BobGreenwade Posted July 11, 2010 Report Share Posted July 11, 2010 This article on The Daily Galaxy suggests that we are: http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2010/07/is-time-disappearing-from-the-universe-radical-theory-says-yes.html If true, this could have some interesting implications for time-travel stories. I'm not sure what they are yet, but I'm sure some creative minds (such as what we have around here) will come up with some real corkers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beast Posted July 11, 2010 Report Share Posted July 11, 2010 Re: We seem to be losing time... literally! if time is slowing we might be on the edge of a great black hole the big thing is will we come to a gentle stop of time or slam-into-a-wall kind of time stop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted July 11, 2010 Report Share Posted July 11, 2010 Re: We seem to be losing time... literally! Well, let's see... A visitor to this era from the very distant past may continue to operate within the much-faster time frame of that era. Or, someone might be able to artificially access the "energy" of time from the past. Makes for a rationale for super-speedsters. The cyclical nature of the explosion and collapse of the universe may include time as well -- it "runs backward" as the universe falls in on itself. While we perceive the universe as expanding, it may actually be collapsing; and events that already occurred are replaying themselves. Someone who attempts to time-travel into the future might actually go to the past instead, or vice versa, because his assumption of the "direction" time is flowing is backward. There is a finite amount of time available to be shared among all the alternate universes that quantum theory says are possible. As more universes "branch off," the time that each one has is diminished. In order to allow one universe to continue forward indefinitely, someone would have to cause the destruction of most or all the other alternate universes. (I readily admit I'm talking out of my hat as far as what hard science could infer from this theory. I'm just trying to think of story possibilities based on the time-honored sci-fi tradition of, "Whether it's true or not, if it sounds logical, run with it.") Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranxerox Posted July 11, 2010 Report Share Posted July 11, 2010 Re: We seem to be losing time... literally! If time is going missing, clearly someone must be stealing it. Who is this person, where are they storing all their stolen time and what is their agenda? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobGreenwade Posted July 11, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2010 Re: We seem to be losing time... literally! Something that just hit me.... Perhaps time is slowing down because of all the quantum choices and branching-off. Time might or might not ever come to a complete standstill, but it slows down a tiny bit every time a photon or electron goes in multiple directions so all those choices can be tracked. Every time someone travels backward in time, it automatically creates a new timeline -- except that, instead of a branch for just one particle or a few, it creates massive branching for every particle that made the trip back. A person traveling backward through time can put a tremendous strain on the temporal energy in his vicinity. So this creates a good impetus for a story, or even a series of stories (read: RPG campaign) in which the heroes police time-travel to make sure it isn't overused. Someone making a single trip into the past to make his fortune by patenting famous inventions a few years early wouldn't be a concern; someone creating a temporal "underground railroad" to send fugitives into the distant past would. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmjalund Posted July 11, 2010 Report Share Posted July 11, 2010 Re: We seem to be losing time... literally! If time is going missing' date=' clearly someone must be stealing it. Who is this person, where are they storing all their stolen time and what is their agenda?[/quote']The Thief of Time (by Terry Pratchett) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ternaugh Posted July 11, 2010 Report Share Posted July 11, 2010 Re: We seem to be losing time... literally! The Thief of Time (by Terry Pratchett) Have a chocolate. JoeG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranxerox Posted July 12, 2010 Report Share Posted July 12, 2010 Re: We seem to be losing time... literally! The Thief of Time (by Terry Pratchett) Wow, I wasn't actually expecting an answer. I will put on my to read list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest steamteck Posted July 12, 2010 Report Share Posted July 12, 2010 Re: We seem to be losing time... literally! Something that just hit me.... Perhaps time is slowing down because of all the quantum choices and branching-off. Time might or might not ever come to a complete standstill, but it slows down a tiny bit every time a photon or electron goes in multiple directions so all those choices can be tracked. Every time someone travels backward in time, it automatically creates a new timeline -- except that, instead of a branch for just one particle or a few, it creates massive branching for every particle that made the trip back. A person traveling backward through time can put a tremendous strain on the temporal energy in his vicinity. So this creates a good impetus for a story, or even a series of stories (read: RPG campaign) in which the heroes police time-travel to make sure it isn't overused. Someone making a single trip into the past to make his fortune by patenting famous inventions a few years early wouldn't be a concern; someone creating a temporal "underground railroad" to send fugitives into the distant past would. So time is taking more processing power than it used to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPMiller Posted July 12, 2010 Report Share Posted July 12, 2010 Re: We seem to be losing time... literally! Lots an lots of great story/campaign ideas here. When I get more time I will definitely have to flesh them out... oh wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobGreenwade Posted July 12, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2010 Re: We seem to be losing time... literally! So time is taking more processing power than it used to?That's kind of the idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Escafarc Posted July 12, 2010 Report Share Posted July 12, 2010 Re: We seem to be losing time... literally! You should ask Mick where it's gone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndianaJoe3 Posted July 12, 2010 Report Share Posted July 12, 2010 Re: We seem to be losing time... literally! Check the couch. Maybe it fell down between the cushions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSgeekHero Posted July 12, 2010 Report Share Posted July 12, 2010 Re: We seem to be losing time... literally! This has some cool and interesting implications. It's just too bad the sensationalist article misses the point. These scientists said that they believe time is being replaced with space. That was the biggest revelation. If it is true then it shows that spacetime isn't a single item, but opposing types of energy. If we start with Einstein's E=mc^2 then rewrite the equation for converting energy into matter (m=E/c^2) then change it to S for space and t for time and come with the following two equations t=Sx^2 and S=t/x^2 where x^2 is some unknown factor then space can be turned back into time! What kind of cool time travel stories could you come up with using that idea? I said that the story was sensationalist because it ignores the fact that energy is neither created or destroyed just transferred and that a system seeks an equilibrium state. So, the universe may not end the way some think; it may just find an equilibrium between space and time and that means the universe would oscillate until it settles into equilibrium. Imagine a story where someone tries to take control of that flow!! I know. Wild ramblings from an overactive imagination, but I've got even more ideas. For one, if galaxies get pushed apart by the creation of space, you could convert space to time and draw your destination closer to you. It would be interesting to find out how all of that works with the combination of intense gravity wells like black holes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSandman Posted July 13, 2010 Report Share Posted July 13, 2010 Re: We seem to be losing time... literally! Watch out for Lu Tze... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted July 13, 2010 Report Share Posted July 13, 2010 Re: We seem to be losing time... literally! Time keeps on slipping slipping slipping...into the future Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPMiller Posted July 13, 2010 Report Share Posted July 13, 2010 Re: We seem to be losing time... literally! Time keeps on slipping slipping slipping...into the future Thanks... now I'll have that song stuck in my head for the rest of the night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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