Yesternight's four hour deliberation in the presence of three highly intellectual individuals, myself included, one Jetty and an unwitting hacked haddu, I confess, has brought me another step closer to the answer to Life, the Universe and everything else. An innocuous I entered the fateful night by knocking on the door of an ostensibly harmless room where was going on, a discussion about (the renewed craze) Harry Potter. Although I'm not a great JKR fan, as I've often uttered myself, when HP3 - The Prisoner of Azkaban made its grand entry into the conversation, I was a prisoner of their (soon to be our) discussion. HP3 ranks high up there among my favourites along with the Half Blood Prince; the latter, I adore because of the wonderful depiction of my favorite character in the series and the former because of the accurate and magniloquent representation of Time - Travel and it's uses.
I recently read a status message on Facebook - "Sometimes we so wish we could go back in time and do things all over again. But the truth is harsh. We can't do it over and again. We won't." and I realized how wrongly we view things. Yesterday brought out the scientists in us and the discussion raged on, leading us from Time-Space to Quantum Reconstruction for teleportation and the practicalities of creating 'life'; the entire fiasco gravely misinterpreted by the haddu as cacophony. The theories lead us from infinite parallel time-dimensions - each time'line' comprising of the entire history and future of time within it - to parallel universe theories as depicted beautifully and confoundingly in 'The Butterfly Effect'.
All roads lead us to the contradiction of the aforementioned status. Even if we could travel through time by some 'magical' contraption, we could never change what we have already witnessed because of the basic definition of the word 'witnessed'. So, whatever has happened remains that way. If I do manage to change something, then I already have seen it in my past! In which case I probably already know, in my past, that I am going to change something. And that I who changed stuff already knew in his past... and so on and so forth. So where was the beginning of the universe? Was there ever really a t=0?? And if all these arguments are true, IS EVERYTHING WRITTEN?
P.S. The initial question was fundamental. Rudimentary.
Assuming Harry, Ron and Hermione were all present at the hospital ward at say, 7 p.m. and the two H's leave for the 'timely' adventure and go back to 5 p.m., then Harry and Hermione would have to relive the period between 5 and 7. What is Ron doing during these two hours?
At first it seems all too naïve, but soon it so excruciatingly flatters to decieve.
P.P.S. Sorry for bugging that grey with my first scientific konfession.
This isn't something each one of us haven't already dwelt a lot upon. Movies like Butterfly Effect and Deja Vu demonstrated the concept of parallel universes brilliantly; the latter being most impressive and logical. But time travel as shown in works of fiction is highly flawed, with gaping inconsistencies visible to the most ardent of fans, who generally tend to overlook them.
ReplyDeleteEven though a non-believer in the higher power, I do believe that everything is written. What happens is for the best of everyone concerned- thoughts about changing the past can only end up destroying the present, and the future( Back to The Future). But still, you expressed a valid point, which has always intrigued me.
Ok, so you didn't get what really happens in HP3. Its ok.
ReplyDeleteDepends on which Ron you are talking about but both of them presumably spend the two hours with the respective H's.
ReplyDeleteSee you've proven your maddu status with a mathematically inclined post. Go Maddu. :)
P.S: Haddus, go figure them :D
@ Lord,
ReplyDeleteYes, completely true. However I, personally, don't buy the parallel universe concept completely - at least I think it isn't appropriate for time -travel. But when science suggests the presence of a higher power, I simply cannot disagree.
@ Ahuja,
Lol :) You simply won't think, will you?
@ Chronoz,
Firstly, hail all maddus! Yes, your logic seems to be what we all agreed upon somewhere during the course of that grueling session.
Huff...Finally, after 2 hours of convincing, Kondy gets the idea and then all of a sudden, its his very own blog post.
ReplyDeleteFYI, I helped u ppl reach the thought line... And besides, u weren't among the intellectuals remember :) U were the Jetty!
ReplyDeleteIt still doesn't explain who brought out the patronus near the lake. The point of everything being written assumes zero significance when you talk of bending the space-time continuum, so does the point of living in chronological order, but that's because time itself loses all significance. This is exactly the point of time when I begin to think that that amazingly popular black sweatshirt in first year made sense. And I know I need to stop. You should realise that soon, too.
ReplyDeleteI will still stick to my fb status..."You better put your earplugs on when uve got guys next to your room discussing time travel of'the wizard with a stick'."
ReplyDelete@ Incomprehensible Murta,
ReplyDeleteI never did think it made any sense. Well, it was bought as my first 'IIT sweatshirt' - and the pride associated with the black disaster. The Space-Time continuum bends over my head; so I don't presently wish to enter those semi-explored realms!
@ Arun,
ReplyDeleteLol! It happens to be a popular opinion, I can see... But time and space cannot be ignored forever.
@anirudh
ReplyDeleteNot a great idea for people believing in "Ignorance is bliss"..lol