The notion of time travel has captivated humanity for ages. From ancient myths to modern science fiction, the idea of journeying to the past or future holds an enduring allure. Yet time travel remains firmly in the realm of fantasy. While physics shows that traversing time might be possible in theory, the practical challenges seem insurmountable.
In this blog, I aim to explore the concept of time travel in a grounded way. I will examine the theoretical underpinnings that make time travel plausibly achievable, according to Einstein’s theory of relativity.
In simple words, a time machine is an imaginary machine that allows you to travel anywhere in the past or future at will. To know about time machines you need to understand about dimensions. We live in a three-dimensional world, certain places like Dhaka, Rajshahi, etc are three-dimensional. The quadratic dimension is time, and the quadratic destination is the year 1950, 2030, etc. The time machine is a four-dimensional vehicle, so it is possible to establish a relationship between space and time through the time machine.
To be honest, the time machine has not yet been brought to reality; it is still only a theory or a scientific fiction. Still, the possibility of building a time machine is made possible by several scientific terms.
Is time travel possible?
Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity challenges the notion of time as an immutable constant, suggesting that it is influenced by both gravitational force and velocity. This has led many to ponder the potential manipulation of time through advanced technology.
In Einstein’s renowned theory, he posits that gravity has the effect of slowing down time. The faster an object travels, the more time appears to decelerate for it. To illustrate, consider two clocks—one placed in a jet plane hurtling at 1000 km/h and the other stationed in a house on Earth. The clock aboard the plane would run at a slower pace than its counterpart on solid ground.
As speed escalates and the distance from gravitational forces increases, this temporal dilation intensifies. For instance, on a neutron star, time runs approximately 30 percent slower than on Earth. Peering through a telescope from this star to Earth, observers would witness Earth’s inhabitants in a fast-forward motion.
According to Einstein’s principles, the swifter an object moves, the more relative the passage of time becomes. In essence, reaching the speed of light would result in a significant slowdown of time for the moving entity.
Is it possible to build a time machine?
As previously mentioned, the prospects of building a time machine remain theoretical at this point. However, the landscape of science is continually evolving. Just two centuries ago, the idea that we could instantly receive news from any corner of the globe via smartphones or travel faster than sound using supersonic jets would have been unimaginable.
The trajectory of technological advancement suggests that, in the future, we might encounter new possibilities. While the creation of an actual time machine is uncertain, advancements could lead to the development of technologies that approach its concept. As of now, it’s challenging to definitively assert whether a time machine will become a reality, given the ongoing progress in scientific exploration and innovation.
All the fun paradoxes about time travel
When discussing time travel, the discussion would not be complete without talking about the paradox. A paradox is a sentence or statement from which no definite conclusion can be drawn. To find out the meaning of these sentences, two conflicting solutions are found, neither of which can be called completely true or completely false. Such confusing philosophical or mathematical statements are called paradoxes. Let’s learn about some interesting paradoxes-
The Grandfather Paradox
What if you went back in time and accidentally (or purposefully) killed your grandfather before he met your grandmother? This would mean that one of your parents was never born, which means you would have never been born. But if you were never born, how could you go back in time to kill your grandfather?
The Bootstrap Paradox
What if you went back in time and taught Shakespeare the famous quote “To be or not to be”? Shakespeare then uses the quote in Hamlet, which eventually allows you to learn it and travel back in time to teach it to him. So where did the quote originally come from?
The paradoxes suggest time travel could logically be very complex. They highlight inconsistencies between our understanding of causality and theorized models of time travel. It shows the deep subtleties involved in backward time travel.
In the quest to unravel the mysteries of time travel, we’ve journeyed through the realms of theoretical physics, exploring the tantalizing yet elusive prospect of traversing the past and future. From the theoretical underpinnings of Einstein’s relativity to the imaginative paradoxes that spark contemplation, the concept of time travel remains a captivating enigma. While our current technological landscape has yet to birth a functional time machine, the trajectory of scientific progress hints at intriguing possibilities. As we stand on the brink of the unknown, the allure of time travel persists, leaving us to ponder the boundless mysteries that time may one day reveal.
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Writer,
Rupsana Hasan
Intern, Content Writing Department
YSSE