Thread: Time machine

I heard, that in 2017, some people from Japan will make time machine! Do you believe in that? Do you think it is possible? If you believe, what do you think in which way will it work! That would be interesting if they make it!

The only time machine in existence and all time is my TARDIS. :P

Where did you hear this? I'm sure with enough evidence behind it its possible but rumours have been around before the notion of time travel. It will obviously work by some way of manipulating the spacetime contiunuum. I'm also sure it will be interesting, but I'd only ever use a time machine to see the sights and absorb the culture, no changing history or anything like that. Maybe save the world a few times, but hey, all in a days work being The Doctor .

Originally Posted by 425 Chaotic Requisition

...no changing history or anything like that...

I would, and what's more we'd all be speaking MEXICAN!*
*: Assuming I succeeded of course.

Originally Posted by tesla

I heard, that in 2017, some people from Japan will make time machine! Do you believe in that? Do you think it is possible? If you believe, what do you think in which way will it work! That would be interesting if they make it!

That report is quite ridiculous. Before anyone can build a machine to do anything (an engineering task) there must first be an understanding of the scientific principles involved. As far as we know, the principles of physics do not allow us or anything to travel into the past.

Development of any "time machine" would depend on a dramatic revision of the laws of physics as we understand them While I personally do not think that time travel will ever be possible, it is not outside the realm of possibility that I am wrong and that physics may someday be ammended to admit such an occurrence. The only relevant speculation of which I am aware is the possibility of a "worm hole" in space-time, but what we know of physics indicates that to hold open a worm hole requires negative energy, and exotic form of energy that may or may not even exist and requires it in such quantities (more than the equivalent mass of the observable universe) as to make the task impossible.

Now, I may be wrong and perhaps physics in the future will be altered so as to admit the possibility of time travel. But that is at the very least a long way in the future and certainly precludes any engineering application to build a machine by 2017 or any time in the forseeable future.

There are half a dozen treatments of space-time that admit of time travel. Worm holes are only one.

I think you have overlooked the possibility that this report of a time machine is a media exageration. We have already achieved teleportation, yet are a million miles away from "Beam me up Scotty." I think a thorough internet search will reveal some experiment is planned that attempts to exploit one of the possibilties of closed time like curves, afforded by current theory.

Originally Posted by Ophiolite

There are half a dozen treatments of space-time that admit of time travel. Worm holes are only one.

I think you have overlooked the possibility that this report of a time machine is a media exageration. We have already achieved teleportation, yet are a million miles away from "Beam me up Scotty." I think a thorough internet search will reveal some experiment is planned that attempts to exploit one of the possibilties of closed time like curves, afforded by current theory.

If you know of a non-speculative notion of a closed time-like curve let's see it.

Or even conclusive evidence of the existence of such curve.

Hmmm. How about vacuum diagrams? Any thoughts?

Originally Posted by Ophiolite

There are half a dozen treatments of space-time that admit of time travel. Worm holes are only one.

Wormholes are merely a way to overcome a relativistic effect and are not really time machines by any stretch of the imagination.

I think you have overlooked the possibility that this report of a time machine is a media exageration.

Really?

I think a thorough internet search will reveal some experiment is planned that attempts to exploit one of the possibilties of closed time like curves, afforded by current theory.

So what?

Actually, since a wormhole is a hole in space-time, the ends can be seperated in time as well as space, so passing through a wormhole, then travelling back to where you started, you could end up getting there before you arrived (assuming you found the right wormhole, etc...)

You're best bet lies with a black hole. AND THAT is mere theory. Black holes if you don't know already, can twist spacetime faster than light, so thus all you have to do is stay in orbit (whatever and whenever that is) and hey presto. Just do a few calculations and bob's your uncle.

To quote Ophiolite, we're a few million miles away so far.