Scientists trying to take advantage of the unusual properties of the quantum realm say they have successfully simulated a method of backward time travel that allowed them to change an event after the fact one out of four times. The Cambridge University team is quick to caution that they have not built a time machine, per se, but also note how their process doesn’t violate physics while changing past events after they have happened.

  • uniqueid198x@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    1 year ago

    Ok, so, this is in the context of closed timelike curves. This is a thing which appears in the math of general relativity. It has never been observed in real life, and may disappear if we ever have a reconciliatian of quantum mechanics and gravity.

    The study was a computer simulation of “what if we had some particles in a closed timelike curve and could mess with them”, and there is no suggestion of this being applicable or even possible in the real world.

  • dragnet@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    1 year ago

    Well, that sounds completely insane. If that works outside of simulations, the first group to unlock it could take over the world. Or do whatever they want.

  • 1up Games@lemmy.zip
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    1 year ago

    But how do they know they’ve changed the past because that past will be the established past. But then they’d try and change it again thinking they’d failed but then…oh no I’ve gone cross eyed.

  • Refurbished Refurbisher@lemmy.sdf.org
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    1 year ago

    its ability to achieve a form of backward time travel still shouldn’t necessarily be compared to a certain Flux Capacitor-equipped DeLorean built by a certain Doc Emmet Brown.

    I am going to compare this to a certain Flux Capacitor-equipped DeLorean built by a certain Doc Emmet Brown.