Negative Time and Photon Behaviour: An ECM-Based Critique of Quantum Probabilistic Claims

Soumendra Nath Thakur responded to Stuart Knaki:

July 22, 2025

Stuart Knaki commented on Soumendra Nath Thakur's Facebook profile, "Where particles like photons exhibit fuzzy, probabilistic behaviour rather than adhering to strict rules, such as recent discoveries describe the theory of Negative Time" .

Dear Soumendra Nath Thakur would you care to comment on this University of Toronto, Mohammad Qusir Rather, Aephraim Steinberg Scientists just spotted the first evidence of negative time. By Mohammad Qusir Rather - December 21, 2024 0 5115


Soumendra Nath Thakur understanding of the following statements:

A recent discovery, as shared by Stuart Knaki in a comment on my Facebook profile, highlights the work of scientists Mohammad Qusir Rather and Aephraim Steinberg from the University of Toronto, who have reportedly observed the first evidence of negative time. Their findings suggest that photons exhibit a peculiar curly or frizzy structure-an appearance that is difficult to define clearly, often described as vague, indistinct, or hard to perceive.

According to their interpretation, photon behaviour appears to be governed by probabilistic principles-that is, it conforms to a framework in which outcomes are not deterministic but instead subject to chance and probability. This approach aligns with the core ideas of quantum mechanics, where actions or observations are not strictly determined but are instead evaluated based on their likelihood, and decisions are made accordingly in the absence of certainty.

The scientists also describe the implications of this behaviour in terms of negative time-a concept that, in classical terms, refers to time before a chosen reference point (i.e., the past). However, within the quantum mechanical context, negative time can represent scenarios where time seems to move backward, thereby challenging the conventional, one-directional understanding of temporal flow. This finding opens up profound questions about the fundamental nature of time and causality in quantum systems."

Interpretation of the Above Statement:

Stuart Knaki's comment refers to the claim that scientists Mohammad Qusir Rather and Aephraim Steinberg, from the University of Toronto, have reportedly observed the first empirical indication of negative time. This implies that their observation is not merely theoretical but is considered direct evidence supporting the existence-or at least the measurable effects-of negative temporal behaviour at the quantum level.

To meaningfully engage with this, it becomes essential to examine the nature of time, both from the conventional scientific standpoint and from the perspective of Extended Classical Mechanics (ECM).

Conventionally, time is defined as "the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole." If we extend this definition to incorporate its inherent directional and structural attributes, it may be reformulated as follows:

        "Time is the indefinite continued progression of existence and events across past, present, and future, regarded collectively as   a whole-advancing in an irreversible and uniform succession, and conceptualized as the fourth dimension beyond the three dimensions of space."

This refined conventional definition captures the core features of time as treated in broader scientific disciplines: its continuity, directionality, and its role as a dimension that underlies causality and physical evolution.

In alignment with this, Extended Classical Mechanics (ECM) does not reject the uniform and unidirectional flow of time. Instead, ECM treats all frequency displacements, phase transitions, and energetic reversions as existential events that unfold within the same irreversible temporal continuum. Time, in ECM, remains the backdrop for the continued evolution of energetic states, respecting its uniform unidirectional throughout all active phases of cosmic development.

However, ECM also posits that as the universe approaches its ultimate energetic threshold, a cyclic or reversible dynamic may emerge-not by violating the arrow of time, but through the reversion of energy states and frequency collapse at a cosmological limit. This does not negate the unidirectional of time during the universe's evolutionary history but suggests that apparent reversals may manifest only at or beyond a critical energetic fate, governed by ECM's internal logic of mass-frequency interplay.

Conclusion:

(1). Therefore, the claim by Stuart Knaki-that scientists Mohammad Qusir Rather and Aephraim Steinberg from the University of Toronto have reportedly observed the first empirical indication of negative time, implying direct evidence of negative temporal behaviour at the quantum level-may indeed reflect a temporal phenomenon specific to the quantum scale. However, it does not correspond to the irreversible, uniform time progression perceived at the cosmological scale, as clarified by the rationale outlined in the preceding sections.

(2). The additional claim-that "photons exhibit a peculiar curly or frizzy structure, an appearance that is difficult to define clearly, often described as vague, indistinct, or hard to perceive"-appears to refer not to the behaviour of photons per se, but rather to the interpretational challenge or observational limitations in characterizing their structure at the quantum level. (curly/frizzy appearance might result from entanglement, wave interference, or measurement distortions, which are not interpreted as intrinsic structures in ECM.

From the standpoint of Extended Classical Mechanics (ECM), such ambiguity does not arise. ECM provides a well-defined and continuous description of photon behaviour across all relevant phases: from its initial emission, through its escape from gravitational influence, its evolution in zero-gravity conditions, and even in anti-gravitational states, up to the ultimate fate of the universe. At no stage does ECM admit the notion of photons exhibiting a "curly" or "frizzy" nature, nor any inherently unpredictable or ill-defined structure. (see Appendix 6, Appendix 29, or Appendix 31)

In ECM, the dynamics of the photon-especially in relation to negative apparent mass (-Mapp)-are precisely described and governed by deterministic frequency-based principles. Therefore, the idea of a photon possessing an inherently vague or chaotic structure is incompatible with the ECM framework. For a rigorous treatment of photon behaviour under such conditions, refer to the relevant ECM papers on photon dynamics and mass-frequency correspondence.

(3). Finally, the claim that "photon behaviour is based on or adapted to a theory of probability; subject to or involving chance variation" reflects more of an interpretational challenge or observational limitation in quantum-level characterization than an intrinsic feature of the photon itself. From the perspective of Extended Classical Mechanics (ECM), photon behaviour is neither probabilistic nor indeterminate, but instead well-defined, coherent, and systematically governed by frequency and mass interactions across gravitational and anti-gravitational regimes. ECM provides a deterministic framework for understanding photon dynamics without resorting to probabilistic uncertainty, thus offering a clearer and more structured view of photonic evolution.

On the Question of Negative Time in ECM (later update)

Recent quantum-level claims-most notably from Aephraim Steinberg and his colleagues at the University of Toronto-have reported experimental indications of what is referred to as negative time. In particular, photons interacting with ultra cold rubidium atoms were observed to exhibit behaviour where their reemission appeared to occur before absorption, suggesting a negative dwell time. Popular science outlets have interpreted this as observational evidence that challenges the unidirectional arrow of time.

In the framework of Extended Classical Mechanics (ECM), however, time is not an independently flowing dimension, but a derived consequence of phase displacement and frequency variation, as rigorously established throughout this appendix. Accordingly, what is labelled negative time in such quantum descriptions does not correspond to a literal reversal of temporal progression in ECM. Instead, it is better understood as a localized inversion in phase behaviour or frequency collapse, particularly under extreme energetic conditions.

ECM asserts that during all active stages of cosmic and quantum evolution, time retains its irreversible and uniform directionality, inherently tethered to the sequential unfolding of energetic events and apparent mass displacement (-Mᵃᵖᵖ). However, ECM also anticipates that at the cosmological energetic threshold-characterized by maximum frequency degeneration or total phase saturation-a cyclic or mirrored energetic reconfiguration may emerge. Crucially, such transitions do not imply a violation of causality but signify a deterministic inversion of internal energetic states, grounded in ECM's mass-frequency logic.

Therefore, the so-called negative time observed in quantum optics experiments is interpreted within ECM not as a breakdown of temporal order, but as a manifestation of the extreme sensitivity of Δt to subtle fluctuations in frequency-as precisely expressed by the relations:

Tdeg = x/360f = Δt or φ = 2πfΔt

These relations show that infinitesimal frequency changes can lead to dramatic shifts in Δt -occasionally producing the illusion of a negative temporal interval. In ECM, this is a deterministic outcome of phase-frequency structure, not a probabilistic anomaly. Such behaviours are always framed within a causally coherent and structurally governed continuum, never implying retro causality or stochastic indeterminism.

In conclusion, ECM accommodates the interpretational appearance of negative time as a phase-based energetic anomaly, while preserving the foundational integrity of cosmological temporal unidirectional.

For an extended ECM-based critique of the quantum claim, see:

Appendix 27: Phase, Frequency, and the Nature of Time in Extended Classical Mechanics.