Quantum Physics 123: Monday 31 October

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

[The Doctor's tie is orange today. If you could see them, his boxers are wee pumpkin print, but you can't, so there. He comes into class in his usual manner. That is to say, fairly manic.]

Right. In honour of the holiday, we're going to talk about everyone's favourite scary topic: paradox. Nasty stuff, that. In the purest of dictionary terms, paradox implies a contradiction in logic. The most famous of these are the words of Epimenides of Knossos on Crete: Cretans, always liars. If Epimenides is from Crete himself, then he must be lying. But if he is, then Cretans are not liars. And round we go.

The same concept is very true in regards to time travel. Encountering and touching oneself in the past, changing history so that you don't exist, either by events or technology...these cause paradox.

The effects of causing a paradox are varied in documentation...but they are all inherently destructive. [looks somber] Most notably to the time traveller him or herself. This is not to discourage any of you from travelling in time if you get the chance--far from it. It is merely a warning that to disturb certain things can create changes in timespace and in your own history.

[His eyes are sad...this is not exactly what he meant to do with this lecture.] Even if it's for the greater good.

[regaining composure] Any questions?

Comments

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

*Jack raises his hand* Is it possible to change the time line so much that you can have two different copies of the same person?

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

That's a good question, Jack. [He swallows hard. What did he SAY to you?] Perhaps not the timeline itself, but when playing with multiple dimensions and universes, I would say it would be possible. There are powers that are beyond the understanding of most of us, who could probably do so without blinking.

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

*Jack nods, accepting the answer, but doesn't look much comforted.*

[youngest-sister.livejournal.com]

*confides*

SOMetimes there aRE LOTs of mE at the SAME tiME, anD sOMEtimEs there aRE NONE of me AT All, noT Even thE onE that is a WhALe aND sings BUbblegum SoNgs.

HOw mAny unIVErses do You knOw?

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Only two, kid, but it's one more than my brain's used to dealing with.

So what does a bubblegum song sound like?

[youngest-sister.livejournal.com]

LIke thIs.

*sings one*

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

So, since you're singing bubblegum songs, does that mean you're a whale now, or do you just remember the bubblegum songs even when you're not a whale?

[youngest-sister.livejournal.com]

MAybE You'Re a whALe that tHInks it'S A maRshMelloW, and I'M noT A MArshmeLLow at AlL? But mAYBe nOt bECauSe you're thE WRong cOLOur.

*Delirium considers this, then decides to be helpful*

I couLD MAke yoU bE a beTTer colOUR if yoU waNTed... OR MayBE if yOU NeVer wanTED tOO.

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

Sam leans forward a bit in her seat. "There's also the problem of Entropic Cascade Failure--although it's theoretical to you at this point, if you get two individuals from different universes in the same location, it can begin to rip the fabric of reality apart, a bit at a time."

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Ah, this is what I was talking about a few weeks ago. So, basically, if John Crichton me was flung into some alternate universe and met John Crichton not me, it would be destructive?"

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

Sam nods. "If you've got the same basic structure and can recognize yourself in your alternate self, sure--even if your personalities are completely different and you look exactly the same except for the length of your hair. The theory says that the universe can't support both of you at the same time, so it tries to do something to fix the problem."

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

"But what if you met someone who had met an alternate you. I mean, that's paradox still, right? But not nearly as... destructive to the fabric of space and time."

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

[The Doctor steps in.] The issue is that here in Fandom, paradoxes seem to be piling on paradoxes. The entire place is anathema to what the rest of the universe declares correct.

[youngest-sister.livejournal.com]

*narrows her eyes suspiciously*

YOu SOUnd lIke mY Oldest bROther, bUt jusT beCause he KNows EveRythiNg doESn't meAn he knOWs anYthinG at All.

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

Believe me when I tell you, Ms Delirium, that I'm well aware of that problem... [He smiles at her, soft and sad.]

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

"I don't know about that. I mean, if you met someone who had met an alternate you or if, hypothetically, you had met an alternate you, you would still have their knowledge of what could be, or what might be, or what could have been. It might not destroy space and time, but it definitely changes your perception of the here and now, doesn't it?"

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

"You're telling me," Jack mutters.

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

So, this implies that time is malleable, then? And time doesn't fit together like some happy jigsaw puzzle, even with all the time travellers?

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

Ms Cally, nothing fits together perfectly in this universe, unfortunately. At least, that's what I've found. Time bends. Occasionally it breaks. And sometimes people put it back together again.

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

*Sam raises her hand* If you were a time traveler, or were preparing someone to undergo time travel, what kind of precautions would you recommend they take to avoid creating these kinds of paradoxes?

[youngest-sister.livejournal.com]

*Delirium watches Sam a moment, as though trying to place her*

StaY AWay fROm the SoFt plACEs, whERE THe worLD is stREtchED thIN and conFUSed.

*she leans closer, and sniffs the air around Sam, then pulls away looking satisfied, almost*

BUt I DON't think You wILl.

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

Sam frowned. That was probably some of the best advice she's gotten since she came here and it made sense.

But she had no response for Delirium. She already knew she wouldn't.

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

[The Doctor acknowledges her question with a nod.] Be aware of your proposed travel period. If that's not possible, watch your surroundings, and tread as carefully as you can. Overly influencing events without paradox is for professionals--and even they quite often make a mess of things. [a slightly ironic smile]

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

Sam thinks about this for a minute, and decides the SGC should add that to the handout. "Is there ever a time time travel can be used to undo a prior paradox, or is that just going to compound the problem?"

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

I've done it. But it's not something, again, that's recommended.

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

Sam grins at the Doctor like she's just won the lottery. He may or may not feel like a mouse at an owl preserve.

"Do you regret having done it? How do you know that the actions you took in undoing the paradox aren't going to make things worse for you now, in this reality?"

Of course, she doesn't tell him that she apparently once made the same choice and hasn't regretted it yet.

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

[The Doctor's faced people with guns who were asking far less difficult questions. And the guns were pointed at him. Still, he isn't overly fazed, because Sam is asking the questions in good faith. The only problem is that he didn't want to make this class into a further rehashing of all his faults, which he'd gotten plenty of this weekend. So his expression isn't particularly warm.]

The first answer, Ms Carter, is personal, and depends on what day it is and which occasion we're referring to and how many students have decided to remind me of my shortcomings today. As for the second--one doesn't know. It becomes personal, a belief that... [He pauses and blinks a few times.] A belief that one is doing the right thing.

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

Sam, looking somewhat chastened, sits back a bit in her seat. "So, what you're telling me is that the answer to dealing with a paradox is...faith?"

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

Hard to say that, from a scientist to another, isn't it? [He smiles, just a tiny bit.] Let's just say...perhaps.

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

The expression on Sam's face should say she's not happy with this answer. "Yes, sir."

The unasked question, then, is in what, exactly, the faith must be.

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

[But she won't get any more on the subject. Unusual, from someone who loves to have the last word.]

[youngest-sister.livejournal.com]

*plops down in the nearest desk, not caring if anyone's already in it or not*

*waves her hand wildly in the air*

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

[The Doctor blinks a few times.] Er...yes. Ms Delirium.

[youngest-sister.livejournal.com]

What wOUld HAppEn if I deCiDed I WASn'T goiNg to Ask yOu tHis qUEstIon nOw anyMOre?

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

That, I believe, would be entirely up to you. [He raises an eyebrow and grins, having caught the paradox.]

[bluemanoncampus.livejournal.com]

Hank sits down next to Delirium and watches her as she interacts with the rest of the class.

[bluemanoncampus.livejournal.com]

Hank rushes in, just before class begins. He hands his assigned paper to the Doctor. It's 5 pages, neatly typed and briefly covers the idea of what could have been had the mystery assailant from a few weeks ago (OOC: the psycho child-Immortal Kenny, timesharing Methos's account) had been more aggresive in his "pranks" from the beginning. The first part briefly goes over items such as how Professor Cregg could have suffered major head trauma, Hank could have suffered massive 3rd-degree burns, the cleanup crew on the roof could have been deafened, etc. The second part hypothesizes on how all these injured or incapacitated students and staff would have impacted the rest of the school, leading to a manhunt for and "accidental" lynching of the assailant.

After turning in the paper, Hank sits back and listens to the rest of the class.

[soniabelmont.livejournal.com]

Sonia is furiously taking notes, then pauses and raises her head to look at the Doctor, and lifts her hand tentavely.

"Vot, if any, are some of the psychological effects that might come from an individual who encounters a paradox? Has such a thing been documented?"