Time Travel???!!

[The Sum of Awe]

A question I had about time travel is - if it ever became possible for a machine, and people, and all of the stuff that is brought along from the future, how would it fit in the past? The universe is already completely filled, there's no room for that "extra matter" to exist in that universe in time, unless it somehow managed to push all of the matter aside and make the universe bigger (which seems that it probably still wouldn't work then).

Basically, let's say a glass of water is filled all of the way to the top of the cup, 12 out of 12 inches is filled, if 2 inches of water appeared in the cup, there would be no room as there'd have been 14 inches out of 12. The water would be pushed out of the cup, and I'm not sure how the universe's "edges" work, but I'm pretty sure that, unlike water, it would not just push some matter out of it.

Even if it could, wouldn't it create a black hole or something in the place (time) that the matter disappeared from? The universe would get smaller?

 

[Me Myself]

Time exists only in man imagination.

It is also the only place where time travel is or could be possible.

 

[Quintessence]

Time travel tops my list of most annoying science fiction plot devices. Because it never makes any sense to me. >_<

 

[Willamena]

A question I had about time travel is - if it ever became possible for a machine, and people, and all of the stuff that is brought along from the future, how would it fit in the past? The universe is already completely filled, there's no room for that "extra matter" to exist in that universe in time, unless it somehow managed to push all of the matter aside and make the universe bigger (which seems that it probably still wouldn't work then).

Basically, let's say a glass of water is filled all of the way to the top of the cup, 12 out of 12 inches is filled, if 2 inches of water appeared in the cup, there would be no room as there'd have been 14 inches out of 12. The water would be pushed out of the cup, and I'm not sure how the universe's "edges" work, but I'm pretty sure that, unlike water, it would not just push some matter out of it.

Even if it could, wouldn't it create a black hole or something in the place (time) that the matter disappeared from? The universe would get smaller?

In a way, you are right. I see you as saying that now is all the universe.

And I agree.

But I agree in a different way. It's not a matter of how much can be fit in. It's just a matter of what is.

 

[freethinker44]

A question I had about time travel is - if it ever became possible for a machine, and people, and all of the stuff that is brought along from the future, how would it fit in the past? The universe is already completely filled, there's no room for that "extra matter" to exist in that universe in time, unless it somehow managed to push all of the matter aside and make the universe bigger (which seems that it probably still wouldn't work then).

Basically, let's say a glass of water is filled all of the way to the top of the cup, 12 out of 12 inches is filled, if 2 inches of water appeared in the cup, there would be no room as there'd have been 14 inches out of 12. The water would be pushed out of the cup, and I'm not sure how the universe's "edges" work, but I'm pretty sure that, unlike water, it would not just push some matter out of it.

Even if it could, wouldn't it create a black hole or something in the place (time) that the matter disappeared from? The universe would get smaller?

I see what you mean, it would be like merging two universes, but your analogy with the water doesn't fit. Even if we were to take all of planet Earth and transport it through time, that wouldn't be like adding 2 inches of water, it would be like adding a single atom, if not less than a single atom. Our cosmic foot print is so small it wouldn't effect any noticeable difference in the size of the universe.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

I see what you mean, it would be like merging two universes, but your analogy with the water doesn't fit. Even if we were to take all of planet Earth and transport it through time, that wouldn't be like adding 2 inches of water, it would be like adding a single atom, if not less than a single atom. Our cosmic foot print is so small it wouldn't effect any noticeable difference in the size of the universe.

But still, even if you bring back just an atom worth, over 100% of the universe would be full.

 

[ChristineES]

I don't believe in time travel. I almost could believe while watching Quantum Leap, though.

 

[freethinker44]

But still, even if you bring back just an atom worth, over 100% of the universe would be full.

Assuming the universe is already as dense as it can be.

 

[ron4711]

A question I had about time travel is - if it ever became possible for a machine, and people, and all of the stuff that is brought along from the future, how would it fit in the past? The universe is already completely filled, there's no room for that "extra matter" to exist in that universe in time, unless it somehow managed to push all of the matter aside and make the universe bigger (which seems that it probably still wouldn't work then).

Basically, let's say a glass of water is filled all of the way to the top of the cup, 12 out of 12 inches is filled, if 2 inches of water appeared in the cup, there would be no room as there'd have been 14 inches out of 12. The water would be pushed out of the cup, and I'm not sure how the universe's "edges" work, but I'm pretty sure that, unlike water, it would not just push some matter out of it.

Even if it could, wouldn't it create a black hole or something in the place (time) that the matter disappeared from? The universe would get smaller?

This is just a hypothesis, maybe not even that advanced. But with the conservation of energy for instance, it would be required that a great burst of energy occurs at the end point or starting point of the trip plus the great amount of energy needed to send someone through time. Assuming, of course, that you could send a person through without first converting them into a pile of goo in energy form.

The universe is mostly composed of nothing, so introducing a small amount of matter, would most likely not have any affect. One thing is sure, right now we do not have sufficient understanding of many things to make a conclusive statement one way or the other.

 

[freethinker44]

The universe is mostly composed of nothing

Not nothing... empty space. There is a difference.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Thanks guys for the answers, I don't know where I got that idea from but I thought that the universe was already 100% filled and lacked more space.

 

[ChristineES]

They call it space because it is space.

 

[ron4711]

Not nothing... empty space. There is a difference.

I think that depends at what granularity you are looking at.

 

[Twilight Hue]

A question I had about time travel is - if it ever became possible for a machine, and people, and all of the stuff that is brought along from the future, how would it fit in the past? The universe is already completely filled, there's no room for that "extra matter" to exist in that universe in time, unless it somehow managed to push all of the matter aside and make the universe bigger (which seems that it probably still wouldn't work then).

Basically, let's say a glass of water is filled all of the way to the top of the cup, 12 out of 12 inches is filled, if 2 inches of water appeared in the cup, there would be no room as there'd have been 14 inches out of 12. The water would be pushed out of the cup, and I'm not sure how the universe's "edges" work, but I'm pretty sure that, unlike water, it would not just push some matter out of it.

Even if it could, wouldn't it create a black hole or something in the place (time) that the matter disappeared from? The universe would get smaller?

The universe a closed or open system? If it's closed then "everything" is still there. What your suggesting is an introduction of something new or an extraction to elsewhere. That could defeat the glass analogy.

 

[Kerr]

Not nothing... empty space. There is a difference.

If I remember correctly, nothing doesnt exist in out universe. Even in vaccume there are particles popping in and out of existence.

 

[Watchmen]

A question I had about time travel is - if it ever became possible for a machine, and people, and all of the stuff that is brought along from the future, how would it fit in the past? The universe is already completely filled, there's no room for that "extra matter" to exist in that universe in time, unless it somehow managed to push all of the matter aside and make the universe bigger (which seems that it probably still wouldn't work then).

Basically, let's say a glass of water is filled all of the way to the top of the cup, 12 out of 12 inches is filled, if 2 inches of water appeared in the cup, there would be no room as there'd have been 14 inches out of 12. The water would be pushed out of the cup, and I'm not sure how the universe's "edges" work, but I'm pretty sure that, unlike water, it would not just push some matter out of it.

Even if it could, wouldn't it create a black hole or something in the place (time) that the matter disappeared from? The universe would get smaller?

Assume the width of the cup is time. If you take matter from the right side of the cup and go back in time to the left side of the cup, the matter will stay the same. If we could travel through time, that would mean time is a real component of the universe.

 

[Titanic]

if time travel is possible I would go back to a lot of different place's. It would be cool in my opinion.[but in the words of stephen hawking you do not know how much time will have passed when you have gotten back. p.s stephen hawking would say oh my self instead of oh my god. hey just sayin, i prefe richard dawkins he is smarter.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Okay, so I can see how there wouldn't be too much matter in the universe, but when someone time travels, wouldn't they have to arrive in space or else be squished by the matter already in that place? How would the matter move aside if it's just appearing like that? Maybe it's like Jumper where it transfers the area around it to energy (in which case you could go in the future if you jumped into that energy remnants of the phonebooth )

 

[Penumbra]

Time exists only in man imagination.

It is also the only place where time travel is or could be possible.

Do you believe space is only in the imagination? As in, the physical space around you?

Because space and time are both parts of physical spacetime.

The objective measurement of the flow of time, as seen from multiple observers, can be altered based on velocity or by the presence of gravity wells.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Do you believe space is only in the imagination? As in, the physical space around you?

Because space and time are both parts of physical spacetime.

The objective measurement of the flow of time, as seen from multiple observers, can be altered based on velocity or by the presence of gravity wells.

I think Me was referring to how it has no physical existence, in the same way width or length don't, they're components of physical existence, not physically existing themselves. I might be wrong about what Me was referring to... I might even be wrong about my understanding of time