The anisotropy of time and the dynamics of the Universe

Abstract

It is a remarkable fact that all processes occurring in the observable Universe are irreversible, whereas the equations in which the laws of physics are formulated are invariant under time reversal. The emergency of irreversibility from the fundamental laws has been a topic of consideration by physicists, astronomers and philosophers since Boltzmann's formulation of the "H" theorem. In this paper I shall discuss several aspects of this problem and its connection with the dynamics of space-time, within the framework of modern cosmology. I shall comment, briefly, on the nature of physical time and its relation with the so-called "consciousness".