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

[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.]