The Grandfather Paradox
Going back in time to eliminate ... going back in time. (The Bus 3.42)
Welcome aboard The Bus!
The Stop
The ‘Grandfather Paradox’ is a classic thought experiment about the effect of time travel on causality, specifically the idea that a cause must precede its effect. In the experiment, a time traveller journeys back in time and - deliberately or not - kills his biological grandfather before his grandfather has any children. This becomes an issue because if the time traveller did travel back in time and killed his grandfather, he presumably could never have existed in the first place. And yet, according to the paradox, this is exactly what he did.1
The solution to the paradox is straightforward: you cannot go back in time to kill your grandfather, because if you did kill your grandfather before he had children you’d never exist in the first place and, well, it’s impossible to travel back in time if you don’t exist. However, as a thought experiment, the grandfather paradox opens some serious questions about temporality.2
Naturally, the paradox has been a popular science fiction trope, appearing in stories such as Ray Bradbury’s ‘A Sound of Thunder,’ and as the major plot component in Back to the Future. However, the paradox has also been taken seriously outside of the realm of fiction - especially when Einstein’s theories of relativity began to indicate time travel may actually be a theoretical possibility, a concept enhanced by quantum physic’s idea of superposition.3
But don’t take my word for it, check out this explainer for more information: Grandfather Paradox - Explained in Simple Words
The Detour
Today’s Detour is to Emerald and Stone, a short (2:25) video by artist Thomas Blanchard. Using liquid soap, paint and oil, Blanchard creates a dreamlike, hypnotic composition - and soundtracks it to the music of Brian Eno. Worth every second - it’s exquisite.
The Recommendation
Today’s Recommendation is Looper (2012). Directed by Rian Johnson and starring Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Paul Dano and Emily Blunt, the film is an excellent example of the Grandfather Paradox as it tells the story of contract killers called ‘loopers’ who are hired by future criminals to kill victims back in time. The fun begins when one ‘looper’ is sent back in time to kill … himself. It’s ridiculous, but fun - and violent. Very violent.
Looper streams on multiple platforms.
The Sounds
Today’s playlist is a collection of songs loosely connected to the Stop:4 ‘My Grandfather’s Clock’ (Johnny Cash, 1959), ‘Traveller in Time’ (Uriah Heep, 1972), ‘Time in a Bottle’ (Jim Croce, 1972), ‘Time After Time’ (Cyndi Lauper, 1983), and ‘Time Passages’ (Al Stewart, 1978). Enjoy!
The Thought
Today’s Thought is from T. S. Eliot:5
‘We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.
If you have a thought on this Thought - or any part of today’s issue - please leave a comment below:
And that’s the end of this Stop - I hope you enjoyed the diversion!
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Until the next Stop …
My 13 y/o son suggested this topic a few weeks ago. We were talking about paradoxes in general and he said this was one of his favourites. Consequently, I thought it a worthy Stop. Sources for today’s Stop include the citations below, plus Grandfather Paradox (space.com).
For a more in-depth look at the paradox, see: Grandfather Paradox (LiveScience)
For more about superposition - which is a really cool idea - see: The Principle of Superposition (Britannica)
These are some very cool songs - the intro to the Uriah Heep (yes - Uriah Heep!) track alone is worth the ticket. And don’t discount Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Time After Time.’ I’d argue that song was released far before its time - it’s not just a bit of disposable 80s pop. Wish to discuss this? Let me know in the comments!
For more about Eliot, see: TS Eliot (Poetry Foundation)
Just forwarded this edition to an artist and huge Brian Eno fan. Great post but the video is special. Art and artists are so necessary.
Have you read any Blake Crouch? Dark Matter, or Recursion?