Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site moncol.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!houxm!vax135!petsd!moncol!john From: john@moncol.UUCP (John Ruschmeyer) Newsgroups: net.movies Subject: Re: Somewhere in Time Message-ID: <161@moncol.UUCP> Date: Fri, 18-Jan-85 10:15:29 EST Article-I.D.: moncol.161 Posted: Fri Jan 18 10:15:29 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 19-Jan-85 01:43:14 EST References: <714@cbosgd.UUCP> Organization: Monmouth College, West Long Branch, NJ 07764 Lines: 36 >From: djb@cbosgd.UUCP (David J. Bryant) >Message-ID: <714@cbosgd.UUCP> > >I was curious about the watch too. Where did it come from? As far as I >can tell this is either an error, or a puzzler thrown in for us to think >about. Based solely on information presented in the movie, this watch >is never bought, it simply changes hands between Collier (Reeve's character) >in 1972 and Elise in 1912. > What you have just done is stated one of the basic paradoxes of time travel. This problem occurs in many stories about time travel. For instance, look at the "Planet of the Apes" series. In the first movie, the astronauts go forward in time and discover the civilization that results from the apes taking their capsule back in time in the third movie. If you are a believer in destiny, then you can say that all of history exists at the same time, like a book, and that while you can travel back and forth in time, you will never change or make history, only be part of it. (Is there anyone out there who does not believe in destiny, but can shed some light on the paradox?) Related to this paradox is something called the "Grandfather Paradox". As I recall it deals with whether or not you could travel back in time and kill your grandfather (before he met your grandfather), thereby preventing your being born. Most authors avoid this problem by reducing it to a version of the former. -- John Ruschmeyer ...!vax135!petsd!moncol!john Monmouth College W. Long Branch, NJ 07764 Kirk: You ought to sell a manual of instructions with these things. Cyrano: If I did, Captain... what would happen to the search for knowledge?