Time

 “The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once.” (Albert Einstein, 1879--1955)

Without a doubt, the best Star Trek episode of all time was “The City of the Edge of Forever”, in which Dr. McCoy inadvertently travels back in time to New York City in the 1930’s.  There, he saves the life of social worker Edith Keeler, and all of history that follows is changed. We learn that after her life is saved, Keeler becomes a spokesperson for the peace movement, causing the United States to delay its entry into World War II. Nazi Germany develops the bomb first and wins the war.  Captain Kirk and Spock must travel through a time portal and (despite Kirk falling in love with her) prevent McCoy from saving Edith Keeler’s life, so that the original course of history is restored.  Needless to say (SPOILER ALERT), they are successful in their mission.

As an often-explored subject of writers and movie makers, thinking about time travel is fascinating . . . but, is it really possible?

Physicists ponder the paradoxes and problems of time travel in theoretic constructs and mathematical formulas that are beyond my capacity to fathom. It is my understanding that physicists consider time to be the 4^th dimension, forever linked to the three dimensions of space.

Einstein said that, “The distinction between the past, present, and future is only an illusion.” Trafalmadorians, agree.  Theses aliens of Kurt Vonnegut’s imagination are able to travel with impunity through the 4-dimensional space-time continuum.  For them past, present, and future are one and the same. 

Here on Earth, we move forward, backward, up, down, and sideways through 3-dimensional space, but unlike Trafalmadorians, we are stuck in the elusive present moment.  I can remember the past.  I can imagine the future.  But I exist only now.

What is time?  A series of metaphors comes to mind.  Time flows.  Time marches on. Time flies. Time passes (quickly or slowly).  Time can be lost, wasted, or even killed.  Time can be filled.  Time can heal.  It can catch up to you.  It can run out (but not run in). Time is precious. Time is money.  But metaphors don’t define time.

There is a circle of time.  In the Autumn leaves fall, birds migrate, and bears hibernate.  “. . . there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven.” Every 365 days, Earth returns to where it started. The circle is once again complete, and another cycle begins.

But it is the arrow of time that penetrates our awareness. We ride this arrow towards a time when, for us, time will cease.  With aging, the mind fills with memories, witness to a past that was and never will be again. With aging, the body shows its wear and tear, witness to the cumulative effect of time gone by. On the arrow of time, we bear witness to our past as we progress into our future.

It may be true that time has no beginning and no end, but life and this blog does. So . . . do I believe that someday time travel will not just be science fiction, but a reality?  Probably not. Time will tell.