Time Travel and God Particles... Huh?

Time travel has always been the stuff of fantasy and science fiction. Some recent developments tell us that this is not possible… at least for now, with what we know.

Haven’t you ever thought as to how great it would be to be able to actually go back in time and live again certain moments, even as someone who only watches events unfold? Sort of a cosmic peeping tom. Most of us have at one time or another wished it could be so, especially those of us who enjoy reading the works of Fantasy/Science Fiction masters. This is a concept which has been dominant in the genre; I guess because it is one which brings with it jeopardy, mystery, possibilities of righting a wrong (can’t do too much unless you are willing to risk a current lifeline which is totally different) or simply to visit with those whom we loved and are gone.

From Jules Verne’s “Time Machine” to Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” (a perennial favorite); the movie “Time Cop” and all the way to the “Back to the Future” series and hundreds of other books in between and betwixt; this theme has been universal in scope and interest. In my case, I would have loved to be able to visit my childhood haunts again; to watch moments of my story unfold anew and perhaps, who knows? A little push or shove here and there… Not too much, mind you… my life has been uneven enough as it is, I really don’t want to risk making it even more so. But there are a few things that could have unfolded a little differently…

It had been my dream that, somewhere along my lifetime, someone would announce that volunteers were needed to test time travel gizmos… Truly, I would have heeded that call. After all, a life has been lived already and the curiosity factor about those new frontiers would win out over the more sensible options, like turning tail and running the other way.

Well… no matter and no deal. According to a group of scientists in Japan, it has been determined –beyond any reasonable doubt- that the concept of time travel is simply not physically possible. Apparently, for some years now it had been hoped that upon being able to get down to the most minuscule of protons, this sub-microscopic, sub-atomic mass would be able to be accelerated beyond the speed of light, speed at which point it would be possible (not guaranteed, though) to go backwards faster than light had brought us forward (or some such…) and Bingo!! The door would be open to eventually send you or me or another lunatic in a backwards spin. Well… Aw Shucks!!! Nothing doing… That little feller refused to go faster than light, no matter how much they pushed it along the tunnel. Apparently it seems to have a “built in” engine governor and the speed limit was set at, you guessed it, 99% of the speed of light.

Do we give up? Now fellow readers and followers of this blog and of the story of mankind… When have we ever been known to leave well enough alone?  Huh?? Do you really think this little impediment will stop others from trying? I don’t think so… Eventually, someone will discover a new variant in the “continuums” which will allow that little sucker to go faster. We just do not have the technology available yet. Come on… just 5 generations ago (that’s what? Some 45-55 years ago) we had barely understood how to make atomic particles collide… and look what it brought us. The sub-atomic world was yet to be defined and explored. So, it is a matter of time before our scientists find a way to make the proton move along at a brisker pace.

In a non related matter, there is a group of scientists who predict that by the end of 2012 the “God Particle” will be identified and understood… This is the energy that supposedly created the so called Big Bang, initiating the movement of the universe, as we know it to be today, outwards. I believe investigative science is great; many answers to the physical world have been found along the way and much in the way of explaining certain issues has also been made available. I also think there are issues which have not been made public; us little, common folks are not deemed ready to receive this privileged information, I guess. Fascinating, the concept of information police.

Yet, as all these discoveries come and go, we go back to the ages old conundrum, which has vexed many minds: What existed first, the chicken or the egg?

There is an old anecdote which tells of God talking to a would-be god, and a challenge was thrown: create a human entity from scratch and I will recognize you as another god…   The “god-in-training” said: “Watch me” and he bent to pick up mud from the riverbed. At which point a voice was heard, like thunder, saying… “NO, Do not take THAT mud” –“That belongs to me, I created it… you create your own!!”

If and when a “God Particle” is indeed identified and found to have the energy to create the Big Bang… my question is then: “What created the so called "God Particle"?”  In my limited reasoning and understanding, I do believe that something cannot come from nothing, unless there is an initial and/or final energy or being which actually did some inventive creating of his/her own and then let it go forward. With a little nudge here and there along the way.

Be Well… Be Back!!  (Figuratively speaking, that is)