Professor Ronald Mallett, a 77-year-old astrophysicist and emeritus professor at the University of Connecticut, claims to have cracked the code to time travel. He proposes that rotating lasers could twist the fabric of space-time into a loop, which would enable travel back in time. While this may seem like a far-fetched idea, it is not impossible, given the increasing interest in time travel, with some academic departments and research institutions like the Centre for Time at the University of Sydney and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) working on the subject.
Mallett’s interest in time travel started in 1955, at the age of 10, after his father died, and he picked up HG Wells’ The Time Machine. While he made a replica of the time machine from his bike and his father’s spare radio and TV parts, he didn’t have the confidence to publicly discuss time travel. However, the possibility of time travel gained more attention in the mid-90s, and Mallett, who had received a PhD in physics from Pennsylvania State University, started talking about his endeavor. He found his eureka moment in a spinning black hole, which, unlike a normal black hole, has two event horizons that create something called frame dragging. Rotating black holes can create a gravitational field that could lead to loops of time, and Mallett thinks he has found an artificial alternative in a device called a ring laser. The continuously-rotating beam of light can affect gravity, which can affect time.
Mallett’s critics argue that such a time machine would have to be the size of the universe, and he agrees. But he believes that we need to show we can twist space before figuring out the rest. While building such a device would be expensive, it is unlikely any government would fund it, and the only billionaire who may be interested is working on other projects. Additionally, even if engineers and billionaires put Mallett’s theories into practice, it would only allow travel back in time to the point when the time loop was created. It could never be to 1955 or any other point in the past, so even though Mallett has figured out how to create a time machine, he would never be able to save his father’s life.
If you do use Professor Mallett’s knowledge to create your own time machine, remember to abide by the Temporal Prime Directive, or you may be pulled in for questioning by the Department of Temporal Investigations!
Reference:
Back to the father: the scientist who lost his dad – and resolved to travel to 1955 to save him – The Guardian
How To Build A Time Machine | Weird Science | Earth Lab – YouTube
MIT is trying to build a time-traveling machine to detect dark matter – BGR
Scientists Reveal How Time Travel Is Actually Possibler – YouTube
Time travel might be possible using spinning lasers, according to a physicist – Interesting Engineering
IMPORTANT UFS COMMUNICATIONS
From the Desks of the CinC and DCinC – State of the Fleet
First Order of Business
Membership Engagement
THIS WEEK IN STAR TREK HISTORY
11 March
1935 – Nancy Kovack is born.
1943 – Angelique Pettyjohn is born.
1945 – Tricia O’Neil is born.
1964 – Star Trek is… draft proposal presented to MGM.
1972 – Fredric Brown dies.
1989 – Anton Yelchin is born.
12 March
1913 – Loulie Jean Norman is born.
1938 – Katherine Woodville is born.
1946 – Frank Welker is born.
1961 – Titus Welliver is born.
1975 – Gene Roddenberry signs a deal with Paramount Pictures to develop a Star Trek feature film.
1988 – Karen Steele dies.
13 March
1901 – Paul Fix is born.
1914 – Olaf Pooley is born.
1927 – Dan Wallin is born.
1944 – Sean Kenney is born.
1974 – Janos Prohaska dies.
2013 – Malachi Throne dies.
14 March
1929 – William Blackburn is born.
1944 – Judith Reeves-Stevens is born.
1961 – Penny Johnson is born.
1967 – E. Michael Fincke is born.
1968 – James Frain is born.
2018 – Stephen Hawking dies.
2021 – Henry Darrow dies.
15 March
1919 – Lawrence Tierney is born.
1943 – David Cronenberg is born.
1967 – The New York Times publishes corrections to NBC’s previously announced fall 1967 schedule. Star Trek, which had been announced as airing Tuesdays at 7:30PM, has been moved to Fridays at 8:30PM.
16 March
1943 – Susan Bay is born.
1949 – Victor Garber is born.
17 March
1958 – Ron Althoff is born.
1989 – Merritt Butrick dies.
2017 – Lawrence Montaigne dies.
TODAY’S HUMOR
The United Federation Starfleet Blog is written by Fleet Captain Hal Jordan and is published every Friday. Join in the discussion! Engage with us on Discord at: discord.io/ufstarfleet
UFS LINKS
Facebook
Flickr
Forum
Instagram
Twitter
Website
Wiki