Quantum experiments have simulated time reversal symmetry breaking but cannot reverse macroscopic entropy.
the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
confidence 84/100
Quantum experiments and theoretical frameworks confirm that time-reversal symmetry can be broken at microscopic or effective levels, yet macroscopic thermodynamic irreversibility and entropy production remain unidirectional.
Evidence for · 3
An autonomous quantum machine to measure the thermodynamic arrow of time
2018 · cited by 29
Demonstrates the measurement of stochastic entropy production and verification of fluctuation theorems in quantum open systems, highlighting the unidirectional nature of thermodynamic evolution.
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More for · 2
Time-Reversal Symmetry and Arrow of Time in Quantum Mechanics of Open Systems
2019 · cited by 7
Derives time-reversal symmetry breaking in open quantum systems from underlying time-symmetric equations, explaining the microscopic emergence of the thermodynamic arrow of time.
Paper II UV Completion via Kaluza–Klein Compactification and String-Theoretic Embedding
2026 · cited by 0
Establishes a foundational link showing that while underlying microscopic quantum dynamics remain time-reversal invariant, effective macroscopic projection yields irreversible entropy production.