If there was a chance we could correct mistakes in the past, most of us would. I know I would, but the whole plunging into the deep, dark unknown of time travel gives me pause.
In a recent poll, 81% of science fiction lovers would hit the reset switch in an effort to correct occurrences leading to a catastrophic
How many of these science fiction fans would actually opt to do the traveling? Answer= over half!
Time Travel? Me? You?
I wondered how many of us—including myself—would not only hit the reset switch, but time travel as well. Here are the results from a poll done among science fiction lovers.
WOULD YOU time travel?
61% Yes, in a heart beat.
3% I’d encourage someone else to do it.
36% No way—too dangerous and uncertain.
Probe-filing
The Time Machine, a science fiction novel written by H.G. Wells, was published in 1895. He coined the phrase Time Machine giving readers the concept of a machine in which an explorer could purposefully travel to different periods in time—past, present, or future.
Wells is credited with the popularization of time travel. The novel has been adapted twice into feature films for the big screen and has also prompted numerous television spinoffs with the theme of time travel.
ProbeNote: Traveller is the British spelling for traveler, and because Wells is British and all, I adopted it.
ProbeNote: In his novel,Wells doesn’t give his Time Traveller a name, which makes me wonder if his decision was influenced by Mary Shelley not giving her Frankenstein monster a name. Some speculate that Wells is the Time Traveller in his novel.
Comments (from voters in the poll)
LD: That 81 percent must not know about time paradoxes, like if you would stop people from being killed, one of them just may be the parent of the next Hitler or worst.
CL: Google the TV show “7-Days”, you should watch it. Maybe someday the moron studios will release it on DVD.
NH: I agree with LD. It is a case of the grass is always greener. The reality of a situation may differ greatly from our expectations. So if we change one set of events we are only laying the foundations for a series of events that may lead to situations/experiences that are worse than the events we were originally trying to change. So that is a big NO from me. We have lived and learned from these experiences let’s just leave it at that!
RC: A lot of pessimism here. A completely random change could make things “worse” or “better” from your perspective. Actually trying to guide the change is not a guarantee of things turning out even worse, any more than it is a guarantee of things turning out better! As to whether I would do it, that would totally depend on which version of “temporal mechanics” applies: can’t change things, ANY change is possible, branch universes vs rewriting a single time stream, etc.
Is Time Travel Possible?
Stephen Hawkins suggests that because we have no tourists from the future supports the idea that time travel is not possible.
Carl Sagan, on the other hand, offers the argument that perhaps time travellers are here, but in disguise, so as not to bring undesired changes in the time-space continuum.
But then again, perhaps the travellers have already been here and changed time, in which case we would be totally unaware.
Would I Time Travel?
I haven’t voted, yet. Humm. Thinking. Thinking.
Although, I think an attempt should be made to rectify that which we can, I’m not sure I’m the best suited for time travel. BUT if no one else volunteers for the mission, then sure, I’ll try and give it my best shot. And to be honest, maybe I have already been there and done that.
If I had, would I know?
How about you, would you be a time traveller?
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2 replies on “Time Travel, Would You?”
Having never read The Time Machine, I made a point to pick up the book last year as part of my “read the classics I missed” Project…
I really loved it, and would recommend everyone to read, or re-read it. Not only is the story great, but I found the details extremely in-depth and thoughtful…no wonder this book is credited for its influence on modern day science fiction! It is not so much the story as how it is told. Ironically, in a word, the book is Timeless
As to you question: I would totally time travel. No doubt.
Hi Fritz—thanks for your comment. I, too, read The Time Machine recently and agree that is science fiction at its best.
Time Travel fascinates me and with very little coaxing I would embark on such an adventure.
But what if there was no guarantee you could return?