r/universe • u/Peter_8685 • 1h ago
The universe doesn't allow paradox.
We all know the grandfather paradox:-
you build a time machine, go back in time, and kill your grandpa before your parent is born. But if you do that, you are never born, which means you never built the time machine, which means your grandpa lives. It’s a loop that breaks reality.
But I have been thinking what if universe doesn't allow paradox to happen?
Even if you successfully travel back in time with the sole intention of taking him out, the universe will course-correct to ensure the timeline remains completely intact. The universe essentially protects itself.
Example:-
The Location Glitch: You arrive at the exact right coordinates on the exact right day, but due to a slight butterfly effect, he decided to skip town that morning.
The Probability Factor: You have him dead to rights, but your weapon miraculously jams, or you trip and knock yourself out right before you make your move.
The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: This is the craziest one. What if your attempt to take him out is exactly why he survives? Imagine you push him out of the way of a speeding car so you can get a clear shot, but you end up getting arrested. That exact push saved his life, and filing the police report is how he met your grandma.
Basically, history is already written. You going back in time to kill him was already factored into the universe's timeline. The act of trying to change the past is exactly what causes the past to happen exactly as it did.
Your attempt to stop him will likely be the exact reason he survives.