Prompt: Stanford students are widely known to possess a sense of intellectual vitality. Tell us about an idea or an experience that you have had that you find intellectually engaging.
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Having just watched another episode of Carl Sagan's Cosmos for my AP Physics class, I sat in my computer chair once again fascinated by the idea of time travel. I am always intrigued to learn more about the various theories and even the implications related to time travel. These may include Einstein's theory of relativity, wormholes, parallel universes, time dilation, and etc.
The Grandfather Paradox is a great example of this captivating idea. Can one go back to kill his own grandfather? In may seem possible, but according to Novikov's self-consistency principle, the answer is no, because it creates a time paradox. The paradox is that if one's grandfather were killed, then the chain of events would render the person nonexistent.
This theme has been often explored in modern media and literature, most notably in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. In this novel, Hermione Granger simply uses a "time turner" to go back or forward in time. At first I envied the ability to control time and not only change the past, but also learn what is in store for me. I often sit wondering what will happen in the future, but with a "time turner" I can just go into the future and see it firsthand. But is it really worth it?
This knowledge comes at a heavy price. If Novikov's principle holds true, I can do nothing to change my past or whether directly or indirectly, my future. I wonder if I can bear to know something, but at the same time be powerless in changing it. This is quite similar to Cassandra's curse in Greek mythology, where she is gifted with the ability to foretell the future, but is later cursed so that no one believes her. This cursed gift leads to endless pain and frustration. Unlike Cassandra, I don't know if I can cope with the futility that follows this forbidden fruit of knowledge. However, I do know that since the present is all that I have in front of me, I will make full use of it and treasure these moments, and in doing so I may even change my future.
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Concerns:
-Is it good and does it talk about my personality?
- Should I add more? And is the info on Cassandra's curse necessary to explain, or...what? I'm at 358 Words so I desperately need to cut out some words.
- Anything else, Please be as critical as necessary. Thanks a lot.
Your intro that suggests time travel as plausible is the strength of this piece. Cut: , and etc.
Your point on "time turner" seems to make it a special device that is different that other time travel. And is a little confusing since I have not watched or read the Harry Potter themes.
Time travel is certainly a Hollywood motif that sells. There are at least a dozen movies and television series that comb over, not literally, this subject matter. I think time travel is also practical, since traveling East coast to west coast via Jet. I especially like the Star Trek episode to "slingshot" around the Sun, or the "edith keeler" must die. That is just me.
I don't know if I cancould cope with the futility. It suggests that you are given this "gift" but refuse it. You don't say what your word limit is, only that you are at 358
You could cut the harry potter stuff, or the grandfather paradox. The Cassandra example is not really of time travel, but the gods, inform her of future ominous events, which sounds more like a prophetess, and not a time traveler.
Your last line, suggests the "thesis" of this piece, with personal responsibility to the present, that can alter the outcome of the future, with the reoccurring perennial nature of the seasons in continuous motion.
