A Problem With Time Travel

[TheGreatCoolEnergy]

Alright as we all know there are 4 dimensions: Length width hieght and time. The idea of time travel is the ability to manipulate the flow of time, so that you could pause a moment, relive past moments, or expierience things yet to happen(assuming the flow isnt altered).

Now my question here is about the time travel in movies/games. in most forms of media, people can 'pause' time, alowing them to do things while others are completely frozen. This brings me to my question: If one where to completely stop time as stated, wouldn't they not be able to see anything while it is stopped? Since there would be no light reflecting of objects, because the light has stopped also, then there would be no light traveling to your eye and being interpreted by your brain. Therefor, when time was paused everything would be pitch dark. Right?

 

[Neonbob]

...you are asking us to explain how something used in science fiction works...
Do I need to say anything more?

 

[Proteus214]

If time stopped, you wouldn't even perceive it. For all we know the flow of time may vary as much as the tides in the ocean. The problem is, our brains depend on the flow of electric current, which in turn depends on the flow of time. If time were to stop for any length of time (I regret that statement, my brain just exploded too) we would not notice it at all and we wouldn't have a true way to measure it either.

 

[Avaholic03]

Perhaps they are keeping themselves and the light around them un-frozen. Or more likely, they are freezing those around them while the rest of the universe (light included) continues. Why does it have to make sense?

 

[Cargando]

Five, you forgot gravity.

Anyway, yes you are right but hey, it's just a film right?

 

[chaosdagger]

Five, you forgot gravity.

Anyway, yes you are right but hey, it's just a film right?

Gravity is a force of phsyics not a dimension.

Also the "fourth" dimension wouldn't be time but rather "Space-Time" as Einstien theorised, Space and time are not seperate (A currently held belief) but one in the same.

If you actually stopped time, it would stop you as well. I believe the use of Time Stop in games is simply the process of freezing the local area around one's self, preventing the people and objects from moving through time, but not the process of freezing time its self. Anyway it doesn't really matter since it's Sci-fi anyway... it doesn't have to make sense

 

[Diablini]

*Starts sucking his tumb*

Uh, no. That light is already touching your eyes and your brain has already received it. The proper question is, when someone stops time, how can he play it again if he is also influenced by time?

 

[Cargando]

Five, you forgot gravity.

Anyway, yes you are right but hey, it's just a film right?

Gravity is a force of phsyics not a dimension.

Also the "fourth" dimension wouldn't be time but rather "Space-Time" as Einstien theorised, Space and time are not seperate (A currently held belief) but one in the same.

If you actually stopped time, it would stop you as well. I believe the use of Time Stop in games is simply the process of freezing the local area around one's self, preventing the people and objects from moving through time, but not the process of freezing time its self. Anyway it doesn't really matter since it's Sci-fi anyway... it doesn't have to make sense

Common misconception I'm afraid, Gravity is name of the [i/]effect[/i] not the force. Think of it like a ball rolling down a hill. Gravity is what's happening to it, but no-one knows what the creates the attraction to the mass of the Earth. Okay, I was being a bit of a smartass with the five-dimensions thing, that's merely a theory. One that I don't agree with. I believe in the Graviton theory.

 

[The_ModeRazor]

Five, you forgot gravity.

Anyway, yes you are right but hey, it's just a film right?

Gravity is a force of phsyics not a dimension.

Also the "fourth" dimension wouldn't be time but rather "Space-Time" as Einstien theorised, Space and time are not seperate (A currently held belief) but one in the same.

If you actually stopped time, it would stop you as well. I believe the use of Time Stop in games is simply the process of freezing the local area around one's self, preventing the people and objects from moving through time, but not the process of freezing time its self. Anyway it doesn't really matter since it's Sci-fi anyway... it doesn't have to make sense

Common misconception I'm afraid, Gravity is name of the [i/]effect[/i] not the force. Think of it like a ball rolling down a hill. Gravity is what's happening to it, but no-one knows what the creates the attraction to the mass of the Earth. Okay, I was being a bit of a smartass with the five-dimensions thing, that's merely a theory. One that I don't agree with. I believe in the Graviton theory.

I think it's actually called Gravitational Force. So gravity is the force. The effect is that things fall on you.
OT: Time travel always made my head go blank.
And yes, I think you're right about the pitch black thing, but you don't necessarily stop time itself, just sorta freeze things about you. Maybe excludin light. It's Sci-fi right?

 

[TheGreatCoolEnergy]

Good theories so far...

If time stopped, you wouldn't even perceive it. For all we know the flow of time may vary as much as the tides in the ocean. The problem is, our brains depend on the flow of electric current, which in turn depends on the flow of time. If time were to stop for any length of time (I regret that statement, my brain just exploded too) we would not notice it at all and we wouldn't have a true way to measure it either.

Hmmm perhaps once you can control time you are removed from it's effects? Sort of liek how once you have mastered a magic trick, it is no longer considered magic to you? If time was like a stream, and you wanted to divert said stream, you wouldnt stand in the stream to move it, you would dig up the shore(space?).

*Starts sucking his tumb*

Uh, no. That light is already touching your eyes and your brain has already received it. The proper question is, when someone stops time, how can he play it again if he is also influenced by time?

Yes it would already be percieved but you would only ahve the visual for a split second, as your brain needs a continual feed to keep a continual picture. Thats why when a lightbulb is turned off everything becomes instantly dark. You already saw what was in the room, but the feed was cut off.

On another note, I liek your DP

 

[quiet_samurai]

Five, you forgot gravity.

Anyway, yes you are right but hey, it's just a film right?

Gravity is a force of phsyics not a dimension.

Also the "fourth" dimension wouldn't be time but rather "Space-Time" as Einstien theorised, Space and time are not seperate (A currently held belief) but one in the same.

If you actually stopped time, it would stop you as well. I believe the use of Time Stop in games is simply the process of freezing the local area around one's self, preventing the people and objects from moving through time, but not the process of freezing time its self. Anyway it doesn't really matter since it's Sci-fi anyway... it doesn't have to make sense

Common misconception I'm afraid, Gravity is name of the [i/]effect[/i] not the force. Think of it like a ball rolling down a hill. Gravity is what's happening to it, but no-one knows what the creates the attraction to the mass of the Earth. Okay, I was being a bit of a smartass with the five-dimensions thing, that's merely a theory. One that I don't agree with. I believe in the Graviton theory.

I read somewhere the we still don't know where gravity really comes from. We know where it is in space and what it does to the environment around it, but we don't know the actual origin of it. It was a long time ago and I don' really remember it clearly, but I find the multi-dimensional theory quite fascinating.

 

[Maze1125]

The speed of light is constant regardless of your momentum through space-time.
So, even you have no momentum through time, light will still appear to be travelling at the speed of light. And so you would be able to see.

 

[TheGreatCoolEnergy]

You would kinda see stuff, as the light from other objects would be "frozen" in place and your eye would still be able to see it. When you moved closer to things they would seem to move forward in time as the light closer to the object would be more recent and when you moved backwards the opposite would happen (this would probably be unnoticable). However if you altered anything you would not be able to see the changes taking effect as "new" light would not emit from that object.

Another thing I've always wondered about:

Force = Mass*Acceleration and Acceleration = Speed/Time

In this context mass is constant, and the time period would always be zero when you do something, this means if you punched someone in the face while time as frozen the force on them would be:

Mass of Fist * Speed of Fist/0 = Mass of Fist * Infinity = Infinity

So, would they like, explode, or something? Someone tell me if my Physics is wrong.

not a bad theory, but i think taht if you punched someone in freeze time, they would only move as far as your fist moved forward in space. Once time was restarted all the force that had been transferred during the punch would take affect again. Therefor the force would opperate under the normal flow of time and they wouldnt explode

 

[Cargando]

Five, you forgot gravity.

Anyway, yes you are right but hey, it's just a film right?

Gravity is a force of phsyics not a dimension.

Also the "fourth" dimension wouldn't be time but rather "Space-Time" as Einstien theorised, Space and time are not seperate (A currently held belief) but one in the same.

If you actually stopped time, it would stop you as well. I believe the use of Time Stop in games is simply the process of freezing the local area around one's self, preventing the people and objects from moving through time, but not the process of freezing time its self. Anyway it doesn't really matter since it's Sci-fi anyway... it doesn't have to make sense

Common misconception I'm afraid, Gravity is name of the [i/]effect[/i] not the force. Think of it like a ball rolling down a hill. Gravity is what's happening to it, but no-one knows what the creates the attraction to the mass of the Earth. Okay, I was being a bit of a smartass with the five-dimensions thing, that's merely a theory. One that I don't agree with. I believe in the Graviton theory.

I think it's actually called Gravitational Force. So gravity is the force. The effect is that things fall on you.
OT: Time travel always made my head go blank.
And yes, I think you're right about the pitch black thing, but you don't necessarily stop time itself, just sorta freeze things about you. Maybe excludin light. It's Sci-fi right?

Gravity is the effect, here's a quick webpage to clarify: http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/phy99/phy99x85.htm

 

[TheGreatCoolEnergy]

The speed of light is constant regardless of your momentum through space-time.
So, even you have no momentum through time, light will still appear to be travelling at the speed of light. And so you would be able to see.

Hmmm makes sense, and it is a logical answer to my question.

 

[JemJar]

Alright as we all know there are 4 dimensions: Length width hieght and time. The idea of time travel is the ability to manipulate the flow of time, so that you could pause a moment, relive past moments, or expierience things yet to happen(assuming the flow isnt altered).

Now my question here is about the time travel in movies/games. in most forms of media, people can 'pause' time, alowing them to do things while others are completely frozen. This brings me to my question: If one where to completely stop time as stated, wouldn't they not be able to see anything while it is stopped? Since there would be no light reflecting of objects, because the light has stopped also, then there would be no light traveling to your eye and being interpreted by your brain. Therefor, when time was paused everything would be pitch dark. Right?

Screw sight, how do they breathe?

 

[The_ModeRazor]

Five, you forgot gravity.

Anyway, yes you are right but hey, it's just a film right?

Gravity is a force of phsyics not a dimension.

Also the "fourth" dimension wouldn't be time but rather "Space-Time" as Einstien theorised, Space and time are not seperate (A currently held belief) but one in the same.

If you actually stopped time, it would stop you as well. I believe the use of Time Stop in games is simply the process of freezing the local area around one's self, preventing the people and objects from moving through time, but not the process of freezing time its self. Anyway it doesn't really matter since it's Sci-fi anyway... it doesn't have to make sense

Common misconception I'm afraid, Gravity is name of the [i/]effect[/i] not the force. Think of it like a ball rolling down a hill. Gravity is what's happening to it, but no-one knows what the creates the attraction to the mass of the Earth. Okay, I was being a bit of a smartass with the five-dimensions thing, that's merely a theory. One that I don't agree with. I believe in the Graviton theory.

I think it's actually called Gravitational Force. So gravity is the force. The effect is that things fall on you.
OT: Time travel always made my head go blank.
And yes, I think you're right about the pitch black thing, but you don't necessarily stop time itself, just sorta freeze things about you. Maybe excludin light. It's Sci-fi right?

Gravity is the effect, here's a quick webpage to clarify: http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/phy99/phy99x85.htm

Things still fall on you. So I was almost right.

 

[klakkat]

You do realize, this is only one of Thousands of issues with time travel, correct?

In fiction, it's generally easier to say that whatever gives them the power to manipulate time also compensates for side effects, largely because it makes the ability easier to perceive and deal with for the audience.

 

[Diablini]

Good theories so far...

If time stopped, you wouldn't even perceive it. For all we know the flow of time may vary as much as the tides in the ocean. The problem is, our brains depend on the flow of electric current, which in turn depends on the flow of time. If time were to stop for any length of time (I regret that statement, my brain just exploded too) we would not notice it at all and we wouldn't have a true way to measure it either.

Hmmm perhaps once you can control time you are removed from it's effects? Sort of liek how once you have mastered a magic trick, it is no longer considered magic to you? If time was like a stream, and you wanted to divert said stream, you wouldnt stand in the stream to move it, you would dig up the shore(space?).

*Starts sucking his tumb*

Uh, no. That light is already touching your eyes and your brain has already received it. The proper question is, when someone stops time, how can he play it again if he is also influenced by time?

Yes it would already be percieved but you would only ahve the visual for a split second, as your brain needs a continual feed to keep a continual picture. Thats why when a lightbulb is turned off everything becomes instantly dark. You already saw what was in the room, but the feed was cut off.

On another note, I liek your DP

I don't think you get it, yes, your brain needs a constant feed, but not when time has stoped. It will just stay at the last feed.

 

[Cargando]

Things still fall on you. So I was almost right.

Yeah. But we still don't know what's making them fall on you.