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Does this prove that time travel is impossible?

oh_1993

I came up with an idea. In an infinite amount of time, everything that is possible happens. This means that if time travel is possible, it will eventually be discovered and used to travel back in time to a time before the present day.

But in an infinite amount of time, everything that is possible will happen an infinite amount of times so an infinite amount of people will be travelling to an infinite number of locations at an infinite number of times. That would mean that there would be an infinite number of people entering every possible location on Earth in the present day, which clearly is not the case.

We would be connected with people on an infinite time span everywhere. And if it is possible then given infinite opportunities it will happen infinite number of times!

Please tell me what you think. Thanks

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You think too much.

I don't know if there's any reason to expect an infinite amount of time, but if there is then I suppose what you say sounds about right.
Also if you had a machine that could go back any amount of time, you would need something that could somehow transport you through any amount of space too. Otherwise, if you stepped into your time machine today and tried to go back even a short time, you'd just emerge in what at that time would be some lonely place in space, just waiting for the earth to catch up as it travels through the galaxy. I definitely don't think it's possible in the hollywood sense.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 3

Stonebridge

It only proves that you can't apply the concept of infinity to the real physical universe.

Reply 4

morris743

Original post by StuAndMma

You think too much.

I suppose some people have to think when the majority go fourth like mindless sheep.

The thinkers are clearly bored...and who can blame them.

Reply 5

Simplicity

Original post by Stonebridge

It only proves that you can't apply the concept of infinity to the real physical universe.

He just saying the arrow paradox again.

The problem is that this has been worked out 150 years ago when analysis was developed.

Reply 6

StuAndMma

Original post by morris743

I suppose some people have to think when the majority go fourth like mindless sheep.

The thinkers are clearly bored...and who can blame them.

Forth*

Don't walk off that cliff. :smile:

Reply 7

angrydanmarin

Though i'm pretty sure that infinity is commonly known as a mathematical and physical impossibility? Thus cannot be grounds for justification of anything physical

Reply 8

Billy Pilgrim

Yeah it's a pretty old argument, but still a powerful one. Certainly it would suggest that radical time travel is impossible. However, it doesn't affect something more localised; e.g. people may be able to travel back 50 years or so in another couple of thousand years.

Reply 9

morris743

Original post by StuAndMma

Forth*

Don't walk off that cliff. :smile:

Proving my point :rofl:

Thanks to whoever negged you for this. PM me if you see this please :smile:

(the negger, not you).

Reply 10

Simplicity

Original post by angrydanmarin

Though i'm pretty sure that infinity is commonly known as a mathematical and physical impossibility? Thus cannot be grounds for justification of anything physical

Actually no.

Mathematician have definitions of infinity and you can deduce useful properties from them. For example, you can deduce that some infinities are bigger than others.

In physics you have infinities, but you have tricks to get rid of them. Renormalization being the most famous thing.

Reply 11

Raiden10

Original post by oh_1993

I came up with an idea. In an infinite amount of time, everything that is possible happens.

Why?

Reply 12

nick2012

I have Doctor Who on speed dial for when I need to go back a century or two :cool:

Reply 13

El_Sid

Original post by morris743

Proving my point :rofl:

Mmm... Not really, no.

Reply 14

lukas1051

Who says time is infinite? There are many reasons time travel will never be possible, such as the huge number of logical paradoxes.

Reply 15

AGrumpyMole

Original post by SnoochToTheBooch

But the people, or beings, may use another dimension that is invisible, to time travel.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 16

around

Original post by oh_1993

I came up with an idea. In an infinite amount of time, everything that is possible happens.

If you flip infinitely many coins (in an infinite amount of time), the probability that you never flip a tail is 0...

Reply 17

StuAndMma

Original post by morris743

Proving my point :rofl:

Thanks to whoever negged you for this. PM me if you see this please :smile:

(the negger, not you).

Ah but of course, you labelling someone a conformist by using a term that is ubiquitously used to label people as such makes me the 'sheep'.

Oh, and try not to cry over the neg. I'm almost tempted to neg you myself now just so that you'll have trouble sleeping, but fortunately for yourself I couldn't give one.

As a last attempt to get back on topic:

(edited 12 years ago)

BITCH-PLEASE_o_103613.jpg31.5KB

time-tunnel.jpg33.8KB

Reply 18

SnoochToTheBooch

Original post by AGrumpyMole

But the people, or beings, may use another dimension that is invisible, to time travel.

I kind of think if it was possible then we'd know about it by now, there would have been future time travellers at every gig hendrix ever played

Reply 19

Simplicity

Original post by around

If you flip infinitely many coins (in an infinite amount of time), the probability that you never flip a tail is 0...

Semantically speaking what you are implying is incorrect. Something having a probability of 0 doesn't imply that it won't happen.

Picking a real number at random has probability zero for each number. But, that doesn't stop me saying 1 even through the probability of me picking 1 out of all the real numbers is 0.