What have we learned from sci-fi? (part 2)

Time travel can get very messy! Is time travel possible, though? Discussing that here would require volumes of information, and we would still walk away wondering, as there are many confusing theories on this topic. However, many do think that time travel is plausible—time dilation, a predicted result of Einstein's theory of general relativity—might be a very realistic result when moving across spacetime. Countless sci-fi movies and TV shows involve time travel, but each one can be seen as a warning: time travel will result in a massive mess. Back to the Future shows how traveling back in time could potentially erase your own existence. Continuum, a TV show currently in its third season, becomes more convoluted with each passing week, demonstrating that multiple timelines, paradoxes, and collapsing realities await even a careful time traveler. Dr. Who, a “time lord,” demonstrates the burden of a time-traveler, constantly trying to fix the universe and prevent major catastrophes. In The Butterfly Effect, even the smallest deviation can erupt in massive changes. And in 12 Monkeys, a man sent back in time to prevent the release of a deadly virus may have inadvertently caused the release of the virus by traveling back in time. If all this isn't enough to make your head spin, one thing should at least be clear—time travel is extremely dangerous!