Back in Time?

Question

OK, just a little back ground on me and who I am, I am fifteen, thus I lie awake at night thinking of deep questions that affect the world. Anyway, my question is about going back in time. Now, my question isn't how to accomplish this, or what would happen. My question is, if one went back in time, would the future not already be changed. So, being that the future has already been changed, the person would not have to go back in time in the beggining. It would seem like a cycle, but either way, it does not seem at all possible. But I would like to hear opinions on this subject. So, fire away.

Answer 1

Davy, what you're discussing has a name. It's called the "Grandfather Paradox." What if you went back in time, and killed your grandfather before your father was born. That would mean you couldn't be born. But if you weren't born, then how did you kill your grandfather???

Some say this contradiction is why time travel is impossible. But some have thought of a way around this paradox. Consider that time isn't a single line, but composed of many, many lines. The line of time you are on right now is only one of an infinite series of possible lines.

Now. Let's say that this "multiple timeline theory" is correct. Let's say you went back in time and killed your grandfather. By altering the past, you would be leaving the line of time that you're on, and you would be activating a new line of time. If after killing granddad you went back to your old time, you would still exist but not as your father' son , because your father never existed. In effect, you would have no parents -- you would just "be."

If you ever saw the Jean Claude van Damme film, "Timecop," that film is based on this multiple timeline interpretation of time travel. Check it out. I think you'll enjoy it. Hope this answer helps.

Answer 2

I have seen a few programmes on the Discovery channel about time-travel.There was one scientist who said that even if we could go back into the past, we won't be able to change anything Another scientist explained time as the forth dimension ( the other three being back & forth, left & right, up & down).Another scientist said that time-travel may be possible if we could find a Black-Hole ( Einstein theory - huge dark areas in the space which have so much gravitational force that even the TIME and SPACE are also twisted in it.If one does go back into the past then even the smallest thing that he does could have great impacts on the future.However, most modern physicists consider time- travel practically impossible.

Answer 3

That is a very interesting question. I think once you go back in the future, the sequence of how things will happen have already changed. Just you're being there, changes things. It is a cycle. One could get dizzy on that ride!

Answer 4

I think you should try to narrow your thinking and be more relative. Try going through the thought as the time traveler. As the theory goes there are infinate number of dimesions and other realities. Now the first time the you would time travel of course you have change that reality A. so now you might of created a reality B. Now in reality B you are a time traveler , but in Reality A you would of been around upto the point where you time travel. then you would simply vanish from reality A at that point and start living reality B.

Answer 5

dude, this is complicated stuff....

if you went back in time and changed the history a bit, then you would not be able to comeback to the circumstances in which when you left. Thats cuz you have changed the history and therefore the events that unfold after that will affect the circumstances at the time from when you travel back.

If you come back to the time (in terms of date and time) then you would come back to different world, because that would be the result of the change in the history.

Therefore, you can't go back in time and change anything unless you want to come back to a different world. You can only go back in time to OBSERVE not make changes.

You can't go back in time and kill your mum before you were born. Not possible, because you then wouldn't have been born and therefore couldn't have travelled back in time to kill your mum (what a silly example)

Answer 6

You are describing a paradox. This kind of thing often comes up in time travel stories because it makes for a good twist. There really isn't any solid answer to this. At least none I know of.

Answer 7

paradox!! yes if u could go back in time u may change the course of history.. but u cant go back in time anyway.. so stop having sleepless nites lying in bed thinkin bout these thigns..