From: schamber@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca (Sylvain Chamberland)
Subject: Modern THEORIES and Reality (was RE: S.O.S. signal!)
Followup-To: rec.arts.startrek.misc
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 14:23:59 GMT

In article <1992Sep25.154217.687@altair.selu.edu> scsd1005@altair.selu.edu (Terry Cooper) writes:
>In article <1992Sep25.164850.15170@gdr.bath.ac.uk>, mapmh@gdr.bath.ac.uk (M Hagger) writes:
>     [...stuff deleted]
>
>> Few things annoy me more than the phrase "but time travel is NOT possible,
>> so this whole thing is irrelevant", this is like the phrase "travel faster
>> than the speed of sound is impossible", or other similiar naive comments.
>> I don't mean to flame anyone here, but no-one has the authority to say
>> "it's not possible" about ANYTHING, we just don't KNOW!  For all we know
>> Einstein could be completely wrong about relativity (after all it IS only
>> a POSTULATE) he could be close in the sense that Newtonian physics is close,
>> but not correct.
>> 
>> and if anyone even thinks about mentioning a paradox to do with travel
>> back in time I won't answer for the consequences.......
>> 
>It doesn't matter how annoyed you get. You obviously do NOT
>understand the principles involved. For example, you equate "FTL
>travel is impossible" with "Time travel backward is impossible."
>When we say that FTL travel is not possible, we are speaking in
>terms of our present knowledge of the laws of the physical
>universe. It is entirely possible that as our knowledge increases
>we will be able to achieve FTL travel by utilizing technology
>based on a new understanding of physics.
>
>New technology based on new scientific discoveries may well
>enable us to achieve FTL travel. If that happens, there's no
>reason to believe that causality becomes subject to violation.
>Not so with backward time travel.
>
>When it comes to backward time travel, it doesn't matter how much
>our knowledge of science increases and how much more adept at
>technology we become. When you say that time travel is possible,
>you're saying that you do not recognize the validity and efficacy
>of causality. You simply cannot just dismiss causality. Nor can
>you dismiss willy-nilly the concerns about "paradox." Such are
>the characteristics of shallow thinkers and uninformed minds.
>
>    P A R A D O X   P A R A D O X   P A R A D O X   P A R A D O X
>
>There!  Consider it mentioned!
>
>    best,
>     ...terry

Sorry if I quoted all the post, but I wanted people to have the context.

Sorry Terry, but to a layman in physics like me, you did not at all say
why travel backward would be impossible.
Now, if doing so involves physics principles and equations, then I thank
you for not torturing us with that. :)

But just consider one thing: once, human "scientists" were absolutely
positive that Earth was plate.

NO, we don't know ANYTHING for sure in science. You cannot
dismiss any fantasy on the basis of actual THEORIES. Correct me if I'm
wrong, but nobody knows for sure Einstein was right. His model seems to
work. That's all. Nobody knows for sure it's the "pure truth".
Nobody succeeded to prove the existence nor the inexistence of what we
call God.

Nobody can prove beyond any doubts that travel BACKWARD is impossible.
Because actual theories about time and space are just that. THEORIES.
In biology or in physics, we use models to try to explain the universe.
Einstein's model seems to work. Darwin's model seems reasonably right.
That does not mean they are pure thruth. They are MODELS.

Please don't forget that.

BTW I moved the thread to r.a.s.m...

Regards,

-- 
Sylvain Chamberland           INTERNET: schamber@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca   
Dept. of Biology          -----------------------------------------------------
University of Waterloo    |  "Biochimiste un jour, biochimiste toujours!"
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada |                               - anonyme