If Time Travel Was to Ever be Discovered...

[Cunning Stunts]

If we went back in time and killed Hitler before he began the Holocaust, then he would have already been dead, and we would only experience the "going back in time". We would have never known about the Holocaust, and thus, someone would have just went back in time to kill Hitler. Hitler would have seen some dude in up-to-date camouflage appear, kill him, and the Holocaust never would have happened (nor mentioned) in the first place. Thus, we would have likely sent someone back in time to prevent his Chancellorship or building of his Reich instead.

This logic would basically suggest that time is a loop, and every instant occurs simultaneously adjacent to its previous and its incumbent instant, and that we would be able to jump back and forth through them as if they're places (which is loosely what time really is, if this logic is correct) and not our concept of time. In that case, Hitler's assassination would have already happened, and we'd have never known about any of his evil acts in the first place.

 

[The Spawn]

There are two sides to the time travel debate...those who believe in paradoxes and those who believe in alternate time lines.

 

[Cunning Stunts]

Technically, the theory I just offered implied both sides.

 

[The Spawn]

I see that you edited it, but I get the feeling your claim applied before and after?

Honestly, I didn't understand a bit of what you were saying in the end of your post before it got edited.

 

[The Spawn]

Either way, people who believe in both are similar to agnostics and can't really bring anything special to the debate.

 

[JRPJCDJC]

Which is impossible unless said person has never had contact with another human being or with anything affecting another human being.

Not really. They just change the course of actions their past self takes. I actually forgot to mention that my theoretical 'time machine' would have the capabilities to allow the user to assume the physical form of their past self and make changes. As long as he/she does not 'step out of bounds' then he/she can do it. One can likely only change events that are directly relative to them, that's what it is.

Say you wanted to see what your life would have been like if you pursued science instead of english. With my proposed device, you go back and assume the role of your past self and go down that route. You can then continue down that route or go right to the future and see what happened.

The device I'm thinking of is basically a combination of Quantum Leap/Sliders/Time Cop/12 Monkeys.

 

[Cunning Stunts]

I see that you edited it, but I get the feeling your claim applied before and after?

Honestly, I didn't understand a bit of what you were saying in the end of your post before it got edited.

Well, that's kind of why I edited it. The claim did apply afterward. I decided to elaborate more after re-reading it and seeing that it might be too confusing (not anyone's fault but my own, really).

Either way, people who believe in both are similar to agnostics and can't really bring anything special to the debate.

I don't know that I believe the theory I posted at this point, it just sounds like one of the most logical to me if time travel is possible. I'm not sure that time travel is possible either, which is a big factor in why I don't necessarily have a strict set of beliefs on it yet.

 

[The Spawn]

Assume the role...as in replace?

 

[JRPJCDJC]

There are two sides to the time travel debate...those who believe in paradoxes and those who believe in alternate time lines.

Either or... the constant is what matters and the constant would be you and the device.

 

[The Spawn]

http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/6-20-2004-55678.asp

 

[The Spawn]

Constants...we don't really know what the constants would be.

I don't believe in time travel because I don't believe in time.

It is a concept created by man.

 

[JRPJCDJC]

Assume the role...as in replace?

Not quite. You're familiar with 'Quantum Leap?' It's similar to that except you can only 'leap' into the body of your past self and sometimes future self. I'm sure their would be guidlines to prevent you from leaping into your future self under certain circumstances.

 

[JRPJCDJC]

Constants...we don't really know what the constants would be.

I don't believe in time travel because I don't believe in time.

It is a concept created by man.

The constant would be you as long as you have the device.

You would basically be 'frozen in time', as long as you had the device, while everything else continued to move forward.

 

[VampElvis]

time-travel has already been proven through multiple equations that it is not possible. Most things we haven't discovered how to do it's because we don't have the technology. Time travel isn't possible no matter what breakthroughs we have in the future

If I'm not mistaken these all assume gravity based physics. However the electromagnetic based theory of physics seems to gain more credibility every day. What does it have to say on the matter?

If I'm gonna be "that crazy guy" who asks deep questions to an animal, it's gonna be a cooler animal........like an otter

Nah, a platypus!


And time travelers do exist. They call in to Coast to Coast AM all the time (or at least they used to - haven't listened in a good long while)

 

[Ion Kenshin]

I have a few good questions. Say we discover time travel. How is it policed? How is it decided if you are fit for time travel? Are there all sorts of tests like becoming an astronaut. What are the guidelines and restraints?

 

[Space Moose]

I have a few good questions. Say we discover time travel. How is it policed? How is it decided if you are fit for time travel? Are there all sorts of tests like becoming an astronaut. What are the guidelines and restraints?

One word: TimeCop.

 

[Lighthouse]

If I remember correctly from an article I read, time travel would only be possible the first day a time machine is built. Similar to the situation in the movie Timecrimes.

 

[Ion Kenshin]

One word: TimeCop.

I knew someone would say that

If I remember correctly from an article I read, time travel would only be possible the first day a time machine is built. Similar to the situation in the movie Timecrimes.

Never saw that movie

 

[Lighthouse]

Never saw that movie

Highly recommended.

 

[Doctor Jones]

I would pretend to be Kyle Reese.

 

[Majic Walrus]

If we invent time travel I'm totally going back and preventing this thread from being started.

 

[Sawyer]

I would pretend to be Kyle Reese.

I'd pretend to be Jim LaFleur.

 

[Shemtov]

There are two sides to the time travel debate...those who believe in paradoxes and those who believe in alternate time lines.

There is a third side, the one I suscribe too:
That Whatever happened, happened. If someone travels back in time and has an effect on certain events, they were always meant to be there.

'Time traveling' is not for tourists, that's why you can't do it.

The reason our world doesn't change in an instant due to the actions of time travelers is because THEY ARE NOT PERMITTED TO CHANGE THE HISTORY BOOKS! Even if some rogue time traveler does something to accomplish such a feat the other time travelers can simply go back and stop him from ever doing it, we'd never know if someone did go back and kill Hitler.

I'm not even sure is allowable in accordance with universal laws for one to use such a device for personal use. Even if it is, they could only be allowed to use it to change their life and their life alone.

Time travel isn't all it's cracked up to be.

:facepalm
I can't even begin to describe ridiculousness in this post, but i'll try:
I clearly stated in my previous post that I beleive that time cannot be changed, rendering your "changing time" arguements null and void.
Also, if my theory is incorrect, then other time travellers could not go back and change what others changed BECAUSE THEY WOULDN"T KNOW ABOUT IT.
Also, the "universal laws" you talk about seem to be morality, which does not change science. Otherwise, it would be scientificly impossible to kill someone.

 

[Sawyer]

There is a third side, the one I suscribe too:
That Whatever happened, happened. If someone travels back in time and has an effect on certain events, they were always meant to be there.



:facepalm
I can't even begin to describe ridiculousness in this post, but i'll try:
I clearly stated in my previous post that I beleive that time cannot be changed, rendering your "changing time" arguements null and void.
Also, if my theory is incorrect, then other time travellers could not go back and change what others changed BECAUSE THEY WOULDN"T KNOW ABOUT IT.
Also, the "universal laws" you talk about seem to be morality, which does not change science. Otherwise, it would be scientificly impossible to kill someone.

Absolutely.

 

[Lunar_Wolf]

I always imagined if you went back in time, you could not change the timeline you are in because by changing the past, you'd create an alternative timeline, kinda like how the new Star Trek played out. You can't change the past in your timeline because those events have already played out.