Time Travel: Is It a Dream or a Scientific Possibility?

I have always been very enthusiastic about the idea of time travel. It appears in television series, films, and books. For instance: the Time Machine, Interstellar, or The Avengers. It seems both magical and impossible to travel to the past or the future. To most of us it seems like we will only see it in books and movies. Or could it really happen?

There are some unexpected theories in physics and mathematics that suggest it might not be completely impossible. The theory of relativity developed by Einstein shows that time is not fixed. Time, according to Einstein, was not fixed. It slows, bends, and stretches according to your speed. If you are approaching the speed of light, seconds could be years to someone else. Scientists call this time dilatation. For example on the ISS, astronauts have a slower sense of time than people on Earth. If someone could travel faster, closer to the speed of light, it might make a big difference, even though it isn't immediately obvious. Considering these, time travel may eventually be used to describe extremely fast travel.

Then there are wormholes. The imaginary tunnels that connect different parts of the space-time continuum are called wormholes. Some scientists believe that if one end moved rapidly and then returned, time could pass at each end in a different manner. It seems all very speculative and impossible. We can't even imagine the technology required. And it would require exotic matter, which has negative energy. It is science fiction in and of itself. It may be possible despite these, according to math.

Strange problems with time travel also exist, like the "grandfather paradox". The Grandfather Paradox is a well known paradox. Would it be possible to go back in time and prevent your grandparents from meeting? In this condition, you wouldn’t be born. And, if you weren't born, who prevented your grandparents from meeting each other? A comparable situation is also described in a different way in the TV show "The Flash." Such inquiries call into question whether the past can be changed. Additionally, we need more technology and energy than humans can currently produce.

Still, thinking about time travel is exciting.  It pushes us to explore physics, ask questions, and think creatively.  Even though it is impossible to build a time machine, trying to understand time travel has already expanded our understanding of relativity, black holes, space-time and the universe. Also, experiencing past events can make it more interesting.  Often, I wonder what I would feel about watching historical events that we learn in history classes.

All in all, it's likely that we will never be able to accomplish practical time travel. However, forward time travel is already happening, like particles (such as photons) moving at the speed of light. More significantly, thinking about time travel makes us much more creative. It inspires our inventiveness and curiosity while serving as a reminder of the universe's true strangeness, magic, and wonder. Whether it remains a fantasy or materializes in the far future, thinking about it infuses our daily existence with a hint of magic.