What are the effects?

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Guest

If you came back in time to alter an event and succeeded in doing so, did you know that that would result in two alternate time lines: the original line and the new line as a result of the change? True, many more changes would follow, but only two could come out of that singular change. I agree that we shoud not mess with time. What would happen if you went back and killed your own mother, before you were born? The minute you killed her, you would cease to exist and then you would not be able to kill her. The result? A paradox or a complete time line collapse. The continuum is the most stable thing in all of existance and non-existance. It cannot be altered, nor destroyed. Unfortunately. We will never have time travel because time cannot be changed.
 
Optimists would say that by killing your mom before you're ever born, you're simply affecting a divergent timeline and in fact leaving your own timeline alone. So, in another world, you never existed. But in your own world, things happened just as you remember them. The optimists would therefore say you can travel in time with no dangers. Then again, that means that going back in time and giving yourself the lottery numbers isn't going to help you one bit. It's just going to help the "alternate" you.

Mop,
the Admin
 
Sorry, gotta disagree ...

The instant you give a past version of yourself the winning lottery numbers you create a divergent timeline. One in which two versions of you now exist. You CANNOT return to the original timeline. The future you return to will be the altered timeline. I use a near version of this example on my site.
 
Re:Sorry, gotta disagree ...

But if the original you returns to the alternate time-line (the one in which you scooped the lotto jackpot) why don't you remember someone who looks just like you chapping your door and saying "Hey, I'm you from the future and I'm here to give you tomorrow's lottery numbers!"? Surely, if you can't remember this happening then you can't exist in the alternate time-line, you could only return to your original one (the one where you don't win the lottery).
 
Oh, I like this too!

"Hey, remember me? 20 years ago I gave you the winning lottery numbers. How about you share some of those winnings with me now?"

Mop,
the Admin
 
Re:Re:Sorry, gotta disagree ...

Easy explanation. Because the experience (in it's entirety) is SUBJECTIVE, not OBJECTIVE.
 
Re:Re:What are the effects?

So, if you could go back in time a prevent and prevent a disaster like the Titanic,and return to the present,you did not really prevent the disaster?
 
Re:Re:Re:What are the effects?

We're talking alternate time lines, here.

You go back in time, prevent a disaster like the Titanic, go back to your present time, and the Titanic still sank. But, in another time line, in another universe, everyone is a lot happier because the Titanic never sank.

Think of the reprocussions of preventing the sinking of the Titanic. Maybe, if you prevent the Titanic from sinking, you save a guy who eventually meets your great-grandmother and marries her, and they live happily ever after. But that guy isn't your great-grandfather. In fact, your great-grandmother doesn't ever meet your great-grandfather. Your grandmother is never born. Your mother is never born. You are never born. Uh-oh.

Mop
 
Re:Re:Re:Re:What are the effects?

I never thought about it that way. I always said I would try to prevent Titanic disaster if I could go back in time,but after reading your post I not sure I still would. Maybe I would try to save the children.
 
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