Objections to Previous Time Traveler's Conventions Needed

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around planning a time-traveler's convention, focusing on improving the design and transmission of invitations and methods for proving time travel. Participants explore various creative ideas and considerations for the event, including theoretical implications and practical execution.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Experimental/applied

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes the importance of avoiding design flaws seen in previous conventions, such as the limitations on time travel based on the time machine's existence.
  • Another participant mentions the grandfather paradox as a consideration for the convention's design.
  • A historical account is provided about an MIT student who hosted a time traveler's convention in 2005, emphasizing the unconventional invitation method used.
  • Participants discuss the idea of ensuring that invitations survive potential future apocalyptic events, suggesting durable materials for messages.
  • One suggestion includes carving messages into stone, with a focus on locations that would likely endure over time.
  • Another participant proposes using local parks or cemeteries for durable message placements, considering the involvement of local tourism boards for promotion.
  • Ideas for unconventional message placements include the bottom of the ocean or on the moon, with practical considerations for achieving these goals discussed.
  • Participants express a desire to engage sci-fi writers and fans for further advice on the convention's planning.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a variety of creative ideas and suggestions, but no consensus is reached on specific methods or locations for the invitations. The discussion remains open-ended with multiple competing views on how to effectively communicate the convention's details.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge the challenges of ensuring the survival of messages over time and the feasibility of proposed ideas, but no specific limitations or assumptions are fully resolved.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in event planning, particularly in unconventional or thematic contexts, as well as fans of science fiction and time travel concepts.

whitsona
Messages
28
Reaction score
8
I run a Maker group for teens at the Pensacola MESS Hall. They have decided to host a time-traveler's convention along the lines of the one hosted at MIT and by Stephen Hawking.

The planning committee is looking to improve on previous design flaws in the other conventions. (Dr. Who raised a few...) Can you help us out by listing some things the kids should consider in their design of the invitation, its transmission and the way time travel will be proven?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Yes, sorry!

So, around 2005, a student at MIT read a comic where the author noted that a time traveler's convention only needed to happen once. This gave him the idea to host one. So, they set up such a convention in a dorm room in East Campus. They told no one until after the convention, when an invitation was issued. For this invitation, the students printed out information about the time and date of the convention on acid-free paper and inserted them into old books-- thinking these would be preserved into the future.

In 2009, Stephen Hawking did the same thing. A link to an image of his invitation can be found here. He published his invitation very widely in the media. Still, nobody showed.

I haven't seen the episode, but one of my teens said that Dr. Who once commented about not showing up to one of these and explained why.

My teens are focused on the idea that neither of these invitations would have survived in a post-apocalyptic world and that time travel may come very far in the future-- after maybe more than one post-apocalyptic period. And, they also want to post information about the convention before it happens and not after (so that we can have a pizza party and do a quantum eraser experiment as a little tiny version of time travel). So, they also have the problem of how the time travelers will prove that they are really from the future, since we will preannounce the convention.

Many thanks!
 
How about carving them into stone? NOT "some place that's likely to be preserved", but below the Presidents at Mt. Rushmore and that huge statue of Geronimo.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: whitsona
Noisy Rhysling said:
How about carving them into stone? NOT "some place that's likely to be preserved", but below the Presidents at Mt. Rushmore and that huge statue of Geronimo.
Hmm. We are in the Florida Panhandle. Written in stone, I think I can do. But, getting it to Rushmore would be hard. We are planning this event IRL but figured that sci fi writers and fans would be our best advisers.
 
whitsona said:
Hmm. We are in the Florida Panhandle. Written in stone, I think I can do. But, getting it to Rushmore would be hard. We are planning this event IRL but figured that sci fi writers and fans would be our best advisers.
How about a obelisk in the local area then? Maybe in a local park? The idea is to have a fairly durable and not easily movable object that will be there in the future. Cemeteries and parks are good locations for such things. We have a sculpture park in St. Louis where such an item would be welcomed, I think.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: whitsona
Nice! That I think I can pull off. We are planning to get our local Tourism Board involved to promote it. So, they might be able to help find a location.

Having been to East Campus Dorm at MIT, I would definitely rather go to a Time Traveler's Convention with nice beaches. But, I have to admit, I would go to Hawking's if I had to choose. Just to see the look on his face.

Of course, as a Time Traveler, you don't have to choose just one. You could go to all of them.
 
How about a message at the bottom of the ocean or on the moon?
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: whitsona
whitsona said:
Nice! That I think I can pull off. We are planning to get our local Tourism Board involved to promote it. So, they might be able to help find a location.

Having been to East Campus Dorm at MIT, I would definitely rather go to a Time Traveler's Convention with nice beaches. But, I have to admit, I would go to Hawking's if I had to choose. Just to see the look on his face.

Of course, as a Time Traveler, you don't have to choose just one. You could go to all of them.
You could get a local tombstone maker or granite dealer to donate the raw materials in exchange for a small "Granite courtesy of" plaque, I think. The tombstone people could carve your message. Do a Go Fund Me for ducats if needed?
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: whitsona
  • #10
jedishrfu said:
How about a message at the bottom of the ocean or on the moon?
Bottom of the ocean, we can do. I think we can get help from an oil rig in LA. Has to be achievable IRL. We are actually holding the convention, not just writing about.
 

Similar threads

Graduate Hawking Time Travel Experiment
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
10K
April Fool's Physics Papers 2026
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
146
Graduate It all began with an end - New theory on origin and future of the universe
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
6K