Imho, no. In the TT stories the effect that comes before the cause is a paradox, but usually, from the point of view of the character that travels, the order of cause and effect is "normal", he has his own line of events even if he jump in the past or the future. Unless the rule you put in your TT story is "anything goes!" :)

++

Imho, no. In the TT stories the effect that comes before the cause is a paradox, but usually, from the point of view of the character that travels, the order of cause and effect is "normal", he has his own line of events even if he jump in the past or the future. Unless the rule you put in your TT story is "anything goes!"

••

Time travel "paradoxes" tend to spring more from philosophical contemplations than practical ones. In much the same way that scientists used to maintain that time travel was impossible because it would violate the law of conservation of mass and energy, until they realized the Universe is so BIG it would not "notice" something as small as an object moving thru time here on Earth (or, for that matter, the whole PLANET moving thru time!), so too would so-called "paradoxes" be of no concern.

If Henry Ford travelled back thru time and gave his younger self a fully assembled Model T, the attendant "paradox" would upset the balance of the Universe not one whit.

Is this a joke? If it's not, I apologize, but of what scientists are we talking about? Scientists talking of BIG universe that "notice" something and.. concern? They probably thinks that studying neutrinos is worthless, they're so LITTLE! :)

••

Entirely not what I said.

This is why I didn't say more about the thought I had. If I am right or wrong after the fact, I will post what I thought.