# Another time thread

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-time-thread/284587>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [January 13, 2005, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-time-thread/284587 "2005-01-13T19:34:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-time-thread/284587/1 "2005-01-13T19:34:43Z")

</div>

Inspired by [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=296492) and some discussions I’ve had with others.

Let’s assume that someone invents a Time Machine. We can’t go back in time physically but we can look back in time and see events. We can trace people or objects back in time and observe/record their actions.

1. What historical event(s) would you like to see?

2. Could this be used in a court of law? For example, John Doe is on trial for killing Sam Smith. If we use the device and trace backward focusing on Sam and we record his death and it shows John killing him, would that be admissible? If so, how would you prove to the court that what you are showing is what actually happened and how could you prevent Sam’s lawyer from getting it blocked?

3. What effect would such a device have on humanity as a whole? I can see a whole slew of issues on privacy popping up, as well as issues of national security.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MacSpon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@MacSpon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacSpon)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-time-thread/284587/2 "2005-01-13T23:32:36Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> What effect would such a device have on humanity as a whole? I can see a whole slew of issues on privacy popping up, as well as issues of national security.

See Isaac Asimov’s story _The Dead Past_. When does “the past” start? A year ago? A day ago? A microsecond ago …?

If you focus finely enough you can effectively see the present. A hell of a powerful spying tool.