Just how great is the butterfly effect?

[Vagrant0]

Furthermore, if one believes in string theory and higher dimensions, there is no such thing a as a time paradox as all histories, both possible and impossible are accounted for. The grandfather clause (and similar) only applies as far as the 5th dimension. In a sense, a time paradox cannot exist because the moment it is brought about it becomes proven as a valid course of history within that particular thread of time, and thus no paradox exists. But really, time travel is impossible with current or even near-future technology since it would require significant displacement of mass between multiple dimensions, which in itself would probably cause more harm than any potential paradox.

 

As it relates to the original topic, any attempt to go back in time would have no effect on the timeline you left from (other than you no longer being there), but rather move you into a different timeline which was actualized based on your actions. As far as you're concerned, you may have changed history, and may even be able to go forward within that timeline to see its effects, but you would not be able to see those effects within your own timeline because those effects were already actualized as having a different outcome. Sure, some of this really calls into question how one defines their reality and if semantics like this are actually important, but that's basically the only way it would work for it to be stable. For religious types, just call it good planning. For non-religious types, call it infinite potential.

Edited May 5, 2010 by Vagrant0

[hoshi23]

religious means universal understanding.if that aint infinite i dunno know what is. catholic means vast yet they go at little boys. :confused:

 

anyway we the creator of everything. past future they all contained in you. its like afterimages you have not learned about yet and unless one doesnt learn the associated lessons it gonna come back onto the screen.

 

just the human process in time and it goes all the while from past (that has not been confronted yet) projecting into the future and back whence in truth nothing is there xept that present moment.

[Maharg67]

Maharg is right to the point the named butterfly effect is related to chaos theory. It's based on non linear system where there is no way to achieve precision (enough significant digits) for the initial conditions which would allow deterministic repeatability for the consequences. Notice the term "deterministic", BTW lack of it, hasn't the same meaning as in quantum physics (although these two boundaries are a lot gray where they works on probabilities). One could think the indeterminism from quantum mechanics is intrinsic while in chaos theory the unpredictability depends most on external influences and interrelations... and rounding in the conditions, as more 'severe' as nearest the initial conditions rounding.

 

That means the cumulative effects could add and grow and propagate for longs distances. In the butterfly effect it would be a minimal fluctuation in the wind which could act on 'bottlenecks' as a valve, modulating the main flux... and so on...

 

So, it's not related with time paradox, at least I know about none with that description. Yet by it's own nature is not even a postulate but an speculation on possibilities. More, it could be seen as an example for the laity about many chaos theory phenomena's unpredictability.

 

Nature is the ultimate balance on earth, so and fortunately, most interactions between smalls and bigs effects are damping and diluting. Other way the butterfly would cause the extinction of the planet's life as we know it :sweat: unless we help it utterly, as we already did too much :unsure:

 

 

Nosisab, you outlined what I meant to say with obviously more knowledge on the subjects that I have, though I am trying to improve that situation.

[ub3rman123]

It seems awfully narcissistic to think that one could screw up history that easily, in my opinion. I don't think it's possible to mess anything up too badly with a simple change. It may cause a few small changes, but for the better part it would be the exact same. Now, large changes, like going back in time and (spoiler) putting a better lock on the Weynon Priory door might change a lot.