Shadowing Practice: How Einstein changed time forever | Jim Al-Khalili for Big Think - Learn English Speaking with Video
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We are very familiar with the idea that time flows from past to future.
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We remember the past, we make predictions about the future.
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We grow older, you stir cream in your coffee and it mixes up.
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It doesn't unmix.
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What we refer to as the classical understanding of the nature of time is still to this day our common sense view, which is that time is absolute,
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that there's a cosmic clock out there ticking by the seconds, minutes, hours, years at the same rate for everyone.
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All this directionality to time comes from a very fundamental idea in classical physics called the second law of thermodynamics,
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which states that a quantity called entropy, which is a measure of the disorder of a system, always increases.
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Einstein gave us a different view of time.
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Einstein was forced, because of the equations of special relativity and the nature of the speed of light,
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forced to abandon the Newtonian picture of absolute time.
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Einstein taught us that time and space are connected.
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So for me, a distance between two events that happen at different times, I can measure how far apart they are in space
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and how far apart they are in time
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but for someone else traveling past me at some fraction of
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the speed of light in a rocket they would measure those two events as being a different distance apart
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and the time between them being different we won't agree on distances
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and time space and time is relative so suddenly time becomes something
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that isn't absolute that it ticks by at different rates for different people, depending on your frame of reference, and it's malleable and it's stretchable.
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And then Einstein follows that up with his general theory of relativity, in which he takes it a step further and says, what Newton taught us as being this invisible force of gravity,
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pulling objects together, is really about the shape of space -time.
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Gravity has an effect on time.
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We will see clocks ticking by at different rates depending on where they are in Earth's gravitational field.
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So suddenly in Einstein's world, time is not something apart from space.
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It's something that's integral, it's part of the fabric of reality itself.
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If we zoom into the quantum realm and you just look at the way the equations of quantum mechanics evolve in time,
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you realise you could run the tape forwards or backwards and you wouldn't know the difference.
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Time in the quantum world is a parameter.
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And you say, right, if t equals 5, what will the system look like at t equals 10 seconds?
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You can also say, what was t at 0 or at minus 5? t is just a number,
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we can put a positive negative value to it and run our equations forward and backwards in time,
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so they're time symmetric and that's not the way we experience time in daily life.
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The way we see a direction in time in the quantum world is when we look, when we make a measurement, because that's when we interfere with the system.
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My hunch is that no quantum system is isolated.
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All quantum systems are interacting with their surroundings and it's that interaction with surroundings that gives a direction to time.
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It loses its quantumness, and that's because it's becoming increasingly entangled with its surroundings,
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in the same way that a hot object placed in a freezer will lose its heat.
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It's equilibrating with its surroundings in terms of temperature.
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In the quantum world, the quantum system is equilibrating with its surroundings in terms of information exchange.
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It will be hugely profound and exciting
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if we can see a direction to time emerging from the quantum realm this new area that we're calling quantum thermodynamics.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 41 sentences and 627 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:58. The speaker talks at a natural 158 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 80% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| quantum noun | /ˈkwɑntəm/ | The total amount of something; quantity. |
| surroundings noun | /səˈɹaʊndɪŋz/ | The area surrounding someone or something, together with the objects and circumstances in the vicinity; the environment or ambiance. |
| equation noun | /ɪˈkweɪ.ʒən/ | The act or process of equating two or more things, or the state of those things being equal (that is, identical). |
| tick noun | /tɪk/ | A tiny woodland arachnid of the suborder Ixodida. |
| clock noun | /klɑk/ | A chronometer, an instrument that measures time, particularly the time of day. |
| classical adjective | /ˈklæs.ɪ.k(ə)l/ | Of or relating to the first class or rank, especially in literature or art. |
| gravity noun | /ˈɡɹævɪti/ | Of an activity such as a ceremony, a person's conduct, etc.: the quality of being deeply serious and solemn, especially in a dignified manner; seriousness… |
| depend verb | /dɪˈpɛnd/ | To be contingent or conditioned; to have something as a necessary condition |
| backward adjective | /ˈbækwɚd/ | Situated toward or at the rear of something. |
| relative noun | /ˈɹɛl.ə.tɪv/ | Someone connected by blood, marriage, or adoption; someone in the same family. |
| refer verb | /ɹɪˈfɜː/ | To direct the attention of (someone toward something). |
| tape noun | /teɪ̯p/ | Flexible material in a roll with a sticky surface on one or both sides; adhesive tape. |
| physics noun | /ˈfɪz.ɪks/ | The branch of science concerned with the study of the properties and interactions of space, time, matter and energy. |
| connect verb | /kəˈnɛkt/ | To join (to another object): to attach, or to be intended to attach or capable of attaching, to another object. |
| increasingly adverb | Increasing in amount or intensity. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| mix up verb | To mix or blend thoroughly and completely. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was forced · are connected · is isolated |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | view, which is · entropy, which is |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 6 contractions and reduced forms, such as doesn't, isn't, they're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: equation /ɪˈkweɪ.ʒən/, interaction /ˌɪn.təˈɹæk.ʃən/, measurement /ˈmɛʒ.ə.mənt/, fraction /ˈfɹæk.ʃən/, prediction /pɹɪˈdɪkʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: fundamental /ˌfʌn.dəˈmɛn.təl/, interaction /ˌɪn.təˈɹæk.ʃən/, invisible /ɪnˈvɪzəb(ə)l/, parameter /pəˈɹæm.ə.tɚ/, equilibrate /iːkwɪˈlɪbɹeɪt/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like quantum, surroundings, equation.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.