THE PHYSICS OF TIME TRAVEL: POSSIBILITIES AND PARADOXES

Abstract

This study investigates the scientific plausibility, paradoxes, and theoretical implications of time travel using a mixed-methods approach that integrates mathematical modeling, computational simulations, and philosophical interpretation. Grounded in general relativity and quantum mechanics, the research simulates various phenomena associated with temporal displacement, including time dilation, wormhole stability, closed timelike curves (CTCs), and retrocausal entanglement. Results from nine simulation tables demonstrated that relativistic time dilation is quantitatively consistent with special relativity, confirming the nonlinear expansion of time as velocity approaches the speed of light. Wormhole simulations revealed that stability is highly dependent on negative energy densities, aligning with theoretical predictions but constrained by the absence of observable exotic matter. Quantum-level simulations involving decoherence and entangled states suggested that retrocausal phenomena may be interpretable within a multiverse framework, providing potential resolutions to classical time travel paradoxes. Twelve distinct figures visually articulated key relationships among variables such as spacetime curvature, paradox density, multiverse branching, and mass-energy fluctuations. Each figure presented a different graphical style, including radar plots, heatmaps, and bubble graphs, to enhance interpretability of complex interactions. The analysis further revealed that paradoxical inconsistencies are minimized when time loops are bounded by the Novikov Self-Consistency Principle or distributed across divergent timelines, offering coherent alternatives to causal violation. Ethical dimensions, such as identity continuity and agency preservation, were addressed through interpretive synthesis. Collectively, these findings reinforce the theoretical viability of time travel under certain constraints while highlighting the significant gaps in empirical realization. The research contributes to foundational physics by providing a structured simulation framework and multi-dimensional analysis that advances the discourse on the boundaries of time, causality, and cosmological coherence.