Comments on: Time Travel

by: used purses

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 06:29:30 +0000

Time travel is an interesting concept. Even if it is possible I don’t know if I’d do it.

by: Charles

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 21:36:04 +0000

In as much that infinite loops occur at pi and e the shift structural density of genetics makes it possible for morphing to occur, why not time travel. Its seems to me that the problem is probably with the mathematics and the things that they don’t take into consideration.

Charles

by: Toastingfork

Sun, 02 Jul 2006 21:54:48 +0000

The nature of time ? How about “Cause & Effect” ? And whether this causality chain can be sped up or slowed down, it must still continue, else that sudden draught we feel is free will going out the window. And if there is no free will, then the life story of every sub-atomic partical in the universe must be scripted. By whom ?

However, perhaps if we don’t accept for parallel dimensions, we can still allow for travelling back, but upon arrival, all the future from that point on is wiped out, the past becomes the present, and free will has to write a brand new future.

A final point - if we accept that there is a fixed amount of energy in the universe, and that it cannot be created nor destroyed, then we have exactly as much today as at the big bang. If I were to time travel, however, I would be removing the energy contained in my body from the moment I left, and be inserting it in the moment of my arrival - I can only assume the same amount of energy would have to travel back in the other direction - presumably in the form of an explosion, and upon arriving, I would find myself in the centre of an spherical vacuum, which expanded until it had gobbled up enough matter to equal a body’s-worth.

by: Mark

Wed, 22 Jun 2005 12:17:28 +0000

I haven’t read the New Scientist article, but I have read much of the literature about the theoretical possibilities of travelling backwards in time. Everything I’ve read either says that the math allows a possibility of reverse time-travel, but they’re not sure if that translates to an actual physical possibility. Even then they only ever seem to allow a coupld of sub-atomic particles - not entire humans. They also say that if you travel through a black hole you could end up back in time - but in such a different part of the Universe that it may take you 10 million years to get home to tell anyone about it (not to mention that travelling through a black hole would kill you….)

I disagree with you that only physicists can meaningfully discuss such topics. I have studied physics at university, and I have a solid understanding of the physical and philosophical issues involved. Why would I not be qualified to have a meaningful discussion about such things?

However, I DO agree with the fact that it is difficult to talk about time-travel and the paradoxes therein without a good understanding of the nature of time. However, I reckon that disqualifies just about everyone. I don’t believe even the physicists have even the foggiest notion of what time really is. I reckon that in a thousand years time, people will look back at our “experts” and chuckle at how simplistic, superstitious and naive our ideas about time were…

by: orwlds

Wed, 22 Jun 2005 04:02:31 +0000

Have you read the recent article in new Scientist which mentions the experiments done by some scientists who reckon that it is theoretically possible to go backwards but that you could not possibly alter anything. The article also talked about quantum entanglement and how it seems that these sub atomic particles appear to be travelling faster than light. Without having the article with me I cant remember the finer details. But i reckon that you cannot begin to talk about this stuff unless you are a physicist and that it is therefore meaningless to talk about the philosophical paradoxes because if you do not understand the nature of time in an absolute sense and you do not have a good grasp of the science involved then surely it renders the argument useless for the armchair philosopher. If we havent got to the bottom of the worm hole yet then maybe we ought to be asking whether we understand time and space at all.

by: Gerry

Fri, 03 Jun 2005 08:01:15 +0000

All right. That’s all very persuasive - that is if I actually understood it. In fact it is so well written, I’m inclined to believe it out of hand, purely from the elegance of the language. Anyway I think you know a lot more about the physics of it, so I won’t argue the toss.
So why not write it out as a beguiling tale - why not the VERY finest time travel novel? With villains, voluptuous women, a hero (bespectacled nerd, or omniscient astro-physicist who also proves to be a talented archeologist?) and a tortuous plot.
I leave you with it.