Can Einstein's Theory of Relativity Make Time Travel Possible?

AI Thread Summary
Einstein's theory of relativity suggests that gravity can curve space and time, raising questions about the possibility of time travel. While some theoretical constructs propose future influences on the past, such as time symmetric interpretations, the consensus is that time travel is not currently feasible. Travel into the future may hold some potential, but traveling to the past is deemed highly unlikely due to the lack of evidence for time travelers. Speculation around wormholes exists, but experts like Roger Penrose argue they would collapse before anything could traverse them. Overall, the discussion highlights the complexities of defining time and the challenges in reconciling scientific theories with philosophical implications.
tj-time jumpe
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Time time time

Can the laws of gravity permit curving space and time in such a way as to make time travel possible.
Einstein's theory of relatively states that the space/time continuum can be flat, but it can also be curved by gravitational fields.

Perhaps time has three folds
1. the moment that existed
2. the moment presently existing
3. the moment about to exist



We all know that time is used to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify the motions of objects.
Time has been a major subject of religion, philosophy, and science, but defining it in a non-controversial manner applicable to all fields of study has consistently eluded the greatest scholars


Now if time needs set of fundamental units from which every other unit can be generated how can this be expressed in a way that has non-controversial manner applicable to all fields in controlling the curvature of space and time.
 
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tj-time jumpe said:
Can the laws of gravity permit curving space and time in such a way as to make time travel possible.

The short answer is NO. However, there are theoretical quantum constructs in which the future influences the past. These are the so-called time symmetric interpretations, for example Relational Blockworld:

http://arxiv.org/abs/0908.4348

There are others too, such as Cramer's version. Generally, c is respected in these interpretations but it can be +c or -c.
 
Whether or not something is controversial is irrelevant to its scientific rigor or correctness. I think that is a pretty useless criterion.
 
In general, time travel is not believed to be currently feasible...but there may be some possibilities...Wikipedia has one discussion of interest... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_travel

Wormholes have been the object of much speculation for such tyravel and utilized in the fictional movie CONTACT with Jodie Foster...not bad for its time...Roger Penrose discusses wormholes birefly in 30.6 of THE ROAD TO REALITY and concludes they'd pich off (collapse) before anyone/anything could get through...

Travel into the "future" might be possible, but travel into the past is very unlikely. As Roger Penrose says////Time travel in the past seems to be ruled out by the empirical fact that we are not deluged with travelers from the future///although I am unsure if we were being observed that we would necessarily be aware of that fact.
 
Naty1 said:
Travel into the "future" might be possible, but travel into the past is very unlikely. As Roger Penrose says////Time travel in the past seems to be ruled out by the empirical fact that we are not deluged with travelers from the future///although I am unsure if we were being observed that we would necessarily be aware of that fact.

I'm going with you in this ..& if we have a phylosophical thinking ,we'll know that the travel to the past is out of the question..if it does .we won't be here ..the sky won't be the sky ..the water won't be the water .. briefly ,we may even have an antipode universe ..
 
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