Thoughts Regarding Time Travel

I've always been fascinated with TV shows and movie plots involving time travel. Perhaps that is why after my most recent post concerning Adolph Hitler's early release from jail in 1924 it motivated me to ponder a few what-ifs.

So Here I Go... Over Thinking Things Again
           Yeah I know... but that's just how my mind works.

Stephen Hawking and others have toyed with the idea. They setup experiments to test if time travelers may walk among us from the future. He and the others reached negative conclusions.

Stephen Hawking - Time Traveler's Party


If indeed someone from the future knew how Adolph's release from prison would play out, wouldn't they have done something about it? If not why not? What would the world be like today if there never was a Hitler? Would there have even been a WWII?

One thing is certain, without Germany's rise to power and the resultant WWII everything would be far more complex then the moving of a few chess pieces on a game board. For one, the USA ascended to world power by establishing it's military might through the victories it gained in WWII alongside Russia, China and 19 other allies.

Who knows if Hitler was removed from the equation that we still wouldn't have ended up in a WW anyway. Say against some other nation like Russia instead?

What about our space program?
Would we even have one?

After the war the United States granted forgiveness to 88 scientists from Germany if they agreed to come work for us ('Operation Paperclip'). German scientists had already invented jet propulsion that would have wiped our prop fighter planes from the skies had not the war ended when it did. What about the atomic bomb? Einstein warned Roosevelt Germany was working on one since April 1938.

If time travelers from the future prevented Hitler's release and his subsequent rise to power things could have turned out far differently for the United States? Without Adolph's rise to power in all likelihood Germany would have never posed a threat to Russia. Possibly this might have led Josef Stalin to become cozy with Germany. Had the two become allies Russia would have had access to Germany's advanced weaponry. Certainly not a good thing for the United States. Especially given Josef's ambitions of his own. So things might have turned out for the best regarding the United States in the long run.

So that leaves us with some questions if time travel is possible. (a) Were these time travelers of the future wise enough to leave their hands off. (b) They muckied with the situation. After all how would we know or not if time travelers arranged for Hitler's release in order to prevent Russia's rise to power?

HAVING FUN PLAYING WITH TIME
While there are minds out there far more genius then mine, who's to say time travel is not possible? Being a fan of science fiction I still have my reservations. Here's my little rewrite on the Hawking scenario above.

Suppose Stephen Hawking had his party and a bunch of people actually showed up from the future. Suppose after they got all boozed up, enjoyed the merriment and had a great time partying into the wee small hours, they then decided to erase their tracks. They all agreed the best possible way to accomplish this was by revisiting Stephen Hawking. This time while he was asleep on the eve before the party. They then take him with them still asleep (induced or otherwise) and put him back in the room any number of days before the scheduled party. This time none of them showed up at the appointed time. How would he know?

Want to further confound yourself?
SEE: The Grandfather Paradox




I'm still not done screwing with your head...I always lie, I never ever tell the truth?
           (a) True?
           (b) False?