Philosophical debates (McTaggart’s A/B series, Huw Price) are cited to argue that physics’ static 4D descriptions don’t capture lived temporal flow.

Relational Quantum Mechanics and Objective Reality

• Rovelli’s relational view: properties exist only in interactions; no observer-independent state.
• Some embrace this as the most faithful reading of QM’s formalism; others counter with realist alternatives (e.g., Bohmian mechanics, many‑worlds, QBism) and reject “no objective reality” as non-consensus.
• One technical thread dives into Bell’s theorem, nonlocality, and interpretations, emphasizing that “no local hidden variables” ≠ “no objective reality.”

Math, Accessibility, and Popularization

• A recurring complaint: lay misunderstandings stem from weak math backgrounds and overreliance on analogies.
• There’s disagreement over how “hard” the math really is: some say most tools are accessible beyond calculus; others point to deep use of advanced algebra, geometry, and topology.
• Popularizers are accused both of necessary oversimplification and of sometimes drifting into “quantum mysticism.”

Idealism, Realism, and Metaphysics

• Several commenters note that Rovelli’s stance aligns with long-standing philosophical idealism and perspectivism, not something radically new.
• Others defend physicalism or at least a minimal “objective reality” as necessary for science, common sense, and avoiding solipsism.
• There is concern that “no objective reality” can be misused to justify moral relativism, though others note existentialist and non-nihilist responses are possible.

Experiments, Technology, and Practical Constraints

• Some lament lack of clear falsifiable predictions from such theories; others respond that most feasible experiments have been done and current work is about reconciling existing results.
• Relativity tests, atomic and biological clocks, GPS, and entropy measurements are cited as concrete evidence that time (at least as a parameter) is very real and measurable, even if not fundamental.