• Time Travel, Possibility or Fiction?
    337 replies, posted
[QUOTE=Nikita] If time goes slower in a strong gravitational field, does that mean that if an anti-gravitational field could be created, time would move faster within it?[/QUOTE] Time goes slower locally to the person in the field, relative to everyone else. So if he were in a anti-grav field most likely time would go by so fast for him he would die within a minute for everyone else. That is, if I'm thinking right
it's been possible since the dawn of time. Time is much faster in space than it is here on earth [editline]12th January 2012[/editline] traveling 7 years in space is 500 years on earth
If time travel's possible, it's already happened.
you're meant to present evidence of what you're saying and provide sources when making a conjecture like that Mr. windows vista IE user.
[QUOTE=calebc789;34169569]I think it is possible to go back in time, but going back in time is probably going into a Paraell universe, which means you wont change the future. Agreed, even with a shielded space ship your probably going to end up being "Spam in a Can" when you enter a Wormhole. A useless theory that is completely unrelated to the thread: [B]Black Holes are probably sending whatever is sucked into them out of separate "White Holes" so it acts like a teleport.[/B][/QUOTE] Black Holes aren't really "holes" per se, but just a massive celestial body so dense that its gravitational field doesn't let anything, not even light, escape.
[QUOTE=Memobot;34174263]If time travel's possible, it's already happened.[/QUOTE] Well this could be true, but if time travel already happend, how can it happen. So that would mean time is a loop and thats just impossible or is it....
[QUOTE=confinedUser;34173046]it's been possible since the dawn of time. Time is much faster in space than it is here on earth [editline]12th January 2012[/editline] traveling 7 years in space is 500 years on earth[/QUOTE] Not really... A clock in spaces is just tiny fractions faster than a clock on earth but still measurable of course. But not that you will notice anything "as a human". You need accuracy and stability of an atomic clock to notice any effects. It's really ridiculous what you read in this thread. People even tend to say the same again disregarding the fact it has been posted a page before by another person and has been either widely discussed or found to be an incorrect assumption.
[QUOTE=aVoN;34247705]Not really... A clock in spaces is just tiny fractions faster than a clock on earth but still measurable of course. But not that you will notice anything "as a human". You need accuracy and stability of an atomic clock to notice any effects. It's really ridiculous what you read in this thread. People even tend to say the same again disregarding the fact it has been posted a page before by another person and has been either widely discussed or found to be an incorrect assumption.[/QUOTE] That's because we haven't gone fast enough yet.
[QUOTE=aVoN;34247705]Not really... A clock in spaces is just tiny fractions faster than a clock on earth but still measurable of course. But not that you will notice anything "as a human". You need accuracy and stability of an atomic clock to notice any effects. It's really ridiculous what you read in this thread. People even tend to say the same again disregarding the fact it has been posted a page before by another person and has been either widely discussed or found to be an incorrect assumption.[/QUOTE] The difference is extremely small. However, when speeds like 99.995% of the speed of lights are possible, then we can start talking about time travels TO THE FUTURE.
He's talking about gravitational time dilation, hombres.
I believe that it is possible, and I will use parts of Albert Einstein's theory of relativity to help explain my own theory. First off, I believe that for Time Travel to be possible we would have to have a ship (I say ship because it would have to be a closed, pressurized cabin that can stand the vacuum of space) and also with this ship we would have to use an infinite power source. I say we use magnets; it is proven that oscillating magnets produce energy, and they have a very long half life, meaning they will not degrade fast and are easily replaceable. Second off, now that we have the perfect ship, we would have to find a point on Earth and launch from there, then just go straight. We would have to continue straight for a very long time, moving at the speed of light. Once we have gone as many miles as there are in light speed, then we could turn around. If it all worked right, we would have moved out of the Earths zone of relativity and been able to move forward of backwards in time. Now, this is not time travel that could be done, at least not with today's technology. We would have to live forever (So we could make the trip there and back, it's a very long trip) and be able to produce heavy amounts of energy with magnets. And also, this method wont move us very far forward or back in time, but we will still be moved. This is time travel.
[QUOTE=TheWhiteCrow;34262163]I believe that it is possible, and I will use parts of Albert Einstein's theory of relativity to help explain my own theory.[/QUOTE] Unless you are a physicist, it's probably best not to be trying to come up with your own physical theories. [QUOTE=TheWhiteCrow;34262163]First off, I believe that for Time Travel to be possible we would have to have a ship (I say ship because it would have to be a closed, pressurized cabin that can stand the vacuum of space) and also with this ship we would have to use an infinite power source. I say we use magnets; it is proven that oscillating magnets produce energy, and they have a very long half life, meaning they will not degrade fast and are easily replaceable.[/QUOTE] This is inaccurate. Oscillating magnets do not produce new energy. Nothing produces new energy from nowhere. There is finite energy in the universe, none can be created, so there is no such thing as an infinite source of energy. Even apart from that, you mention power but you use it incorrectly. Power refers to the rate of energy transfer. Even if you had an infinite source of energy in magnets, they would have to be able to put produce infinite power i.e. put an infinite amount of energy into the ship instantly. Any finite power output could never accelerate you to light speed. Infinite acceleration means infinite force on the people inside the ship. Everyone would die. There's no getting around it. All the fluffy pillows in the universe couldn't save you from an infinitely powerful force pressing against you. [QUOTE=TheWhiteCrow;34262163]Second off, now that we have the perfect ship, we would have to find a point on Earth and launch from there, then just go straight. We would have to continue straight for a very long time, moving at the speed of light. Once we have gone as many miles as there are in light speed, then we could turn around. If it all worked right, we would have moved out of the Earths zone of relativity and been able to move forward of backwards in time.[/QUOTE] As a result of the above, you couldn't travel for any finite distance at a finite acceleration and reach light speed.
[QUOTE=TheWhiteCrow;34262163]I believe that it is possible, and I will use parts of Albert Einstein's theory of relativity to help explain my own theory. First off, I believe that for Time Travel to be possible we would have to have a ship (I say ship because it would have to be a closed, pressurized cabin that can stand the vacuum of space) and also with this ship we would have to use an infinite power source.[/QUOTE] Infinite energy sources do not exist and violate several fundamental postulates like energy conversation and thermodynamical laws. [QUOTE=TheWhiteCrow;34262163]I say we use magnets; it is proven that oscillating magnets produce energy, and they have a very long half life, meaning they will not degrade fast and are easily replaceable.[/QUOTE] What do you mean by "oscillating magnets"? If you refer to induction in a coil caused by a changing magnetic field, I have to disappoint you because when you do this, you transform kinetic energy into electric via the moving/changing magnetic field. [QUOTE=TheWhiteCrow;34262163]Second off, now that we have the perfect ship, we would have to find a point on Earth and launch from there, then just go straight. We would have to continue straight for a very long time, moving at the speed of light.[/QUOTE] You can't move at the speed of light with your ship, just infinitely close to it. Any particle which has a real rest mass greater than zero [b]must[/b] be slower than the speed of light. Any particle which has no rest mass [b]must[/b] travel at the speed of light. Any particle which has an imaginary mass [b]must[/b] travel faster than the speed of light (hence tachyons). All known particles so far belong to the first two categories. In either case there is the border of the speed of light. [QUOTE=TheWhiteCrow;34262163]Once we have gone as many miles as there are in light speed, then we could turn around. If it all worked right, we would have moved out of the Earths zone of relativity and been able to move forward of backwards in time.[/QUOTE] This sentence makes no physical sense. All you would have achieved is relativistic time dilatation caused by the deceleration and acceleration of your ship, which leads to the well known twin-paradox. You can't travel back in time with that method at all. All you can do is alternating the speed of how you travel forward in time relatively to someone living on earth. [QUOTE=TheWhiteCrow;34262163]Now, this is not time travel that could be done, at least not with today's technology.[/QUOTE] With no technology since it violates special and general relativity (your "at light speed" part for example) or doesn't make any physical sense ("travelling back in time" for the twin-paradox situation) [QUOTE=TheWhiteCrow;34262163]We would have to live forever (So we could make the trip there and back, it's a very long trip)...[/QUOTE] Not really. All you suggested (with tiny amounts of modification so it makes a physical sense like "close to lightspeed") is achievable once we are able to accelerate fast enough (and also damp the force which otherwise would destroy your body, but that's unimportant for the gedankenexperiment right now) [QUOTE=TheWhiteCrow;34262163]... and be able to produce heavy amounts of energy with magnets.[/QUOTE] You can't just produce "energy with magents" as you suggested. [QUOTE=TheWhiteCrow;34262163]And also, this method wont move us very far forward or back in time, but we will still be moved. This is time travel.[/QUOTE] Again it's just a technological problem how huge the amount of relativistic timedilatation would be but we never will be able to travel backwards in time with your method. Anyway your post was an excellent example [url=www.facepunch.com/threads/1131519?p=34247705&viewfull=1#post34247705]for my previous post[/url] where I stated people tend to say the same thing again and again in this thread, even though it has been discussed before. It is also a good example for someone who has heard something in TV or has sloppily read something somewhere and now tries to makes his own mind about it without even knowing what he is talking about. Sure, it's a good thing to make your own mind about that topic but please, before you post such nonsense do a research for facts by utilizing trustful sources.
[QUOTE=Memobot;34174263]If time travel's possible, it's already happened.[/QUOTE] Fucking amen.
[QUOTE=JohnnyMo1;34262500]Unless you are a physicist, it's probably best not to be trying to come up with your own physical theories. This is inaccurate. Oscillating magnets do not produce new energy. Nothing produces new energy from nowhere. There is finite energy in the universe, none can be created, so there is no such thing as an infinite source of energy. Even apart from that, you mention power but you use it incorrectly. Power refers to the rate of energy transfer. Even if you had an infinite source of energy in magnets, they would have to be able to put produce infinite power i.e. put an infinite amount of energy into the ship instantly. Any finite power output could never accelerate you to light speed. Infinite acceleration means infinite force on the people inside the ship. Everyone would die. There's no getting around it. All the fluffy pillows in the universe couldn't save you from an infinitely powerful force pressing against you. As a result of the above, you couldn't travel for any finite distance at a finite acceleration and reach light speed.[/QUOTE] I am a 74 Delta in the US Army (Chemical, Biological, Radioactive, Nuclear Specialist) and we have worked with Einstein's theories a lot, specifically nuclear half life and nuclear powered machines/mechanisms. If there was a energy source that could be maintained and used (like our wishful thinking towards using nuclear energy) then a ship could be propelled at light speed. Like I said, it isn't an applicable 'theory' because us as humans could not survive it, nor the time it takes or any other thing that would kill us hah.
[QUOTE=TheWhiteCrow;34262685]I am a 74 Delta in the US Army (Chemical, Biological, Radioactive, Nuclear Specialist) and we have worked with Einstein's theories a lot, specifically nuclear half life and nuclear powered machines/mechanisms.[/QUOTE] I don't really see a link to Einstein's special theory of relativity, which you used incorrectly in your previous post, when it comes to nuclear powered machines. [QUOTE=TheWhiteCrow;34262685]If there was a energy source that could be maintained and used (like our wishful thinking towards using nuclear energy) then a ship could be propelled at light speed.[/QUOTE] There is no source capable of doing this and you can never propel any matter with a real rest mass [b]to[/b] light speed, just infinitely close. [QUOTE=TheWhiteCrow;34262685]Like I said, it isn't an applicable 'theory' because us as humans could not survive it, nor the time it takes or any other thing that would kill us hah.[/QUOTE] This is not even a "theory", it's a hypothesis. A theory is the best thing you can scientifically get and has empirical evidences by experiments. Example: Newton's theory of gravity is a valid theory within it's scope and has been tested experimentally very well. Einstein's general theory of relativity (GR) goes beyond that but yet newton stays valid and is included within GR.
I like how aVoN and JohnnyMo1 are the only ones with any real credibility to actually discuss the topic and this entire thread is just them debunking random conjectures of people who haven't actually got any background in the subject.
This needs to be discussed, if not already: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00CK8XC3P_k[/media]
Forward time travel- yes, it's already happened. Backwards time travel- never.
[QUOTE=Mr. Smartass;34271824]Backwards time travel- never.[/QUOTE] Why is that, exactly
It's science-fiction to start with so yes it's an impossibility.
Everything is possible, given enough time. We can't think that advanced right now. Were basically too young of a species to do it, even wrap our mind around it.
[QUOTE=Gekkosan;34276427]It's science-fiction to start with so yes it's an impossibility.[/QUOTE] Fantastic argument [editline]18th January 2012[/editline] "it seems like it shouldn't be possible therefore it's impossible"
[QUOTE=Gekkosan;34276427]It's science-fiction to start with so yes it's an impossibility.[/QUOTE] Science-fiction =/= impossibility There is science fiction, which is "implausible (unlikely) made possible" and then there is science fantasy, which is "impossible made possible" Many are philosophical Science fiction- Brave New World, Island, Mote in God's Eye Science fantasy- The Time Machine, Stranger from a Strange Land Many are for entertainment Science fiction- Science fantasy- Star Wars And some science fiction novels look at what kind of amazing things could be found/built in space, like Niven's Ringworld. On topic: Time transcends our naked perspective; we can not grasp it on our own, therefore it is unlikely that any time soon we will have a positive answer to this- this is a fairly empty debate.
[QUOTE=Motie;34281137]Time transcends our naked perspective; we can not grasp it on our own,[/QUOTE] Thank you, Laozi.
[QUOTE=JohnnyMo1;34276677]Fantastic argument [editline]18th January 2012[/editline] "it seems like it shouldn't be possible therefore it's impossible"[/QUOTE] Well, how would you go about time traveling? Obviously we can't yet, but what would be the best approach to doing that? Just speculate. I wouldn't know. And by saying it's science-fiction and thus far from being a possibility, I mean that for example the film "Back to the Future" is probably one of the few things that you can even think of when talking about time traveling. Then there are some very interesting theories like curving the quantum field of Space or whatever it's called, like taking a shortcut through a wormhole or something. Sounds far-fetched too, but if not that then we need more speed. A lot more speed.
[QUOTE=Gekkosan;34276427]It's science-fiction to start with so yes it's an impossibility.[/QUOTE] That's the worst argument I've ever heard against anything, ever. [editline]19th January 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=Gekkosan;34290213]Well, how would you go about time traveling? Obviously we can't yet, but what would be the best approach to doing that? Just speculate. I wouldn't know. And by saying it's science-fiction and thus far from being a possibility, I mean that for example the film "Back to the Future" is probably one of the few things that you can even think of when talking about time traveling. Then there are some very interesting theories like curving the quantum field of Space or whatever it's called, like taking a shortcut through a wormhole or something. Sounds far-fetched too, but if not that then we need more speed. A lot more speed.[/QUOTE] I'd rather not post those [b]hypothesis[/b](es) if I didn't know anything about the current topic of discussion, to stop myself sounding/looking like an idiot.
[QUOTE=Gekkosan;34290213]Well, how would you go about time traveling? Obviously we can't yet, but what would be the best approach to doing that? Just speculate. I wouldn't know. And by saying it's science-fiction and thus far from being a possibility, I mean that for example the film "Back to the Future" is probably one of the few things that you can even think of when talking about time traveling. Then there are some very interesting theories like curving the quantum field of Space or whatever it's called, like taking a shortcut through a wormhole or something. Sounds far-fetched too, but if not that then we need more speed. A lot more speed.[/QUOTE] [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6del_metric[/url]
[QUOTE=Rapist;34290681]I'd rather not post those [b]hypothesis[/b](es) if I didn't know anything about the current topic of discussion, to stop myself sounding/looking like an idiot.[/QUOTE] Doesn't seem like you are too educated on the subject either.. [editline]19th January 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=JohnnyMo1;34291300][url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6del_metric[/url][/QUOTE] Had a look there, and I've surfed some of that shit before.. It's pretty high-end mathematical physics so welp. If you'd care to elaborate how we could go about time travel in practice? The closed timelike curves and stuff doesn't really ring any bell inside my head, or how you'd apply them in a time traveling machine? But I guess the time will tell.
It's not really important if it's feasible in practice. The Godel metric shows that it is allowable by the laws of physics, so it is certainly possible.
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