Time travel conundrum

[Wayne Mack]

Another option that addresses the time paradox is if the time traveler fails to change the future. In the past, random events could occur that prevent the time traveler from taking action, the time traveler could discover certain assumptions or beliefs were falsehoods, that the proposed action would result in an even worse future, or a combination of these.

 

[Pyan]

that the proposed action would result in an even worse future,

Which is why there are fixed points in the Dr Whoverse that even the Doctor is not able or allowed to change, such as the Peterloo Massacre, warning the inhabitants of Pompeii that now would be a really good time to leave the town, and the Council of Nicaea.
When Ace attempted to kill Hitler during an encounter in 1923, the Seventh Doctor interrupted her efforts, explaining that Hitler's removal could create a power vacuum where a more competent commander took control of the Nazis, preferring the known element of Hitler to the risk that some more dangerous leader could take over in his absence

 

[paranoid marvin]

Which is why there are fixed points in the Dr Whoverse that even the Doctor is not able or allowed to change, such as the Peterloo Massacre, warning the inhabitants of Pompeii that now would be a really good time to leave the town, and the Council of Nicaea.
When Ace attempted to kill Hitler during an encounter in 1923, the Seventh Doctor interrupted her efforts, explaining that Hitler's removal could create a power vacuum where a more competent commander took control of the Nazis, preferring the known element of Hitler to the risk that some more dangerous leader could take over in his absence

I like the idea that there are significant events in history which are absolutely unalterable; ie whatever you do, the same result will occur. The laws of time will not allow you to undo things that shape the rest of history.

 

[luriantimetraveler]

Another option that addresses the time paradox is if the time traveler fails to change the future. In the past, random events could occur that prevent the time traveler from taking action, the time traveler could discover certain assumptions or beliefs were falsehoods, that the proposed action would result in an even worse future, or a combination of these.

Connie Willis does this so well (slippage, redundancies, etc).

 

[reiver33]

Time travel as 'chronocide' - the present you leave will be altered in ways you cannot predict due to your interactions in the past, to the extent that the changes being attempted may no longer be relevant to the time frame you left. Even if all the traveller did was ensure the information would be forwarded, so to speak then died, lived as a hermit, etc. The relevance of the 1600 component has now been greatly enhanced, and unless this information was obtained without stressing its importance, the Renaissance medic/herbalist/etc. may pursue his own research with a beneficial outcome, preempting the entire journey - and creating a different future/present from which the traveller left.

Or - going dark - the traveller gets the information he requires, has it forwarded, then minimises the time line interruption by removing both the 1600 source and himself as a murder/suicide - having determined that his 1600 source did nothing else of any significance (a big ask).

 

[BAYLOR]

If time were possible and you could change the past . If you did so , what might happen is that instead of disappearing , you would shunted into an alternate timeline.

 

[BAYLOR]

Which is why there are fixed points in the Dr Whoverse that even the Doctor is not able or allowed to change, such as the Peterloo Massacre, warning the inhabitants of Pompeii that now would be a really good time to leave the town, and the Council of Nicaea.
When Ace attempted to kill Hitler during an encounter in 1923, the Seventh Doctor interrupted her efforts, explaining that Hitler's removal could create a power vacuum where a more competent commander took control of the Nazis, preferring the known element of Hitler to the risk that some more dangerous leader could take over in his absence

Eliminating Anton Drexler might have effectively prevented the Nazis from ever existing.

 

[tinkerdan]

If your MC has thought it through; well if they thought it through they wouldn't go, however: they would realize the first conundrum would be if they discovered it in any of the time they are in their own time. They would then have made measures--contact a colleague and set up a means of contacting them in such a way that it happens after they leave their time for the past.