Time Travel Is Actually Possible With Parallel Dimensions, Say Physicists

Leaping through time and parallel universes may sound like science fiction, but scientists say it's not out of the realm of possibility.

According to a report from The Sun UK, a group of physicists that includes Professor Howard Wiseman and Dr Michael Hall from the Griffith University Centre for Quantum Dynamics believe that there are a number of different timelines that play out in parallel universes. Moreover, these different universes can actually affect each other.

The theory of the parallel universes means that every possible scenario has or will happen at some point. The group, which also counts fellow scientist Dr. Dirk-Andre Deckert from the University of California, offers a new perspective on the concepts of quantum theory with their "Many-Interacting Worlds Theory."

"The idea of parallel universes in quantum mechanics has been around since 1957," Professor Wiseman explained. "In the well-known 'Many-Worlds Interpretation,' each universe branches into a bunch of new universes every time a quantum measurement is made. All possibilities are therefore realized -- in some universes, the dinosaur-killing asteroid missed Earth. In others, Australia was colonized by the Portuguese."

He added that the problem with this line of thinking is that critics are doubtful of the reality of the other universes because of their inability to affect this universe. On the other hand, the newly introduced "Many-Interacting Worlds" theory still subscribes that there are multiple universes but believes that they are all located on the same timeline and are able to interact and "bump into each other".

"The beauty of our approach is that if there is just one world our theory reduces to Newtonian mechanics, while if there is a gigantic number of worlds it reproduces quantum mechanics," Dr. Hall explained. "In between it predicts something new that is neither Newton's theory nor quantum theory. We also believe that, in providing a new mental picture of quantum effects, it will be useful in planning experiments to test and exploit quantum phenomena."

This new perspective on time travel came just after mental time travel pioneer Professor Michael Corballis of the University of Auckland received the Rutherford medal last week for excellence in science, social science, and technology, according to a report from Radio New Zealand.