“How to Time Travel” is one of the most fascinating topics in science fiction and philosophy. Many people have wondered if it is possible to travel to the past or the future, and what are the consequences and paradoxes of doing so. In this blog post, I will answer some of the most common questions about time travel, and provide you with some resources to learn more about it.
What is time travel?
Time travel is the hypothetical activity of traveling into the past or the future. Time travel is a widely recognized concept in philosophy and fiction, particularly science fiction. In fiction, time travel is typically achieved through a hypothetical device known as a time machine. The idea of a time machine was popularized by H. G. Wells’ 1895 novel The Time Machine1
What are the different methods of time travel?
Different methods of time travel have been proposed or explored in science and fiction. Some of the most common ones are:
- Prolonged sleep: This is the simplest and oldest method of time travel, where a person sleeps for a long time and wakes up in a different era. This is also known as suspended animation or cryonics. Some examples of this method are Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving, Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy, and When the Sleeper Awakes by H. G. Wells2
- Time dilation: This method is based on Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, which says that time and space are linked together and that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. According to this theory, the faster you travel, the slower you experience time. This means that if you travel at a very high speed, or near a very massive object, you can travel forward in time relative to someone stationary or moving slower. This method has been confirmed by experiments, such as the one that used two clocks, one on Earth and one on an airplane, and found that the clock on the airplane was slightly behind the clock on the ground3
- Wormholes: These are hypothetical shortcuts or tunnels in the fabric of space and time, that can connect two distant points in the universe. If a wormhole exists, it could allow a person to travel to another location or another time instantly. However, the existence and stability of wormholes are uncertain, and they may require exotic forms of matter or energy to create or maintain. Some examples of this method are Contact by Carl Sagan, Interstellar by Christopher Nolan, and The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger4
- Paradoxes: These are logical or causal contradictions that arise from the possibility of changing the past or the future through time travel. Some of the most famous paradoxes are:
- The grandfather paradox: This is the paradox that asks what would happen if you travel back in time and kill your grandfather before he meets your grandmother. Would you still exist? Would you create a new timeline or erase yourself from history?
- The bootstrap paradox: This is the paradox that asks what would happen if you travel back in time and give yourself an object or information that you did not have before. Where did the object or information come from? Did you create a loop or a paradox?
- The predestination paradox: This is the paradox that asks what would happen if you travel back in time and cause an event that leads to your time travel. Did you change the past or fulfill your destiny? Are you free or predetermined?
What are some movies about time travel?
Many movies feature time travel as a main or secondary theme. Some of the most popular and acclaimed ones are:
- Back to the Future: This is a trilogy of movies that follows the adventures of Marty McFly, a teenager who accidentally travels back in time to 1955, and has to ensure that his parents fall in love and that he returns to 1985. Along the way, he encounters his younger and older versions, as well as his friend and inventor Doc Brown, who helps him with his time machine, a modified DeLorean car.
- The Terminator: This is a franchise of movies that revolves around the conflict between humans and machines in a post-apocalyptic future. The machines, led by an artificial intelligence called Skynet, send assassins called Terminators back in time to kill the leaders of the human resistance, such as John Connor and his mother Sarah. The humans, in turn, send protectors back in time to stop the Terminators and ensure their survival.
- Groundhog Day: This is a comedy movie that stars Bill Murray as Phil Connors, a cynical and arrogant weatherman who is stuck in a time loop, reliving the same day, February 2nd, over and over again. He tries to escape the loop by various means, such as suicide, romance, and self-improvement until he learns to appreciate life and love.
What are some books about time travel?
Many books explore the concept and consequences of time travel. Some of the most notable ones are:
- The Time Machine: This is a classic novel by H. G. Wells that introduced the idea of a time machine, a device that can transport a person to any point in time. The protagonist, known only as the Time Traveller, travels to the year 802,701, where he encounters two races of human descendants, the peaceful and childlike Eloi, and the savage and underground Morlocks. He also witnesses the final stages of the Earth’s decay.
- 11/22/63: This is a novel by Stephen King that follows Jake Epping, a high school teacher who discovers a portal in a diner that leads to 1958. He decided to use it to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963, hoping to change the course of history for the better. However, he faces many obstacles and dangers, as well as the resistance of the past itself.
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: This series of books by Douglas Adams combines science fiction, comedy, and satire. The main character, Arthur Dent, is a hapless human who escapes the destruction of Earth by a Vogon constructor fleet, thanks to his friend Ford Prefect, an alien journalist and researcher for the titular guide. Together, they embark on a series of adventures across space and time, meeting various characters and civilizations, such as Zaphod Beeblebrox, the two-headed president of the galaxy, Marvin, the depressed android, and Slartibartfast, the designer of planets.
All in all, time travel is a fascinating and complex topic that has captivated the imagination of many people for centuries. It raises many questions and challenges, both scientific and philosophical, that have no definitive answers. However, it also offers many possibilities and opportunities for exploration and discovery, both in fiction and reality. Whether you are a fan of science fiction, a curious learner, or a hopeful time traveler, I hope this blog post has given you some insight and inspiration into the world of time travel.
References
1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Time_Machine
2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_travel#Early_science_fiction_stories
3: https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/time-travel/en/
4: https://www.space.com/20881-wormholes.html
https://www.britannica.com/story/what-is-the-grandfather-paradox : https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20160426-how-to-build-a-time-machine : https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/feb/20/ten-best-time-travel-novels : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088763/ : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088247/ : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107048/ : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2493.The_Time_Machine : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10644930-11-22-63 : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11.The_Hitchhiker_s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy