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Is Time Travel (going backwards) Possible?
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<blockquote data-quote="tomBitonti" data-source="post: 6043417" data-attributes="member: 13107"><p>A problem in the original discussion space (time travel) is that we really are asking the wrong question first: Not, is time travel possible, but, what would it look like it was possible? That is, at a fine, measurable, level, what would we see if time travel were actually happening?</p><p></p><p>Why this is important is because folks are talking about the possibility of time travel without figuring out the basic consequences.</p><p></p><p>As an example, there is an interesting device in Baxter's Time Ships. I don't remember what they called it in the book, so I'll just call it Plattnerite Pool. What you have is a pool table fitted with time machines in the pockets. A ball dropped into a pocket travels back in time a few seconds or perhaps a minute, then is spat out of a different pocket.</p><p></p><p>If time travel of a form allowing travel to one's own past is possible, then Plattnerite Pool is possible, at least from a particle interaction point of view, if not as an actual pool table.</p><p></p><p>If such a device were available, and one had a chance to play with it for a while, the question arises as to what would be the stable behavior of the table? A globally consistent behavior must arise as a fixed point from the physics and one's interaction with the device. What possible behavior is there?</p><p></p><p>As an example: A ball is placed on the table near one corner. Waiting for a minute or so, a ball appears on the far side of the table, rolls forward to display the first ball, then slowing to take the first ball's place. The first ball rolls into a pocket and disappears with a flash.</p><p></p><p>Upon examination, the second ball is seen to be identical, in all ways, to the first ball, except having two very slight smudges where the ball structk itself.</p><p></p><p>This example would perhaps be impossible: There is a causal loop with no initial cause.</p><p></p><p>As a second example, one decides to do the simplest experiment, and push a ball into a pocket. One approaches the table, watches satisfyingly as a ball appears out of one of the pockets at the predicted time, then deposits the ball (in hand) into a pocket.</p><p></p><p>As a third example, one is clever and decides to mix up the experiment. Pocket A goes to Pocket C while Pocket B goes to pocket D. One decides to drop a ball into pocket A if the ball is seen to appear in pocket D, and to drop a ball into pocket B if the ball is seen to appear in pocket C. What happens? Does a ball ever appear?</p><p></p><p>Thx!</p><p></p><p>TomB</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="tomBitonti, post: 6043417, member: 13107"] A problem in the original discussion space (time travel) is that we really are asking the wrong question first: Not, is time travel possible, but, what would it look like it was possible? That is, at a fine, measurable, level, what would we see if time travel were actually happening? Why this is important is because folks are talking about the possibility of time travel without figuring out the basic consequences. As an example, there is an interesting device in Baxter's Time Ships. I don't remember what they called it in the book, so I'll just call it Plattnerite Pool. What you have is a pool table fitted with time machines in the pockets. A ball dropped into a pocket travels back in time a few seconds or perhaps a minute, then is spat out of a different pocket. If time travel of a form allowing travel to one's own past is possible, then Plattnerite Pool is possible, at least from a particle interaction point of view, if not as an actual pool table. If such a device were available, and one had a chance to play with it for a while, the question arises as to what would be the stable behavior of the table? A globally consistent behavior must arise as a fixed point from the physics and one's interaction with the device. What possible behavior is there? As an example: A ball is placed on the table near one corner. Waiting for a minute or so, a ball appears on the far side of the table, rolls forward to display the first ball, then slowing to take the first ball's place. The first ball rolls into a pocket and disappears with a flash. Upon examination, the second ball is seen to be identical, in all ways, to the first ball, except having two very slight smudges where the ball structk itself. This example would perhaps be impossible: There is a causal loop with no initial cause. As a second example, one decides to do the simplest experiment, and push a ball into a pocket. One approaches the table, watches satisfyingly as a ball appears out of one of the pockets at the predicted time, then deposits the ball (in hand) into a pocket. As a third example, one is clever and decides to mix up the experiment. Pocket A goes to Pocket C while Pocket B goes to pocket D. One decides to drop a ball into pocket A if the ball is seen to appear in pocket D, and to drop a ball into pocket B if the ball is seen to appear in pocket C. What happens? Does a ball ever appear? Thx! TomB [/QUOTE]
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