Franz-Günter Winkler’s research while affiliated with TU Wien and other places

phenomena of time which aims at explaining why time passes for us1. The basis for our investigation is a fundamental distinction between two views. Science can be understood as an attempt to construct a God-like, outside view of the world we live in. However, all our experiences and measurements take place inside this world, and are results of interactions between an observer and the thing observed. The suggested outside view from which we tackle the problems of time is radical. The universe is seen as one spacetime whole which cannot be divided into fully describable parts. For the analysis of the spacetime whole, a concept of complexity is introduced which is built upon the notions of continuity and discontinuity. On its basis, a very general duality relation between two aspects of space-time structure is formulated. The outside view can be related to the inside view by assuming that continuity (in space or time) goes hand in hand with experienced identification (in space or time). This move, together with an assumption concerning the relation of structural containment, makes it possible to understand the passage of time - as it is experienced by the inside observer - from the viewpoint of an outside observer.

For the special theory of relativity, the normalization problem is formulated as the question of how observers in constant relative motion may reach an agreement on space and time scales. Because the normalization problem does not receive a thorough treatment in the standard development of the theory, two possible solutions, called normalization at rest and normalization in motion, are suggested. it is shown that normalization in motion makes the validity of the Lorentz transformation the result of mere conventions. The nonconventional approach following from normalization at rest requires an assumption concerning the acceleration of objects. A conceptual distinction between inside and outside observation, together with the analysis of the normalization problem, allows us to formulate an alternative interpretation of special relativity contrasting both the standard interpretation and Lorentz-type interpretations.

According to the standard interpretation of the special theory of relativity, space and time form a unity, which is described by the so-called Minkowski geometry. Using a distinction between inside and outside views, an alternative interpretation of special relativity can be formulated. This interpretation is connected to the construction of an outside view of space-time, which is described by a 4-dimensional and fully Euclidean geometry. The construction of an outside view also for general relativity is attempted, the basis for which lies in the assumption that the speed of light in a gravitational field – as seen from the outside -depends on gravitational potential and on direction. Finally, it is argued that the suggested outside view might serve as a basis for new approaches in the philosophy of space and time.