About a century ago, in the spirit of ancient atomism, the quantum of light was renamed the photon to suggest that it is the fundamental element of everything. Since the photon carries energy in its period of time, a flux of photons inexorably embodies a flow of time. Thus, time comprises periods as a trek comprises legs. The flows of quanta naturally select optimal paths (i.e., geodesics) to level out energy differences in the least amount of time. The corresponding flow equations can be written, but they cannot be solved. Since the flows affect their driving forces, affecting the flows, and so on, the forces (i.e., causes) and changes in motions (i.e., consequences) are inseparable. Thus, the future remains unpredictable. However, it is not all arbitrary but rather bounded by free energy. Eventually, when the system has attained a stationary state where forces tally, there are no causes and no consequences. Since there are no energy differences between the system and its surroundings, the quanta only orbit on and on. Thus, time does not move forward either but circulates.

中文翻译：

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时间问题

大约一个世纪前，本着古代原子论的精神，光量子被重新命名为光子，表明它是万物的基本元素。由于光子在其时间段内携带能量，因此光子通量不可避免地体现了时间的流动。因此，时间包括时间段，因为跋涉包括腿。量子流自然地选择最佳路径（即测地线）以在最短的时间内平衡能量差异。可以写出相应的流动方程，但无法求解。由于流动会影响其驱动力，影响流动等，因此力（即原因）和运动变化（即结果）是分不开的。因此，未来仍然不可预测。然而，它并不完全是任意的，而是受自由能的限制。最终，当系统达到力一致的静止状态时，就没有原因也没有结果。由于系统与其周围环境之间没有能量差异，因此量子只能不断地绕轨道运行。因此，时间也不会前进，而是循环。