Time Travel Paradox

Ok, just watched Timeline again, and I thought of something. I won't give the movie away, but it says essensially there is one timeline, and any time travel has already happened and can't influence the future.

Now if that were the case, wouldn't it stand to reason that predestination is real? Personally, I buy into the branched timeline theory, but I'm just making a point here.

*SPOILER DON'T READ IF HAVEN'T SEEN AND PLAN TO:*
they dug up artifacts that they inpacted when they went back in time. Therefore, their future had already been lived. And there was no free will in deciding to go into the past, do the things they did, and come back. It had already been decided...
*END SPOILER*

I just never really thought about the single timeline theory from that perspective before, thought I'd share it

Edit: Made the subject title case.

[Edited on 4-16-2004 by junglejake]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH time paradox's
are u mad jungle uv just opened a box full of head aches
ah ur right about the thing where they have no control over thier actions or reactions
there is no way to change the past present or future because it has already happend will happen and is hapaning

That's assuming there's only one time line. But right now, I could have chosen to write this response, or not. In one timeline, maybe I did not, and events were different. I could have skipped punctuation, too, on another time line. Who knows? We certainly don't we just have theories.

ur thinking about parrorel universes this isnt a timeline
uv raised a question that brought about the idea of the grandfather paradox very annoying need irn bru to exsplain it

I consider parallel universes a second temporal dimension, so that in a sense, parallel universes are part of the multiverse timeline.

parallel universes, a branching timeline, and a multiverse are very closely tied, but they're not the same thing. I'm talking about the timeline, not about the theory that there are only so many combonations of particles that the universe must repeat it's self, and contain multiple earths with differences from people having scales to Joe Whoever having a sixth toe.

The timeline theory I'm talking about is that every decision we make, we don't actually make. We make every decision possible, but we're only aware of the decision we believe we made. We follow along one timeline, while infinite 'uses' follow their own timeline, having made a different decision.

Do have to say, I'm going to have to read the book, because Chriton is good at techno-bable, and this movie has a lot of holes in it. I'm assuming the book doesn't, Chriton, though using a cookie cutter for his books, does usually cover his scientific bases.

That's assuming there's only one time line. But right now, I could have chosen to write this response, or not. In one timeline, maybe I did not, and events were different. I could have skipped punctuation, too, on another time line. Who knows? We certainly don't we just have theories.

Perhaps it's both, like copenhagen collapse.

You make a choice, in one time line you started this thread in another you didn't.

So the time line where you posted it continues to move straight ahead, but the new reality created by you not starting this thread moves out from the timeline at an angle.

This new reality, since it is less dynamic than the original timeline collapses in on itself and falls back in with the original time line.

So many different choices can create divergent time lines but the weaker timelines fall back into the original.

I don't see why this should contradict with a parrallel dimension that would have it's own divergent timelines.

Here's something I never understood:

If you're born in 1990 and in the year 2025 you travel back in time to say the year 1860 far in advance of your birth and taking yourself physically out of the space time continuum.

If you are existing out of your space time continuum wouldn't you not start to age until the year 1990 when your actual life starts?

I know I know, I'm an idiot, but it does seem if you take yourself outside of time to before your existence you in fact do not exist until the day of your birth.

Spiderj

no u would exsist because u were born just because u went back in time doesnt mean u have changed time has changed around u not u ur self
but even if u went back to lets say the 1700's and done someing it would change ur future still

no u would exsist because u were born just because u went back in time doesnt mean u have changed time has changed around u not u ur self
but even if u went back to lets say the 1700's and done someing it would change ur future still

What about the concept of a personal continuum.

If we can all effect the future with everything we do and in a sense change or reality, if we take ourselves outside of the time of our own personal reality and own personal contiuum wouldn't that have an affect?

I know, I know, faulty science but I did get to use big words that I don't know how to spell and that's always fun.

Spiderj

im afraid u cant effect the future spider strictly speaking it has happned and will happen no matter what u try and do
i dont mean like u cant stop a war but i mean sure u can do that but u have already done this and has alredy happned

Originally posted by Spiderj

What about the concept of a personal continuum.

If we can all effect the future with everything we do and in a sense change or reality, if we take ourselves outside of the time of our own personal reality and own personal contiuum wouldn't that have an affect?

I know, I know, faulty science but I did get to use big words that I don't know how to spell and that's always fun.

Spiderj

heeey, just because I can't spell doesn't mean I don't use the words in my normal speach...

wasp, you're assuming a single timeline is fact. Before I can accept that, you need to show evidence for why you arrived at your conclusion. Please do, I'm interested. Most of the cases I've seen for a single timeline have been weak, but if you're convinced, there may be a strong one out there. Just like the case against evolution.

im afraid u cant effect the future spider strictly speaking it has happned and will happen no matter what u try and do
i dont mean like u cant stop a war but i mean sure u can do that but u have already done this and has alredy happned

Isn't that just a theory in itself?

wasp, you're assuming a single timeline is fact. Before I can accept that, you need to show evidence for why you arrived at your conclusion. Please do, I'm interested. Most of the cases I've seen for a single timeline have been weak, but if you're convinced, there may be a strong one out there.

See I'm not alone


Spiderj

Well i dont really think time travel is possible...
My Reason:
Yes you may be able to go at the speed of light but...
When you stop time would back up on itself,
So what can you do jump out of the vehicle when you think your there??

They necessarily weren't fated to do those things. Once you start time travelling, your timeline is no longer in a straight line. You can go back and forth, so there is no 'future' for you to be fated to perform.

Odd. In the book it deals with perpendicular time a.k.a. parallel universes.

I wonder why they changed it in the movie.

Remember that the book is older then the movie. Many advances have been made in temporal physics, and many more theories. I personally have not read the book yet, but Chriton usually opens me up to a new field of research. (Read Jurassic Park before it became the cultural norm, and did a lot of research into genetic engineering. And that was when I was 12.)

It would be like taking a theoretical scientist's work, which, though accurate to our current thinking, uses different termanology. You get around it, you don't discount it upon use of the wrong term. There was a time when it was believed the earth was flat. If you were to call it a "globe" back then, you'd be looked at like you were crazy (and probably have to deal with the Catholic church...)

Originally posted by phoenix314
I consider parallel universes a second temporal dimension, so that in a sense, parallel universes are part of the multiverse timeline.

Im in on this one.

I have one thing to add though, its possible to travel into the future as much as you want to, but its not possible to travel back in the past.

Originally posted by Rancid
Well i dont really think time travel is possible...
My Reason:
Yes you may be able to go at the speed of light but...
When you stop time would back up on itself,
So what can you do jump out of the vehicle when you think your there??

Hehe.. Sounds like people who saw the first mecanichal (?) vehicle... It has no horses, therefore it cant move!

1 +1 isnt always 2 my friend.. There are lots of things we still dont know about...

Nice thread btw. Good points being made.

Originally posted by Thain Esh Kelch
Im in on this one.

I have one thing to add though, its possible to travel into the future as much as you want to, but its not possible to travel back in the past.

But to the people in the future, we would be coming from the past, and going back to the past. Unless you're refering to relativity, and time slowing down as you approach the speed of light, then that's an accurate assessment.

Originally posted by Thain Esh Kelch

Nice thread btw. Good points being made.

Lol just wait till I get started, I love temporal physics!