If I saw a 13 billion year old explosion now...

Freeman · 27 Dec 2009 at 17:53

I need to sort an argument out.

The world is 13 billion years old. An explosion 13 billion light years away happens when the earth is created. (this 'explosion' is not the creation of the earth, is it just an explosion that happens in space, creating light. It could be a collapsing star or some sort of collision, either way it has nothing to do with the creation of earth)

Now fast forward to today. If I see that explosion in the night sky tonight and use a teleport machine to teleport me to that place where the explosion happened will I be in the future or in the past?

I say future because it happend 13 billion years ago. So if I am there then earth is 13 billion years behind me.

Or is it even the present?

My head hurts

Jono8 · 27 Dec 2009 at 17:55

no one truly knows

/thread

Glaucus · 27 Dec 2009 at 17:55

I don't understand.
Why would it be the future or past.

uv · 27 Dec 2009 at 17:55

You'd be in the present, in the dark.

With an owl.

JBuk · 27 Dec 2009 at 17:55

what?

Smitho3 · 27 Dec 2009 at 17:55

When you arrive there you will be in the present. The light seen at earth when you left was generated 13 billion years ago and has just reached earth. Just because you have only just seen it doesnt mean that it has only just been created. If that makes sense...

Naamiko_O · 27 Dec 2009 at 17:56

You would be in the present... 13 billion light years away from earth. Although if you got a super powerful telescope and pointed it towards earth you would have the first glimpse of the earth being created. No idea why your talking about the past or future.

Voltjunkie · 27 Dec 2009 at 17:56

You'd be in the present but whatever you thought was there (from the perspective of being on Earth) will not be there.

Mint_Sauce · 27 Dec 2009 at 17:56

If I threw a ball to you and you caught it, when you caught it and then instantly teleported to where I threw it, would that make you be in the past? Nope!

Silent UK · 27 Dec 2009 at 17:57

uv said:
You'd be in the present, in the dark.

With an owl.

/thread

Tenzen · 27 Dec 2009 at 17:59

It would be the present, unless you travelled faster than light to get there.

If you travelled faster than light it would be the past. Then it would depend how much faster than light you travelled. Google theory of special relativity.

twist3d0n3 · 27 Dec 2009 at 17:59

if someone had a big telescope that could see the point you'd teleport to 13 billion light years away, they'd see you appear in 13 billion years after the point you teleported.

Smitho3 · 27 Dec 2009 at 18:00

Tenzen said:
It would be the present, unless you travelled faster than light to get there.

If you travelled faster than light it would be the past. Then it would depend how much faster than light you travelled.

Why would it?

Alex_6n2 · 27 Dec 2009 at 18:00

Tenzen said:
It would be the present, unless you travelled faster than light to get there.

If you travelled faster than light it would be the past. Then it would depend how much faster than light you travelled.

This.

Alex_6n2 · 27 Dec 2009 at 18:01

Smitho3 said:
Why would it?

Twins paradox. All theory of course.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin_paradox

lemonkettaz · 27 Dec 2009 at 18:02

If the explosion happened again and you saw it?

Surely that makes it the present?

Depending how far away it is in the universe.

If you can instantly teleport yourself 13billion light years away yes you will be in the past

Tefal · 27 Dec 2009 at 18:02

You would just be at the site of the explosion 13 billion years after the explosion...

Nate--IRL-- · 27 Dec 2009 at 18:03

It's all relative.

That's not a glib answer BTW.

Nate

starfighter · 27 Dec 2009 at 18:03

Assuming you teleported and didn't travel in time, surprisingly it would be the same time. :confused:

Azagoth · 27 Dec 2009 at 18:04

Is this 'teleport' device also a time-machine?

Edit: Bugger!