Re: Time travel? Changing events?
 

There's a thingy called the time paradox I think. Say, you go back in time stop the JFK assasination. So you succeed and JFK never gets killed. But if JFK never gets killed why would you need to go back in the first place? Therefore he would get shot and the cycle starts over again.

Re: Time travel? Changing events?
 

JFK gets shot so you go back in time and shoot the guy that was going to shoot JFK. While you're there you leave a message to your future self telling you to go back in time and shoot the guy.

Re: Time travel? Changing events?
 

Why does it need these instructions? And why would it receive if from the first ever time machine? What if that time machine was destroyed before another one was made? Would there be an arbitrary period of time between the destruction of the first and the construction of the second where you couldn't actually go back to in time?

Why would it do that? If it were able to transport matter in the first place why would it not be able to transport entire molecules and objects? Why would it be restricted to elementary particles?

So...you are arguing for someone's opinion? This has nothing to do with fact and observable evidence?

Good grief. This is even worse than arguing for God. At least for God you have the Bible. :rolleyes:

Re: Time travel? Changing events?
 

Time travel could just mean your sitting there, people could just walk by and/or right through you.

Re: Time travel? Changing events?
 

Or it would be a snazzy name of a travel agency.

Re: Time travel? Changing events?
 

First off, this paradox could not occur. There would be two possible outcomes if a device of high enough energy was constructed to manipulate the time dimensions as desired. (that is assuming it is possible, which according to Einstein it is) First, we know that the 3 dimensions of space are intertwined with the dimension of time. We can't be sure if manipulating the time dimension and making it go back to a certain date would make all the matter and energy go back into its positions at that time. If it didn't, time would go back, but through the perspective of the user of the machine, nothing would happen because the past was not altered. The user would then not experience the affects of the time pushback in a linear manner. And if there was a sort of "memory" in the time dimension that allowed for the positions and multiple arrangements of matter & energy at that time, you wouldn't be able to do anything. This is because the matter you are composed of would return to its original destination(s).

I suppose if the technology was advanced enough, you could alter a type of "quantum clone" of yourself and have it stop the JFK assassination, but that would be time alteration. And that is completely different from time travel my friends. And if your "quantum clone" was successful, history would change and chances are you would be changed as well. Upon your perspective, as soon as you activate the device, you may never remember doing it at all. But yet it did happen.

Re: Time travel? Changing events?
 

If it is possible it would be a very bad idea. You DON'T mess with the past or future.

Re: Time travel? Changing events?
 

Indeed. One on hand you have groundbreaking scientific discovery. On the other you have the high risk that some nutjob is going to get ahold of it and figure out how to use it. That could spell disaster for all of us.

Re: Time travel? Changing events?
 

I do find it interesting a topic on time travel made it into the pub.

It strikes me odd as having a discussion on a topic very much scientific about which we know nothing. There are plenty of ideas out there, but nothing close to concrete. You cannot speak in absolutes as in "we cannot go back in time because", or "time works like this..." as no one has any idea. You can believe what you want about how time works, but there's no evidence for any particular system.

Re: Time travel? Changing events?
 

True, but some theories are a lot more plausible than others.