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The New Time Travelers: A Journey to the Frontiers of Physics
Since H. G. Wells' 1895 classic The Time Machine, readers of science fiction have puzzled over the paradoxes of time travel. What would happen if a time traveler tried to change history? Would some force or law of nature prevent him? Or would his action produce a "new" history, branching away from the original?
In the last decade of the twentieth century a group of theoretical physicists at the California Institute of Technology undertook a serious investigation of the possibility of pastward time travel, inspiring a serious and sustained study that engaged more than thirty physicists working at universities and institutes around the world.
Many of the figures involved are familiar: Einstein, Stephen Hawking and Kip Thorne; others are names known mostly to physicists. These are the new time travelers, and this is the story of their work--a profoundly human endeavor marked by advances, retreats, and no small share of surprises. It is a fantastic journey to the frontiers of physics.
In the last decade of the twentieth century a group of theoretical physicists at the California Institute of Technology undertook a serious investigation of the possibility of pastward time travel, inspiring a serious and sustained study that engaged more than thirty physicists working at universities and institutes around the world.
Many of the figures involved are familiar: Einstein, Stephen Hawking and Kip Thorne; others are names known mostly to physicists. These are the new time travelers, and this is the story of their work--a profoundly human endeavor marked by advances, retreats, and no small share of surprises. It is a fantastic journey to the frontiers of physics.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published July 10, 2007
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184 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
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August 4, 2017HOLY CRAP and WTF?! This stuff is real! Takes me awhile to wrap my head around each new chapter, but damn! I'm quickly becoming obsessed with physics.....
August 31, 2012
I'm too stupid for this book
July 3, 2022
I'm a bit ambivalent about this book. It's an account (directed towards nonscientists) of discussions in the theoretical physics community about the mechanics of time travel. However, the techniques involved would (rarely) be the sort of thing usable in an HG Wells-inspired novel (although the author also discusses Wells), and also exist in such an abstract, cosmological scale that I had difficulty understanding what Toomey is describing.
I might try rereading this book in a few years, after some of the ideas have had an opportunity to settle in mind. Smarter people than me who enjoy popular science books would probably enjoy it.
I did find the brief discussion of David Deutsch's version of the many-worlds theory fascinating (rather than the universe branching, we start off with an infinite number of universes, but when alternative possible events occur, they partition themselves into groups in which each possibility occurs).
Three and a half stars.
I might try rereading this book in a few years, after some of the ideas have had an opportunity to settle in mind. Smarter people than me who enjoy popular science books would probably enjoy it.
I did find the brief discussion of David Deutsch's version of the many-worlds theory fascinating (rather than the universe branching, we start off with an infinite number of universes, but when alternative possible events occur, they partition themselves into groups in which each possibility occurs).
Three and a half stars.
November 23, 2024
It was ok. The title is misleading. The author meanders all over the place so much that it might have been better called a pop science book on physics. And not that great a one. What's the use of short superficial explanations of relativity, quantum mechanics et al. Useless if you already know it and even more useless if you don't. They always fall back on largely irrelevant biographical details.
What I was looking for was some speculation and discussion on the paradoxes of time travel. There is some of that. But just the standard simple points. Nothing that isn't covered everywhere else.
Time travel is weird. Is it impossible? Maybe not! If this is the case where are they? I really want to know. There are dozens of mediocre movies with time travel as a theme - and just a few good ones. It's hard to do it right. Consistently? Maybe because it isn't. Does this make it impossible?
What I was looking for was some speculation and discussion on the paradoxes of time travel. There is some of that. But just the standard simple points. Nothing that isn't covered everywhere else.
Time travel is weird. Is it impossible? Maybe not! If this is the case where are they? I really want to know. There are dozens of mediocre movies with time travel as a theme - and just a few good ones. It's hard to do it right. Consistently? Maybe because it isn't. Does this make it impossible?
December 29, 2019
Explains how time travel is possible.
December 9, 2021
A fascinating look at the myths and realities of time travel with a mix of physics and science fiction.
July 16, 2009
David Toomey's book is interesting, but doesn't really break any new ground. He's essentially rehashing all the same ideas that have already been presented by established scientists like Stephen Hawking in "A Brief History of Time" and Brian Greene in "The Fabric of the Cosmos" and "The Elegant Universe".
As a non-scientist, but technical writer, Toomey does a good job of presenting hard to comprehend concepts in exotic physics, and the book really excels in giving a history of where some of these ideas came from, and the history of the theoretical physicists that came up with these idea. I consider myself quite well read on the subject of theoretical physics, but I had never heard the story of Willem Jacob van Stockum. I was somewhat familiar with the idea of a Van Stockum Cylinder, but had never heard the story of the man, and where that thought experiment came from.
Ultimately the book focuses on theoretical physics as it relates to time and provides a good history and context for these ideas, which can be very hard to comprehend, it's a good book, but fails to reach the heights of other works in the field.
As a non-scientist, but technical writer, Toomey does a good job of presenting hard to comprehend concepts in exotic physics, and the book really excels in giving a history of where some of these ideas came from, and the history of the theoretical physicists that came up with these idea. I consider myself quite well read on the subject of theoretical physics, but I had never heard the story of Willem Jacob van Stockum. I was somewhat familiar with the idea of a Van Stockum Cylinder, but had never heard the story of the man, and where that thought experiment came from.
Ultimately the book focuses on theoretical physics as it relates to time and provides a good history and context for these ideas, which can be very hard to comprehend, it's a good book, but fails to reach the heights of other works in the field.
January 14, 2008
David Toomey describes in fascinating detail all the ways current science allows for time travel (and there are a lot!). From Einstein's general theory of relativity to wormholes and closed time-like curves, this is an entertaining and authoritative survey of a mind-blowing, scarcely believable field, and the story of the theoretical physicists at the forefront of its study.
April 19, 2009
Not exactly what I hoped it would be, namely, a more detailed view of the topic, the book felt more like a incoherent collection of short stories about physicists bickering. The interesting chapter - and the only reason for a second star - was the one about black holes.
Oh, and a good side effect was that after reading ten pages I was usually ready to go to fall asleep.
Oh, and a good side effect was that after reading ten pages I was usually ready to go to fall asleep.
April 11, 2008
This is a pretty readable account of the history of physicists' inquiries into the possibility of time travel. It doesn't get too bogged down in arcane scientific details and is, for the most part, accessible to the lay person.
February 10, 2009
Sorry to say I didn't finish it before it was due at the library, and I knew I wouldn't have time to if I renewed it. What I DID read was fascinating, though. If you're looking for something comprehensible on the quantum mechanics of time travel, it's the book for you.
October 28, 2009
Pretty good overall. Good mix of the history of physics and the application of it as it pertains to our world in general and time travel theory specifically. If you're looking for hard-core science, this might not be for you, but it's generally a good text.
February 22, 2016
Seriously one of the most mind blowing books I've ever read. I enjoyed every page and the many hours consumed in thoughts about the physics and possibilities presented. I would love to keep rereading this book.
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August 21, 2016Put theoretical physics in close to layman's terms. Explained time travel well enough so even a weak background in physics made it easier to understand. I don't get all of it but I get more than before I read it haha
February 19, 2008
Time travel discussion is no longer just in the fiction section of the library.
February 28, 2012
A book about speculative science that reads like a collection of plot kernels for science fiction novels. I didn't understand all of it but still found it pretty dang entertaining.
September 6, 2013
A very readable book with good explanations of some interesting possibilities in theoretical physics. You could say it is worth the time to travel to a place where you can obtain a copy.
September 21, 2012
Very interesting but gave me a headache trying to comprehend the ideas the book conveyed.
May 7, 2014
Very techie and physics based. Awesome ideas not sure these will be the pathway though...
March 26, 2017
Theoretical physics, but still a great book and I loved the list of 7 reasons we can't encountered time travelers yet (besides not interfering or juts hiding well) #7 - maybe we are boring :-D
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews