“Ticking Away the Moments”

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In the original time travel novel, The Time Machine by H.G. Wells, the main character is sent on an extraordinary journey to the future. In this 800,000 year journey The Time Traveler, as he is known in the book, faces many new challenges and sees many new sights. Paralleling this fictional story, time travel is becoming a new focus of study. Time travel, a supported theory by many world-renowned physicists, is a widely debated topic in modern times. However, to fully understand this debate, a small lesson is needed. The intricacies of how time travel is theorized to work is not considered common knowledge. One of the easiest concepts to understand is paradoxes. This concept is described as an argument which the outcome does not seem possible with the initial proposition (Lycan 1). The paradox is one of the main bases for both sides of the argument. A seemingly harder concept, parallel universes, is defined as the theory that instead of a singular universe, multiple universes exist and everything is copied in each one of them (Wolf 101). This theory is opposed by the thought that only one universe exists. Following these narrow concepts, an overview of the Theory of General Relativity, a broad topic, is also needed to understand travel through time. This was proposed by Einstein and stated that matter being present will cause space-time to warp around it (Kenyon 1). This is followed by the Special Theory of Relativity which discuses how something viewing time around it, while moving, distinguishes how much time has passed between two events (Davies ). These are both integral theories that help both sides defend themselves. The hardest concept to master in studying time travel is closed time-like curves. These curves are commo... ... middle of paper ... ...l-World Relativity: The GPS Navigation System.” Ohio State University. N.p., 27 Apr. 2009. Web. 9 June 2010. . Talcott, Richard. “Is Time on Our Side?.” Astronomy Vol. 34, No. 2. Feb. 2006: 32-39. SIRS Researcher. Web. 18 May 2010. Thorne, Kip S., et al. “Chronology Protection: Making the World Safe for Historians.” The Future of Spacetime. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2003. N. pag. Print. Time Travel in Einstein’s Universe: The Physical Possibilities of Travel Through Time. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001. Print. Trefil, James. "So What About Time Travel?." 101 Things You Don't Know About Science and No One Else Does Either. Jan. 1 1996: n.p. SIRS Researcher. Web. 18 May 2010. Wolf, Fred Alan. The Yoga of Time Travel. Wheaton: The Theosophical Publishing House, 2004. Print.

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