Time travel

[Douglas]

So I was thinking. People often will discuss the possibilities of time travel. Whether its HG Wells Time Machine, or Mr Peabody and Sherman in the way back machine, to Bil & Ted and Star Trek 4 (or . Its a fairly popular topic. How many of us have wished we could go back or forward in time to witness events or change them.

But during a bout of insomnia, I was thinking. Most of these movies/books all have a person going back in time and landing in a specific place. Like being in 19th century london and going back and being at the Roman Collisium in ancient times. But how would that happen? You would think if you traveled back in time, lets say 2000 years, you would be in the exact same spot 2000 years ago. And not wandering the desert looking to get Jesus's autograph.

Now this brings up another point. Everything revolves. The earth on its own axis as well as around the sun. And while our sun doesnt revovlve around a bigger object itself, the system in general revolves around our galaxy. It may take a few billion years, but I doubt its stationary. And then theres the whole thing about the universe expanding. So if you go back or forward in time, you should theoretically land in the exact same spot. Though that spot may be in the middle of outer space.

Is this too deep for a monday morning?

[Killjoy]

Originally Posted by Douglas

Is this too deep for a monday morning?

No.

[korman]

If the problem of moving back in time is solved, the matter of reference point won't really pose many problems I guess. Far more interesting than the matter of where you land is what happens to your momentum. Must be quite disappointing to arrive back in time just to hit the next wall with twice the speed of sound. But for that you'll probably have the inertial flux compensator in your time machine. Neither will problems such as to what happens to objects on the place where you land and whether you leave behind a hole that's filled with a wooshing sound in the present be more than resolved details.

Korman

[brian.austin]

All explained in The Number of the Beast by Robert Heinlein. Almost too well, imo, since he dwells on the mathematics of time travel more than I really like. Good book, though.

Basically, time is nothing more than an axis for a positional computation.

[Not4wood]

Welllllllllllll, if your talking about a piece of technology that is supposed to either take you there like HG Wells or even the Delorean like "Back to the Future" then everything you brought up is already configured into the computer so you either don't end up in the Void of Space or like Korman mentioned slamming into a wall or tree at the speed of light.

There are other problems to consider if were talking about this on a realistic level. Money, how can you do anything like food, clothes or even a place to sleep without money of the time period. You also have to take into consideration of the lack of language or accent. If your going to talk then the locals will hear something and the Church is very strong and you will probably end up in prison for being a heretic. Not even mentioning that speaking to somebody might change the path of history and well you watch enough of the SciFi shows to know that one anyway....

[brian.austin]

Originally Posted by Not4wood

Not even mentioning that speaking to somebody might change the path of history and well you watch enough of the SciFi shows to know that one anyway....

Already addressed in Heinlein's book. Basically, everytime something alters the flow of a universe by traveling back and "resetting" something (however inadvertent), it creates a new flow, ie new universe. The second universe is the same up to a certain point where a defining moment has two outcomes and creates the second.

Heinlein used an example of the Moon landings. In Heinlien's books, he had several different scenarios for what happened with the Moon. It was kind of interesting because he ended up tying all of his book universes together in this book and going forward with this single line of characters and plot development.

[korman]

Originally Posted by brian.austin

Already addressed in Heinlein's book. Basically, everytime something alters the flow of a universe by traveling back and "resetting" something (however inadvertent), it creates a new flow, ie new universe.

Was that the one with the bubbly wallpaper analogy?

Korman

[Douglas]

Wow. Didnt expect responses.

Also look at traveling into the future. Some say its impossible because its always changing, so there is no defined future to travel too. Just like if you went into the past and changed something. The home you returned to wouldnt be the home you left.

But lets say you could jump into the future. Imagine you jump ahead to Dec 21 2012 and the world has indeed been destroyed. Or heck, a month from now and a meteor hit it (ala armageddon) or the sun burned it to a crisp (like the movies 'The Core' or 'Knowing'.

[Not4wood]

Brilliant writings, and the whole concept of this is pretty creepy and scary.

Keeping this in mind:
In factual history, even looking at the drawings of DaVinci or the writings of Nostradomus. DaVinci had drawings of planes, parachutes and even submarines. If anybody even the Wright Brothers had bothered to look and experiment with these drawings where would we be now?

The supposed Legend of Nostradomus, he had a Black Glass or Mirror on his Desk. We have that now, its called a Computer. Was he a time traveler and did he have a Laptop on his desk? Maybe, maybe not. Where is it now if he did?? If we take that for granted and of course its a stretch what would he have on his computer?

[brian.austin]

Originally Posted by korman

Was that the one with the bubbly wallpaper analogy?

Korman

Don't remember that analogy in there.

[Douglas]

Originally Posted by Not4wood

The supposed Legend of Nostradomus, he had a Black Glass or Mirror on his Desk. We have that now, its called a Computer. Was he a time traveler and did he have a Laptop on his desk? Maybe, maybe not. Where is it now if he did?? If we take that for granted and of course its a stretch what would he have on his computer?

Porn, like the rest of us.

[KmH]

I've always hoped that UFO's are our decendents returning in time to see what is was like in centuries past.

It would mean the human race doesn't destroy itself.

[Not4wood]

Haha, I still like Douglas's comment. That our descendants are coming back to us to see how we live and also to see what Porn DaVinci was watching...

[CanadianRocky]

If time travel is possible, and we find it, then I think it would be a safe bet that people who travel back in time wont do it to sit in a Starbucks to read a paper and watch the world go by.

I would think that there would be specific points in time that would interest people much more than others.

An example would be the birth of Christ. Or his death for that matter. That is where I would go.

So, where are all these time travellers? How come the manger in Bethlehem is not surround with a bunch of people who look like they dont belong there?

And you would not be able to say to everyone, well you go first and see, and then I will go second, etc, etc..... because they all end up at the manger at the same time.

Three wise men? Not so wise if they were time travellers could not get the coordinates right as to where Bethlehem is. Although, they did come from afar.

Maybe time travel is possible, but maybe the human race does not stick around long enough to find it.

One of my favourite time travel movie is Twelve Monkeys.

[brian.austin]

Originally Posted by CanadianRocky

If time travel is possible, and we find it, then I think it would be a safe bet that people who travel back in time wont do it to sit in a Starbucks to read a paper and watch the world go by.

I would think that there would be specific points in time that would interest people much more than others.

An example would be the birth of Christ. Or his death for that matter. That is where I would go.

So, where are all these time travellers? How come the manger in Bethlehem is not surround with a bunch of people who look like they dont belong there?

And you would not be able to say to everyone, well you go first and see, and then I will go second, etc, etc..... because they all end up at the manger at the same time.

Three wise men? Not so wise if they were time travellers could not get the coordinates right as to where Bethlehem is. Although, they did come from afar.

Maybe time travel is possible, but maybe the human race does not stick around long enough to find it.

One of my favourite time travel movie is Twelve Monkeys.

The idea of time "travelers" watching without being there is addressed in Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus by Orson Scott Card.

[iflynething]

I've heard astronauts time travel...


~Michael~

[korman]

Originally Posted by iflynething

I've heard astronauts time travel...

Time travel is definitively another experience than travel time.

Although both move you through time, the first is supposed also to have positive aspects.

Korman

[Killjoy]

Originally Posted by brian.austin

All explained in The Number of the Beast by Robert Heinlein.

It's been a loooooong time since I have read that book.

Originally Posted by CanadianRocky

If time travel is possible, and we find it, then I think it would be a safe bet that people who travel back in time wont do it to sit in a Starbucks to read a paper and watch the world go by.

I would think that there would be specific points in time that would interest people much more than others.

An example would be the birth of Christ. Or his death for that matter. That is where I would go.

So, where are all these time travellers? How come the manger in Bethlehem is not surround with a bunch of people who look like they dont belong there?

And you would not be able to say to everyone, well you go first and see, and then I will go second, etc, etc..... because they all end up at the manger at the same time.

Three wise men? Not so wise if they were time travellers could not get the coordinates right as to where Bethlehem is. Although, they did come from afar.

Maybe time travel is possible, but maybe the human race does not stick around long enough to find it.

One of my favourite time travel movie is Twelve Monkeys.

So would you travel back in time to try to PROVE these points in history, or DIS-prove them?

On another note, in the movie "Time Cop", people went back in time to try to change history.
In one instance, someone went back to try to monopolize the stock market.

[Douglas]

I will admit that I have learned the secret to traveling through time into the near future. At least once a day, I close my eyes and when I open them again, ive moved ahead in time by at least 6-8 hrs.

[Killjoy]

Originally Posted by Douglas

I will admit that I have learned the secret to traveling through time into the near future. At least once a day, I close my eyes and when I open them again, ive moved ahead in time by at least 6-8 hrs.

I wish. It's only in about 2-3 hour jumps for me lately.