Time travel is not possible, and will never be discovered

[Timminz]

It would render the concept of time, meaningless.

The concept of time is not meaningless.

QED.




note. I do not consider the slowing, or speeding of the perceived passage of time to be time travel.

[Neoteny]

I agree with the thesis, but not with your justification.

[GabonX]

Most people wouldn't believe in airplanes if they'd never seen a flying machine.

[spurgistan]

Most people wouldn't believe in airplanes if they'd never seen a flying machine.

However, people understand the concept of flight. There is no incontrovertible law being broken to send man into the sky, as Timminz supposes the violation of time to be.

[demonfork]

note. I do not consider the slowing, or speeding of the perceived passage of time to be time travel.

You obviously don't understand time travel then.

[GabonX]

Most people wouldn't believe in airplanes if they'd never seen a flying machine.

However, people understand the concept of flight. There is no incontrovertible law being broken to send man into the sky, as Timminz supposes the violation of time to be.

Yes, he supposes...

note. I do not consider the slowing, or speeding of the perceived passage of time to be time travel.

You obviously don't understand time travel then.

And you do?

[hecter]

I have no opinions on time travel.

[ser stiefel]

I also agree that time travel is not possible, but for a different reason. If it were possible, someone would eventually do it. If someone eventually did it, then others (presumably) would eventually figure it out as well. This would lead to the eventuality of a criminal or mischievous teenager or just an inept person engaging in time travel. Somehow, I think we would know by now if it were possible.


....


Or would we?

[isaiah40]

Time travel is possible!! I leave Los Angeles going to Tokyo, I leave at 8 am Thursday and I arrive 7am Friday. How is time travel not possible. Oh wait! I leave Tokyo at 8 am Thursday and arrive in Los Angeles at 7 am Wednesday, gee time travel is possible!!

[ser stiefel]

Question for you logicians. Does the time travel "paradox" constitute proof by contradiction? That is to say, proof that time travel is not possible?

[GabonX]

The idea that parallel universes may exist adds an interesting dimension

[alex951]

Question for you logicians. Does the time travel "paradox" constitute proof by contradiction? That is to say, proof that time travel is not possible?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X02WMNoHSm8

[demonfork]

Most people wouldn't believe in airplanes if they'd never seen a flying machine.

However, people understand the concept of flight. There is no incontrovertible law being broken to send man into the sky, as Timminz supposes the violation of time to be.

Yes, he supposes...

note. I do not consider the slowing, or speeding of the perceived passage of time to be time travel.

You obviously don't understand time travel then.

And you do?

You're a quick one.

[GabonX]

Question for you logicians. Does the time travel "paradox" constitute proof by contradiction? That is to say, proof that time travel is not possible?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X02WMNoHSm8

Nice link

[ser stiefel]

Uh oh, Timminz will have to take it up with Michio Kaku!

I still say you tricksy teenagers would steal your Dad's time machine and cause havoc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X02WMNoHSm8

Michio has a cool way of presenting complex ideas, that is for sure.

[neanderpaul14]

I thought McGill invented time travel.

[strike wolf]

You can say that but my response is

"Matt Lauer Can Suck it"

[neanderpaul14]

Wait a minute what about the "Flux Capacitor"??

[Army of GOD]

[Napoleon straps himself into the time machine]
Kip: So are you ready?
Napoleon: Yeah, hold on... I forgot to put in the crystals.

[hahaha3hahaha]

-deleted-

[pimpdave]

Wait, if time travel doesn't exist, then where the hell am I really going every time I disappear and wake up three days later in Tijuana?

[muy_thaiguy]

Wait, if time travel doesn't exist, then where the hell am I really going every time I disappear and wake up three days later in Tijuana?

That just means you need to stop taking free drinks from women named Jose.

[pimpdave]

The idea that parallel universes may exist adds an interesting dimension, Scully

[MeDeFe]

Atomic Robo explains time travel and its problems quite well.

Click image to enlarge.

[Timminz]

note. I do not consider the slowing, or speeding of the perceived passage of time to be time travel.

You obviously don't understand time travel then.

Specifically, I was referring to the quirk in space-time, where traveling very, very fast causes the passage of time to slow, in relation to the objects which are traveling. Like if someone were to travel at 0.8 of the speed of light for 10 years, making a round trip from/to Earth, when they return, all their friends, and family are long dead, because 100's of years have passed*.
That is, indeed, slowing the passage of time in relation to someone (or speeding it in relation to everyone else, depending on your viewpoint), but there is no "jump" that occurs. That "jump" is what I mean when I say "time travel".

* the specific numbers in this example are made-up. I didn't run the equation through my pocket-quantum-calculator yet (the apps you can get for your iPhone these days...).


I'll be back later today, and I'll try to explain why time would lose all meaning very quickly, if proper time travel were ever to be discovered.