I've been curious about this for some time. Is time travel possible? What are Einstein's time travel formulas?

Question

This is what my Physics teacher told me:
"The faster you travel, the slower time seems to be. When you are nearing the speed of light, your watch nearly stops but ticks at leat once in a million years. When you reach the velocity of light, time stops. If you travel faster than light, it is possible to go back in time. Your watch will malfunction."
I want to see what others think of it. He also gave me an equation that was derived by Einstein but I lost it. I need it.

Answer 1

Before 1905 there wasn't much to say about time. In the 17th century Newton defined time as something that continues, no matter what, without any link with reality and according to its own nature. Everybody believed that time had its influence on the environment, but if you believed that the environment had its influence on time, you really had to be mad! That changed in 1905 with Einstein's special relativity theory, in which he showed that time can be influenced. But this doesn't mean time can be changed in such a way that you can travel to the future or the past. That's what it's all about on this pages: Is it possible to travel through time, and if possible, under which circumstances?


It will become very clear that the speed of light has got a major influence on the possibility of time traveling. An object should move faster than light speed to travel through time. Therefore we use the tunnel effect, an effect in the quantum mechanics. That means that a ray of light or a bundle of electrons that is sent through a certain barrier arrives sooner at the other side of the barrier than if there wasn't a barrier.


If time traveling is possible according to the relativity theory, there will be a lot of other problems. I'm not talking about the technical problems, 'cause that's not what this is about, but I mean the paradoxes. For these problems there is no such thing as a logical explanation, no matter how long you'll search.


Relativity

There are two types of physics: Newton's physics and Einstein's physics. When you use formulas from Newton and formulas from Einstein's physics to calculate a certain physical value, you'll become not the same value. In 'normal' situations these differences are extremely small. But in 'extreme' situations these differences will become very big. For example: someone who's in a train that moves with an incredible high speed (like 10 000 km/second) and who measures the distance between the sleepers of the train, will measure a smaller distance than someone who stands still beside the railway. According to the physics of Newton and our intuition we'd say the distance would remain the same. In 'normal' situations that's correct: measuring in a train that moves at hundreds, thousands or even ten thousands kilometers/hour would make the difference in distance immeasurably small. Newton's laws would certainly do in these situations. But when the speed of the train approaches the speed of light, the difference will become noticeable ('extreme' situations), and we would need Einstein's physics. According to the latest experiments, Einstein's formulas seem to be the right ones.


Einstein's special theory of relativity was finished in 1905. It's based on the constant speed of light and the fact that speed isn't absolute; when a helicopter lifts off you can also assume it's the chopper that stands still and the earth that moves. This theory describes the relation between observation of a certain phenomenon by observers that move with a constant speed related to each other.


The general theory of relativity was finished in 1912, but Einstein couldn't interpret his mathematical reasoning physically. He redeveloped the theory, not only based on mathematics but also on physics, and he ended up with the same result as 3 years earlier. Then he published it. This theory describes on one hand the relation between the observations of the observers that move with an accelerating speed related to each other. On the other hand it's about the influence of gravity on observations and the relation between observations that are done from places where gravity differs. Because a constant speed can be looked at as a speed with acceleration 0, the general theory of gravity includes the special one.

The speed of light is constantly independent of the reference system of the observer. It is a limit that can't be exceeded by any kind of matter without transforming to energy. Each measurement of that speed will have the same value, no matter how fast you move. Whether you stand still or move at 50% of light speed, the ray of light will always move at an amazing 299 792,458 km/sec. That sounds strange; we would think when you move at 50% of light speed along the ray of light, the measurement of that speed would be halved. But light speed is a universal constant, as is shown in many experiments. That means that time passes slower when you move than when you stand still. If you move at a low speed, that difference is extremely small. But if you move at light speed itself, time stands still. If you move faster than light speed, you could go back or forward in time because you can arrive somewhere before light does. That means you could travel to the future or the past... (More at Time Traveling)

So with that little introduction, you can start your journey through time by following the links below.


Time Defined-Britannica

A measured or measurable period, a continuum that lacks spatial dimensions. Time is of philosophical interest and is also the subject of mathematical and scientific investigation.



Time Travel This web site is devoted to the explanation of why time travel is possible in both a forward and backward direction. We discuss many of the common objections to time travel.


Time traveling Time traveling and its possibilities...


TIME TRAVELERS - THE ROAD OF ENLIGHTENMENT - A bright light amidst Chaos! Devoted to techniques for rapid self improvement. Improve yourself on the inside and your environment must follow!


How to Travel Through Time I've always been fascinated by the possibility of time travel. This was especially true during many high school classes, when my mind wandered a bit too much, but it's also true.


Time Travel Research Center
Company is dedicated to the advancement of the science. Order books on the subject, and learn about cover-ups of successful travels through time.


Stephen's Time Travel Page
Part of the time travel web ring, this guide offers links to fictional and scientific writings about the subject, plus a list of related movies.


Time Travel in Flatland
Caltech's Patricia Schwartz provides three different tutorials that illustrate the concept of time travel using a two dimensional model.


Astronomy & Cosmology - Wormholes
Learn more about these tunnels that connect two points in space and their possible implications on the development of time travel.


General Principles of Temporal Displacement
Develop an understanding of the author's time travel theories. Includes charts and a parallel theory of time.


Time Travel Ramblings
Ram Samudrala discusses the plausibility of time travel and presents reviews of movies dealing with the subject. Links to a related web ring.


Time Travel - Nelanther's Page
Explore an archive of news articles and book excerpts in which noted scientists, like Steven Hawking, discuss time travel. With links and photos.


Time Travel Institute
Delve into time travel topics, and read the staff's theories of secret experiments. Includes its methodology and a discussion board.


Damanhur and Time Travel
Combining art, science, and spirituality, the Damanhur group conducts experiments at the edge of reality. Provides explanations of time travel.


Time Travel
Learn what Einstein's theory of relativity says about time travel, and find out how theoretical work on wormholes has changed this.


12 Monkeys - Time Travel
Read a detailed analysis of the "12 Monkeys" convoluted time travel story line in which the author is only able to find one mistake in logic.

Time, Space and Reality


Negative Resistance and Time

Virtual Space Time Travel Machine
French professor posts a collection of computer-generated images. Themes include fractal geometry, astrophysics and quantum mechanics,


Doctor Who - Brief History of Time Travel
Guide to the Doctor's adventures, both on screen and off, with descriptions of all of his eight incarnations, as well as a news service.


Star Trek CCG - Berlinghoff Rasmussen's Time Travel Pod
Star Trek Customizable Card Game player offers dream cards, deck designs, and links for fellow enthusiasts.


Avatar's Time Travel Trivia
Play the game "Play Style Through Time" for a chance to win one of 750 Avatar fashion watches.


Brian's Views on Time Travel
Read an overview of how time travel is possible by applying the theories of relativity. Offers a feedback form and related links.


Enya - A Course in Time Travel
Download the Crescendo plug-in to listen to the selections. Features Shepherd Moons, Orinoco Flow, and Lothlori.


Dr Seven's UFO and Time Travel
Gary Peterson, aka Dr. Seven, features his own personal abduction story along with links. Email him for more details about his experience.


Excerpts - A Course in Time Travel
Features a guide to time travel from beginning to advanced steps. Learn through the meditation techniques and diagrams.


Time Travel Page
Attempts to explain the phenomena of reverse time travel, or retrocognition. Describes the basic facts and some recorded experiences.


Chronos, The Future of Time Travel
Introduces nine-dimensional theory and the mechanics of time travel, including how to build time gates. Features chat rooms and a message board.
Refeered from
www.comedition.com/Unusual/timetravel.

Answer 2

You cannot interpret too much out of the mc^2 equation .This equation was first formulated by a French mathematician by the Name of Henri Poincare. The formula basically represents the energy content that was required to assemble a mass into a structure. Your idea of twisting of space is very interesting ,Because the twisting of space configuration is really the Phenomena of the magnetic field. The magnetic flux unit is the weber.In quantitative dimensional units, the magnetic flux is the second which is really a unit of time. When you say we need to develop a time travel machine is quite inovative. However, we dont really need a machine. The reason is that we already are continuously moving with time all thruout space in our Galaxy and the Universe. If you believe in our Creator then you understand that one day we will be going to Heaven to join Him and the Velocity our Soul would have to travel will be a velocity of many folds the Velocity of light and we would get there in no time at all.

Answer 3

There are no formulas for impossibilities. Time is a dimension and as such has a starting point and an end even though the end maybe infinity. To reverse is to contradict and in Science there are no contradiction. Believe it or not. You are not going to change the way things are.
Think "time" is a vortex, in linear travel of a particle is curved to form a ellipse, at the point of crossing 360 degrees it is either going to be above or below the previous track. That is why Pi=inf.
Pi is also matter in the form of magnetite.
Look at the Solar System, The Galactic and the paths of comets, you can not even draw a circle that will not overlap your starting point.

Answer 4

As you said if you travel at the speed of light time stops for you. But you also need to consider the fact that your mass becomes infinite and your lenght becomes zero. So eventually when you are almost near the speed of light your mass is incredibly high. The energy needed to increase your velocity will also be infinite. And even then you will be growing heavier instead of going faster. So where does the point of reaching the speed of light come? That is why we have not been able to make any particle like electrons, etc to have a velocity equal to that of light simply because they start getting heavier instead of faster. So time travel according to our understanding at present is not possible.
Otherwise also there are a lot of complications on other fronts. If time travel were possible you may end up becoming your own father or something of that sort which I guess is absolute chaos.

Answer 5

Well, there is an excellent NOVA episode on Time Travel that expands on Einstein's Mass Theory (and gives this formula)...associate with speed of light and infinity. Google it up...its pretty cool.

I would also check out Stephen Hawkings work.

Answer 6

there is no way to travel through time. it is thought that using black holes this may be a possibility but extremely tricky. to travel through time using a black hole, it is thought that you would need to fall through the singularity (which is the center of the hole which has a large mass and occupies no space) the tricky part is that, at this singularity time comes to a stop.
as mentioned by others Einstein never had any 'time travel' equations. he did though disprove the ability for any non-faster-than-light body to reach or excede the speed of light (which is roughly 3x10^8 m/s). Einstein's most famous equation e=mc^2, proves this.
(e is energy, m is mass, and c is the speed of light which is 3x10^8m/s)

Example: a body travelling at a speed of (say) 100m/s with a mass of 100kg

first we must find the kinetic energy of the body using the equation Ke = (mv^2)/2 (m is the mass, and v is the speed)
so the body has kinetic energy of 500,000 Joules (so e = 500000)

using e=mc^2 : 500000 = mc^2
500000 = m(3x10^8)^2
m = 500000/(3x10^8)^2

so basically this shows us how much the kinetic energy changes the body's mass, in this case by 500000/(3x10^8)^2. so each time the body gains an extra m/s it's mass increases and it takes more and more energy to accelerate it each time. eventually you end up needing an infinite amount of energy to reach the speed of light. this throws the question of travelling backward in time out of the window because if you could pass the faster than light barrier you would find yourself going back in time.

Answer 7

you see, if you think about it, even a blackhole cannot exist without time. the universe is an event, not a place. inside this event are places, like planets. any describable phenomenon is bound by the dimensions of future, present and past. if time travel is possible, then it is time that will have to travel, not people or light. also, traveling into the future would have to be traveling to an event that must already have occured, otherwise it doesnt even exist. if you sit in a machine and end up in Earth 2094, then the place you will be, the people you will see, the things they will be doing... will have to be exact, chronologically accurate reenactments of their present time occurance. i hope you understand. a blackhole won't do this, and nothing will, until we find a way to controll time itself. it's a matter or phenomenal and near -conceptual manipulation, not spatial transportation, and science must realise that.

Answer 8

TIME TRAVEL IS NOT POSSIBLE AT ALL....according to einstein's theory, as soon as a moving body reaches the speed of light, it ceases to be matter, so you will bloody disintegrate before u can manage to go a milisecond back in time

Answer 9

There are'nt anything like Einsteins formulas... But there is a very detailed explanation in wikipedia. it is not possible to explain all here. Pl visit the link to enrich your knowledge on time travel....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_travel#Time_travel_in_theory

Answer 10

YES time travel is possible
GOING TO PAST
Einstien told that a body moving faster than 3*10^5 km/s (speed of light in vaccum) can travel backwards in time. As the speed increases the body will go backward in time more faster.

GOING TO FUTURE(pls read this is NOT a joke)
I think it is possible to make a time machine that goes forward in time. The person sitting in the time machine (the machine should be closed first -air tight) must b frozen with nitrogen or something like that.Then the time machine must be made invisible and the time should be set(it will heat up after reaching that time making the human thaw and bringing the human back to life)The human will not feel the long time he has travelled and he wont even age as he was frozen.So virtually landing him in the future.

This idea needs some improvement.Do u think my idea will b successful???

some scientist think that time has only one direction that is forward And that it is impossible to travel backwards

Answer 11

Time travel means going back in past or to future.
Presently, time travel is not possible. The present physical laws including theory of relativity do not postulate that it is possible.