MennoniteHobbit Posted January 25, 2004 Share Posted January 25, 2004 Is it possible to travel in time? By that, it doesn't matter if we travel forward or back in time, just generally speaking. So, what's ur opinion? IMHO, I think that it is impossible to travel in time. First of all, how can we travel back in time, if it already happened? If it was possible, our matter would be put into mayhem, which would be most inconvenient. Every second, we're moving toward the future. Even now, I am and u r moving towards the future. What would a fantasized unimaginable abstract machine would be able to do? Next of all, how would we be able to travel forward into time? The definition of future is "the time that hasn't come, but is about to." So, following its definition, how would we be able to go into the future, if it hasn't happened yet? Logically, time travel in a whole impossible, if u go by my opinion and evidence. If time travel is possible, do we have the resources to achieve it, or is it impossible to build something that would enable us to, but it is possible, anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinWalker Posted January 26, 2004 Share Posted January 26, 2004 Yes. Of course time travel is possible. In fact. Not traveling through time is impossible. Everyone and everything travels through time in a relatively straight line at a relatively consistent rate. (the word 'relative' is important here). Nothing travels backwards, laterally, or obliquely. This is what I think you really wanted to inquire about, however. See the attachment for a visual representation. This image comes from the Feynman Lectures series (vol. 1, ch. 17) by Richard Feynman. The point in the center is the present (you) and the points around it represent the past, the present, and the future. The cones represent those points which can be affected by the present (or those points in the past, which can affect the present). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ET Warrior Posted January 26, 2004 Share Posted January 26, 2004 It's not so much of a maybe it's possible, the concept of actually traveling through time is currently believed to be quite possible, aside from our current inabilities technologically. The current physically described method for pulling it off involves wormholes. Namely, you must first FIND a wormhole, and then determine some way to hold it open at both ends, and then figure out how to accelerate one end to the speed of light. The end that travels at the speed of light, when slowed down would have only taken maybe a second, but the end that stayed non-moving would be many years into the 'future' And so by traveling through either end of the wormhole you'd travel back and forth between the 'present' and 'future' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topshot Posted January 26, 2004 Share Posted January 26, 2004 I know it's not scientifically possible, but travelling to the past could end in serious alterations to the present and the future. If you travelled back to, say 1969, and did something in your past or someone else's, basically that would drastically effect all life in the future. Of course, everyone knows that, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ET Warrior Posted January 26, 2004 Share Posted January 26, 2004 Originally posted by topshot I know it's not scientifically possible, but travelling to the past could end in serious alterations to the present and the future. If you travelled back to, say 1969, and did something in your past or someone else's, basically that would drastically effect all life in the future. Of course, everyone knows that, though. But DO we actually know that? can one person really make that big of a difference? Lets think about it. I'll use sports as my analogy. (note, i'm ripping most of this from Michael Crichton) If you know hockey you know the Colorado Avalanche are the #1 team in the NHL, and the Pittsburgh Penguins are the worst team in the NHL. Your team is the penguins and they are playing the avs. Now, you are pretty certain that Colorado is going to roll over your team, so if you were in the future you could look back and remember the game where the avs won. So instead of allowing that future to happen, you decide you're gonna change it. You're at the game and now's your chance. So what do you do? Jump the glass and try to take out Peter Forsberg? Not only are you unlikely to even get over the glass, but once you do, Peter Forsberg is wearing pads and has a hockey stick. He'll knock you out cold. So lets say you have a gun, once again the odds of you getting over the glass are slim enough, the other fans will pull you down, but if you DO get over the glass and get your shot off, you'll probably miss, but EVEN if you kill Forsberg, and for some reason the game doesn't end, the Avs will STILL beat the penguins, because they are a better team. So what have you accomplished? You didn't change the future, the penguins still lost. And perhaps you didn't read my post above yours, but technically, it IS scientifically possible to travel back in time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topshot Posted January 27, 2004 Share Posted January 27, 2004 Curse my knowledge of sci-fi movies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MennoniteHobbit Posted January 27, 2004 Author Share Posted January 27, 2004 Well, why would we want to travel in time? Like topshot said, even one little thing, like picking up a piece of dirt in the past could affect us all. Second of all, wormholes in case you didn't know (you probably do, just making sure) are created by both a white hole and a black hole combining, or something like that. So, if in fact the possibility of time travel is possible, we definitely can't achieve it now. Right now, I remain skeptical of time travel. I might change my mind if some physicists tell me exactly how it's possible, but for the meanwhile, I'll stick with LF forumers. btw topshot, don't curse your knowledge of sci-fi movies. SCI-FI RULES! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ET Warrior Posted January 27, 2004 Share Posted January 27, 2004 Originally posted by MennoniteHobbit Well, why would we want to travel in time? Like topshot said, even one little thing, like picking up a piece of dirt in the past could affect us all. And like I said, you dont know that your actions will have any effect at all on the future, and in fact they probably won't. And I thought I already explained how time travel was possible. You find the wormholes, which we are fairly certain exist, you keep both ends open (which we dont know how to do....yet) you accelerate one end of the wormhole to the speed of light (again, we can't yet do this) and voila. It's a little portal between two very different times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MennoniteHobbit Posted January 27, 2004 Author Share Posted January 27, 2004 Originally posted by ET Warrior And like I said, you dont know that your actions will have any effect at all on the future, and in fact they probably won't. And I thought I already explained how time travel was possible. Doh! Sorry, forgot about that. I mean, if there was another way, other than a wormhole. Yeah, how would I know if a little actions in the past could affect the present? Just to be safe, though. Besides, I'm not that much of a fan of time travelling. Sci-fi movies is enough for me. Like I said, why would we want to travel into time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ET Warrior Posted January 27, 2004 Share Posted January 27, 2004 Originally posted by MennoniteHobbit Like I said, why would we want to travel into time? Why would we want to travel faster than the speed of sound in a car across the desert? Mankind as a whole (and scientists in general) are obsessed more with the can we do it aspects than the why would we do it aspect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_PerfectAgent_ Posted January 27, 2004 Share Posted January 27, 2004 I don't believe that travelling to the future is possible as it did not happen (unless it's the normal "speed" we're going by right now). Say that somehow someone is able to the future with the "current" (the "present") circumstances directly affecting the future. What if someone does something different from the circumstances in the present? What would happen then? Travelling to the past would be impossible as it already happened. So, if you go to the time that you were alive as well before and meet yourself, would you have already done it and know about it all the time (and repeat it "again" somehow), or all of a sudden change your current memory (Hey I remember when I met myself from the future! Hey I remember when I met myself from the past!)? Same with changing an important event. Would you alter your memory of the event, or still remember the old one, as you knew of the old event at the time, but then remember the change? Also, if you killed someone's mother before that person was born in the past (they're already alive in the "present"), would they dissapear, or never existed to begin with? About the dissapearing problem. If they did, then you wouldn't be travelling to the past, simply the future. So the "past" you are travelling to would be a continuation of the present, and not an actual past. Originally posted by MennoniteHobbit Like I said, why would we want to travel into time? It could be done to get extra money. Say someone travels back to (some time) to a game that they know the results of. Bet alot of money on the yet to win team and get the money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrion Posted January 27, 2004 Share Posted January 27, 2004 Let me put a hypothetical situation. Let's presume that the universe is infinite(at least, that the stuff that's outside the universe is infinite). Now, if we travel back in time, how are extra atoms used for you created? We simply cannot add the atoms(matter can be niether created or destroyed, and infinite + 100 trillion is more than the maximum amount of atoms in the universe(which is infinite)which would mean it'd be impossible to contain the extra atoms.) So if you did travel back, you'd have to find out a way to transform atoms there into the excact replica that would be you. As well, there was a proven theory a while back(the show that it was on, Big Thinkers, was cancelled on TechTv), that if someone had two wormholes, and sent one back into time, so that when it came back to transform the wormhole in the present time into the portal to the past, it'd collide and explode before the portal would be made. (Sorry if this is confusing, Time Travel isnt a very easy subject to explain. ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 Time travel into the future is possible, although we do not really have the technological means right now to make it practical. Einstein's theory of Special Relativity says that time and space are really part of the same entity, space-time. In space-time the speed of light is the absolute limit of how fast something can go. When one moves through space-time, time moves slower for them when compared to others who are moving slower (suppose a stationary object). The faster one goes, the more pronounced the effects. Time actually moves slower for a person on a plane compared to people on the ground, although the effects at these speeds are so small you don't notice it. This effect becomes more apparent the closer you get to the speed of light. Time moves slower for you than the people you left behind. However, you would not notice this effect until you return to Earth (or wherever). For example, if you were 20 when you left Earth and traveled at 99% of the speed of light and returned 5 years later, your classmates would be about 70 years old. As for the "paradox" of travelling back in time and affecting your own future, this is just a storytime plot hook. As has been mentioned, if you could somehow go back in time and kill yourself, you would never have lived to go back in time in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Writer Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 My opinion is that we can. Well, of course we can. After all, every second we exist, we are stepping forward into time. Backward, I would have to say not. Let me give you something to think about. A man hates his grandpa enough to kill him, but simply killing him in the present isn't enough. He goes back in time and does the job, but he went back to before his own dad was born. Therefore, since Grandpa died before dad was born, son was not born and therefore could not go back in time to begin with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Jones Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 traveling backwards in time would make no sense because the time of the traveler must not "turn backwards". otherwise he would be affected by the time going back like anything else to. so at least the travelers time has to go by at "normal speed". but to say for sure it's impossible is possibly impossible.. surely we first must enhance our understanding of time.. though i think it must be at least possible to travel within the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ET Warrior Posted February 6, 2004 Share Posted February 6, 2004 Originally posted by wildjedi A man hates his grandpa enough to kill him, but simply killing him in the present isn't enough. He goes back in time and does the job, but he went back to before his own dad was born. Therefore, since Grandpa died before dad was born, son was not born and therefore could not go back in time to begin with. Yes, everyone who has thought about time travel has thought of this, it's nothing new, but think about THIS. It's already been determined that you WON'T accomplish your task of trying to kill your grandfather in the past, no matter how much you want to. You wouldn't exist if your grandfather got murdered before your father was concieved.So there are a couple possiblilities, maybe you saw your grandpa and realized you just couldn't pull the trigger, or maybe you got pulled over for speeding trying to get to him and you missed your opportunity. Why has nobody offered any feedback on my proposal for time travel? I would have thought that interesting enough to spark a little debate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime Posted February 9, 2004 Share Posted February 9, 2004 Originally posted by ET Warrior Why would we want to travel faster than the speed of sound in a car across the desert? Mankind as a whole (and scientists in general) are obsessed more with the can we do it aspects than the why would we do it aspect. Even if the final goal is not useful, I suspect the things we learn while achieving the would be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ET Warrior Posted February 11, 2004 Share Posted February 11, 2004 Originally posted by Prime Even if the final goal is not useful, I suspect the things we learn while achieving the would be. As would the things learned by achieving time travel no doubt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prism Posted February 16, 2004 Share Posted February 16, 2004 I believe it is possible. My friend Paul and I were having a discussion about that with the 8th grade science teacher at our school one time. Both of us understood the basics of Q Physics when we were in 8th grade. But..I believe time travel is possible. How could it not be? I don't believe mankind has the intelligence level or resources to make it a worldly thing, but sure, its possible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrion Posted February 17, 2004 Share Posted February 17, 2004 Originally posted by ET Warrior Yes, everyone who has thought about time travel has thought of this, it's nothing new, but think about THIS. It's already been determined that you WON'T accomplish your task of trying to kill your grandfather in the past, no matter how much you want to. You wouldn't exist if your grandfather got murdered before your father was concieved.So there are a couple possiblilities, maybe you saw your grandpa and realized you just couldn't pull the trigger, or maybe you got pulled over for speeding trying to get to him and you missed your opportunity.. But what if the gun you bought was originally going to go to a gang member, who would kill a renown ganglord? But, the gun he bought instead was defective, thus he tried to shoot the ganglord but failed and was shot. Then the ganglord went on to do a raid against the mall, and subsequently killed your grandmother by accident. What I'm saying, is how does something such as time have fail safes or enough sentient thought to make sure you dont make a paradox? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Druid Bremen Posted February 17, 2004 Share Posted February 17, 2004 Originally posted by Tyrion But what if the gun you bought was originally going to go to a gang member, who would kill a renown ganglord? But, the gun he bought instead was defective, thus he tried to shoot the ganglord but failed and was shot. Then the ganglord went on to do a raid against the mall, and subsequently killed your grandmother by accident. What I'm saying, is how does something such as time have fail safes or enough sentient thought to make sure you dont make a paradox? It, IMO, is not fail-safe. I feel that it is impossible to travel in time, therefore we would not be able to make paradox, or something.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homuncul Posted February 17, 2004 Share Posted February 17, 2004 I would just say that I know much more theories about possibility of time travel than about the impossibility of one. As said many times, travel in future is not worth of discussion, it is achievable to a certain point both in principle and technologically: like a person coming out of coma after say 10 years being cared by nurses all that time (at a lower level it's the same as being preserved by the spaceship not to flow into space and die). He's a traveller relatively to himself, although he can feel some drawbacks of it like him getting aged for example. Future technological effort is certain to provide us with a method to keep our bodies safe while travelling into the future (creo-cameras or something). It is a much more difficult about travelling into the past, for it is also a question of why should we do this. Primarily today we're just about to know whether it is possible, though it is not neccesarily assumes that we would have to experiment it literally by trying to travel into past. It is quite obvius that testing of a theory can take different forms, and in addition major goal of a theory could also be benefitted by it's "minor" computations (problems). For example we can try to solve a problem of Shor's algorythm for factorizing large numbers by using a superposition quantum computer. This "smaller" problem by itself, above the technological issue, consists of many conceptual problems, that would probably have a greater value to science than just the answer to the question what happens when Shor's algorythm factorizes a number greater than the quantity of all visible matter in the universe. So in the end I believe that time travel investigation is needed but not neccesarily for the purpose of time travel. And these are much more deeper and sophisticated things than just going to the future to kill your granny. It is much deeper than just a common people thought. Think about it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Knight of Keno Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 We can. I mean that no one has ever been into a black hole? There is many, many possibilitys that we could. This is the problem with humans. We want proof that we can travel in time, but we don't think that there is no proof that we couldn't travel in time. 1900 the world was using musket's. 1950, world was in war with rifles, tanks and machine guns. 2000, we launch droids to Mars. What ever could happen in the near 50 years? And there is still one question that shakes the mankind. Is there another Extra terrestial lifeform out there? Can they travel in time? Has Mars been populated and so on... So I say yes, we can, because no one has the proof we can't Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ET Warrior Posted February 23, 2004 Share Posted February 23, 2004 Originally posted by Darth Tepe So I say yes, we can, because no one has the proof we can't That's a pretty flimsy base for an argument as deeply rooted in science as time travel. The inability to prove something wrong does not correlate with it being true. I mean that no one has ever been into a black hole? I think you've been watching too many science fiction movies. Odds are that if you travel into a black hole all you get is smashed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Jones Posted February 23, 2004 Share Posted February 23, 2004 Originally posted by ET Warrior Odds are that if you travel into a black hole all you get is smashed. not necessarily.. depends to the size of the black hole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.