this post was submitted on 04 Feb 2026
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Science Memes

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Nope, not visiting that (infosec.pub)
submitted 3 hours ago by REDACTED@infosec.pub to c/science_memes@mander.xyz
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Context: He's in the files

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[–] RustyShackleford@piefed.social 8 points 15 minutes ago

Now, I’m speaking hypothetically, legally, and for educational purposes only… you fast-forward a few decades and suddenly certain names appear in court documents and flight logs, not convictions, not proof of wrongdoing, just… associations. Enough to make a careful chrononaut say, ‘You know what? I’m not popping back in time to shake hands and eat shrimp.’

The absence at that party wasn’t evidence that time travel failed. It was evidence that it worked, and everyone who could come already knew how the story looked later.

History doesn’t just judge actions. It judges proximity. And no self-respecting time traveler shows up early to something that turns awkward in hindsight.

[–] DaddleDew@lemmy.world 4 points 1 hour ago (2 children)

There is also the idea that time machines work like telephones. You need to have a receiving end made first before you can call it.

[–] Naz@sh.itjust.works 2 points 44 minutes ago

Half this comment thread legitimately knows how they work

The other half is speculation

The truth is in the middle, Lemmy people are pretty well versed in science fiction and science :>

[–] protist@mander.xyz 40 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago) (4 children)

Is it because our solar system is hurdling through space at over 1.5 million miles per hour, so anyone who time travels will find themselves alone in an empty void?

[–] Malgas@beehaw.org 2 points 48 minutes ago* (last edited 48 minutes ago) (1 children)

That logic assumes that there is some universal way if measuring the position of the Earth, but there is no absolute system for measuring position in space. Location, distance, velocity, and even simultaneity depend entirely on the choice of a frame of reference. And the frame in which the earth is stationary is no less valid than any other.

Also the type of time machine has a bearing here. The traditional H.G. Wells vehicle-type doesn't jump, but moves smoothlythrough all the intervening moments in time, so there's no reason it wouldn't stay firmly on the surface. And a time portal that forms a connection to the same apparatus at a different time would have no problem either, since the machine itself doesn't move except in the ordinary way.

[–] ProbablyBaysean@lemmy.ca 1 points 7 minutes ago* (last edited 7 minutes ago)

If i had a vaccume and a carbon nanotube rotating such that the ends are moving at the speed of light, and another going the opposite direction (no net rotational inertia outside the device), I would have a dimensional anchor as moving it would cause spacetime to exceed the speed limit.

Voila, I just created a sci-fi plot device

[–] Quetzalcutlass@lemmy.world 32 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago) (3 children)

There's no universal frame of reference. Any theoretical time travel would likely need a beacon of some sort to calibrate their arrival point, meaning you couldn't travel back beyond the point time travel was established.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 16 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

You know what they say: the best time to build a time machine is 50 years ago.

I think that's basically the movie Primer too, they'd turn the machine on, go hide in an apartment for X amount of time, then go back to the machine and emerge 5 minutes after they turned it on and just walked away.

But gravity effects time, sticking close to a planet isn't going to be hard.

Ironically enough the first (if we ever get them) time machines are going to be a hell of a lot like modern "UFOs" are described. You couldn't risk landing on the planet, elevation changes are what's really a nightmare to account for. Show up and hour early and everything is a foot higher because of how fast we're spinning.

So you'd want a space craft, because space is big and empty. And realistically it's going to take something bigger than a telephone booth or even the 1980s embodiment of Florida on four wheels with a hood designed to do cocaine off of to house a time machine.

[–] marcos@lemmy.world 1 points 56 minutes ago

Show up and hour early and everything is a foot higher because of how fast we’re spinning.

Any actual process for doing it would probably be continuous in some way. Even if it's just the machine making that part of the trip. Just living existence at some time and arriving at a different one doesn't make a lot of sense.

So, just more reason to do it in space.

[–] mmmm@sopuli.xyz 9 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Damn physic laws removing the fun from physics

[–] MalReynolds@slrpnk.net 1 points 32 minutes ago

Don't get me started on the second law of thermogoddamics (I'll never stop :).

[–] edinbruh@feddit.it 3 points 2 hours ago

Basically half the plot of quantum break

[–] phdepressed@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 hour ago

I've seen this take a lot it feels like and it boggles the mind why. If someone figures out time travel they ipso facto will have figured out the space travel as well.

If you can travel through time you can travel through space.

[–] danc4498@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago

My theory is that time travel still follows the curve of the space time continuum.

[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 28 points 3 hours ago (5 children)

Listen, dude: I’ve got a lot more concerts in my list before I get to your lame-ass party.

Would you have missed Metallica in Moscow for some party you assumed nobody would attend? Fuck no.

Now if you’ll excuse me I’m gonna go sell all your grandmothers some really strong modern weed to get into Hendrix, New Year’s Eve, 1969.

Can’t wait to hear Machine Gun live.

[–] marcos@lemmy.world 3 points 54 minutes ago

No need to assume. You already know nobody attended. And you can also be part of the joke if it's one.

[–] BillyClark@piefed.social 7 points 1 hour ago (3 children)

lame-ass party

Since the time traveler would be from the future, he'd have already known that nobody went to the party.

[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 1 points 6 minutes ago

Right? We only show up in some timelines as a fucking joke.

[–] TheFogan@programming.dev 4 points 1 hour ago

Or... isn't there the theory that time travel just creates an alternate world. but all timelines exist... so there's a second line where there's 50 people that brought their year 3000 band, and their instant ALS cure pod, partied with Hawking then arrested trump for his crimes before he could run for president.

[–] OpenStars@piefed.social 3 points 1 hour ago

XKCD rule: lame ass-party.

[–] BarbecueCowboy@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

I'd definitely go see Freddie at Live-aid at least a dozen times.

[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 1 points 5 minutes ago

Been there. Got like a dozen t shirts. Nobody on eBay thinks they’re real tho

[–] Skullgrid@lemmy.world 10 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Would you have missed Metallica in Moscow for some party you assumed nobody would attend? Fuck no.

Let's see... the egotistical pricks that sued anyone that wanted to like them... in an authoritarian shithole... or hanging out with Stephen Hawking...

Tough choice. Can I convince Lars to sleep in the disaster bed? Or help them with arrangements so that songs that have about 1 minute of interesting music don't have 8 minutes worth of filler?

[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 2 points 7 minutes ago

This was a million and a half people vibing so hard they broke their government. I’m not massing it no matter how much of an asshole Lars Ulrich is.

[–] themoken@startrek.website 9 points 2 hours ago (2 children)

My God... Is the fact that boomers think '60s weed was mind altering proof of time incursions from the dank future???

[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 3 points 7 minutes ago

The strong weed and its effects hide me from temporal law enforcement.

[–] sepi@piefed.social 4 points 2 hours ago

Boomers are weak

[–] morto@piefed.social 3 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Wasn't it already a known fact? I swear I've read about it already like 5 years ago, and I'm not a time traveler.

[–] Kraiden@piefed.social 4 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Jan 2024... so yes, 5 years is about how long ago that feels.

[–] morto@piefed.social 2 points 1 hour ago

Really? My mind seems to be playing tricks on me already...

[–] Commiejones@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 1 hour ago

This is a very funny joke.

[–] 9point6@lemmy.world 7 points 3 hours ago (2 children)

Goddamn so everyone's a bastard, eh?

[–] I_Fart_Glitter@lemmy.world 5 points 1 hour ago

He wasn’t known for being a great guy, just a really smart guy.

The name of the late Cambridge physicist was included in a 2015 email in which Epstein told Maxwell to offer a reward to any of Giuffre’s “friends acquaitonts [sic] family” who could prove false an allegation that Hawking had participated in an “underage orgy” in the Virgin Islands. Hawking, who died in 2018, has not been accused of a crime related to Epstein.

[–] tidderuuf@lemmy.world 4 points 1 hour ago

Like 2/3 of us plebs are not. But if any of us becomes rich or famous....