I am wondering though are there physicists who say time is completely man made and is not real. Thought for 6s Yes — some physicists say that, but almost none mean “time is a made-up calendar like money.” They mean the flow, the global now, or time as a fundamental ingredient is not in the basic laws. Clocks, aging, and change still happen.Einstein already wrote that for physicists the distinction between past, present, and future is “only a stubbornly persistent illusion.” He meant there is no single moving present for the whole universe. He did not mean clocks are fake. physicsworld.com Julian Barbour is the blunt case. In The End of Time he argues there is no flowing time and no hidden time axis. Reality is a heap of complete “Nows.” What we call history is structure inside a Now (a “time capsule”), not travel along a line. Motion and passage are how we read differences between configurations. That is as close as a working physicist gets to “time is not real.” It is a minority view, taken seriously as a research program, not as settled fact. en.wikipedia.org Carlo Rovelli is the most visible living voice. He has written that time does not exist at the fundamental level: loop-quantum-gravity equations need no time variable; past and future look the same in microscopic laws; the “flow” is largely how a coarse-grained, heat-sensitive brain sits inside rising entropy. He also says our experience of time is not a mere error — it is real for us, like the sky “turning” because Earth rotates. So: not fundamental, not man-made from nothing, but perspectival. theguardian.com Others nearby, not identicalPage and Wootters: in a globally frozen quantum universe, “evolution” is entanglement with a clock subsystem. Nima Arkani-Hamed and many quantum-gravity / holography people: spacetime itself is probably emergent, not basic. Lee Smolin often disagrees with full timelessness and defends a real present; useful as a contrast. What almost nobody in physics claims: that seconds, cesium clocks, or “Tuesday” are arbitrary social inventions with no physical correlate. Units and calendars are human. Duration, causal order, and proper time along a worldline are not.So the accurate map is:Claim Who Status No universal flowing now Einstein, most relativists Mainstream Time not in the deepest equations Rovelli, some quantum gravity Active research Time is only an illusion; only static Nows Barbour Minority, discussed Time is a human convention like money Almost no physicist Not a physics position Your “time doesn’t exist” slogan sits nearest Barbour and popular Rovelli. The field’s careful version is: the thing we feel as a river is not a basic piece of the world; change and clocks still are.

Biologically and psychologically, human beings have not changed. The primitive drivers of human behavior—survival instincts, the quest for dominance, tribalism, and fear of the unknown—remain exactly the same as they were in ancient Greece.However, modern society handles this extremism differently because our legal, ethical, and institutional structures have evolved to suppress physical violence.The ways modern extremism mirrors the past, along with the key differences in how it manifests today, include:How People Are Still the SameTribalism and Group Identity: Just like the Pythagoreans fiercely protected their mystical mathematical worldview, modern groups form rigid, echo-chamber communities around specific ideologies, politics, or belief systems.Hostility Toward Disruptive Truths: When an established worldview is challenged, the initial human reaction is often anger and exclusion rather than open-minded curiosity."Keyboard Assassinations": While physical violence over academic theories is illegal, extreme hostility has shifted online. Modern scientists, public figures, or researchers who publish controversial or counter-narrative data frequently face intense online harassment, death threats, and attempts to ruin their careers or reputations ("canceling").Why Society Believes It Is DifferentThe Rule of Law: In ancient Metapontum, a cult could allegedly throw a man into the sea with impunity. Today, institutional legal systems universally prosecute physical violence, protecting intellectuals from bodily harm regardless of how offensive their ideas might be to certain groups.Institutionalized Dissent: Modern science is explicitly structured to reward the peaceful overturning of dogma. If Oxford physicist Tim Palmer's Rational Quantum Mechanics theory successfully proves that quantum mechanics is built on a mathematical fiction, he will not be executed; he will likely win a Nobel Prize.Apathy vs. Aggression: Interestingly, some modern sociological research suggests that rather than violently fighting new ideas, large segments of modern society suffer from "apathy"—becoming so overwhelmed by an influx of constant digital information that they struggle to care deeply about major paradigm shifts.While human nature still possesses the same Capacity for cruelty and fanaticism, modern civilization has built safeguards to ensure that when paradigm-shifting "heresies" occur, they are fought with math, data, and peer-review, rather than drowning.

More details about Midterm Mania: Understanding the 2026 U.S. Midterms Midterm Mania: Understanding the 2026 U.S. Midterms — $14.99 Core Coverage: • All 435 House races — breakdown by region, competitive districts, and key incumbents • 35 Senate battlegrounds — which seats are actually in play and why (especially California's races against Trump appointees) • 36 gubernatorial races — state-level power struggles, particularly relevant given your California focus • The "midterm curse" — why the party in power historically loses seats, and whether 2026 breaks the pattern • Gerrymandering & redistricting — how district lines are shaping outcomes • The 2028 setup — how the midterms position both parties for the next presidential cycle Book's Approach: • Highly accessible — designed for engaged readers who want full picture without deep political science jargon • State-by-state focus — gives you granular detail on California specifically, not just national trends • Strategic analysis — explains why certain races matter more than others • Non-partisan tone — presents both Republican and Democratic strategic challenges Why It Works for Your Interests: • California coverage is substantial — you'll get detailed breakdowns of Newsom vs. Trump proxies, House races in CA districts, and whether Democrats can hold the state's Senate seats • Accessible length — around 300 pages, readable in one weekend • Practical — you can use this to track actual race-by-race dynamics as we move toward November The Trade-off: • Less "inside drama" than Regime Change (Haberman/Swan) • More "tactical playbook" than deep narrative • Better for understanding what's happening than why Trump and Democrats are fighting Honest comparison: If you want the political psychology and power struggle, grab Regime Change ($16.99). If you want the mechanics of who's running where and what's at stake district-by-district, Midterm Mania is your book — especially for tracking California races. Would you like me to pull up reviews on this one, or compare it directly with The 2026 Midterm Reckoning (the more expensive, deeper policy dive)? Customer question I have done some crediblity checks on Ca. Could you look up the UCLA situation that Jews faced in 2024 UCLA 2024: The Facts on What Jewish Students Faced You're right to credential-check this — it's a defining case for understanding California's institutional response to antisemitism. Here's what happened: Spring 2024 Encampment (April-May): • Pro-Palestinian protesters set up an encampment at UCLA's Royce Quad demanding the university divest from Israel • Jewish students reported being physically blocked from campus through checkpoints where protesters required students to "condemn Israel" to pass • Signs included "Death to the Jews" and other threatening messages • UCLA's own Task Force survey (Feb 2024) found two-thirds of 428 respondents reported antisemitism as a serious problem on campus Physical Violence: • One Jewish student was beaten unconscious and hospitalized with an open head wound • Multiple reports of Jewish students being beaten with sticks, kicked, slapped, and pepper-sprayed • May 1 violence: counterprotesters attacked the encampment with traffic cones and pepper spray — fighting lasted hours, injuring a dozen+ people • May 2: Over 200 arrested after refusing to leave The Lawsuits & Settlements (The Credibility Check): 1. 1. June 2024 — Three Jewish students sued UCLA, calling it a "hotbed of antisemitism" • Federal Judge Mark Scarsi ruled UCLA violated their civil rights by allowing protesters to enforce a "Jew Exclusion Zone" • This was the first time a U.S. judge ruled against a university over handling of Gaza protest demonstrations 2. August 2025 — UCLA reached a $6 million settlement with the three students and one Jewish professor • Judge ordered UCLA to create a plan to protect Jewish students on campus • UC system created systemwide protest guidelines 3. February-May 2026 (Recent) — Trump administration escalated: • Justice Department sued UCLA for failing to protect Jewish employees from ongoing antisemitic harassment • 81-page complaint alleges UCLA "turned a blind eye" and "at times facilitated" antisemitic acts • Trump officials announced Columbia University agreed to $200 million settlement for similar violations, setting template for other schools Why This Matters for Your California Credibility Check: • Institutional failure is documented — not disputed. A federal judge confirmed it. • California's progressive leadership (Newsom, UC leadership) was initially slow to act • The Mark Rienzi quote you may have seen is telling: "If masked agitators had excluded any other marginalized group at UCLA, Gov. Newsom rightly would have sent in the National Guard immediately" — meaning the response differential is itself evidence • 2026 shift — Trump admin is now using UCLA as enforcement template against universities, making it a live political battleground This is real institutional failure with legal/financial consequences, not speculation.

A full breakdownThe 47 nations that have formally adopted or endorsed the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism are categorized below by region and international membership status.🇪🇺 European Union Member States (26 out of 27)The European Commission actively encourages adoption. Nearly all EU nations have signed on:Western & Central Europe: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, NetherlandsSouthern Europe: Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, SpainEastern Europe & Baltics: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, SloveniaNordic Countries: Denmark, Finland, Sweden🌍 Non-EU European NationsWestern Europe: Switzerland, United KingdomBalkans: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia🌎 The AmericasNorth America: Canada, United StatesLatin America: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama, Uruguay🌏 Asia, Pacific, & Middle EastAsia-Pacific: Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, South KoreaMiddle East: Bahrain, Israel📊 Breakdown by IHRA Membership StatusThe tracking metrics managed by the Combat Antisemitism Movement categorize these national adoptions based on their formal alliance alignment:Membership CategoryNational AdoptionsNotable ExamplesFull IHRA Members34 CountriesUnited States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Israel, Canada, Australia, ArgentinaIHRA Observers5 CountriesSwitzerland, El Salvador, MoldovaUnaffiliated Nations8 CountriesBahrain, South Korea, Philippines, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican RepublicNote: While the federal governments listed above hold the official national endorsements, the definition is also utilized globally by over 1,300 sub-national entities, including state/provincial governments (such as 30+ US states), cities, universities, and law enforcement agencies.

Yes, some away from home spots must be gaining attentionYes, a fascinating "Third-Place Revival" is actively happening, but the new spaces gaining massive attention look completely different than the dark bars or quiet cafes of the 1991–2011 era.Instead of passive spaces where you just sit and consume a product, the away-from-home spots booming right now are built entirely around shared activities and low-pressure physical participation. People are looking for connection, but they want a reason to be in the room together.Several specific away-from-home spots are commanding a massive wave of cultural attention:1. Activity-First Social ClubsThe Run Club Boom: Organized run clubs and walking groups have completely transformed into the "new bar scene". Platforms like Strava reported that new club creations nearly quadrupled recently, turning exercise into a primary venue for low-stakes mingling and post-workout socializing.Board Game Cafes: Places like Sip & Play in Brooklyn or Game Point in Nashville are surging. Having a physical board game on the table lowers the social anxiety of talking to strangers; the activity provides an immediate, built-in conversation piece.2. Wellness Spaces as Nightlife AlternativesThe Cold Plunge Culture: Wellness centers and bathhouses like Othership are exploding as alcohol-free alternatives to the weekend bar. Instead of drinking in a dark lounge, groups of people are gathering late into the night for structured sauna, breathwork, and ice bath circuits.Experiential Grocery Socials: Grocery stores built to encourage lingering are trending heavily as neighborhood hangouts. Local, independent, and high-end grocers are embedding tasting bars, private chef pop-ups, and cooking classes right into the shopping aisles, turning the weekly errand into a social event.3. The "Silent" and Independent Bookstore ResurgenceThe Barnes & Noble Rebound: Once left for dead by the internet, Barnes & Noble is opening dozens of new stores because people are craving the tactile act of physical browsing and discovery alongside other humans.Silent Book Clubs: Local bookshops are seeing packed houses for "Silent Book Clubs". People show up to a cafe or bar, read their own physical books in companionable silence for an hour, and then grab a drink and chat afterward. It provides the perfect balance of a digital detox with built-in community.