Comments on: Rules for Time Travelers http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/14/rules-for-time-travelers/ Random samplings from a universe of ideas. Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:21:12 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: BECAUSE IT’S 4.30AM AND I SHOULD BE SLEEPING INSTEAD. ESPECIALLY WHEN MY EYES HAVE STARTED REMINDING PEOPLE OF THE SUNKEN GARDEN. « Because I Should Be Doing Something Else http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/14/rules-for-time-travelers/comment-page-3/#comment-103507 BECAUSE IT’S 4.30AM AND I SHOULD BE SLEEPING INSTEAD. ESPECIALLY WHEN MY EYES HAVE STARTED REMINDING PEOPLE OF THE SUNKEN GARDEN. « Because I Should Be Doing Something Else Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:27:47 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/14/rules-for-time-travelers/#comment-103507 [...] Spanish sci-fi films are like that, eh? Does Hector adhere with the rules for time travelers? If something happened, then it [...] [...] Spanish sci-fi films are like that, eh? Does Hector adhere with the rules for time travelers? If something happened, then it [...]

]]> By: cherise http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/14/rules-for-time-travelers/comment-page-3/#comment-100136 cherise Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:03:26 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/14/rules-for-time-travelers/#comment-100136 how do you make a time a machine? how do you make a time a machine?

]]> By: WilfredT http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/14/rules-for-time-travelers/comment-page-3/#comment-99866 WilfredT Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:21:37 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/14/rules-for-time-travelers/#comment-99866 Fernando, I read it. and I agree. Fernando, I read it. and I agree.

]]> By: قوانین مسافرت در زمان، بخش دوم « بی اجازه‌ی کوچیکترا نه! http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/14/rules-for-time-travelers/comment-page-3/#comment-96111 قوانین مسافرت در زمان، بخش دوم « بی اجازه‌ی کوچیکترا نه! Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:01:05 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/14/rules-for-time-travelers/#comment-96111 [...] دیسکاور مگزین، رید مگزین، سایت دانشگاه [...] [...] دیسکاور مگزین، رید مگزین، سایت دانشگاه [...]

]]> By: Joram Arentved http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/14/rules-for-time-travelers/comment-page-3/#comment-94400 Joram Arentved Thu, 10 Sep 2009 01:32:20 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/14/rules-for-time-travelers/#comment-94400 My worst scenario is right now everything, I DIDN'T know, DIDN'T think, if I could count on & about my past, thus an issue, whereon I'm willing & maybe under obligation, which is just my sense of, what moral is, to let you receive some more info, e.g. that right now my labor situation is, what it doesn't look like: It's terrible for me, the best thing of mine as an honest man to mention it to you, so that I can of course tell & e.g. help us both etc. find out &, whoe-ever's who, our best answers to, - the rest goes without saying, greetings, arentved@in.com. P.S.: The Corrupt still approve of no honesty, so whatever God exists or not, it's not MY opinion that I can fail to become & believe in & so on. My worst scenario is right now everything, I DIDN’T know, DIDN’T think, if I could count on & about my past, thus an issue, whereon I’m willing & maybe under obligation, which is just
my sense of, what moral is, to let you receive some more info, e.g. that right now my labor situation is, what it doesn’t look like: It’s terrible for me, the best thing of mine as an honest man to mention it to you, so that I can of course tell & e.g. help us both etc. find out &, whoe-ever’s who, our best answers to, – the rest goes without saying, greetings, arentved@in.com. P.S.: The Corrupt still approve of no honesty, so whatever God exists or not, it’s not MY opinion that I can fail to become & believe in & so on.

]]> By: Lousy Canuck » Random Crap That’s In My Tabs http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/14/rules-for-time-travelers/comment-page-3/#comment-87022 Lousy Canuck » Random Crap That’s In My Tabs Sun, 26 Jul 2009 18:59:12 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/14/rules-for-time-travelers/#comment-87022 [...] Cosmic Variance, Sean Carroll has an itemized list of rules that every time travel story must follow lest it be internally inconsistent, or violate the rules [...] [...] Cosmic Variance, Sean Carroll has an itemized list of rules that every time travel story must follow lest it be internally inconsistent, or violate the rules [...]

]]> By: fritz freiheit.com blog » Link dump http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/14/rules-for-time-travelers/comment-page-3/#comment-86597 fritz freiheit.com blog » Link dump Fri, 24 Jul 2009 19:44:51 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/14/rules-for-time-travelers/#comment-86597 [...] Rules for Time Travelers | Cosmic Variance | Discover Magazine (TimeTravel,Physics,SF,Writing) [...] [...] Rules for Time Travelers | Cosmic Variance | Discover Magazine (TimeTravel,Physics,SF,Writing) [...]

]]> By: Trivi http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/14/rules-for-time-travelers/comment-page-3/#comment-85798 Trivi Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:56:08 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/14/rules-for-time-travelers/#comment-85798 Great read! Thanks for the wonderful article. But i have one comment. This is a comment is in response to #9: "Unless you go to a parallel universe" You said... "If you could travel to the past in a different branch of the wave function, then we are allowed to contemplate changing that past in a self-consistent way, because it’s no longer really “your” past". But just because we have landed in the past of a different universe doesn't mean we can alter events of that universe because "whatever done is done" applies to that universe as well. So no matter which universe's past we go to, altering events should be impossible because every universe has its own course of history and changing anyone's history would be impossible. Right? "parallel universe" concept doesn't necessarily give us access to alter events. No matter which universe's past we go to, altering would be impossible. Something will prevent us from altering. This is just a thought. I might be wrong so I am open to suggestions. Thanks for reading. Great read! Thanks for the wonderful article.
But i have one comment.
This is a comment is in response to #9: “Unless you go to a parallel universe”
You said…
“If you could travel to the past in a different branch of the wave function, then we are allowed to contemplate changing that past in a self-consistent way, because it’s no longer really “your” past”.

But just because we have landed in the past of a different universe doesn’t mean we can alter events of that universe because “whatever done is done” applies to that universe as well. So no matter which universe’s past we go to, altering events should be impossible because every universe has its own course of history and changing anyone’s history would be impossible. Right?

“parallel universe” concept doesn’t necessarily give us access to alter events. No matter which universe’s past we go to, altering would be impossible. Something will prevent us from altering. This is just a thought. I might be wrong so I am open to suggestions. Thanks for reading.

]]> By: Mayor McCheese, The Galactic http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/14/rules-for-time-travelers/comment-page-3/#comment-81402 Mayor McCheese, The Galactic Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:53:02 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/14/rules-for-time-travelers/#comment-81402 I love how the author, Sean, makes hard assertions about a branch of science that no one really knows anything about with any real certainty. Sean, you seem to be pretty sure about all of this time travel stuff. I take it you have, in your infinite humility and wisdom, graciously traveled back in time to share your incredible knowledge with the rest of us. Unfortunately, you forgot one of your own rules that whatever happened, happened. Thus, this post's benevolent intent is lost because the rules dictate it cannot affect the original flow of time. Your trip is redenered useless. This post, worthless. Your life, meaningless. ...unless you traveled to another "branch of the wave function", meaning that this not your original reality. In that case it IS possible to affect the happenings of this universe. Wait a minute. That also means that another version of you likely exists here, in which case you would have to kill him so that you could take over his life. Since I doubt you have the balls to kill this multiverse's version of you, I'm going to go with one of my other two theories. The one listed above in which your life ends up completely meaningless or the much more likely possibility that you actually didn't travel back in time (even though you never claimed to in the first place) and that you are just an arrogant @ss who thinks he knows something. Besides, we all know that whatever Mayor McCheese says is the final word - and I'm with Science_Boy (#185). I've tried so many times to figure out a way to go back in time and not get AIDS from that Bangkok hooker, but it's just not possible. Cheers, -Mayor McCheese I love how the author, Sean, makes hard assertions about a branch of science that no one really knows anything about with any real certainty.

Sean, you seem to be pretty sure about all of this time travel stuff. I take it you have, in your infinite humility and wisdom, graciously traveled back in time to share your incredible knowledge with the rest of us. Unfortunately, you forgot one of your own rules that whatever happened, happened. Thus, this post’s benevolent intent is lost because the rules dictate it cannot affect the original flow of time. Your trip is redenered useless. This post, worthless. Your life, meaningless.

…unless you traveled to another “branch of the wave function”, meaning that this not your original reality. In that case it IS possible to affect the happenings of this universe.

Wait a minute. That also means that another version of you likely exists here, in which case you would have to kill him so that you could take over his life. Since I doubt you have the balls to kill this multiverse’s version of you, I’m going to go with one of my other two theories. The one listed above in which your life ends up completely meaningless or the much more likely possibility that you actually didn’t travel back in time (even though you never claimed to in the first place) and that you are just an arrogant @ss who thinks he knows something.

Besides, we all know that whatever Mayor McCheese says is the final word – and I’m with Science_Boy (#185).

I’ve tried so many times to figure out a way to go back in time and not get AIDS from that Bangkok hooker, but it’s just not possible.

Cheers,
-Mayor McCheese

]]> By: Iranian Ayatollahs and Science Fiction « korzacsol http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/14/rules-for-time-travelers/comment-page-3/#comment-81316 Iranian Ayatollahs and Science Fiction « korzacsol Mon, 06 Jul 2009 06:09:52 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/14/rules-for-time-travelers/#comment-81316 [...] Death”, announcing from their timeline, the imminent destruction of Earth in in our timeline,. Their stories are embedded in what they see or feel or know as time travel,  black hole [...] [...] Death”, announcing from their timeline, the imminent destruction of Earth in in our timeline,. Their stories are embedded in what they see or feel or know as time travel,  black hole [...]

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