--- In [email protected], "sparaig" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "authfriend" <jstein@> wrote: > > > > --- In [email protected], "matrixmonitor" > > <matrixmonitor@> wrote: > > > Q's lesson: think twice before messing with the past. an > > > alternative past may turn out worse than the "real" past. > > > > It's occurred to me to wonder (fancifully) whether > > the fact that we never seem to be able to nail down > > the details of what actually happened in major > > catastrophes--there always seem to be masses of > > contradictory evidence, leading to all kinds of > > conspiracy theories--is a function of people from > > various times in the future coming back to try to > > alter the events in different ways in an attempt > > to make their futures turn out better. > > > > In other words, no such major event happened *just > > one way*, but rather several different ways, all > > superimposed on each other, all with different > > details. > > > > It would make a good science fiction story, at any > > rate! > > > > Check out _Thrice Upon a Time_ by James P Hogan for one exploration of this. > > Rather than "coming back from the future," the researchers discover that they have an > extremely limited way of communicating with themselves in the very recent past (24 hour > time limit). > > http://www.jamesphogan.com/books/thrice/baen00/titlepage.shtml' > > > There's also the TV show, "7 Days," about "Project Backstep," which allows a single > "chrononaught" to travel back in time 7 days and attempt to avert disaster. > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Days > > > There's also Benedict from Roger Zelazny's Amber series, who, as Knight-Marshal of > Amber, would "Walk through Shadow" and view a battle from various viewpoints with > slightly different conditions in order to test his theories of War. > > All of these assume that there is only ONE observed "reality," regardless of how many > potential realities there are, but that's the only interpretation of QM that I've heard of. Even > the "Many Worlds" theory doesn't allow for multiple observations once an event is actually > observed. > > A few more fantasy-oriented stories have examined something along this line, though. In > Jordan's Wheel of Time series, there is a use of the One Power called "balefire" which > actually removes an object from all existence. The more power used, the further back its > "thread" is burned out of the Pattern. It's the ultimate Deus Ex Machina in the series since > any event can be undone. The drawback is that while *people* might have confused > memories of the original object (or creature), the physical effects of that object are undone > in time, which makes for rather bizarre contradictions. The more power used, the more > dangerous the contradictions. Rather than merely killing your grandfather, what if you > destroy the birthplace of your grandfather, 200 years into the past? What happens to > Reality in that kind of situation?
Thanks for all the cites, Lawson. I've read quite a few time-travel stories over the years--I'm a big fan of Hogan--but some others you mention are new to me, and I'll check 'em out. I haven't found one yet that homes in on exactly the situation I came up with, though. Another really good one is "The X President," by Philip Baruth; it's deliciously written and features dead-on sketches of Bill Clinton at the age of 109 and as a teenager: http://tinyurl.com/mx4dq ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Great things are happening at Yahoo! Groups. See the new email design. http://us.click.yahoo.com/iDk17A/hOaOAA/i1hLAA/UlWolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
