Do Time Paradoxes Prove the Impossibility of Time Travel?

In summary, the proof for or against time travel will likely never be conclusive. There are many possible solutions to the time travel paradoxes, some of which depend on a massive spinning object.
  • #1
MathematicalPhysicist
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what proof will do in order to wrap it up?
do we need a mathematical proof or experimental proof (although i don't know how could do it, perhaps with a thought experiment which the results are known)?

for the question of thought experiment could the time paradoxes do it for a proof that time travel is impossible?
 
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  • #2
i don't think its possible to disprove timetravel (yet), even on a macroscopic level.

you are trying to prove a negative which is hard to do.

i don't think it can be disproved with mathematics due to Godel's incompleteness theorem.

the various time travel paradoxes are only paradoxes if you believe things will have a 'free will' when they go back in time.
 
  • #3
There's not solid proof that (bacwrads) time-travel is impossible, infact in GR there are certain situations where it does occur, though no-one has yet found a physically realistic way.
 
  • #4
There's not solid proof that (bacwrads) time-travel is impossible, infact in GR there are certain situations where it does occur, though no-one has yet found a physically realistic way.

There are? What are they?
 
  • #5
Well one involves a rotating universe (a Godel universe) and the other infinitely long cylinders (Van Stokum cylinders)
 
  • #6
would you care to explain about the latter?
 
  • #7
Orbits around infinitely long cyclinders can lead to temporally closed loops in GR.
 
  • #8
The cylinders have to be rotating and massive. IIRC the circumference had to be moving at above 1/3 the speed of light. James Tipler had a piece of this solution too. If I am not mistaken there are CTCs (closed timelike curves) in the neighborhood of a Kerr (spinning) black hole also.

All of these solutions depend on a massive spinning object. The idea is that the combination of high curvature due to strong gravity and weird coordinates due to spin will cause the light cones to tip over so that the past cone of one point overlaps the future cone of a nearby one, enabling a timelike path that goes into the past and returns.
 
  • #9
Proof against time travel? Forward time travel happens whenever two bodies have differing velocities relative to each other, and has been measured and recorded with atomic clocks on airplanes. The only limiting factor to how far forwards in time you can travel is how fast you can go..

Secondly, isn't backwards time travel (FOR SMALL INTERVALS OF TIME) not only possible, but an essential part of Feynmans QED theory?

So NO, their will never be proof against it, only proof for it!
 
  • #11
The proof should right first

If the question is wrong or no value, no mean to proof by some times.
specialy in a future study direction, I think it is no mean.
 
  • #12
Adrian,

feynmann did argue the possibility of time travel (for the subatomic world anyway). In a simplified sense, He argued the existence of positrons as electrons floating backwards in time with the photons given off in e+ e- interactions as the U-turn in time triggers. The one really interesting extrapelation from this idea is that there could be only one electron in the universe.
 

1. Can time travel really be proven impossible?

Yes, based on current scientific understanding and theories, it is widely accepted that time travel is not possible. While there are some theoretical concepts and hypotheses that suggest it could be possible in certain circumstances, there is no concrete evidence or scientific proof that it can actually be achieved.

2. What is the main argument against time travel?

The main argument against time travel is the concept of causality, which states that an effect cannot occur before its cause. Time travel would essentially violate this fundamental principle, as a person traveling back in time could potentially change events and alter the future, creating paradoxes and contradictions.

3. Are there any experiments or studies that have been done to prove time travel is impossible?

No, there have not been any experiments or studies specifically aimed at proving time travel is impossible. However, many scientific experiments and tests have been conducted to explore the concepts of time and space, and all have consistently shown that time travel is not possible within our current understanding of physics.

4. Could future advancements in technology make time travel possible?

It is highly unlikely that future technological advancements will make time travel possible. Time travel would require a complete understanding and mastery of concepts such as space-time, gravity, and causality, which are currently beyond our capabilities. Additionally, even if technology were to advance to the point where time travel could be theoretically possible, it would come with significant ethical and moral concerns.

5. Is it possible that we just haven't discovered the right theory yet to explain time travel?

While it is always possible that future scientific discoveries and theories may change our understanding of time travel, it is highly unlikely that a single theory would completely overturn our current understanding of the laws of physics. Additionally, any new theories would need to be consistent with existing evidence and observations, which currently do not support the idea of time travel.

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