Exploring the Possibility of Time-Travel: A Discussion

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In summary, The conversation discusses a TV program about someone accelerating at 1G on a trip around the Milky Way and the effects of time dilation. The pilot would only age 24 years while the Earth would age 150000 years. There is also mention of the potential for continuous communication with the pilot, but it may not be possible due to massive delays. However, if it were possible, the pilot would experience time on Earth much faster than his own, allowing him to receive 15,000 years of communications in just 24 years.
  • #1
blake_jl
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Hi Guys and girls

First have very little knowledge of this stuff, but watched a tv program today that made my head spin a little bit. The threads I have read on this forum make it spin a little more, so I'd like to just post my question and hope there is a simple answer.

The program I watched spoke about someone accelerating at 1G on a trip around the milky way and someone waiting on Earth for them to return. The figures I may have recalled incorrectly but it was something like 150000 years the person would be waiting for them to return but to the person in the spaceship it would only feel like 24 years.

So the person returns 24 years older to find the Earth 150000 years older than they left it.

Now assuming we have the technology for this spaceship and then also the technology to build a continuous communication system with the pilot...

What happens then? For the pilot one second is equivalent to 6250 seconds on earth?!
 
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  • #2
blake_jl said:
Now assuming we have the technology for this spaceship and then also the technology to build a continuous communication system with the pilot...

What happens then? For the pilot one second is equivalent to 6250 seconds on earth?!
I didn't check the numbers, but essentially yes, at least on average. Since the ship is accelerating the ratio between Earth seconds and ship seconds will vary over the course of the trip, but on average it will be quite large.
 
  • #3
The point I was trying to make is that if you have constant communications with the pilot, when he returns the times won't align. He will be talking to someone who died thousands of years ago.

After thinking about it more, I think this would be impossible anyway. The communications wouldn't be instantaneous as the waves would have to travel and there would be massive delays.
 
  • #4
blake_jl said:
The point I was trying to make is that if you have constant communications with the pilot, when he returns the times won't align. He will be talking to someone who died thousands of years ago.
He won't still be talking to someone who died thousands of years ago when he returns, it's just the pilot will (on average) see communications from Earth as running very quickly (like a video in fast-forward mode), so for example if he was receiving continuous video from a room on Earth he might see years of time pass in that room in only hours. So, he can indeed experience 15,000 years of communications from Earth in only 24 years of his own time.
 

What is time-travel?

Time-travel is the hypothetical ability to move through time and experience events in the past or future.

Is time-travel possible?

Currently, time-travel is not possible according to our current understanding of physics. However, some theories suggest that it may be possible in the future through the manipulation of space-time.

What are the possible consequences of time-travel?

The consequences of time-travel are not fully understood, as it is a theoretical concept. Some theories suggest that time-travel could create paradoxes, alter the course of history, or even lead to the destruction of the universe.

What are the different theories of time-travel?

There are various theories about how time-travel could potentially work, including the concept of wormholes, time dilation, and the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics.

Can we ever expect to achieve time-travel?

While it is currently not possible, scientists continue to explore the possibility of time-travel and some believe that it may be achievable in the distant future through advancements in technology and our understanding of the universe.

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