I have a quick question in regards to relativity.
Is the passing of time directly related to the expansion of the universe? If it is, doesn't that mean that when the universe passes the critical density point and begins to contract that time (being governed by the expansion of the universe) would also contract and begin to travel backwards? And that the big bang and the big crunch are the same moment just being perceived in 2 different directions of time?
I know I'm probably completely off the mark, but I'm very curious about this and was hoping some experts in the field could illuminate this concept for me?