Time Machine Power Source (be creative)

[Snowman37]

I am writing a science-fiction novel about a mythical time machine from some 500 years into the future. It'll be similar to the stargate in appearance, but it will have an original method of opperation. Anyway, I'm trying to figure out what would be a sufficient power source to allow man to warp the universe to bring two points in space and time together as a portal so you can just step through. So far, the most potent power source I can think of is anti-matter. Can anyone think of something more powerful in the realms of real or fictional yet believable science?

[Purgatory]

I would suggest that some kind of human sacrifice convertor that releases complete soul energy into the machine upon termination would be ideal .

[lordofseas]

Unobtainium.

[Snowman37]

Purgatory: Your idea reminds me of War of the Worlds (2005) where the Martians were using human beings as fertilizer to terraform the Earth into a Martian environment. In my story, the time machine is created by human beings who would never ever consider human sacrifice in the name of science.

lordofseas: I can't use Unobtainium, that'd be ripping off James Cameron's Avatar.

[Wyrminarrd]

If you want to stick with something that is at least theoretically possible then antimatter is the best way to go since it involves the most efficient conversion of mass to energy possible.

Another possibility but requiring a much bigger effort would be a solar energy station very close to the sun that can transfer energy back to earth by some method. Perhaps by storing the energy in a zero point module

[Snowman37]

In my story, the time machine is created in the 2030's and then rebuilt as a perfected time machine in the 26th century. It is mobile (by vehicle) and opperates independently of any facility. If had considered solar energy, but in the form of a fusion generator which is basically having a tiny star for energy.

I don't think I could use ZPM's, Stargate: Atlantis already did that.

[Wyrminarrd]

You don't actually have to call the m ZPM's Besides, I always got the impression that Stargate had the ZPM work differently in that with them you extracted energy from a zero point universe, energy that was already there rather than energy that you put there. I'll admit though I'm a bit vague on the details here, perhaps they explained it better at some point though when they started talking about extracting energy from their own universe it seemed to confirm my view on how ZPM's work. I personally like the idea of pouring energy into a pocked universe that you can extract it from when ever you need and as much as you need (provided you put enough in there in the first place)

Fusion generators are always a solid way to go and have the advantage that you don't have to explain much about them since just about any sci-fi reader already knows what they are.

[Snowman37]

The question remains, would a fusion generator provide enough power to warp the universe and open a portal to another place, another time? I'm not sure if fusion power would be enough. As for ZPM's, I thought the SG-1 writers made that up for "Los City" and Atlantis. Did they not?

[Wyrminarrd]

That they did but the concept is still something that can be adapted in order to provide massive amounts of energy from a relatively small power "source" since the real source is the sun and the huge power stations orbiting it. I guess it depends on the tech level you plan on giving the society 500 years in the future, is it possible for them to create pocket universes in store energy in them?

As for whether or not fusion has enough energy to bend the universe in reality? Of course it doesn't, nothing does. I watched a program about theoretical time travel and the one model that involved something like that required an infinity amount of energy to do it

Some kind of controlled singularity might also work but I'd recommend reading up on theories about them as I have no idea how they would work.

[Cold Fuzz]

The forced singularity scenario seems like a promising avenue. A series of powerful and tightly focused magnetic magnetic fields could possibly work to power that. If not the artificial singularity, then I would go with antimatter.

[Retro_Invasion]

Yes the idea of Dr. Ronald Mallett involves a laser light tunnel (same as artificial singularity). But you cannot travel back before the date that it was first turned on. Therefore no Julius Caesar or Wooly Mammoths.

[Starfist]

Well how about this...

Nothing fancy. Something very simple.
A Good hot, stong, cup of tea connected to a brownian motion inducer.

ttyl
Starfist