Grandfather paradox facts for kids
The grandfather paradox is a puzzling idea about time travel. It asks what might happen if you could go back in time and change the past.
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What is the Grandfather Paradox?
This paradox is a famous paradox that makes you think about how time works. It's a thought experiment, not something that has actually happened. It helps us understand the tricky parts of time travel.
The Time Travel Puzzle
Imagine you build a time machine and travel into the past. What if you went back to a time before your grandfather met your grandmother? And then, what if you somehow stopped them from meeting?
If they never met, your parent would never be born. And if your parent was never born, then you would never be born either!
Why It's a Paradox
Here's where it gets confusing:
- If you were never born, then you couldn't have traveled back in time.
- But if you didn't travel back in time, then your grandparents would have met.
- And if they met, your parent would be born, and then you would be born.
- Then you *could* travel back in time, and the whole puzzle starts again!
This creates a loop with no clear answer. It's called a paradox because it seems to lead to a contradiction.
Who Thought of It?
The idea of the grandfather paradox has been explored by many writers. Nathaniel Schachner wrote about a similar idea in his story Ancestral Voices. René Barjavel also described it in his 1943 book Le Voyageur Imprudent (which means Future Times Three).
Is Time Travel Possible?
As far as we know, traveling back in time like this isn't possible. So, the grandfather paradox is a fun puzzle to think about. It helps scientists and writers explore the rules of time and space. It makes us wonder about cause and effect.
See also
Images for kids
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A robot thinking about time travel.
