Time Travel in the Stargate Universe #Possible Spoilers#

[KnightCrusader]

I was sitting in class today, and instead of thinking of Ancient Chinese Thought, I was thinking about Stargate, and I something interesting came across my mind in the process, and I thought I would share it.

In my mind, there are two types of outcomes from the effects of time traveling. One is based on time being a straight line, and what you do will effect events to come. This type of universe allows paradoxes to happen, like the grandfather effect. The second type is one where changes in the timeline will branch off an alternate timeline to the original one, and thus paradoxes cannot happen and killing your grandfather in the past means you still live on, just that you killed your "double" in this new timeline. Okay, I hope I did not lost anyone so far.

Well, as far as I can remember, there are three instances where there has been time travel in the past (before Season 1 time): 1969, Mobius, and Before I Sleep. In 1969, we see that the effects of SG-1's actions were already factored into the timeline: Hammond noticed Carter's cut, and thus left a note to his younger self, which convinced him to help them, and he noticed her hand cut when he took off the cuffs, and thus set into motion the events that lead up to their journey back in the first place. Thus, 1969 shows that the SG Universe is of the first type: one line, no derivation, paradoxes happen.

On the other hand, in Mobius and Before I Sleep, the effects in the past branches off new alternate timelines. The actions of the past SG-1 and the past Weir did not cause a paradox, and there were multiple instances of them existing at the same time. If it were of the first type, these storylines would have resulted in major paradoxes. That would have, quote Doc Brown: "unravelled the fabic of space-time, and destroy the whole universe!" (or something to that effect lol... just threw that in for dramatics!). Not to mention, There But for the Grace of God, Point of View, and the upcoming Ripple Effect show that the SG Universe is full of parallel alternate realities.

If 1969 was of the second type, then Hammond would not have known about Carter's cut yet because they have not yet travelled back and set the new timeline in motion. So 1969 has to be a paradox.

So, what I wondering, and throw out to the SG community, is 1969 just a fluke in the whole storyline of Stargate and should be ignored as error, or can both types of universes exist together? And am I the only one who has noticed and/or understood this as a problem?

Steve

[LiquidBlue]

On November 30th, 2004 I wrote the followinf in the "Does Cassie's ep '1969' future still exist?" thread

1969 and 2010 seem to present two different results from time travel. 1969 takes in my opinion the more reasonable approach that time travel cannot change history because because your involvement in history is already part of history -- it has already been taken into account. For example, Gen. Hammond recognizes that SG1 will be thrown back in time so he gives them a note that will be necessary for their return.

2010 seems to suggest that time travel can change history. For example the former members of SG1 recognize that the aschen are not trustworthy and apparently intervene so that earth's first contact is not the one that leads to the future seen in 2010.


Let me add one theory that tries to reconcile these two time travel results. Since I just posted to a Quantum mirror thread let me introduce it into my theory. The quantum mirror was destroyed following the events in Point of View. The 2010 result seems to create alternate universes. For example one where is earth is allies with the aschen, and one where earth is not deceived into such an alliance. Perhaps the quantum mirror served as a boundary between alternate universes so that wormholes cannot be established across it between alternate universes.

Thus in 1969, while the quantum mirror still existed, attempts at time travel would reconnect to the same time line; while in 2010, after the quantum mirror was destroyed, attempts at time travel would spawn an alternate reality.

[NakedJehutyV2]

this is what i hate bout cool time travel eps. someone always has to examine it

[Gate Master]

I also noticed the same discrepancy and I must say I liked Liquid Blue's explanation, certainly plausable with in the stargate universe and one I hadn't considered. It also establishes a real purpose for the Quantum Mirror.

I reconciled the contradiction however by three other possible alternatives:

First the way they told the story in 1969 I thought the writers might have been telling the story from the point of view of the final reality created which would have included SG1 in the past as part of that timeline and all the circumstances leading up to the conclusion. Of course this hypothosis has some obvious problems.

Secondly and my more favourable one since no major parodox's were created in 1969 then perhaps this was enough not to give rise to an alternate reality. Which would of course mean the alternate reality time travel thing only happens where parodox's are created by the time traveler, otherwise they just become part of history under the original time line. If in Mobius they had been successful first time round they would have returned ok but still been part of the time line in the past and no alternates would have been created.

Thirdly just a continuity error on the part of the writers.

[Dutch_Razor]

All I heard was Quantum and I found that theory quite confusing.

Anyway, I think it's the first is it, or it could be the second and the events we eventually see at the last of the episode are just the timeline that originated, and the same timeline we always followed. Thus we were always following the same SG1 and not their parralel selves.

I think Ripple Effect will shed a new light on it.

[SmallTimePerson]

Thirdly just a continuity error on the part of the writers.

i think so too, just going back in time would create an alternate reality. If you believe the alternate reality real, otherwise you can only create a paradox if you do something big (like kill your grandfather).

[Auralis]

No.Time.Travel.
Thanks
Time travel sucks big time, unless you create the entire series about it, or plan it ahead for th whole series, just don't.

[Dutch_Razor]

It's fun...

[Magneto]

Time travel is bad BAD i tell you!

[thekillman]

first, they went back in time, young hammond did not believe them and after escaping or whatever, or after convincing him, Hammond helps them and they return.

now, in the future, old hammond remembers SG1 going back in time, hands SG1 a note, and now his young version immediately helps them and they return.

the young hammond, knowing of the note, becomes old hammond, remembers that he sent his younger self a not, and so sends a note.

there is no paradox. it is well within canon of SG1, and my breakdown shows that there has been a timeline alteration before.

[Serenity000]

Time travel is bad BAD i tell you!

If time travel is bad then why is Janus your avatar, he invented a time-traveling jumper.

[skunkworker51]

It would almost be cooler if they followed the single universe theory instead of multiple. Ex there is only one timeline but they are part of the "history" that is later remembered.