So I had this idea the other day. I was thinking about the possible ways a time machine might be utilized and the longer I thought about it, the better the idea of building one seemed.
Take for instance this scenario. I could shift the machine into reverse, that is to go back in time. But only by say fifteen seconds or so. Then I could tell my devoted assistant to step into the machine. But then 15 seconds before he steps into the contraption he would step out of the machine (having traveled backwards, you see). Then as he steps out, but just before he steps in, I simply reach up and turn the machine off. And BINGO! I now have two devoted assistants. Cool huh?
Then I began to wonder about the ethics of the situation. My usual assistant happens also to be my youngest son. So if the machine really did its job would I now have two youngest sons? How would that work?
I began to get a headache thinking about that and decided to consider a simpler situation.
So OK, I figured maybe 15 seconds was too ambitious for a novice time manipulator such as myself. Lets ease into this I thought. What if I dial the machine back to one second in reverse? How to utilize this I wondered. And then it hit me, well actually, it would hit my devoted assistant.
I position him before the door, hand him a baseball and tell him to throw it into the machine. But just before he releases the ball it sails out of the door and nails him on the noggin.
Looking at the goose egg on his head I feel a bit guilty. I had no idea the boy had that kind of fast ball. Maybe fooling with the past is just too dangerous I decide, but what about the future?
If I set the machine to travel forward only a moment or so and step into the portal, what would be the effect?
Then I realized if I did this, my words would probably tumble out before my thoughts were formed. That just wouldn't do because then no one would notice a difference between the future me and the present me.
I need a larger gap.
So if I set the date far enough into the future and step through my friends would be bound to notice right?
Then I wonder, if I set the date far ahead would I arrive as today's deep thinking me or as a doddering old codger?
Again I wondered, would my friends notice the difference?
Time travel it seems, though an interesting topic, could easily be the most dangerous trip ever contemplated. It's a good thing, I decide, I can have an unlimited supply of devoted assistants.
