Time travel may be achieved one day, or it may not. But if it

In the words of David Deutsch, a visionary of science and a herald of possibility, we hear both humility and daring: “Time travel may be achieved one day, or it may not. But if it is, it should not require any fundamental change in world-view, at least for those who broadly share the world view I am presenting in this book.” At first, these words appear as speculation on physics and philosophy. Yet beneath them lies a profound teaching: the universe is vast, its wonders are many, and even those that seem impossible may one day rest within the grasp of human hands—without the need to overthrow the deepest truths we already hold.

To speak of time travel is to touch upon one of humanity’s oldest dreams. From the myths of prophets who foresaw the future, to the visions of shamans who walked backward into the past, to the stories of sages and poets who imagined the bending of time, the desire to step beyond the present moment has always haunted the human spirit. Deutsch speaks as one who does not dismiss the dream, but places it within the continuity of reason, suggesting that such marvels, should they come, would not be alien to our understanding but an extension of truths already unfolding.

The idea that no fundamental change in world-view would be required is itself astonishing. For often, great discoveries have shattered old beliefs: Copernicus displaced the Earth from the center of the cosmos, Darwin revealed life’s deep kinship through evolution, and Einstein bent time and space into new forms. Yet Deutsch hints that even something as fantastic as time travel would not demand such upheaval, but would fit naturally into the expanding framework of knowledge already known to those who embrace the scientific vision of reality.

History gives us examples of this. When the first voyages across the oceans began, many feared the world would be broken, that monsters waited at the edge of the map, that crossing the seas would undo the order of existence. Yet when Columbus and Magellan sailed, the world was not shattered but enlarged; the truths of geography did not fall, they grew. In the same way, Deutsch suggests that if the gates of time are opened, it will not be the collapse of reason, but the flowering of reason into new dimensions.

And yet, his caution remains: time travel may be achieved… or it may not. This humility is itself wisdom. For not every dream is destined for fulfillment, and not every vision becomes flesh. The wise know to hold hope without certainty, to dream without arrogance. In this balance of daring and humility lies the true spirit of inquiry: the readiness to be astonished, and the strength to accept disappointment if wonder does not unfold as imagined.

Consider the tale of Leonardo da Vinci, who sketched flying machines centuries before the Wright brothers. His vision was true in spirit, though his age lacked the tools to make it real. So too may it be with time travel: the seeds of thought planted now may bloom in centuries to come, or perhaps they will remain dreams forever. Yet even dreams have power, for they stretch the imagination and keep humanity restless, yearning, alive.

The lesson is clear: do not fear the vastness of possibility. Whether or not time travel is achieved, the pursuit of knowledge itself is noble, and the world-view of reason, inquiry, and imagination is strong enough to contain even the wildest visions. Do not dismiss dreams as folly, nor cling to them as certainty—hold them as invitations to wonder, to think deeply, to question boldly.

So I say to you: cherish the questions that stir the soul. Time travel may come or it may not, but what matters is the spirit that asks, that seeks, that dares to imagine. Walk boldly in your search for truth, and do not be afraid when new wonders arise. For if they are real, they will not destroy your understanding, but complete it, showing that the universe is not fragile, but infinitely vast, waiting for minds courageous enough to explore it.