Time Travel - a sobering consideration

[Duer 157099]

So, you know how the ultimate argument against the feasibility of time travel is that if it were possible, we would be seeing time travelers now?

Well, the other night (after considering what the two crazy religious fundies have been saying, re: Iran), it occurred to me that a plausible explanation could be simply that we never make it to the point where it would be technologically feasible.

I mean, civilization doesn't make it much further.

How sobering is that?

[Droopy]

1. That or

what do you think would happen if someone tried to reveal themselves as a time traveler? I'm thinking Area 51 or a mental institution.

[Duer 157099]

2. Well sure

That has been my standard argument, because we've all heard the stories. I've certainly heard many stories, and I used to think that they could be plausible, except that not one of them mentioned, specifically, 9/11. So, if it *does* become possible, then I'd only accept it with the caveat that there are different time streams, that sort of thing.

But lately I'm thinking that we never make it that far. Occam's razor.

[billyskank]

3. Occam's razor, huh?

Well, the simplest explanation might simply be that it really is unfeasible.

[Duer 157099]

4. But I think Einstein proved that in theory it is possible

So..... and we know how progress goes, much faster/better than we anticipate

[billyskank]

5. If I recally correctly

and my batchelor's degree in physics didn't quite make it into general relativity, but I believe that travel backwards in time is theoretically possible, but it requires a wormhole, the far end of which is receding at great speed (i.e. close to the speed of light).

That's why I said unfeasible. It may be theoretically possible, under a fantastic set of conditions, but that doesn't mean we will necessarily be able to make any use of it.

[LaurenG]

6. You are an amazing man aren't you

Physics? :loveya: :loveya:

[billyskank]

7. *blush*

:blush:

Yes, it's true, I read physics at university. I am a bona fide honest-to-God nerd. :loveya: :hi:

[LaurenG]

8. I love the concept but never studied. I just think physics brings

it all together. Above below in and out top and bottom. Physics comes closest to figuring it all out.:hug:

[Duer 157099]

9. Yeah, wormholes, speed of light, all that

Who's to say what breakthrough is just around the corner though.

Also, I feel compelled to correct you on your assertion that "travel backwards in time is theoretically possible" -- because you made it sound like *only* backwards time travel was possible.

I :ahem: happen to time travel in the forward position every day!! No kidding!! Want me to show you how? :-)

[billyskank]

19. You know what I meant

smart arse. :P

[Robb]

10. Simpler still:

The future is so much grander than we can imagine, there's no desire to come back to this big pile of suck we call the present. :)

[Duer 157099]

11. Awwww... not even to give us hope?

Boy we're mean

[supernova]

12. Not messing with the timeline

There is the theory that a time traveler should only observe, not interfer with events, lest the traveler change his/her past or future. So, if we have time travelers RIGHT NOW, we likely don't know it.

[YankeyMCC]

13. We have a rule against revealing ourselves

...oh opps...

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

14. Have you seen "Primer"?

You can only travel back to the point when the time-travel machine was turned on.

(Fantastic film btw. Very promising start for Shane Carruth who pretty much did everything & all for around $8000.)

[Capn Sunshine]

15. Any discussion of time travel should mention

John Titor internet sage and time traveller

[Duer 157099]

16. My main problem with Titor

is that he didn't mention 9/11. Unfathomable to me (unless things got so out of whack that 9/11 was just a footnote... can't discount that possibility)

[Frank Cannon]

25. Or maybe one day MIHOP is proven...

and that tragedy is looked back as just the first in a long stream of atrocities this administration has already committed killing hundreds of thousands of people.

:shrug:

[Rabrrrrrr]

17. Ha! You stupid earth humans, still stuck to your idea of linear "time"

and your bizarre differentiation between "past" and "future" and "present"...

LOL! :rofl:

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

No, seriously, I have to laugh. :rofl:

The answer is right in front of you but you refuse to see it.

[AlienGirl]

26. Hey, are you from Trafalmadore?

[nuxvomica]

18. The grandfather paradox prevents us from recognizing them

They are keeping a low profile so as not to change the timeline that led to their natural present. It's not like they haven't tried but they have discovered they are powerless to do so. Every futurian that's tried to contact a member of the press, for example, has been stuck in 2-hour traffic or missed the appointment because they were watching a good movie on TV and lost track of the time, or was treated like a nutcase. Their actions are pretty much ignored or accidentally prevented. Call it what you will -- some undiscovered principle of physics, destiny, karma -- they can't seem to act in any significant sense that would change the course of history. Many voted for Kerry in Ohio.

[hyphenate]

20. Actually

my answer to that quandary is that if time travellers were here among us, they would likely be dressed the same as the rest of us, and observing history, not planning to change it, because if they tried to change any significant events, they could be wiping themselves out as well.

Thus, the established answer is really a straw man argument. Although I have been working on a time travel writing project which deals with the issue of changing historical events in order to secure the "proper" future. It's interesting to think of "different endings" to different events--such as "what if" Al Gore had been elected and in the white house? If that had happened, perhaps Gore would have been far more successful in keeping 9/11 from happening as it did, but in te long run, terrorists would have spent more time and effort building up another major strike which could have taken out more that the number that perished on 9/11. And if John Kennedy had not been assassinated, would we be in a better position than we are now? Would Watergate have happened? Would Democrats still be in charge? Lots of possibilities to consider.

[cassiepriam]

21. Linear time is only an invention of humans, it is not real...

Past, present, future, all happening at the same time.....

[FlaGranny]

22. Time travel -

sometimes I think some of the unexplained UFOs are really time travel machines. Time travel might be more likely than interstellar space voyaging.

[bikebloke]

23. Sort of a time travel exercise

Recently, I made a digital photo of a print taken twenty-some years ago. Looking at the print full screen can really put you back in the past situation. So then I wondered, what if I went back into myself twenty-some years ago, knowing everything I know now. World history and personal. When and how would the course of my life change? Right off, I can think of decisions that would differ. And women I'd avoid. And it might be a little depressing having to relive. Of course, your present thoughts would bury those of your past, thus the changes could be immediate.

It made some interesting day dreaming.

[patdem]

24. There was a blurb some time back about a man making a killing on

Wall Street, he was questioned about insider trading, and he claimed to be from the future and the reason he was so 'lucky' is because he knew which stocks would go up and which would go down. I read that ONCE in the paper and then NOTHING else..?? I thought how interesting this story would be but they had not one other story regarding this fellow. Wish I had saved that article.

[Duer 157099]

28. I remember that article too n/t

[AlienGirl]

27. Here's another possible explanation:

Any time traveller who attempts to reveal his identity, or to change history in any major way, is hunted down and stopped by the Time Cops before he manages to do it. Thus, the fact that there are no known cases of time travel is only because time travel becomes so sophisticated and common. :-)

When I was a kid I tried to build a time machine out of bits of old clocks and other dead electronics. I wanted to go to Woodstock. I also buried a time capsule to myself telling my future self when and where to time travel back to to tell thew me that was then twelve what my life would be like and what to avoid. Then I sat waiting for future-me to show up, but I never did. I guess I never get access to a time machine.

Photons look the same whether they're going forward in time or backward.

Tucker