Here's a paradox for you: If time-travel was possible, could you go back in time and kill yourself. Direct Question from Yahoo Answers: "If you went back in time and did so, you wouldn't exist anymore in the first place. So then you wouldn't have been able to go back and kill yourself. So if you didn't go back and kill yourself, then you would be able to go back and kill yourself because you wouldn't be dead. Does this make sense? I'd like some insight. I know that time-travel will never happen, but I just want to hear other people's thoughts." I too would like to have a little debate going on. I had this debate with some friends but they don't understand the paradox... Let's see what you guys think!
These questions give me a headache. I prefer to think of time travel as being like a rewind button and the past as unchangeable. I don't think there'd be an extra you to alter anything.
I'd say yes. Going from what I understand from Donnie Darko, going back in time would create a tangent universe, therefore you would only be killing yourself that lives in that tangent universe. Its been a while since I watched Donnie Darko so I probably have just made that up.
Even if travelling back in time was possible, you would be unable to kill yourself. You would end up causing the events that lead to the present as it is now, none of those events being killing your past self.
Depends on how time travel works. Although since time travel in the sense we are talking about is rediculous. If it were possible, you would either die, or 2 universes would be created, one with each outcome, or you would simply keep reliving the event infinately for eternity, effectively killing you.
You would either go back and be unable to alter the past ( any action would only lead to things being the same ) or you would just create an alternate past which would in turn still leave the existing one intact.
If I were to go back in time I would kill myself. I would do something that may cause me to no longer exist. In doing so I wouldn't be destroying my present self. The problem is, if I were to change anything in that timeline it wouldn't effect my timeline. As I've changed something, the course would be on a different path and there would be an alternate result contrary to the current. So no you can't kill yourself in the past, only an alternate you in a different timeline.
if you kill yourself in the past then you change the future and the future will go on without you.
Necrifer
How would you have gone back in time to kill yourself if you're dead in the future?
okay, say if i built a time machine, went back a good 18 years when i was one year old, i killed my one year old self then right there i would disappear, my mom would find my lifeless 1 year old body and since i would vanish because i died at 1 years old they would never find my murderer and my parents would have a funeral for me and the future would go on with out me. I changed the future, Its an alternate universe where i don't exist.
if you kill yourself in the past then you change the future and the future will go on without you.
Chris_Williams
How would you have gone back in time to kill yourself if you're dead in the future?
okay, say if i built a time machine, went back a good 18 years when i was one year old, i killed my one year old self then right there i would disappear, my mom would find my lifeless 1 year old body and since i would vanish because i died at 1 years old they would never find my murderer and my parents would have a funeral for me and the future would go on with out me. I changed the future, Its an alternate universe where i don't exist. Yes, but if you killed your 1 year old self, how did your 19 year old self go back in time if you died 18 years ago. That is what the paradox is all about.
As much as I would love time travel and I have even read some on it and PRAY it becomes reality....IT IS impossible and more than likely always will be. SO I cant even answer the question.
How would you have gone back in time to kill yourself if you're dead in the future?
PipBoy3001
okay, say if i built a time machine, went back a good 18 years when i was one year old, i killed my one year old self then right there i would disappear, my mom would find my lifeless 1 year old body and since i would vanish because i died at 1 years old they would never find my murderer and my parents would have a funeral for me and the future would go on with out me. I changed the future, Its an alternate universe where i don't exist. Yes, but if you killed your 1 year old self, how did your 19 year old self go back in time if you died 18 years ago. That is what the paradox is all about. dividing by zero
[QUOTE="PipBoy3001"][QUOTE="Chris_Williams"] okay, say if i built a time machine, went back a good 18 years when i was one year old, i killed my one year old self then right there i would disappear, my mom would find my lifeless 1 year old body and since i would vanish because i died at 1 years old they would never find my murderer and my parents would have a funeral for me and the future would go on with out me. I changed the future, Its an alternate universe where i don't exist.lowkey254
Yes, but if you killed your 1 year old self, how did your 19 year old self go back in time if you died 18 years ago. That is what the paradox is all about. dividing by zero Get used to science.
Maybe one way to solve the problem would be with the idea that time travel would be like taking a cutting from the branch of a plant - that it's then irrelevant what happens to the parent being after the cut has been made. I guess you could then kill your past 'self' without being subject to any consequences. I suppose that would also mean you could never return to the reality you knew though. Kind of lost in infinite branching histories like Dr. Sam Beckett. How sad. :(
because If you were allive in the future to do so, then you must have failed. Therefor, the event is impossible
Necrifer
Which is what I believe is true. The present, as it is, is a result of the past.
Many of the people here are getting into the multiverse theory, which doesn't necessarily have to do with time travel.
ehh? no one actually knows anything about time travel, time travel in itself is a theory so using the mulitiverse theory is fine, its all speculation, who knows what actually would happen if one went to kill his younger self. No one is right or wrong when talking about this.
ehh? no one actually knows anything about time travel, time travel in itself is a theory so using the mulitiverse theory is fine, its all speculation, who knows what actually would happen if one went to kill his younger self. No one is right or wrong when talking about this.
Chris_Williams
Topic title reads "Time Travel Debate". I am debating and I feel my position is correct.
Edit: But yeah. You're right. The multiverse theory is fine to use here.
Maybe one way to solve the problem would be with the idea that time travel would be like taking a cutting from the branch of a plant - that it's then irrelevant what happens to the parent being after the cut has been made. I guess you could then kill your past 'self' without being subject to any consequences. I suppose that would also mean you could never return to the reality you knew though. Kind of lost in infinite branching histories like Dr. Sam Beckett. How sad. :(
jimmyjammer69
If going back in time somehow creates an alternate timeline where both universes are still intact, it is believed that you can do anything in one universe without affecting the other. Therefore, the Novikov principle would be false.
Timesplitters answered this question. You kill yourself in the past, you die right there on the spot. Everything else is what this guy said: [QUOTE="Necrifer"]
You would end up causing the events that lead to the present as it is now,
Mr_Pieman
There isn't an answer for this question, and probably never will be. Also sorry for the Double Post. I know it's frowned upon...
Timesplitters answered this question. You kill yourself in the past, you die right there on the spot. Everything else is what this guy said: [QUOTE="Necrifer"]
You would end up causing the events that lead to the present as it is now,
PipBoy3001
There isn't an answer for this question, and probably never will be. Also sorry for the Double Post. I know it's frowned upon... Oh sorry. MY BAD!
Maybe one way to solve the problem would be with the idea that time travel would be like taking a cutting from the branch of a plant - that it's then irrelevant what happens to the parent being after the cut has been made. I guess you could then kill your past 'self' without being subject to any consequences. I suppose that would also mean you could never return to the reality you knew though. Kind of lost in infinite branching histories like Dr. Sam Beckett. How sad. :(
PipBoy3001
If going back in time somehow creates an alternate timeline where both universes are still intact, it is believed that you can do anything in one universe without affecting the other. Therefore, the Novikov principle would be false.Yeah... That's where that whole headache comes in. I'll stick with my rewind thing and just say time's whatever it says on this piece of paper.
Not possible. You may be able to travel back in time, but your actions would not change. Whatever events have occured will continue to occur every time. You'd travel back in time, live your life as you previously did, travel back in time, live your life as you previously did, and so on. The only way that could work would be if the time machine created an exact replica of you to go back in time; but it still would not be able to kill you because you are alive at the time the machine is used. Furthermore, a time machine would only be able to travel as far as the time which it was first created, because it would cease to exist before that point.
Not possible. You may be able to travel back in time, but your actions would not change. Whatever events have occured will continue to occur every time. You'd travel back in time, live your life as you previously did, travel back in time, live your life as you previously did, and so on. The only way that could work would be if the time machine created an exact replica of you to go back in time; but it still would not be able to kill you because you are alive at the time the machine is used. Furthermore, a time machine would only be able to travel as far as the time which it was first created, because it would cease to exist before that point.harashawn
Hey, it all opinions here. That's your theory and I respect it, but I have to stick with Novikov.
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