Time Travel: Can Humans Go Faster Than Ordinary Speed?

[Jupiter60]

TL;DR Summary

Forward time travel.

Will humans ever be able to travel forward in time faster than the ordinary speed?

According to relativity if someone were traveling at speeds close to the speed of light they would jump some years into the future. The question however is will this ever be possible? Can humans survive at such high speeds?

 

[Ibix]

The effect happens at any speed, and has been measurable at airline speeds since the 1970s at least. If you want it to be detected to unaided humans, it won't happen any time soon. The fuel requirements are incredible.

 

[malawi_glenn]

TL;DR Summary: Forward time travel.

Can humans survive at such high speeds?

Speed is not a problem, acceleration is however...

 

[Ibix]

Speed is not a problem, acceleration is however...

Well, at sufficiently high speeds relative to the galaxy at large the interstellar medium and the CMB are health hazards.

 

[Dale]

TL;DR Summary: Forward time travel.

Will humans ever be able to travel forward in time faster than the ordinary speed?

According to relativity if someone were traveling at speeds close to the speed of light they would jump some years into the future. The question however is will this ever be possible? Can humans survive at such high speeds?

I think that first we need to clarify how high a speed you are thinking of. We can already travel at speeds where time dilation is measurable. So how much time dilation are you looking for? Perhaps a time dilation factor of $1+2/70\approx 1.03$. That would give two additional years over a 70 year lifespan. Is that what you were thinking?

 

[Jupiter60]

Yes, time dilation can be measured with current speed. However, humans can't travel into the future any more than a few milliseconds faster with current speeds. With current speeds the affects of time dilation are negligible.

 

[Dale]

With current speeds the affects of time dilation are negligible.

So what speeds are you thinking of?

 

[DaveC426913]

Yes, time dilation can be measured with current speed. However, humans can't travel into the future any more than a few milliseconds faster with current speeds. With current speeds the affects of time dilation are negligible.

If all you're looking to do it wake up far in the future, it could be achieved a lot easer and sooner by pulling your money out of space ship / space travel research and putting it into hibernation research.

Seriously, relativistic space travel is an incredibly inefficient way of travelling into the future.

 

[Frabjous]

Well, at sufficiently high speeds relative to the galaxy at large the interstellar medium and the CMB are health hazards.

Why does CMB become a health hazard?

 

[DaveC426913]

Why does CMB become a health hazard?

With a sufficiently large motion relative to CMB, even that microwave radiation can blue-shift to lethal X-rays.