Mathematicians have calculated that time travel is possible, however before you start your plans to stop yourself buying ‘No Mans Sky’, there is a catch.
Ben Tippett from the University of British Columbia and David Tsang from the University of Maryland have together created a mathematical framework which would make time travelling a reality, there is, however, one teeny tiny hypothetical issue, the existence of “exotic matter”. So, what is “exotic matter” exactly? – Well, since I do not have a degree in physics, I will attempt (probably badly) to explain what this framework is based upon.
Albert Einstein theorised the laws of general relativity. This law suggested that gravity could affect how light travels through space and it was indeed proven that gravity does cause light to bend. A similar instance of this we see on planet earth is at the sunrise and sunset, our atmosphere curves the light of the sun making it appear still visible even though the reality is that the sun is past the horizon. Before someone who does understand science attempts to lynch me over this, I’m merely using it as an example, the reasoning for the sunset illusion is very different.
With me so far?… well this time travelling theory is based on a hypothetically matter (“exotic matter”) which bends time rather than light.
Ben Tippet explains that: “There is evidence showing the closer to a black hole we get, time moves slower, my model of a time machine uses the curved spacetime to bend time into a circle for the passengers, not in a straight line. That circle takes us back in time.”
So, it seems that the framework might be one step forward (in that we have a mathematical theory), however one step backwards (in that it’s reliant on a big X Factor in “Exotic Matter”).
If however it is proven that time travel is possible, eTeknix will of course report to you about it last month.
