Against Time Travel

[poliphilo]

"Freeman Dyson said a very good argument against the possibility of time travel is that we've never met any time travellers. If someone in the future had done it, someone would have come back." (Pref. Jeff Forshaw, as reported in the Indy)

No, it's a very poor argument. 

Firstly a time traveller would almost certainly be obeying some sort of prime directive- and trying to pass among us undetected.

Secondly, if they broke the directive and announced their identity (but why should they?) we'd simply disbelieve them.

Thirdly if they showed up with signs and wonders (in a UFO for example) the evidence would be placed in the file marked "paranormal" and ruled out of court. 

Comments

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

These people- ETs or time travellers- are going to be a good deal smarter than we are. They'll know how to avoid detection.

[ron-broxted.livejournal.com]

Not necessarily, one theory is that "ghosts" or "UFOs" are future time travellers gone back. Di's wedding anyone?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Turning up as a ghost or UFO- things our culture refuses to believe in- is also a way of avoiding detection.