The Andromeda paradox
A paradox set out by Roger Penrose drawing attention to how two different observers could have very different presents in relation to distant events.
Quote "Two people pass each other on the street; and according to one of the two people, an Andromedean space fleet has already set off on its journey, while to the other, the decision as to whether or not the journey will actually take place has not yet been made. How can there still be some uncertainty as to the outcome of that decision? If to either person the decision has already been made, then surely there cannot be any uncertainty. The launching of the space fleet is an inevitability. In fact neither of the people can yet know of the launching of the space fleet. They can know only later, when telescopic observations from earth reveal that the fleet is indeed on its way. Then they can hark back to that chance encounter, and come to the conclusion that at that time, according to one of them, the decision lay in the uncertain future, while to the other, it lay in the certain past. Was there then any uncertainty about that future? Or was the future of both people already "fixed"?" (Penrose. R. 1989),
The Andromeda paradox is understood by realizing there is a significant category difference between what is experienced as a present event through receipt and processing of EM information including the potential for such experiences, and events in which substantial elements of material reality interact, i.e. source events.
Interactions occur in Object reality that is uni-temporal (same time everywhere). It can be considered the causality front. When an event happens in the source Object reality is definite, and uni-temporal. That event having happened in Object reality is true for all locations.
Potential sensory data is produced by reflection /emission of light from those events, which can be named the pre-written future, (not to indicate complete determinism within physics, but that the data to form observable manifestations exists prior to their experience.) The Object reality or source reality, and Image reality experienced present manifestation are not synchronized.
When an event is (or potentially could be, as in this paradox) observed via its manifestations is variable, according to observer location and motion; The observer walking towards Andromeda is getting closer to the potential sensory data, from which a present experience could be formed, compared to an observer walking away. Even though they are too far away to receive the potential sensory information.
So even though no invasion data is yet received, as Andromeda is too far away, it can be said that for the observer walking towards Andromeda, the potential sensory data emitted from the invasion events on Andromeda are spatially nearer to him and formation of that information into his present experience would be sooner. This does not however mean the source event occurred sooner. The source event occurs only once, and the time of that occurrence (iteration of the Object universe within the imaginary past sequence of iterations) is unique and unchangeable.
So "Was there then any uncertainty about that future? Or was the future of both people already "fixed"? (Penrose. R. 1989) If for one 'observer' the event has happened in Object reality, and potential sensory information is in flight; it has happened for both. The event will have been superseded by more recent events and so be materially 'past'. Therefore, the invasion is a certainty (if all goes to the alien plan) because of the material occurrences, that are independent of the distant observers.
When the material event occurred, EM information will have been produced by reflection /emission. The proximity of the information to an observer does not alter the material event, only when experience and thus knowledge of it happens. The information not yet received can be regarded as a pre-written future, though it pertains to an event that has already materially happened. ('Future' as it becomes present experience when received and processed.) Yes, there was uncertainty of timing when the 'observers' met (that relates to potential information) but also material certainty. That event in Object reality is true simultaneously for all locations, so certain.
Reference: Penrose, R. (1989). The Emperor's New Mind: Concerning Computers, Minds, and the Laws of Physics. Oxford. Oxford University Press. p. 392-393.
