I’ve resigned myself to the fact that time travel will not be available in my lifespan. I do still believe that it is a very strong possibility though. Everything I’ve read on the topic points to the reality of time travel, specifically time travel forwards, backwards is a hell of lot harder. Maybe forwards time travel is a reality in my lifetime? I like the idea that maybe I’m still around in a thousand years from now thanks to accelerated forward time travel?
Cool.
But it is the backwards time traveller that has my pity (to a degree). Assuming that when you go back in time you are able to interact I have to imagine that the individuals selected to do so are extraordinarily well trained and disciplined.
Imagine though the thought process that must go through one’s mind when you know the horror that is to come.
To be talking to someone who you’ll know will die in some unpleasent circumstances, one word given from you could change all of that. But of course you have to be detached, like a reporter, you just don’t get involved.
I think immediately after the event would be the hardest, the helplessness as time and events march on. Some of these events are hard enough to watch now when you couldn’t have done a thing in the first place!
Yeah, this is the kind of stuff I lay awake at night thinking about.
Next time you can’t sleep try to work out how you would go about convincing someone in the past that you’re from the future. Sure you can tell them some large scale events to confirm your knowledge but more often this would require time to prove. Imagine you wake up and it is October 15th 1991. Anyone have an idea what was going on in the world around that time withoutlooking it up?
Makes your brain hurt.
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20/05/2008 at 9:44 pm Permalink
1991..weren’t there major riots in LA?
The exact day…dunno..but Jeltsin in the Kremlin..
Brainhistory.com tells me: Event:
‘Clarence Thomas is confirmed as Supreme Court Justice’
..but don’t know if that was bad or good
can’t find much even after looking for a while..probably looking in the wrong places.
Arjans last blog post..Meeting a Ms. psycho bitch
20/05/2008 at 9:47 pm Permalink
and more ontopic: as soon as I start thinking about time travelling I bounce on the whole parallel universe/meeting yourself/great-great-great grandparents problem..what happens if you don’t get born etc.
Arjans last blog post..Meeting a Ms. psycho bitch
20/05/2008 at 11:16 pm Permalink
Arjan - I wouldn’t have remembered any of those events, especially not close enough to that date to prove I know what was going to happen.
Time travel is one of my favourite topics after a brew or two on a Saturday night
21/05/2008 at 1:45 pm Permalink
10/15/91… uh… without looking it up? No.
Heck, even with looking it up I’m having a hard time…
Apparently Clarence Thomas was confirmed to the US Supreme Court that day. Doubt that’s what you meant.
The membership criteria for the Commonwealth Of Nations was created 5 days later (on my birthday, I might add.)
There was a gunman in Texas on the 16th….
My wife is guessing Desert Shield was around then.
Other than that … I give up.
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21/05/2008 at 2:56 pm Permalink
I don’t know either… I think it would be really hard not to refer to stuff in the future… so the “training” would have to be intense.
I can’t remember what I was doing in say 1991 so very difficult to remember anything interesting about anyone else.
As for warning people… well apart from…
“don’t go up the WTC on September 11″ I’m not sure I could tell anyone anything useful anyway… what were the flight numbers again?
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21/05/2008 at 7:25 pm Permalink
Well, my brain hurt just reading your post so I’ll leave all the thinking to you.
I’ve tried to contemplate the concept before and all I get for my efforts is a headache. LOL.
As for October 1991 - Pretty sure I was studying for year 12 exams. Maybe I could go back and tell myself what’s on the exams. That could be useful!!!!
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21/05/2008 at 8:05 pm Permalink
Jeff - see how hard it would be! I guess the Gulf War if you can wait a couple of months to be proved right but it’s not like anyone couldn’t see that coming at the time.
21/05/2008 at 8:06 pm Permalink
Cellobella - imagine no email, or google arggggg
21/05/2008 at 8:07 pm Permalink
Lightening - that’s if you could remember the questions!!
21/05/2008 at 8:23 pm Permalink
Oh, I hadn’t thought about that slight technicality. Ummm….no idea what the questions were actually….. Doh!
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