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Time travel using lasers


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I was watching TV and came across a show on the science channel that claimed time travel was possible. This guy claimed that by using an array of lasers he could induce a frame dragging effect on the space/time around a device allowing him to send particles back in time. He also claimed that when the device was complete it should be possible to recieve messages from the future. Just wondering if there was any truth to this.

 

I saw something similar but forgot what it was called, was it Black guy that was in charge of this project?

 

IIRC, he also said something that it will only work if the machine stays ON, and could theoreticaly receive messages from the future during the session that the machine was on for.

so for instance it stays on for 24 hours, so you could get messages back from the future when you 1`st switch it on, but nothing more than 24 hours into the future.

 

Something like that anyway :)

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I've seen that, apparently he believes that we can travel along or send messages across a "time machine," but only as far back as te first moments of that particulr session with that machine. He says that explains why we haven't seen any evidence of chrononauts from the future, which otherwise should have existed forever if time travel were possible. So, if he turned his on and it worked, and if he and subsequent owners were able to keep it powered up a substantial time into the future, we should be able to receive and get messages. Is that the one? He also claims that as soon as he turns it on, he'll start getting messages from the future. Frankly, I think he's high. Stoned. Smashed. Bombed. Trippin'.

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The most plausible FTL thought experiment i've come across involves the shadow of an object. Required is a powerful light source that is projected onto a flat surface. If we take an object (say a ball) and move it along between the light source and the surface, a shadow is created. We can assume that if the ball is directly between the light source and the surface then the shadow's dimensions will be equal to dimensions of a cross section of the ball (ie if the diameter of the ball is 10cm then the shadow's diameter is also 10cm).

 

If the ball is moved horizontally we see that the horizontal dimension of the shadow increase. In essence, the furthermost edge of the shadow has moved a greater distance than the edge of the ball itself. So what happens if we move the ball across the surface at .99999c? Will the shadow move faster than c?

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If the ball is moved horizontally we see that the horizontal dimension of the shadow increase. In essence, the furthermost edge of the shadow has moved a greater distance than the edge of the ball itself. So what happens if we move the ball across the surface at .99999c? Will the shadow move faster than c?

 

Yes. Nothing about this violates relativity. A shadow isn't a physical object, and there is no information moving FTL.

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