Unique Time Travel and Circumnavigation Myths Debunked

Imagine the thrill of circumnavigating the world in just a few hours. What would happen if you travelled around the world east in less than one day? Would time travel actually be possible? This article will explore common myths and misconceptions about circumnavigation and time travel, using examples from different scenarios.

Time Travel and Circumnavigation Explained

Let's start with the idea that if you left London at noon on 1st July and travelled east circumnavigating the world, you would arrive back in 20 minutes. According to the logic, you would arrive at 12:20 on the same day, which contradicts the conventional understanding of time and travel. In reality, as we'll discuss later, you wouldn't actually develop the ability to travel back in time.

Eastward Travel with Time Progression

When you circumnavigate the world eastward, you cross different time zones. Traveling eastward, you would cross from west to east. Since most time zones in the east are ahead of the west, you would notice the time increases as you advance. If you started in London (GMT) and flew across Europe, Asia, Australia, and finally back to London, you would notice that the time increases by one hour each time you cross a time zone. The important part to remember is that you don’t reverse time but rather move through time zones in a specific direction.

Traveling East vs. Traveling West

Consider a journey from North America to Europe. When you travel east, you are traveling against the sun. Therefore, if you leave Toronto in the afternoon, you could land in Europe early the next morning. On the other hand, traveling from Japan to North America typically means you will arrive on the same day, but if you travel the other way, you might land in Japan the same day. This is due to the different time zones. For instance, if you leave Toronto at midnight, you can land in Edmonton at midnight, assuming you follow the correct time zones.

Time Travel Myths and Realities

Let’s debunk some popular time travel myths about circumnavigation. Imagine the scene of traveling around the world in just 20 minutes and coming back with the ability to travel back in time. In reality, this would not happen. Instead, your journey would be a simple matter of crossing time zones. Here are a few specific debunked myths:

Time Traveling to the Dateline

Traveling to the international dateline won't split you into different days. At the dateline, one foot would indeed be in Saturday and the other in Sunday, but your watch would simply need to be adjusted. Crossing the dateline means switching to an earlier time zone (due to the minus zone) or a later one (due to the plus zone), depending on your direction of travel.

Traveling Around the World 7 Times

Another myth is that by running around the world 7 times, you could reverse time by a week. This is not correct. Time zones on Earth are not absolute; they are conventions derived from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). If you run around the world in the wrong direction, you'll effectively gain an hour for each completed time zone, but you'll lose those hours when you cross the international dateline. Thus, you do not reverse or gain weeks by traveling around the world.

Space and Time in Circumnavigation

Understanding the concept of time is crucial. Time, simply put, is the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future. No matter how you travel, you cannot stop the passage of time. Space and time zones on Earth are human-defined conventions rather than immutable physical laws.

Spacecraft and Time Travel

Orbiting spacecraft don’t lose the ability to travel backward in time or encounter any significant alterations in their time passage. These craft follow the laws of physics and time as we understand them. They don't change the physical properties of time but rather operate within the framework of those laws.

“Around the World in 80 Days”

A well-known literary example, "Around the World in 80 Days," included a minor plot point about the international dateline. In the story, the protagonist, Phileas Fogg, thought he had lost his wager but was saved when he realized he had forgotten to adjust his watch correctly after crossing the dateline. This shows the importance of keeping track of time when crossing the international line.

Conclusion

The world of circumnavigation and time travel is fascinating, but the concepts of time and space are complex. Understanding the mechanics of time zones, the nature of time, and the reality of space travel helps in dispelling myths and appreciating the beauty of our planet's marvels.