Would you time travel?

G

gracer

Temporal Novice
Time travel has long been an on and off discussion among us. Although no one has been physically proven to have travelled in time, the myths and theories still remain as a topic of interest to many.

I was just wondering, what if you were given the chance to travel in time for free? Would you take the offer even if there's no assurance that you could come back to where you left off? If you are willing to time travel, where would you go - to the past or to the future?

In my case I'm not willing to take the risk as of this moment but who knows maybe my mind would change in the future. For now, I'm already contented with my life so I don't see any reason for me to time travel.

 
you have small number of options - there is time travel to the past and the future. You haven't explained enough the direction and the conditions for the time travel.

P.S. I would go to the future. To the past, only if there is a way back to the future :)

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Whether or not it was worth the risk would depend a lot on the fine print for me (do I have to go alone? Do I get to choose the year? Do I get any sort of prep or knowledge or supplies to help me survive in the new time?), but if I went anywhere, I'd go forward. While it would be cool to go to the past as a temporary tourist-y sort of thing, let's face it...socially speaking, the past sucks. And I'm a chick, so there's only so far I can go before things are really difficult for me (I don't wanna be property...or have to destroy my internal organs wearing corsets!).

Not to mention, before leaving for the future, I could start some sort of investment for myself in the present. Set something up for when I arrive, depending on how far I'm going. Because even though the small amount of money I have now would make me super rich in the past, I don't know how easily I'd be able to convert modern currency (maybe just buy a bunch of gold to take with me?).

But most of all, I just think the future seems more exciting. I'd hope to end up in a Star Trek sort of future, with all that space exploration and colonies on other planets and amazing technology and world peace (and supposed galactic peace, but, y'know...).

 
I would if it was reliable and also, there was a reason for me to go and also would try and make some good changes if it was needed as maybe I could want to change some things that have effected me in this time and could go back and prevent it or change it. I would have to find out will it work, and what are the chances of coming back or negative changes occuring in the process when doing this and also would go alone in case something happens to others and would rather go alone knowing it is more safer.

 
I believe travel to the past splits timelines, and that travel to the future would be identical in nature to orbiting a black hole to experience time faster. In either scenario, I'd go. If I went to the past, whatever future existed still does but I won't have access to it seeing as it's in a different timeline (which now exists without me, seeing as I just disappeared.)

If I go to the future, there's no telling what the world will be like, but I suspect I'll have a good time going. Either way, the world wouldn't miss me and both might be better for having me.If nothing else I'd go to the middle ages and invent hard liquor.

 
If there is a way back to my original timeline, i definitely would go to the past. Ancient Greek or Ottoman era would be the one of my few past choices. As future, i would like to see what will happen to earth and humankind in a couple of hundred years. Either way i don't think i would like to be alone. I'd prefer to do these travels with someone i trust. ( Even the Doctor shouldn't travel alone.)

 
I'd choose to time travel, as long as I can bring someone along with me. I would really love to go back to the medieval era. Medieval villages and livelihood fascinate me so much. I've been dreaming of visiting a preserved medieval city in Europe someday, what more the idea of time traveling to that era! I've always had a thing for historical events and the opportunity of witnessing the life of people from the past gives me such a thrill!

 
It depends, if you mean in this life then no. I wouldn't need to travel back as I remember most things and as for the future, that can always change according to choices you make and the actions of others in your life.

Traveling back to a past life would be a different matter and I would look at that as a means of clarifying any events that were holding me back or that weren't clear. You can't change the past, but you can understand and learn from it. I have learned the future and knowing it doesn't always help, so I would not go into the future as it is inevitable.

 
I’ve often thought I would have loved to experience the 1960s, but I feel like if I were actually living out such an experience, my mere existence could have consequences. Observing a past time period could be interesting, but not nearly as fulfilling as it would be to experience it. And I think if I learned my future, I would be tempted to want to go back and change anything that may have led to some of the less savory aspects that might be part of my future, so I’m actually leaning toward no. I’d stay right here in this time.

 
I would have to see how safe time traveling is, and what type of track record it has. Maybe time travel will intially be highly dangerous and unsafe, similar to how airplane travel was unsafe in the early days. Also I would have to make sure the time travelling machine has been calibrated properly and is maintained properly. It would suck to be sent to a place you didn't want to go. Like lets say you ended up in Europe during the black death, that would suck :)

 
I would have to see how safe time traveling is, and what type of track record it has. Maybe time travel will intially be highly dangerous and unsafe, similar to how airplane travel was unsafe in the early days. Also I would have to make sure the time travelling machine has been calibrated properly and is maintained properly. It would suck to be sent to a place you didn't want to go. Like lets say you ended up in Europe during the black death, that would suck :)
Click to expand...
The best I can figure is that there would never be any way of knowing. If you send a person to the past, he'll never be able to come back because his very presence in the past splits the reality. If you send him to the future, you'll never know unless you go with him. Then, you'd run into the first issue trying to inform people in the past it's safe to travel.It's a crap shoot at best, but it has one insanely desirable payoff if it works.

 
If returning was impossible then I guess I would stay put. The thought is of course interesting but could I leave everything behind? Friends, family, people who need me etc? No. If returning would be possible then yeah, I'd be traveling all the time.

 
The best I can figure is that there would never be any way of knowing. If you send a person to the past, he'll never be able to come back because his very presence in the past splits the reality. If you send him to the future, you'll never know unless you go with him. Then, you'd run into the first issue trying to inform people in the past it's safe to travel.It's a crap shoot at best, but it has one insanely desirable payoff if it works.
Click to expand...
This assuming that your life in the past or future would be better then the present life you have right now. So unless you are someone like a lets say a street person or maybe you like is really bad like you have 3 ex wives and you have to pay support to all of them, then maybe you are better to stay put. Possible your life in the past or future will be a lot worse :)

 
This assuming that your life in the past or future would be better then the present life you have right now. So unless you are someone like a lets say a street person or maybe you like is really bad like you have 3 ex wives and you have to pay support to all of them, then maybe you are better to stay put. Possible your life in the past or future will be a lot worse :)
Click to expand...
Can't argue that there, but having a chance to time travel and not taking it would be like having a chance to be an astronaut. There's a lot of unknowns but the payoff could be so incredibly worth it.

 
Travelling in time can produce a disaster if you're not careful with what you're doing. I personally wouldn't accept this offer if the technology to bring me back and also fix any damage done isn't there.

 
I would time travel to the future only if I could return. The problem with traveling to the future and being stuck there is that you would basically be Frye... and idiot who knows nothing. At best, you would be be awed and clueless.. at worst you would be a freak-show.

Traveling to the past would be interesting, but frustrating. I am not an idiot.. but 99% of the things in our world, I would not be able to recreate in the past. electricity, nope.. indoor plumbing.. nope.... refrigerator (even if I had electricity).. nope... cars? airplane? computers? I would go to the past, tell them about all these amazing things we have in our time, then end up eating my meals over a fire...

 
Traveling to the past would be interesting, but frustrating. I am not an idiot.. but 99% of the things in our world, I would not be able to recreate in the past. electricity, nope.. indoor plumbing.. nope.... refrigerator (even if I had electricity).. nope... cars? airplane? computers? I would go to the past, tell them about all these amazing things we have in our time, then end up eating my meals over a fire...
Click to expand...
There's no law saying that you have to invent any of those things in the past. You could go down in history as the guy who invented the ceiling fan in ancient China, if that's all you ever reproduce. (Personally, I'd use a foot pedal with a rotating gear to spin it, and mount it sideways.)If you were sent back and stuck there, you'd have to adapt to live life on the terms of that age. If you used your future knowledge to your advantage, that's you - the entire appeal of this day-dream is that we would get to go back and wow our ancestors with marvels that we take for granted. My personal favorite day-dream about this would be inventing the bicycle for the Roman army, but that's just me.

 
Back
Top