Physicists just confirmed a pear-shaped nucleus, and it could ruin time travel forever

Is this the defining factor for time travel? Only forward and not backward.

Is this why the arrow of time seems to only point forward?

Hopefully some day down the road the more significance of this will determined.

Physicists have confirmed the existence of a new form of atomic nuclei, and the fact that it’s not symmetrical challenges the fundamental theories of physics that explain our Universe.

But that's not as bad as it sounds, because the discovery could help scientists solve one of the biggest mysteries in theoretical physics - where is all the dark matter? - and could also explain why travelling backwards in time might actually be impossible.

"We've found these nuclei literally point towards a direction in space. This relates to a direction in time, proving there's a well-defined direction in time and we will always travel from past to present," Marcus Scheck from the University of the West of Scotland

a reply to: roadgravel

Maybe the road back can only be shown after one goes forward, then the overlap can be explored.

a reply to: scubagravy

Maybe pointing one direction is not relevant. Maybe others pointing back will be found. Like everything in time travel, it's all speculation at this point.

We'll probably figure out a way to turn the atoms in a particular space the other way. Boom.

Interesting start of a thread but where is the link for the info? Good start to what might be a great thread.

We already traveling in time, each second, minute, hour, day, month, year etc...can you accelerate to the point that one year would feel like one second and if so ,how much energy would be required to do that and the load it can carry.

a reply to: roadgravel

isn't looking into deep space also looking back in time? the way i understand it is.
in other words if you where on a planet that the light that left it was as old as say when the dinosaurs were alive, and you were on that planet and had a telescope that could clearly see the earth all the way down to ground level you could see the dinosaurs. or is it only energy that can pass though the new nuclei?

www.sciencealert.com...

I wish scientists wouldn't be so quick to jump to conclusions.. they find something new that challenges their current model and the first thing they do is start talking about ramifications and limitations. They don't really know anything about this and how it really fits into the context of reality but they're ready to talk about how it might limit time travel.. just ridiculous.

Scientists are constantly finding evidence that forces them to rework their theories yet they continuously make mindless assertions like these. As if their science was complete and not a bunch of puzzle pieces floating in mid space.

"If an elderly but distinguished scientist says that something is possible, he is almost certainly right; but if he says that it is impossible, he is very probably wrong."

- Arthur C. Clarke

It's not a single nucleus, it's a split into two pieces.. Geez

Japan figured this out in 2014..

Do you want space/time distortions? Because that's how you get space/time distortions. In all seriousness, once they master faster than light travel, I'll entertain their ideas for manipulating space/time.

a reply to: roadgravel

Is this the defining factor for time travel? Only forward and not backward.

Well we know the closer we travel to the speed of light the more time dilates. We don't know of a counter for that though.

What's that Brit expression? About things going pear shaped? I never really understood that. Maybe because I'm not a Brit. Does this have something to do with it?


In any case new things and unexpected things are usually very cool because they bring new questions. Sometimes, though, they're scary. This one doesn't seem scary...yet.

a reply to: hounddoghowlie

In a way yes. All the light that reaches us left it's source in our past. The sources may even be gone by now but we won't know that until we witness their extinction.

Reminder that if you were to physically travel back in time, the earth and sun would be in a different position. Therefore you will most likely suddenly be in the middle of outer space.

a reply to: Kuroodo

Outer space has no middle.

Nor does nowhere.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: Kuroodo

Outer space has no middle.

Nor does nowhere.

My, my! Sooooo emphatic!

Sounds like you've toured the set of all of outer space and found no middle nor any way to construe a middle?

Nowhere . . . that one I might agree with.

nice! I bet we can use this to get a better understanding of how old the universe is.
not that it really matters to us if its a few billion more or less , still a great find!

a reply to: Phage

ain't you a little cynic?
or you always believe in the worst outcome of things you dont really understand?