Is Time Travel Possible Through Black Holes?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the plausibility of time travel through black holes, exploring theoretical concepts, potential mechanisms, and the implications of such phenomena. Participants engage with ideas related to black holes, wormholes, and the effects of extreme gravitational forces on time perception.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants argue that time travel via black holes is purely science fiction, while others suggest it may be theoretically possible through mechanisms like wormholes.
  • One viewpoint proposes that approaching the event horizon of a black hole could allow for significant time dilation, leading to time travel into the future as perceived by external observers.
  • Another participant mentions the concept of spaghettification, suggesting that survival through the event horizon poses significant challenges.
  • A claim is made that stars can nearly reach the speed of light when orbiting black holes, raising questions about their visibility and potential time-trapping effects.
  • Counterarguments highlight that stars cannot survive close encounters with black holes and that nothing with rest mass can travel at the speed of light.
  • Some participants speculate on the idea of slowing light to achieve time travel, though this remains highly theoretical and contentious.
  • Concerns are raised about the implications of reverse time travel, with references to Einstein's theories and the potential for causal chaos.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally disagree on the feasibility of time travel through black holes, with multiple competing views presented. Some express skepticism about the concepts discussed, while others explore various theoretical possibilities.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include unresolved assumptions about the nature of black holes, the effects of extreme gravitational forces, and the definitions of speed and mass in the context of relativistic physics.

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Black holes-- time travel?

Is it plausible for something to time travel by means of a black hole, or is that entirely science fiction?
 
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Entirely science fiction.

For a worm-hole it is still far from plausible, but none-the-less possible.
 


It would be an effective way to time travel to the future. Fly your spaceship just short of the event horizon then pull away. You will be amazed by how much time has passed according to remote observers clocks. As an added bonus, your savings accounts will have greatly increased in value.
 


Pure Sci-Fi. In terms of survival through the event horizon, you'd want to use a big one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaghettification. For one directional time travel to the future, the basic freezing technique aka 'Planet of the Apes' or 'Buck Rogers' seems to be the easiest method.
 


I found that stars can nearly reach the speed of light if their orbit clips a black hole. The gravitational sling shot is so great they near the speed of light. Is it possible that one might reach the speed of light just outside the event horizon and not be seen for a bit...Since if it equals the speed of light it won't appear to move?? Therfore any time that the star is at the speed of light its possible its trapped in time...The Closest I am getting to time travel but its a passion of mine. Oh don't come to me for help I am a hobbyist.
 


LOTS of problems here, but kudos for the creative thinking.
thedeester1 said:
I found that stars can nearly reach the speed of light if their orbit clips a black hole.
1) Stars can't survive such close passes to black-holes because they get ripped apart first.
2) Even if a star somehow made it just-outside the event horizon, it wouldn't be orbiting at the speed of light.

thedeester1 said:
Is it possible that one might reach the speed of light just outside the event horizon and not be seen for a bit...
Nothing with a rest-mass can travel at the speed of light.
thedeester1 said:
Since if it equals the speed of light it won't appear to move??
Not true. Even if something somehow could travel at the speed of light (which it can't), it would still appear to move... only it's internal movements would be frozen in time.
 


If you could slow the speed of light enough then you could travel in time. Everything else would move on but you in the time capsule...Buy lots of diamonds...and try it...Im actually wondering what will happen if he's in there a long time...At worst hell have loads of diamonds.
 


Rest mass doesn't actually work since everything is in motion...its another "constant" that you can't prove!
And the person on that object would be frozen in time...As you look at him he's moving but to him...well...the theory of time travel better is than taking a buss?
 


OK, this is a waste of time. Nothing in this universe can exceed the speed of light. Time travel in reverse [according to einstein] can only be achieved by traveling faster than light. This would wreak causal chaos on the universe - and logic in general. It is merely an amusing, imaginative extension of einstein's theory. Not everything mathematically possible is physically possible in our universe.
 
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