Is it possible to experience time loops?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the possibility of experiencing time loops, particularly in the context of popular media representations, such as the movie "Groundhog Day." Participants explore whether such phenomena are permissible under the laws of physics, touching on theoretical concepts and personal anecdotes.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about the feasibility of time loops as depicted in films, expressing a desire for a physics-based explanation.
  • Another participant suggests researching closed timelike curves, noting the complexity of understanding time in this context.
  • Some participants assert that while mathematical models can describe loops in spacetime, they do not align with the narrative of reliving time as in "Groundhog Day," citing paradoxes and Novikov's consistency principle.
  • There is a discussion about the lack of physical content in the movie "Groundhog Day," with some participants dismissing it as purely fictional or magical.
  • One participant shares a personal anecdote about a friend claiming to have experienced a day multiple times, prompting speculation about the friend's state of mind.
  • Responses to the friend's claim suggest skepticism, attributing it to possible intoxication or delusion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that the concept of time loops as portrayed in films does not align with established physics, but there is no consensus on the nature of personal experiences related to time perception.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference mathematical descriptions of time loops and the conditions necessary for their existence, which are considered impossible under current understanding. There is also mention of the implications of paradoxes associated with such concepts.

TheQuestionGuy14
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I haven't been on here in a while and have forgotten a lot of my physics knowledge, which is annoying.

I just want to know, are time loops possible? Like the ones that appear in movies where a character relives a period of time. Is this allowed by the laws of physics? I know it's not really a physics question but this stuff is important to me, if someone with knowledge of physics is able to explain it. Thanks.
 
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Do a google search for closed timelike curves.

Note that the worldline of a person is a timelike curve, so if it were close it's hard for me to make sense of the concept of time.
 
No.

Mathematically, we can describe "loops" in spacetime where you can pass the same event twice, but that doesn't operate like Groundhog Day. Every other time you went round the loop would be present every time. And all the potential for paradox that implies lead Novikov to propose his consistency principle, which boils down to "you can't change anything".

Furthermore, although we can describe such structures mathematically, the conditions necessary for them to actually exist are impossible as far as we know (negative energy densities and the like).
 
Ibix said:
No.

Mathematically, we can describe "loops" in spacetime where you can pass the same event twice, but that doesn't operate like Groundhog Day. Every other time you went round the loop would be present every time. And all the potential for paradox that implies lead Novikov to propose his consistency principle, which boils down to "you can't change anything".

Furthermore, although we can describe such structures mathematically, the conditions necessary for them to actually exist are impossible as far as we know (negative energy densities and the like).

Interesting. So, what's really happening in the movie Groundhog Day? Is it anything of physics or just magic?
 
TheQuestionGuy14 said:
Interesting. So, what's really happening in the movie Groundhog Day? Is it anything of physics or just magic?
Fun movie, zero physics content.
 
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TheQuestionGuy14 said:
Interesting. So, what's really happening in the movie Groundhog Day? Is it anything of physics or just magic?
Magic. I have trouble imagining a physical model that could measure Bill Murray's character development and stop the loop when he had done enough to get the girl.
 
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Nugatory said:
Fun movie, zero physics content.

Ok, I understand, but I know this sounds crazy, but my friend keeps insisting he lived a day multiple times like the movie Groundhog Day. Why would he say that?
 
TheQuestionGuy14 said:
Why would he say that?
Drunk, stoned, delusional, pulling your leg?

Remember Occam's Razor.
 
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Your question was answered in post #3 above.

The thread is closed.
 
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