# Time travel!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 21, 2010, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travel/536843 "2010-04-21T11:26:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Assie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Assie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Assie)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travel/536843/1 "2010-04-21T11:26:48Z")
Physicists have concluded that time travel is possible… we just don’t have the technology yet. Appearantly it’s easier to travel to the future (even though the past has already happened?!) Anyone have a simple analogy to exlain this?:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travel/536843/2 "2010-04-21T11:58:33Z")
> [@Assie](#): > > Physicists have concluded that time travel is possible… we just don’t have the technology yet. Appearantly it’s easier to travel to the future (even though the past has already happened?!) Anyone have a simple analogy to exlain this?:dubious: We’ll need a link that explains exactly what you’re referring to. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travel/536843/3 "2010-04-21T12:03:02Z")
My guess: It’d be easier to travel to the future because: A.) We’re already travelling through the future. B.) All you need to do to travel through the future faster than everyone else is approach the speed of light. By the time you hit the speed of light, time isn’t moving for you at all, but it will continue to pass by for others. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travel/536843/4 "2010-04-21T12:08:19Z")
> [@Assie](#): > > Physicists have concluded that time travel is possible… we just don’t have the technology yet. Appearantly it’s easier to travel to the future (even though the past has already happened?!) Anyone have a simple analogy to exlain this?:dubious: How about a link to whichever physicists said this? ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travel/536843/5 "2010-04-21T13:07:25Z")
Just wait until the iPad with 3G is distributed. They have an App for that. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travel/536843/6 "2010-04-21T13:31:11Z")
Probably that news release about the particle accelerator that came out last week-didn’t we already discuss it here and debunk the time travel thing? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travel/536843/7 "2010-04-21T16:11:36Z")
What’s tough isn’t traveling to the future; it’s _avoiding_ traveling to the future. Nobody’s figured out how to do that one, yet. As it is, in a mere 14 hours, I’ll have arrived at tomorrow. Travel into the past is problematic because it’s already happened. What would happen if I went back in time to before I left, and then stopped myself from leaving? ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travel/536843/8 "2010-04-21T16:14:21Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > What’s tough isn’t traveling to the future; it’s _avoiding_ traveling to the future. Nobody’s figured out how to do that one, yet. As it is, in a mere 14 hours, I’ll have arrived at tomorrow. > > Travel into the past is problematic because it’s already happened. What would happen if I went back in time to before I left, and then stopped myself from leaving? In that timeline there’d be two of you and the one that “belongs” wouldn’t go back in time? ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travel/536843/9 "2010-04-21T17:01:11Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Travel into the past is problematic because it’s already happened. What would happen if I went back in time to before I left, and then stopped myself from leaving? Well, your photo albums would start fading and your Chuck Berry guitar chops would begin to suffer. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travel/536843/10 "2010-04-21T18:30:52Z")
[QUOTE=Chronos] Travel into the past is problematic because it’s already happened. What would happen if I went back in time to before I left, and then stopped myself from leaving? [/QUOTE] > [@Colophon](#): > > Well, your photo albums would start fading and your Chuck Berry guitar chops would begin to suffer. Don’t do that! It could create a time paradox, the results of which could cause a chain reaction that would unravel the very fabric of the space-time continuum and destroy the entire universe. Granted, that’s a worst-case scenario. The destruction might, in fact, be very localized, limited merely to our own galaxy. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travel/536843/11 "2010-04-21T18:34:01Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > …didn’t we already discuss it here and debunk the time travel thing? Maybe in your timeline. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travel/536843/12 "2010-04-21T22:35:10Z")
“Of course,” said my grandfather as he stepped out of his time machine “There’s no paradox if I shoot you!” ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travel/536843/13 "2010-04-22T00:56:46Z")
That was **CalMeacham** , I believe. He usually has pretty good sigs. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travel/536843/14 "2010-04-22T01:18:38Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Probably that news release about the particle accelerator that came out last week-didn’t we already discuss it here and debunk the time travel thing? We did that next week. I suspect the OP may be referring to the theoretical possibility of travel at speeds approach that of the speed of light. Such a traveler would supposedly return to his or her point of origin having aged less than those who remained behind. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travel/536843/15 "2010-04-23T02:21:39Z")
Wow… it says the OP was posted yesterday… spooky! ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travel/536843/16 "2010-04-23T15:50:21Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > “Of course,” said my grandfather as he stepped out of his time machine “There’s no paradox if I shoot you!” Only if it were before I went back in time and shot him…or after, or maybe during…or.. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travel/536843/17 "2010-04-23T16:27:52Z")
Sometimes I drink this magic elixir, and after I awaken the next day I have no recollection of time passing at all. Weird. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travel/536843/18 "2010-04-23T17:23:44Z")
Of course, time travel into the future is real easy. I’m doing it right now, sitting on my ass. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travel/536843/19 "2010-04-23T18:02:41Z")
I would like to purchase from you this time-travelling burro. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2010, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travel/536843/20 "2010-04-24T20:40:42Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > Of course, time travel into the future is real easy. I’m doing it right now, sitting on my ass. No, you’re doing it in the past. Check your posting time. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travel/536843.md?page=2)