Is time travel ethical?

David · Feb 5, 2010

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8242243689164201392#

Is time travel ethical? Apparently they're building a time machine, so it would seem this is a relevant question.

DodgeFB · Feb 5, 2010

Well sign me up! Send me back about 50 years!

David · Feb 5, 2010

DodgeFB said:
Well sign me up! Send me back about 50 years!

I'm afraid it'll only send a few particles back in time, like the teleporter tech we have now. Now maybe in 200 years...

Dirk · Feb 5, 2010

David said:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8242243689164201392#

Is time travel ethical? Apparently they're building a time machine, so it would seem this is a relevant question.

Well, one can only travel forward in time, according to the laws of physics. You can only go back so far as a time machine exists. I presume this is the first one?

David · Feb 5, 2010

Dirk said:
Well, one can only travel forward in time, according to the laws of physics. You can only go back so far as a time machine exists. I presume this is the first one?

The doco I linked to says as much and yes, it'll be the 1st 1.

Nemo · Feb 6, 2010

The "good ol' days" were never so good for all the bad times.

DodgeFB · Feb 6, 2010

Nemo said:
The "good ol' days" were never so good for all the bad times.

In my case, the old days were much better than now and my future.

Daktoria · Feb 6, 2010

Video reminds me of something I would've watched in 5th grade science class.

Are there any paradoxes in particular you want to talk about, David, or are you just curious about the ethical speculations out now?

Dirk · Feb 6, 2010

DodgeFB said:
In my case, the old days were much better than now and my future.

But... the old days were... segregated...

David · Feb 6, 2010

Dirk said:
But... the old days were... segregated...

And today isn't? My state (Florida) has yet to ratify the Civil Rights Act and most school districts have yet to integrate, several even getting court orders to do so just last year (front page news, that).

David · Feb 6, 2010

Daktoria said:
or are you just curious about the ethical speculations out now?

Yes. Obviously this tech will evolve to the point were humans will be able to travel. It's a far simpler concept then teleportation, I can see this getting to be practical within a century.

deanhills · Feb 8, 2010

I don't understand. What are the actual ethical objections of time travel? How could it be unethical?

David · Feb 8, 2010

deanhills said:
I don't understand. What are the actual ethical objections of time travel? How could it be unethical?

you don't see how screwing with the past might be unethical?

deanhills · Feb 8, 2010

David said:
you don't see how screwing with the past might be unethical?

OK, think I get the message. Like arranging things in such a way that a million plus dollars are transferred to your current banking account?

Dirk · Feb 8, 2010

deanhills said:
OK, think I get the message. Like arranging things in such a way that a million plus dollars are transferred to your current banking account?

Or even something apparently non-consequential.

Butterfly effect etc.

David · Feb 8, 2010

Dirk said:
Or even something apparently non-consequential.

Butterfly effect etc.

Ya, kill some irrelevant peasant in the middle ages and Hitler is never born. Kill "Eve" (The biological common ancestor to all humans) and humanity evolved in a radically different direction due to a different set of genes.

deanhills · Feb 8, 2010

David said:
Ya, kill some irrelevant peasant in the middle ages and Hitler is never born. Kill "Eve" (The biological common ancestor to all humans) and humanity evolved in a radically different direction due to a different set of genes.

Well if Hitler was not born, who is to say that there would not have been another social democrat who would have done exactly what he did. Germany had been ready for a Hitler, or someone similar to him? Perhaps even worse than him? :unsure:

David · Feb 8, 2010

deanhills said:
Well if Hitler was not born, who is to say that there would not have been another social democrat who would have done exactly what he did. Germany had been ready for a Hitler, or someone similar to him? Perhaps even worse than him? :unsure:

Exactly. The ethical questions are numerous.

deanhills · Feb 8, 2010

David said:
Exactly. The ethical questions are numerous.

Thinking about it though, will we really alter historic events, as maybe the individuals are a product of the history at the time. Perhaps one cannot make a difference by removing a leader here and there? All of it will still go down in the same way.

David · Feb 8, 2010

deanhills said:
Thinking about it though, will we really alter historic events, as maybe the individuals are a product of the history at the time. Perhaps one cannot make a difference by removing a leader here and there? All of it will still go down in the same way.

Or nothing will change and you'll just create a parallel universe ie. the new Star Trek movie.

Is time travel ethical?

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