Risus Monkey: Risus On The Brain

Risus Monkey: Risus On The Brain:

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Random Thoughts: Time Travel

If time travel to the future is possible, this brings up a couple of questions. (Actually, it brings up a potentially infinite number of questions, but you know what I mean...)

1) If only one future can exist at a time, it will be virtually impossible to travel to that exact same future more than once. This is because, when you return, decisions are made and events occur that will have an impact on that future.
ex: The year 3000, which you traveled to from early 1998, never had a Sarah Palin candidacy in its history because she hadn't been chosen as a Vice Presidential candidate at that point. Later on, in September 2008, the year 3000 not only had Sarah Palin as VP in its history, but she went on to become President when John McCain died in office.  Your next trip to 3000 AD didn't take place until March 2012, in which you learn that Barack Obama was defeated in the November Elections by... Donald Trump???


2) If alternate futures can coexist, it is possible that travellers from alternate realities can come back to the present to either make sure their reality comes to exist/ceases to exist. Perhaps the travelers are alternate versions of each other... or the player character's children... or the player character himself...
ex: Bob Smith is destined to have a son who will invent a way to destroy the world. He is visited by the following time travellers:

• His grandson, John Smith, who wants to kill Bob Smith  to keep Bob's son from inventing the device that will destroy the world.
• His grandson, John Smith, who wants to make sure that Bob's son invents the device that will destroy the world, to use as a threat against the aliens who take over the earth in his own time
• His grandson, John Smith, who wants to make sure that Bob's Son invents the technology that can be used to destroy the world... or reverse the decades of environmental damage that have almost exterminated the human race.
• His grandson, John Smith, who wants to make sure that Bob's son is really a daughter, who will solve all the social and economic problems of the world.
• His granddaughter, who wants to make sure that Bob never has a daughter, because she will become a dictator who will enslave mankind.

Tempus fugit!

Professor M.A.R. Barker, creator of Tekumel, dead at 83

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