Me and my boyfriend were having a discussion today and we brought up the question whether time travel could be possible someday. I said no, because that would take some sort of magical powers. But he said that people said that Thomas Edison was crazy for trying to event the electric light...
what do you think?
If anyone knows of any news articles regarding attempts for the invention of a "time machine" or advances in the field, please link them here!
2007-02-05 18:21:30 · 11 answers · asked by beth3988 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
You just opened a giant box of controversy. Basically, if there were an accepted answer to this, you'd have it in your text books.
Quantum Physics allows 'in theory' ideas for actual time travel. However, the practical applications of actually being able to build a time travel machine is highly unlikely through these theories. It's also pretty much commonly accepted that if a time travel machine were to be invented, one could not travel back in time before the time machine was invented.
Your boyfriend has a good point. Its easy to accept the easy answers, because its easier to accept things you can understand or see. It was thought for years that Newton's Laws were correct, and they are...to a point. Einstein came along to show that his laws needed a little tweaking when speeds approach the speed of light. Its just much safer to state whether its probable or improbable than possible or impossible.
Short answer: Yes its kinda somewhat possible-ish... in theory. But a practical time machine (ie 'Back to the Future') has no evidence or support at the time to suggest it would be possible.
2007-02-05 18:43:10 · answer #1 · answered by Tyler 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Moving into the future is easy. You are doing it right now! And if you want to speed up the process, just travel close to the speed of light.
Moving backwards in time is another matter! Personally, I think it is impossible, based on this line of logic.
1) Think about what the universe weighed 10 minutes ago.
2) Move back in time 10 minutes, and re-weigh the universe.
3) The universe is now 150 pounds heavier, since you are in it twice (depending on your weight!)
4) Since we know that matter (and energy by E=mc2) cannot be created or destroyed, the universe cannot suddenly get heavier, therefore reverse time travel is not possible.
QED.
2007-02-05 18:28:34 · answer #2 · answered by Confused_Cowboy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
For me, time travelling is IMPOSSIBLE, NOT ( i repeat NOT), NOT becouse of a scientific reason (what tonalc1 said above is true, any imaginary science that is not achieved till now, it can be achieved in the next few hundred years)
BUT (in my point of view) if time travelling really existed oneday, then the life will be meaningless, it will lose its excitment coz u'll know everything about ur future, even u might know when u die.
so what is life if the time machine invented ??!!
also i've an article about the ways that scientists think it will help in time travelling come true, here it is ( http://users.pandora.be/vannoppen/scienceprint.htm )
thanks
2007-02-05 23:33:57 · answer #3 · answered by Kevin 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've heard of a theory saying that you can time travel by traveling in the opposite direction of the Earth's rotation. Supposedly, if you travel faster than the speed by which the Earth is rotating in the opposite direction, You can possibly meet yourself before you started traveling. It sounds intriguing, however, I think that if time travel were possible, it wouldn't be on the physical level. I believe that we have more bodies than just our physical bodies. Also, I believe in a dimensionally larger self as well as the possibility of astral projection. Time is a dimension, and within our dimensionally larger self, time travel is possible.
2007-02-05 18:44:10 · answer #4 · answered by meditative scion 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because we are not light (pure energy with no weight) and can not travel at that speed, it is virtually impossible (and, if we somehow converted ourselves to the form of light, it would most likely kill us).
However if you think of why people want to try time travel: specifically immortallity and the ability to talk to people in history, to some extent those things will be acheived in the future. Advances in medicine will bring us toward immortality while people in history will be preserved in the form of DNA and/or artificial intelligence so they can be recreated (from example, from remains of their DNA) and "spoken to".
2007-02-05 18:35:06 · answer #5 · answered by M S 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
IMHO, if true time travel were possible, it would have already happened 'in the future'. Then there would be time-travelers everywhere. Every lottery in history would be won by time-travelers. As far as I know, no lottery winners have ever disappeared 'back to the future...'
2007-02-05 19:31:42 · answer #6 · answered by DJForce 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
At the present rate of progress, it is almost impossible to imagine any technical feat that cannot be achieved - if it can be achieved at all - within the next few hundred years.
--Arthur C. Clarke
2007-02-05 18:30:49 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, inventing a light bulb can be compared to the task of physically transporting yourself to another place in time. Well put.
2007-02-05 18:29:29 · answer #8 · answered by Adam H 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
some human beings have self belief that something which could be imagined may be realized finally. i do not inevitably trust this, notwithstanding it explains peoples' willingness to imagine something is a threat.
2016-11-02 11:13:14 · answer #9 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you want to go into the future, just freeze yourself like Cartmen did.
However, going back is impossible.
2007-02-05 18:33:19 · answer #10 · answered by Jex 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋