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di's Insite
I Knew Them When?
New Scientist Magazine has an article about a Time Machine that got me to thinking. It states, 'Ronald Mallett thinks he has found a practical way to make a time machine.' Now this is serious. I always wanted to know the future! But then I got to thinking it's a two-way street-- those in the future could come back here too. Michael Brooks, the author of the article, triggered this with his statement, 'Before your children are born, their children could turn up at your door.' Now if you want to get into the real technicalities of this, read his article. But before you do, consider this.
If my grandchildren came back before their parents are even born, would they see me as they now do, in my grandmother-loving state? Not having that past experience of a grandparents giving/loving mentor-like nature, would they see me as teens do in this present time? out of sync? some stranger who knows they are right about the future? How would I manage that?
OK, so teens think that anyway. At this time in my life, I am confident I am much wiser having gone through what they are now entering. If the future kids come back, I won't have that confidence. Think about it. My grandchildren would be older than my children now but look younger! How could I be sure they are telling me the truth about what is real in their time? Would the parents of the future be as my kids are now? With different experiences than I saw them growing up with? O.K., enough questions-- my head is aching!
I can just imagine what the scene would be when one pops in suddenly.
(Poof!) "Hey, where did you come from? I didn't hear the doorbell!"
"Freeze, woman! I am from your future. Well if you had one, it would be me. I am your grandson!"
"Huh?"
"Can't you see the resemblance? I can. You sure make a person want a nose job! I always wondered where my nose came from! I'm your future grandson! You haven't met me yet, but then you don't stay around long enough to get to know me."
Well dear readers, you get the idea. Mallet started working on the Time Machine because his father had died at an early age. He wanted to go back in time to warn him of his health habits. We're living in that future now and we still don't listen! With our unhealthy habits skyrocketing today's charts, I think our future grandchildren visiting may not be a bad idea. Even now, I am not so sure my health would hold up when someone acting strange, came popping in, though surely my grandmother instincts would save me! Hmmm, wonder what if...
"What? I heard rumors of people like you. Hold on while I use the phone. (reaching for 911)
"Cut it-- I came just to see what you were like. Just a trip through a worm hole of time. I don't want to stir up your fears, am just here for the day."
Worm holes, dear readers, are 'clever little tunnels in space and time that can supposedly be used to travel from one moment to another. On paper, they're a perfectly respectable way to travel back in time. Trouble is, you need a supply of exotic "negative energy" matter to pry your wormhole open.' says Brooks. I don't know about you, but there is no way this body is ever gonna fit into some tiny wormhole! Being a teen, maybe my future grandson has enough negative energy.
"Worm hole? Oh, those space travelers in SCI Fi... hmm, you do look a bit like my father. How come you are so pale? Doesn't the sun shine in the future?"
Einstein didn't think we could bend enough to travel in time. Something about distorting space. Brooks likens it to sitting on a soft sofa: Gravity helps you to distort it. Some sort of light loops are formed. So I am wondering just how much this looping through time will affect us. Could it be that the effect of time traveling will be just as bad as our habits are now? But then it could be good.
"Ya know, those worm holes make a fellow hungry. I am just cold, don't worry, I'll warm up. It's the twisting into loops that's tough. Man, am I sore! You got anything to eat?"
"Sure do! Come in here and let Grandma find you something good! You do like brownies? What can you eat traveling to the future later on? Grandma doesn't want to give you a tummy ache!"
"No problem Granny. I could eat all day and not fill up! Looks like you tried it."
"Why you skinny... er... what do you mean you don't fill up?"
(Sitting down to eat everything in sight) "Nothing stays with me. I can eat in the past but live in my skinny future. Besides, time traveling takes a lot of energy. What is this stuff, anyway? It's good. More please!"
"For your information young man, that is milk! And you already had a gallon of it! Here, try some of this juice. You don't have milk in the future?"
"Never heard of it. Mostly get some quick pick me-ups pills. There's no time! I haven't even met Mom yet! We are discovering so much about the past, that the present is hardly ever spent in!"
"How about that! Well, I can tell you your Mom is a neat person now, though at your age, she didn't go out that door without my permission!"
"Guess that's one benefit for me! I can do whatever I want. It's kinda lonely sometimes though."
"You all alone? you poor thing! here, eat this. How come you said I didn't stay around long enough to meet you?"
"Well, look at what you eat! You don't live long enough! We got that solved though in the future. You can have a whole new body!"
"You don't say! Can I get it in any size? Who'd of thought!"
"You know we are working on getting the past to the future. Maybe you could visit sometime."
Brook also states: 'A lump of matter stretches space and time.' If a lump of matter stretches time and space, would time last longer or space be dizzying? Just an imaginative thought! Think what we could learn from our grandchildren!
Kip Thorne of Caltech came up with the idea of using wormholes, which link different regions of warped space-time. Somewhere in there are these loops. Apparently, light forms the best loops for time travelers. Kinda like walking around the block, Brook says. Just think, if all it took was a walk around the block, we'd all get more exercise! I never could resist a new adventure! Curiosity would make us move faster too. I know my impatience would urge me to find out what is ahead for my life. Science has told me often enough that I need more exercise. Guess they are finding new ways to motivate me.
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© 2000 di
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