2006-07-06 05:32:45 · 13 answers · asked by Grzegorz M 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
I dont know...but I would be happy to test the theory by stopping the birth of George Bush
2006-07-06 05:43:21 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is essentially what is known as the "grandfather paradox", i.e. can you go back in time and kill your own grandfather? By asking it more directly, as you have, the paradox is more obvious - if you can prevent your own birth, then how can you prevent your own birth? The "out", which I don't entirely understand, is that when any action occurs, an infinite number of realities is created wherein each of an infinite number of subsequent actions takes place (and yes, similarly an infinite number of realities for each one of those, etc.) and so when you "commit suicide" so to speak, you're doing so in one of these alternate realities. But this begs the question, does this mean you couldn't kill Hitler (for example) in YOUR OWN reality so YOU could return to the present to live in a world that never experienced the second world war? I suppose the alternate reality theorist would say you'd return to the "present" in that alternate reality with the now-dead Hitler. But then wouldn't that put two of you in that alternate reality (and, coincidentally, leave your original reality "you-less")? Your turn.
2006-07-06 15:59:12 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't believe that anyone ever can travel through time and back, but if it does become possible, I believe that we can only be spectators and can not try to alter what has happened.
Basically, it depends on if you believe there are multiple dimensions or just one, if multiple dimensions then you might be able to change those dimensions, but not your own. If one dimension only, then a paradox happens, whatever you do will change everything.
So for your birth example, if you go back to stop your own birth, and succeed in stopping it, you would never be born, therefore you would never go back in time to stop your birth, and therefore you will be born, you would grow up, go back to prevent your birth, never be born, etc. and basically stuck in an infinite loop like that. But with the dimensional theory, you might be able to prevent your birth in another dimension, but not your own.
2006-07-06 13:41:09 · answer #3 · answered by RTFM 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Imagine if every time anything happened - anything at all - the world/universe/whatever splits in two, or three or four or however many things could have happened. Ok so now if you get that you understand that there are an infinite number of universes, because each time something happens after each split its splits again and so on and so on. So, when you "go back in time" you go back along the lineage of universes that you "stayed with" through all the splits, and jump back in at whatever universe "you" (the you in your memory) occupied at the given time point. Now, whatever you do won't really change anything, because all possibilities already exist! In over 99% of the universes you don't exist anyways, and you've already died in half of the in the .000001% universes you did exist in. So the answer is: absolutely nothing.
2006-07-06 14:01:04 · answer #4 · answered by Liza128 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Intresting question. Time works in mysterious ways. By trying to prevent birth by going through time you are actually helping birth. It is hard to explain. The present and future is composed of choices that you or someone else have already made. Therefore, any choice that you would make by going back through time cant be undone because it will happen anyway.
2006-07-06 13:28:07 · answer #5 · answered by lalahappybunny 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the infinite number of universes or infinite dimensions idea is a no brainer too because it too leads to a paradox. consider this. if there are infinite number of universes then there are infinite versions of you including one wherein you dont exist at all. since your versions are infinite then in one dimension you're a rockstar, in another a doctor, still in another you're the president of the USA. but in these infinite alternate realities you can never be president of france because you're american. therefore, the alternative universes are not infinite. it has limits. therefore it contradicts itself. therefore it is false. same with time travel. it's impossible to travel back in time.
2006-07-06 15:29:04 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, you can't change one thing in the past, if you did then you change a whole series of events in the future! Each miniscule change would change an infinite amount of other future occurrences.
2006-07-06 14:32:35 · answer #7 · answered by trinitarianwiccan 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
U can't go back in time. how can u change what i already know in the present. suppose i ate a sandwich today, but someone went back in time and stopped me from eating it. How could that change what i already know, whcih is that i ate the sandwich today.
2006-07-06 22:37:00 · answer #8 · answered by StealthShadow 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. Not now, not ever.
Time is a human construct. It is a measurement of duration.
There is no past or future to go to. There is only the eternal now.
2006-07-06 12:48:59 · answer #9 · answered by Rev Phred 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If u did that, u would disappear into thin air. Never to return again unless u undid what you undid. If taht makes any sense
2006-07-06 12:36:23 · answer #10 · answered by petluvr1993 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋