Time Travel Lecture Notes

Introduction

• Andrew Carlssin's Arrest (March 2003)
  • Turned $800 into $350 million in two weeks.
  • Claimed he was a time traveller from 250 years in the future.
  • Disappeared before his bail hearing, leaving no trace.

History of Time Travel Concepts

• H.G. Wells' Novel (1895): The Time Machine
  • Popularized the concept of a time machine capable of traveling to the past and future.
• Films Exploring Time Travel
  • Interstellar: One-way travel to the future.
  • Back to the Future, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time: Instantaneous time jumps.
  • Harry Potter: Prisoner of Azkaban: Time moves around the traveler.
  • Primer: Slow time travel.
  • Superman (1979): Traveling at the speed of light.

Scientific Possibilities

• Types of Time Travel
  • Future Travel
  • Past Travel

Traveling to the Future

• Albert Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity

  • Introduced concept of time dilation.
  • Time is relative, not constant (contrary to Isaac Newton's belief).

• Einstein's Time Dilation

  1. Speed-Based Dilation (Kinematic Time Dilation)
     • Faster an object moves, the slower the time for it.
     • Example: Hafele Keating Experiment (1971) using atomic clocks.
     • Practical Example: A person in a fast spaceship ageing slower than people on Earth.
     • Russian astronaut Gennady Padalka traveled 0.02 seconds into the future.
  2. Gravity-Based Dilation
     • Higher gravitational forces slow down time.
     • Visualized by the space-time fabric concept.
     • Example: Time dilation near black holes, accurately depicted in Interstellar.
     • Reality: Time dilation affects GPS satellites; regular adjustments are needed.
  3. Cryosleep
     • Concept shown in films like Passenger.
     • NASA developing Stasis Chambers for hibernation in space travel.
     • Real-life instances of temporary hibernation can provide insights.

Traveling to the Past

• Current Limitations and Paradoxes
  • Einstein's theories suggest wormholes could allow past travel.
  • Grandfather Paradox: Logical issues with altering past events.
  • Multiverse Theory: Changes create alternative universes.
  • Predestination Paradox: Events are destined; interference shapes present.
• Stephen Hawking's Time Travelers Party (2009)
  • Hosted to prove the implausibility of past time travel (no attendees).

Conclusion

• Future Travel: Scientifically possible and already observed in small measures.
• Past Travel: Theoretically possible but faces logical paradoxes.
• Andrew Carlssin's Story: Proven as a satirical, fabricated story.
• Unexplained Topics: Suggestions requested for future episodes on similar mysteries.