The grandfather paradox?

Question

Let's say I travelled back into time and shot my grandfather(the grandfather paradox. BTW, I would never do this). Wouldn't I know that my grandfather would live because he did it before. See, In my grandfather's "original" lifeline, I also came from the future and shot him and he survived(how else would I be around to shoot him). So you see, if I shot him, wouldn't physics make sure he didn't die?

Why is it a paradox? My grandfather was shot. he lived. he had my mother who had me. I travelled back in time, shot him, and he lived, had my mother, etc.

Wouldn't physics prohibit his death?

Or am I completely off my rocker?

Beardog · Accepted Answer

Or, would you then find yourself in a parallel universe where you didn't exist? You might even stop time altogether, because it would be stuck in a figure 8 loop. One timeline where you travel back, and the other where you never exist, and so you don't. Time can't progress until you get past that point sometime, and so we all spend eons with a terrible feeling of deja-vu, groundhogs day style!

NathanCoppedge · Answer

I've heard the answer to this paradox is that the grandfather that you kill is not the grandfather that contributed to your life, but the same grandfather in another of "many worlds". Thus you might prevent another self bearing a strong resemblance to you from existing, but not the you who has already been born.

Another solution is that there is another dimension of time that exists when you are time traveling, which makes any place you travel to automatically further along chronologically. Thus the world you travel to is really sort of an "echo" of the first. So far as I know I thought of this myself. I don't mean to hurt anybody's brain, but it seems like a reasonable solution.

Atheist · Answer

This is not a paradox. It is simple logical conclusion, known long ago. Travel back in time is forbidden in physics for many reasons. There are hypothetical mechanisms that may allow travel in time, but as far as I know leading scientists are not agreed on this. Regardless of whether actual mechanism of traveling back in time is possible, you can imagine that in your timeline you indeed changed past, and for YOU your timeline continues as it is (yes, you was born, then grown up, then traveled back in time, then etc.) But it is lame, you better check real science discussions and articles.

whitetrashwithmoney · Answer

Not necessarily. If he did die he wouldn't of had your mother who wouldn't of had you so you both never existed. However just to contradict myself if you never existed you could have never of gone back in time so he would still be alive and had you. Paradox very much so. Good though. Bump.

steve_writes · Answer

Why on earth would you want to shoot your grandfather? Even if you did kill him perhaps he wasn't your 'real' grandfather. Maybe you're related to the milk-man. This killing of gradfathers and aged relatives has got to stop - i blame physics

allen3_99 · Answer

That's an interesting question but then maybe you create a brand new timeline while at the same time your current life is not altered.

Anonymous · Answer

You are off your rocker, which is as it should be.  You will sit in your rocker when you are the grandfather.  Fig newton, fig newton.

metronome · Answer

physics prohibits a time machine. nice try though

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The grandfather paradox?

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