Is time travel possible? New research will answer important questions

For most of us, time flows only in one, relentless direction. However, for theoretical quantum physicists, the direction of time is much more flexible. New simulations are set to enable "time travel" to solve problems in the real world.

As we read in research published in the pages of Physical Review Letters, scientists have demonstrated that simulations of backward time travel could help resolve physical problems that can't be solved using normal physics. The team of physicists, led by physicist David Arvidsson-Shukur from Cambridge University, conducted an experiment in which, using the appropriate parameters, it is theoretically possible to leap through time. 

"Imagine wanting to send someone a gift: you need to send it on the first day to make sure it arrives by the third day," explains Arvidsson-Shukur in a vivid way. "However, you only receive this person's wish list on the second day. So in this timeline-maintaining scenario, you can't possibly know ahead of time what this person will want as a gift, and ensure you send the right present," he says.

"Now imagine that you can change what you send on the first day, using information from a wish list received on the second day. Our simulation uses quantum entanglement manipulation to show how you can retroactively change your previous actions to ensure that the final result is exactly what you want," - he explains.

Quantum entanglement is a state where the properties of two particles become linked before measurement. Measuring the properties of one immediately determines the complementary state of the other, regardless of how far apart they might be. This relationship has allowed scientists to simulate the transfer of information not only in space, but also in time.

The use of quantum entanglement and so-called closed loops also allowed scientists to rule out the time paradox. They argue that quantum theory allows for the simulation of such loops that, in turn, can be exploited by entanglement. Their calculations suggest that a time loop can only be successfully used in 25 percent of cases. However, it should be emphasized that these are still only theoretical considerations. 

"We're not proposing a time machine, but rather a deep dive into the basics of quantum mechanics. These simulations don't allow you to go back and change the past, but they do allow you to create a better tomorrow by fixing yesterday's problems today" - we read in the article.

For years, there have been many speculations about the possibility of time travel. New research seems interesting, not least because it does not promise us solutions that we know from science fiction movies.