Monday 19 March 2007

Science Hopes To Change Events That Have Already Occurred

Ever wish you could reach back in time and change the past? Maybe you'd like to take back an unfortunate voice mail message, or rephrase what you just said to your boss. Or perhaps you've even dreamed of tweaking the outcome of yesterday's lottery to make yourself the winner.

Common sense tells us that influencing the past is impossible. Even if it were possible, think of the mind-bending paradoxes it would create. While tinkering with the past, you might change the circumstances by which your parents met, derailing the key event that led to your birth.

The idea that the present can affect the past, and the future can affect the present is called retrocausality. Don't think it will ever happen? It might even happen soon.

3 comment(s):

Miss Cellania said...

Why shouldn't scientists change events that have already occurred? Politicians and historians do it all the time!

Anonymous said...

Exactly. :)

Anonymous said...

My future self already told me the answer is yes.