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Time Travel is
Knocking on Our Door
Martin Gottschall, PhD ©
Presented at the Australian National Conference, Sydney, August 2-4, 2002.
INTRODUCTION
Time travel
could have been discovered about seventy years ago, and in
view of the so-called "Philadelphia Experiment", that may well
have happened. The discovery of time travel in the public
domain is now imminent. This paper will define the laws which
govern time, time travel and communication in time, and how it
impacts on our quality of life by enlarging our options.
However, time travel also presents us with challenges. Not
everything that time travel makes possible is necessarily
desirable. In this respect it can be regarded as a model for
ET contact which presents us with similar challenges.
POLARITY IN
PHYSICAL SCIENCE
An
understanding of "polarity" as it is found in physics will be
useful in understanding the concepts on which this paper is
founded, and hence the nature of time as here defined. In
physics, some properties possess both magnitude and direction,
while others possess only magnitude. The former are called
"vectors" and the latter "scalars". "Polar" properties are
like vectors but more inclusive. All vectors are polar and all
other properties which have at least two opposed signs or
directions are also polar. Thus, electricity is polar because
we have positive and negative charge, and these are opposites
of each other.
In physics
there are around a dozen fundamental properties in terms of
which all other properties can be understood. They are, as it
were, the alphabet of the subject. Some are listed in Table 1
in two columns, one for polar properties and one for the
non-polar properties.
| Polar |
Non-Polar
|
| Motion |
Inertia or
Mass |
| Rotation
|
Energy
|
| Electricity
|
Gravity
|
| Magnetism
|
Time
|
| Matter and
Antimatter |
Force
|
| Light
(interference) |
|
Table 1. The
fundamental properties of Physics grouped according to
Polarity.
Polar
properties can be created, intensified and cancelled out at
will, and they are the basis of numerous powerful
technologies. Our skeletal and muscular systems exploit
motion, force and rotation, and comprise the greater part of
our body weight. On the other hand, our technologies are far
more restricted in the areas of the non polar properties.
Indeed we use technology not so much to exploit but to
overcome these properties when they obstruct our way. To
anyone familiar with the behaviour of UFOs, it will be
apparent that these objects seem to excel most strikingly in
just the domain of the non polar properties. We will show how
these properties can also be made polar, and explore some of
the new vistas opened up by this.
WHAT THE LAWS
OF NATURE DO
Although
Physics has become a complex and subtle as well as confusing
science, it also possesses certain simplicities. The laws of
physics are generally presented in a mathematical form. This
is a convenient, exact and fast way of making a statement
about some natural process. An experienced physicist can look
at such a mathematical statement and "see" how the various
properties join together to create the result described. When
this interaction is not so apparent, graphs are used to show
pictorially what is happening. Surprisingly, all the laws of
physics are of two types only.
One type of law
defines how elements of a particular property accumulate, for
example how the electric influence of many billions of
individual electrons produces a combined electric influence in
a lightning strike or a TV picture tube. This type of law uses
the "+" (addition) operator.
The other type
of law defines how two or more properties interact to create a
new property not visible in any of the generating properties
when viewed alone. Thus electric charge and motion create
magnetism and electric charge and acceleration create
electromagnetic radiation like radio or light. This type of
law uses the "x" (multiply) operator.
Figure 1
This paper will
make extensive use of graphs in displaying the meaning of
natural laws, and will quote their mathematical form as well.
On graphs, polarity is blatantly visible, and an example will
be used to illustrate this. Figure 1 shows the way in which
the force between two electric charges changes with their
separation. The equation is also given. The force is scaled
vertically (the vertical axis) and the separation of the
charges is scaled horizontally (the horizontal axis). When the
charges are of opposite polarity the force is attractive (the
upper graph), and when the charges are both of the same kind,
the force is repulsive (lower graph).
Where the
horizontal and vertical scales cross the scales reverse. Thus
if we descend on the vertical (force) scale, attraction
becomes repulsion as we cross the horizontal scale. The
horizontal scale shows the distance between the charges, and
this measurement has no polarity. Because of this, no graphs
are plotted on the right side of the vertical axis. If such
graphs were meaningful, then "separation" would be polar and
there would be something which is the opposite of
"separation".
The place where
the scales of a graph cross is called the "origin" and the
scales are called "axes". The origin is a vital part of any
graph depicting the action of any natural law, because if a
graph plots on both sides of an axis, the property which
crosses that axis is polar.
A NEW
HYPOTHESIS - ANTIENERGY
In 1905 Albert
Einstein published his "Theory of Special Relativity". He
called his theory "special" because it looked at a special
case - what happens when gravity is not present. His "Theory
of General Relativity" which included gravity was published in
1916. One of the claims of Special Relativity was that the
mass of any object must increase as its speed is increased.
Until then the mass of any object was not believed to change
simply by virtue of its speed. In Relativity, mass was
"relative" to speed, but the main meaning of "relativity" had
to do with the question of whether there was a non moving
frame of reference.
The equation
defining the mass/speed relationship was:
m/M = 1/(1 -
v.v/(c.c))^.5
Figure 2
This equation
may be graphed as shown in Figure 2. The pronumerals have the
following meanings: "m" is the mass of any object in motion
and "M" is its mass when stationary, "v" is the speed of the
object and "c" is the speed of light. In Figure 2 the vertical
axis is labelled "m/M" and scales the ratio of moving mass to
stationary mass. The horizontal axis scales the ratio "v/c",
the speed of the object to the speed of light. The graph
begins at the vertical axis when m/M equals 1, and at this
point v/c equals zero because v is zero, i.e. the object is
not moving. The graph proceeds horizontally to the right at
first but eventually it curves upwards becoming ever steeper.
It never arrives at v/c equalling 1 (the speed of light). Near
the speed of light, all attempts to make the object move
faster just increase its mass instead.
Note that the
graph as shown does not cross any axis. If it did then the
property crossing the axis with the graph would have polarity.
Einstein did not assign polarity to either m/M or v/c.
The above
equation can however be rendered in a different form. It is
the same equation, but it graphs differently, in fact as a
circle. Now a circle crosses both axes and this version of
Einstein's equation is highly suggestive of polarity for both
of the properties which are being scaled.
The new form of
the above equation is:
(M/m)^2 +
(v/c)^2 = 1
Figure 3
This equation
is graphed as a quadrant of a circle in Figure 3 and as a full
circle in Figure 4. Although it looks different, Figure 3
tells us exactly the same things as Figure 2 does. The
difference in the shape of the graph is due to the different
ways in which the vertical axis is scaled in the two graphs,
where m/M in Figure 2 becomes M/m in Figure 3. We can
speculate that in 1905 Einstein wanted to emphasize that the
speed of light was a barrier which we could not overcome so he
used Figure 2 which underscores this point. Had he used the
equation of Figure 3, the question of polarity would have
immediately suggested itself.
Figure 4
At that time,
Einstein had no basis for seeing polarity in m/M or v/c.
However in the 1930's antimatter was discovered. This meant
that matter had polarity, because antimatter is the exact
opposite of matter. Now matter is associated with the vertical
axis of Figures 2 and 3 (m and M measure matter plus energy in
the case of m and matter only in the case of M). Thus, in the
1930's scientists had a sound reason for extending the
vertical axis of Figure 2 or 3 below the origin (the
horizontal axis). In the case of Figure 3 they would have
drawn a semicircle with its left half missing, and they would
have said that the upper quadrant tells us how matter behaves
while the lower quadrant tells us how antimatter behaves.
To make the
complete circle of Figure 4 physically meaningful, we have to
assign polarity to the horizontal, v/c axis. This is the speed
axis and contains the properties of distance or space and
time. It is difficult to imagine polarity for space but easy
to do this for time. For decades, perhaps millennia scientists
and philosophers have wondered why time has a direction and
why we are experiencing this and not the opposite direction to
the flow of time. Merlin the magician of the Camelot era was
said to progress backwards in time, so the idea clearly has a
long pedigree. They have noted that the equations of natural
processes work just as well if time went backwards.
We therefore
assign "reverse time" to the left half of the horizontal axis.
With this meaning, Figure 4 now tells us what matter does in
forward time and reverse time, and what antimatter does in
forward and reverse time. It confirms what we already know,
that both matter and antimatter can exist in forward time, and
tells us that both matter and antimatter can exist in reverse
time.
In polarizing
time, we have polarized all the properties which previously
had no polarity. Matter in reverse time has the opposite
inertia to matter in forward time. The same can be said of
energy and gravity. We can see here the potential for powerful
new technologies.
But what makes
time go backwards??? We measure time by monitoring change. In
making clocks we find a process which repeats in exactly the
same way endlessly, and count the number of repetitions. If
nothing changed, we could not measure nor experience time.
Change requires motion. No motion, no change. Motion requires
energy. No energy, no motion. We postulate here the existence
of antienergy which makes time go backwards.
In the light of
this postulate, the circle of Figure 4 is interpreted as
follows: The first quadrant relates to matter and energy, the
second quadrant to matter and antienergy, the third quadrant
to antimatter and antienergy, and the fourth quadrant to
antimatter and energy. The circle is complete and unbroken. We
interpret this to mean that it is possible to "navigate" the
circle by moving from one quadrant to another. We already know
how to navigate from the first to the fourth quadrant.
Starting at a
point near "A" on Figure 4, which is matter almost at rest, we
move towards "E" in the first quadrant. This is achieved by
increasing the speed of the object, for example an electron in
a TV picture tube. Continuing on from E towards C we now
transfer our electron into an atom smashing machine which can
speed the electron up to almost the speed of light. Here the
mass of the electron is thousands or even millions of times
its original mass at rest, but still it is not yet up to the
speed of light. The extra mass is due to the energy we have
imparted to the electron.
We now collide
our electron with some other particle, say the nucleus of an
atom of lead which is about 40,000 times more massive than an
electron at rest. The collision liberates the electron's
energy, and the powerful electric field of the lead nucleus
condenses this energy into pairs of electrons and
antielectrons or other types of particles and antiparticles.
The antielectrons represent matter in the fourth quadrant, and
we have crossed the v/c axis at C.
Since we are
focused here on the nature of time, consider the points "A",
"B", "C" and "D" of Figure 4. At "C", time has stopped as
postulated by another equation of Special Relativity. Our
electron, if it carried a clock , would barely count a second
in one of our days since it is not yet at the speed of light.
Point "D" corresponds to "C" and the time equation of Special
Relativity applies here as soon as we polarize the v/c axis.
Points "A" and
"B" are different. Time stops here because there is no energy
to make something happen. This was regarded as a trivial
notion because we can not stop everything from happening.
Things happen inside and between atoms which we can not stop,
so time just never stands still. A great deal of scientific
experimentation is done with atoms and molecules very close to
the absolute zero of temperature, which is our attempt to
approach point "A" on the circle. Scientists try to extract
this energy with heat pumps. This method needs something
colder even than the temperature we are trying to achieve.
Once antienergy
is recognized, another way of approaching point "A" becomes
possible. We do not need to pump energy out, we simply push
antienergy in (which is much easier), and the two cancel each
other out. When we do this, time has stopped at point A. If we
keep pumping in more antienergy, then the arrow of time
reverses and we have crossed the M/m axis at "A".
CONSERVATION
LAWS AND REVERSE TIME
There are a
number of laws in Physics which relate to the "conservation"
of something. These laws are the basis of the equations of
physical laws. Every equation contains the statement "=" and
this statement can only be made by invoking some conservation
principle. Isaac Newton introduced the law of the conservation
of momentum according to which, only the action of forces over
time could change the momentum (mass x velocity) of any moving
body. Soon after came the laws of the conservation of matter
and energy. With Special Relativity these were combined into a
single law of the conservation of matter + energy.
All these
conservation laws state that some property is conserved over
time. Now reverse time polarizes any property which is
conserved in Nature. Thus two equal masses moving together but
in opposite time streams have equal but opposite momentum and
their combined momentum is zero. By "moving together " we mean
here that if the object in reverse time were to enter forward
time at any point it would be in the same relative position to
the moving object in forward time in each successive
manifestation. This means that the object visible in forward
time can change its apparent momentum without the action of
external forces so long as the combined momentum of the two
objects remains the same. By the same logic, an object at
points "A" or "B" on the circle have no inertia because they
are "out of time".
The law of the
conservation of energy asserts that energy can neither be
created or destroyed. However if equal amounts of energy and
antienergy are created, this law is till satisfied. Similarly
for the law of the conservation of matter. The nature of
matter is such that matter and antimatter are created
together. If equal quantities of matter/antimatter are created
in both forward and reverse time, then this law too is
satisfied. We have to remember what is normally taken for
granted, that all conservation is "in time".
Thus if we
wanted to move a certain amount of matter into reverse time,
an equal amount of matter would have to be brought into
forward time to maintain conservation. Discussions about the
creation of the "visible" universe will need to explore the
extension of conservation laws into reverse time, and
determine what can and can not happen, and how. For us right
now it is clear that there must exist four universes like
ours, corresponding to the four quadrants of the circle of
Figure 4, and we are literally "seeing" only the tip of the
iceberg. The "four corners of the world" can well be
understood as these four universes.
OTHER "CIRCLES"
Figure 4 graphs
a single circle. It relates to our and three other universes
of which we can expect to see two. These four universes have
very much in common, including the same basic rate of time.
Why does time proceed at the rate we experience? To be sure we
can slow time by moving fast, but the same basic "resting
rate" applies all around. Can there be different rates of
time? It so happens that the equation for Figure 4 can be
changed by introducing a "frequency" term "f" designating the
rate of time:
(f.M/m)^2 + (f.v/c)^2
= f^2
Figure 5
This equation
will graph as a series of concentric circles as shown in
Figure 5. Each circle represents a different value of "f". It
suggests that there may exist other systems of universes for
which the basic rate of time can be faster or slower, which
are similar to ours since they also graph as circles, but are
almost certainly comprised of different kinds of matter and
energy. Note that in Figure 5, all the circles have the origin
of the graph as their centre. This is doubtless telling us
something. Figure 5 suggests that some things which humans
experience like "mind" "spirit" etc. may be the substance of
these other universes whose laws may be similar to but not
identical with physical laws.
COMMUNICATION
IN TIME
Reverse time
can be exploited in communication, and this may well be the
easiest technology for us to develop. Figure 6 depicts a
situation where two planets one light year apart communicate
using radio. A radio message sent out by one planet takes a
year to arrive at the other planet. The response to this
message takes a further year to arrive at the first planet.
Clearly the communication delays are very significant. Since
cosmic distances can be thousands and even billions of light
years, radio communication clearly has its problems.
Figure 6
Figure 7
"Space-time"
diagrams allow us to visualize the communication process of
Figure 6. In Figure 7 we have two horizontal timelines, one
for each planet. On these timelines forward time proceeds to
the right and reverse time to the left. The distance between
these time lines represents the actual distance between the
planets. The timelines are scaled in years beginning at 2002,
January 1st. "A" and "B" represent the place on the timeline
of each planet when "A" sends its message. The message
proceeds through space and arrives at "B" when it is January
1st 2003 at "A". "B" responds quickly and sends a reply within
minutes. The response arrives on January 1st, 2004.
Figure 8
Figure 8
depicts the course of events if at least planet "B" had access
to antienergy, in this case antiradio energy. On receiving the
message , "B" sends the reply on antiradio. The response moves
in reverse time and arrives at "A" shortly after the initial
message was sent out. Now the delay associated with separation
in space is gone. This is instant communication. Even though
the individual messages spend a year in traversing the space
between the planets, reverse time allows this time lapse to be
cancelled out. Clearly this is the method of choice in cosmic
communication.
Figure 8 can
also be used to explain communication in time. Suppose Planet
"A" sent "B" a message on January 1st 2004 on antiradio. It
would arrive at "B" on January 1st 2003. If "B" then forwarded
this message to "A" on antiradio, it would arrive at "A" on
January 1st 2002. In this way the future "A" can communicate
with the "A" in its past. This is communication in time.
It is obvious
that ET civilizations who are space travellers will want to
establish a network of electromagnetic relay stations (optical
or radio or both) throughout space which allows instant
communication throughout the galaxy and beyond. Daniel Fry's
ET contact makes a point of describing such a system of
communication in "The White Sands Incident" . When our SETI
program starts to operate on antioptic and antiradio
communication, they might finally be able to tap into this
cosmic network.
SPACE TRAVEL
Figure 9
A space ship
utilizing reverse time comprises three parts as shown in
Figure 9. One part is matter in forward time. An equal part is
matter in reverse time. A third part is matter in zero time
(at point "A" on Figure 4). Such a vehicle has no inertia and
it can not accumulate kinetic energy, no matter how fast it
may seem to be moving. The amount of matter in zero time can
be increased and decreased at will as long as equal amounts
are added to or taken from the parts in forward and reverse
time.
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