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Time travel

  • 26-05-2012 1:11pm
    #1
    FrankKay
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28 ✭


    Is time travel possible ?


Comments

  • #2
    Morbert
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,457 ✭✭✭Morbert


    FrankKay wrote: »
    Is time travel possible ?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closed_timelike_curve

    It's not immediately ruled out by relativity, though it's impossible on a practical level. Plus, quantum physics might forbid it.


  • #3
    Enkidu
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,005 ✭✭✭Enkidu


    I think quantum field theory does forbid it. You can't set up a quantum field theory in spacetimes which contain time machines and since no quantum field theory means no matter, well thats it then.


  • #4
    Gurgle
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,064 ✭✭✭Gurgle


    FrankKay wrote: »
    Is time travel possible ?
    Of course, we're all doing it all the time but in one direction only. You can't change direction but you can adjust your speed (by adjusting your speed).
    Time travel in the opposite direction is ruled out by causality, never mind quantum physics and relativity.


  • #5
    Baralis1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 350 ✭✭Baralis1


    A burst of tacheon particles emitted through a phase inverter could generate a temporal energy field which may allow for some limited form of time shifting, but as we don't have the capability to generate such an amount of tacheon particles or a way of controlling such a field, the answer is no for the moment.
    :):):)


  • #6
    SIR PEADO BAILOUT
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 97 ✭✭SIR PEADO BAILOUT


    Consider time as a linear concept with past present and future , sages and mystics are able to know this ,so the mind has the potential to travel ,but physically ?!


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  • #7
    christmas2012
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,827 ✭✭✭christmas2012


    possible


  • #8
    rccaulfield
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,015 ✭✭✭rccaulfield


    You can't travel to your own future but if you can get to a fast enough speed in space you can travel to other peoples futures, say 50 years in a few hours! You cannot go to your or anyone elses past at current knowledge.


  • #9
    AlmightyCushion
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 35,125 Mod ✭✭✭✭AlmightyCushion


    rccaulfield wrote: »
    You can't travel to your own future but if you can get to a fast enough speed in space you can travel to other peoples futures, say 50 years in a few hours! You cannot go to your or anyone elses past at current knowledge.

    That's not exactly what I'd consider time travel though.


  • #10
    Justin1982
    Closed Accounts Posts: 328 ✭✭Justin1982


    Ok so Special Relativity says you can travel into the future (kind of) by flying off on a high speed (or slow speed if you want) journey and then returning. I'd prefer to see the experimental proof personally.

    Dont want to say that everyone who has posted previously is wrong, but as an undergrad I read about a million books about time travel (Jim Al-Kalili wrote a brilliant one "Blackholes, Wormholes and Time Machines") which indicated that General Relativity allowed time travel theoretically.

    I only ever got as far as reading a bit about wormholes in D'Inverno's book during an under grad course in GR and it seemed mathematically sound enough.

    I did hear Kip Thorne talking about how recent research suggested that wormholes were ruled out back when he was giving a talk at GR17 when it was held in Dublin in early naughties.
    But in fairness the research was probably based on GR, QM and QFT which arent complete and consistent theories.

    What does String Theory have to say about time travel? Again that theory needs to be verified before it can be set in stone or wood or even sand.

    Maybe its good to suggest that you take all you hear about time travel with a pinch of salt until you see yourself return from the future?


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