Hm, probably not, too much potential chaos that will be unleashed once people know that time travel is possible. Though I probably would just use it to go back in time to verify things that have become legend and maybe use it to attack a few people that have made my life worse right as they reach the end of their useful lifespan.
You find out how to time travel, do you tell anyone?
- Thread starter TheScottishFella
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I'd go public. Tell everybody.
If I can figure it out, somebody else can, too. Going public vastly improves the chance that we'll find a way to check for and stop people trying to modify history for their own benefit. If history can be changed at all, of course.
If history is immutable, there's no downside at all to telling everyone, and we can use the device to observe and learn. I've always wanted to know what colors dinosaurs were, for starters.
If I can figure it out, somebody else can, too. Going public vastly improves the chance that we'll find a way to check for and stop people trying to modify history for their own benefit. If history can be changed at all, of course.
If history is immutable, there's no downside at all to telling everyone, and we can use the device to observe and learn. I've always wanted to know what colors dinosaurs were, for starters.
That in itself is slightly paradoxic because it the future it will then be the past so essentially you would be changing the past anyway.Subzerowings said:
Pretty much this. Except with more flexible ethics.Roxor said:
Given that any time machine would have to be able to travel in space too, otherwise it'd be worthless.
Time back in time a day ... AAAAAH! I'M FLOATING IN SPACE I DID NOT EXPECT THIS I AM THE WORST TIME TRAVELER EVER!
I would tell me.
That's about it, though. In fact, I'd probably just travel back about 2 years, and then ditch it. Introduce myself to past me, get me to introduce me to people as my twin brother, and see how it goes. If we're talking alternate universe time-travel, job done.
If not, it could become a little awkward when I have to persuade other me to go back in time again, but meh.
Oh, and I'd look up a couple of mid-range lottery wins in the mean time. The several million pound jackpots would draw too much attention, but a couple of thousand wouldn't go amiss.
That's about it, though. In fact, I'd probably just travel back about 2 years, and then ditch it. Introduce myself to past me, get me to introduce me to people as my twin brother, and see how it goes. If we're talking alternate universe time-travel, job done.
If not, it could become a little awkward when I have to persuade other me to go back in time again, but meh.
Oh, and I'd look up a couple of mid-range lottery wins in the mean time. The several million pound jackpots would draw too much attention, but a couple of thousand wouldn't go amiss.
It really depends on the method and the result to the 'now'.
1) One person can go back and replaces themselves in the past (one way trip) - I won't share it (since I won't have any guarantee it won't affect past/present me) but use it to improve my life somehow. Make different decisions, win the lottery etc..
2) Return trip to the past, but changes there will result in changes to the present - I won't share it, since otherwise someone else could screw me over even inadvertently. I'll again use it for my benefit (lottery numbers for example).
3) Return trip to the past without consequences to the present - I'll try to monetize this as a kind of tourism.
So basically, no I won't tell a soul unless I know it has no possible consequences on my own person.
But since there are no time travelers around now, Niven's Law on Time Travel must be true: "If the universe of discourse permits the possibility of time travel and of changing the past, then no time machine will be invented in that universe."
1) One person can go back and replaces themselves in the past (one way trip) - I won't share it (since I won't have any guarantee it won't affect past/present me) but use it to improve my life somehow. Make different decisions, win the lottery etc..
2) Return trip to the past, but changes there will result in changes to the present - I won't share it, since otherwise someone else could screw me over even inadvertently. I'll again use it for my benefit (lottery numbers for example).
3) Return trip to the past without consequences to the present - I'll try to monetize this as a kind of tourism.
So basically, no I won't tell a soul unless I know it has no possible consequences on my own person.
But since there are no time travelers around now, Niven's Law on Time Travel must be true: "If the universe of discourse permits the possibility of time travel and of changing the past, then no time machine will be invented in that universe."
I would gather a large group of graduate students, and we would all travel back to the ancient world and make copies of EVERYTHING in the Library of Alexandria.
Having completed the most exciting archival project in the history of Earth (and given a major boost to the careers of all the grad students involved), I would return to the future and patent my technology. I would then proceed to flog it to any corporation interested. Capitalism being what it is, time travel would be expensive at first, but pretty soon the price would drop enough that everyone would have some piece of temporal engineering in their homes. Everyone would be changing the past! History would become chaos! The grad students' careers would be over before they even began!
It would be hilarious.
Having completed the most exciting archival project in the history of Earth (and given a major boost to the careers of all the grad students involved), I would return to the future and patent my technology. I would then proceed to flog it to any corporation interested. Capitalism being what it is, time travel would be expensive at first, but pretty soon the price would drop enough that everyone would have some piece of temporal engineering in their homes. Everyone would be changing the past! History would become chaos! The grad students' careers would be over before they even began!
It would be hilarious.
Yes i would, because even if they told or claimed it was them, i would travel back in time and stop them.
Of course i might tease some people who have made some really bad decisions (not like being cruel) and then SHABAM!
Fixed.
Of course i might tease some people who have made some really bad decisions (not like being cruel) and then SHABAM!
Fixed.
