Time travel

[Kingwobbly]

Yeah me either! Although I've heard somewere in the UK there is a giant machine being made that can replicate a black hole. It may be too late to save us, if it starts up we all might get sucked inside and die!

I wouldn't worry about that too much, they said the same thing about the Large Hadron Collider.

 

[Jamie]

You guys have this backwards. As time slows down (relative to some observer, of course) as you move faster, going faster than light could cause going back in time (it's a little more complicated than that, but yeah). We are always going forward in time lol.

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

You guys have this backwards. As time slows down (relative to some observer, of course) as you move faster, going faster than light could cause going back in time (it's a little more complicated than that, but yeah). We are always going forward in time lol.

I always thought the deal was if you went the speed of light it slows time down while Earth's time doesn't change. So let's say I traveled a light year away from Earth. To me I may feel like I've only been traveling for about a year, but on Earth I actually may have been gone somewere closer to ten years.

 

[Kingwobbly]

I always thought the deal was if you went the speed of light it slows time down while Earth's time doesn't change. So let's say I traveled a light year away from Earth. To me I may feel like I've only been traveling for about a year, but on Earth I actually may have been gone somewere closer to ten years.

Yes, that's true if you're going near the speed of light. If you actually got to the speed of light and beyond it is believe that you would travel back in time. That's because the closer you get to light speed, the slower everything travels through time compared to you, so when you hit LS, time would stop or be infinitely slow. If you go beyond that, according to modern relativity equations, time would be going the wrong way outside of your spaceship. However, it's believed that travelling faster than light is impossible because the equation requires you to not have mass for that to be a possibility.

 

[Trisarahtops]

If you go beyond that, according to modern relativity equations, time would be going the wrong way outside of your spaceship. However, it's believed that travelling faster than light is impossible because the equation requires you to not have mass for that to be a possibility.

That is not necessarily correct. The current equation for time dilation doesn't take the mass into account at all. And for that specific equation traveling faster than the speed of light is mathematically impossible. Where mass comes in is in the relativistic mass equation. basically the faster you go, the more mass you have, and the more energy you need to accelerate that mass.

 

[RedLink]

That is not necessarily correct. The current equation for time dilation doesn't take the mass into account at all. And for that specific equation traveling faster than the speed of light is mathematically impossible. Where mass comes in is in the relativistic mass equation. basically the faster you go, the more mass you have, and the more energy you need to accelerate that mass.

Yeah, but as Einstein pointed out, your mass is basically infinite at LS, so it'd be impossible to sustain that acceleration for a prolonged period of time.

I have heard though that scientists are trying to study Black Holes because they believe they might allow us to possibly time travel, travel to different dimensions, or maybe even travel our own universe faster (it is believed the intense gravity of black holes could be “folding” space, once crossed it could take us millions of light years away in the matter of seconds).

You sure you're not thinking of wormholes?

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

You sure you're not thinking of wormholes?

No, black holes, I don't think wormholes have their gravity reversed like black holes do, a wormhole is more like a portal, a black hole theoretically could be “folding” space, although both could give the same results we just don't know which one could really work and is less dangerous. I for one say wormholes are probably not as dangerous as black holes.

 

[RedLink]

No, black holes, I don't think wormholes have their gravity reversed like black holes do, a wormhole is more like a portal, a black hole theoretically could be “folding” space, although both could give the same results we just don't know which one could really work and is less dangerous. I for one say wormholes are probably not as dangerous as black holes.

Theoretical astrophysicists have also brought up the concept of white holes.

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

Theoretical astrophysicists have also brought up the concept of white holes.

White holes are just hypothetical though, according to theory one must be inside it to go through it, but once on the outside you cannot go back.

 

[Jamie]

I always thought the deal was if you went the speed of light it slows time down while Earth's time doesn't change. So let's say I traveled a light year away from Earth. To me I may feel like I've only been traveling for about a year, but on Earth I actually may have been gone somewere closer to ten years.

If you went the speed of light relative to the earth, Earth's time would be the same. So if you traveled the speed of light relative to the earth to another planet, and back, time wouldn't have changed on Earth at all.

 

[Jamie]

White holes are just hypothetical though, according to theory one must be inside it to go through it, but once on the outside you cannot go back.

Yeah, so are wormholes. Completely hypothetical.

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

Yeah, so are wormholes. Completely hypothetical.

Black Holes on the other hand are real, although we can't get to them we can see them.

 

[Kingwobbly]

If you went the speed of light relative to the earth, Earth's time would be the same. So if you traveled the speed of light relative to the earth to another planet, and back, time wouldn't have changed on Earth at all.

What makes you think that? The faster you go, the faster time passes on Earth compared to you. If you hit light speed, why would it go slower? That's the opposite of the trend already set. I not saying you're wrong, I just don't understand why it would. In my mind it's the same as steam getting to 1000 degrees and freezing.

 

[Jamie]

What makes you think that? The faster you go, the faster time passes on Earth compared to you. If you hit light speed, why would it go slower? That's the opposite of the trend already set. I not saying you're wrong, I just don't understand why it would. In my mind it's the same as steam getting to 1000 degrees and freezing.

Because you have it backwards. The faster you go, the slower time passes on earth compared to you. At c, time doesn't move at all.

 

[Jamie]

Okay I've confused myself because all nighters.

Your time is slower, not earth's--but at 100%c it's all the same for everyone. If something is 1 light year away, it will take you 1 year to get there, and it will be 1 year later when you arrive. The only difference will be yourself--you will not have aged at all.

At say, 99%c, it will take a little over a year, and you will have aged about 3 days.