Text: PY Cheong

The very thought of time travel has intrigued mankind for centuries. From the Sanskrit epic of ancient India, Mahabharata (it references the phenomenon of time dilation) right up to the literature of ‘The Father of Science Fiction’, H.G. Wells (his novella, The Time Machine has inspired many more modern works on the subject since), time travel has been the talk of many for its rather magical qualities and unlimited possibilities.

Surely everyone has – one time or another, uttered a thought that probably goes along the lines beginning with, “If only I could turn back time…” Well, what if you could do it? To have the ability to journey back to whatever moment that holds a significance to your life and change it? Or maybe even travel to the future? If we can go backwards in time, surely it’s possible to go forward as well?

Although many would think it to be an ability that is almost magical, scientists however have been trying to theorize the possibility and lockdown a formula to time traveling for years now. And while it has been unsuccessful so far, many different theories and postulations have been put forward since then.

Understanding Time Travel

To understand the basics of the theories involving time travel is understanding that time is affected by two things – speed and gravity. Most scientists would agree that by manipulating the speed at which an object moves at or the gravity exerted onto it, you’ll be able to change the flow of time around it.

Physicists schooled in the Newton’s laws once believed that time moved along a straight steady course, like a speeding arrow. This however changed when Einstein came along in the early 1900s and showed with accompanying mathematical equations that time is more like a river. The more mass or energy you possess, the more the current around you varies.

To put in simpler terms, by moving at a high speed, for example, you can make time slow down and when you come to a stop, you’ll be younger than if you had remained at rest. This occurrence has come to be known as ‘time dilation’ and thus, a speedy spacecraft makes a fairly basic time machine.

Physicists then realized that the river of time can be diverted into a whirlpool (termed as a closed time-like curve), which acts like a fork leading to a parallel universe. If you are able to concentrate all the mass of an object at a single point, the gravity generated by that mass can bend the flow and manipulate time – giving you the ability to move forward or backward in the stream.

The Implications

The very idea of time travel has generated many more questions about the possibilities engendered than the understanding of the ability itself. If you think that the scientific concept of travelling through time is confusing enough, wait till you tangle with the philosophical conundrums that surface from the act.

 
The Time Machine (1960)

One popular philosophical discussion regarding time travel is of the grandfather paradox. To put it simply: what happens if you go back in time and kill your grandfather? In theory, doing so will cause your mother or your father to not have been born and in turn you’ll not be born too. In this case, if you cease to exist, you will then not be able to go back in time and commit that act in the first place. This cycle of non-existence very well renders the possibility of time travel improbable.

Another one such paradox touches on the subject of travelling into the future. There is an argument regarding this because most would assume that the future, simply put, is in the future. Thus, how can someone travel forward in time when it does not exist yet?

Presentism is a school of philosophy that holds that neither the future nor the past exist, and there are no non-present objects. In this view, time travel is impossible because there is no future or past to travel to. However, some 21st century presentists have argued that although past and future objects do not exist, there can still be definite truths about past and future events, and thus it is possible that a future truth about a time traveller deciding to travel back to the present date could explain the time traveller’s actual appearance in the present.

The Conclusion

No matter what it may seem – or how probable it is, time travel has been a subject of great debate. So much so, that countless popular culture subjects such as films, books and urban legends have risen from the idea of it.

What we know for sure however, from Doc Brown’s DeLorean in Back to the Future or even H. G. Wells’ brass and quartz dream machine,right up to the recent Heroestelevision series, the dream of being able to manipulate time is as tangible as the thought itself.

It is definitely hard to deny that the idea of being able to travel backward or forward in time is one that doesn’t somehow tempt us a little. Surely everyone has some deeply hidden wish to change time if they could, even if you stand as a resolute skeptic in the matter itself?

Popular Urban Legends On Time Travelling
Need proof on the subject? Maybe these internet shares may help you believe – or not.

Time Travel Evidence In An Old Charlie Chaplin Movie

When a clip of an extra from an old Charlie Chaplin film from the 1920s was uploaded on YouTube in 2010, it generated a storm of debate. Why? Apparently, the clip showed an extra in the film carrying a mobile phone. A woman (or perhaps a man in drag) can be seen speaking into a device what seems to be a phone while walking along the sidewalk in the background. While skeptics have debunked it by saying that the device is a 1920s handheld hearing aid, many seems still incline to believe the footage to be real proof of time travelling.

 
Swiss Watch Found In 400 Year Old Tomb

In the year 2009, during an archaeological dig in Shangsi Town, China, a 400 year old tomb was discovered. The find has since then baffled experts, who believed that the tomb had lay undisturbed for 400 years – since the Ming dynasty. The apparent item from the future is made of bronze and has a traditional winder on the side and the word ‘Swiss’ engraved on the back. One explanation however states that the Swiss watch and clock industry appeared in Geneva in the middle of the 16th century and it is feasible therefore that the inhabitant of the coffin (dated around 1600AD) may have been a wealthy traveller to China, or could have purchased the item from a travelling merchant.

Modern Man Seen In Photograph From 1940

In the photograph shown at the virtual Bralorne Pioneer Museum, from British Columbia, Canada is a man with what appears to be a very modern pair of sunglasses and a printed T-shirt, all the while holding a portable compact camera.

 
 
All things that did not exist in the year 1940! What say you?

Early years before 1947, Christian Dior has already collaborated with renowned filmmakers such as Claude Auant-Lara and Rene Clair. He designed the costumes of famous actresses like Odette Joyeux, who appeared in several films dressed in Dior, such as Le Lit à colonnes (The Four-poster, Roland Tual, 1942) adapted from the eponymous novel by Louise de Vilmorin. The original designs from this film, drawn by the couturier himself, will be on display at the exhibition.

“No Dior, no Dietrich!”, the adage was made famous by screen legend, Marlene Dietrich. She refused to star in the film if Christian Dior wouldn’t be hired as costume designer. For the exhibition, the Berlin Film Archive has exceptionally loaned an exhibit dedicated to the actress, who wore Dior on the screen and in the streets.

Even after his death in 1957, the loyalty of actresses remained strong to the House of Dior. The House’s collaborations with the cinema also continued and, from 1958 to the present, more than fifty French and foreign films have featured stars dressed in Dior: Charlie Chaplin’s 1957 A Countess from Hong Kong starring Sophia Loren; Joseph Losey’s 1968 Secret Ceremony with Elisabeth Taylor; Jean-Paul Rappeneau’s 1981 Tout feu tout flamme with Isabelle Adjani and Lauren Hutton; and more recently, in 2007, Pedro Almodovar’s Broken Embraces starring Penelope Cruz. A generous loan from the Cinémathèque Française includes some of the costumes from these films. They will be exhibited alongside preparatory sketches, posters, scripts, archive documents, photographs and excerpts that bring back the atmosphere of these screen gems and demonstrate the essential part that costumes play in the success of a film.

The exhibition is open every day from 10am to 6.30pm from Saturday 12th of May to Sunday, 23rd of September 2012.
Admission rates: 7€ (full rate), 4€ (reduced rate), 4€ (groups).
Villa “Les Rhumbs”. Route d’Estouteville. 50400 Granville. France. www.museechristiandior.com

Campaign highlights a new collection of timeless Burberry aviator eyewear styles inspired by the spirit, attitude and
energy of Burberry, music and the British summer.

The Campaign will roll out throughout the summer, offline and online initiatives giving Burberry fans the full access to the exclusive content.

To celebrate the launch of the campaign, all four acts will each perform live at Burberry events in Paris, Milan, New York and Sydney over four nights in May. Burberry Eyewear is available at Burberry.com, Burberry stores and selected retailers worldwide from April 2012.

Mr. Asahi, the world’s first robotic barman, is the brainchild of Japanese brewer Asahi. The advanced bartender is capable of serving people in less than two minutes, saving the average person 13 minutes at the bar. Capable of pulling 300ml pints and opening bottles, Mr. Asahi can serve up to 16 half pints or bottles at a time.

Mr. Asahi is mobilized to go on a nationwide tour with a crew comprising of dancers, a DJ and a customized truck that unfolds into a mini party-space where ever he is.

The expedition will take Mr. Asahi and his entourage to key market squares and commercial centers in Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Johor Bahru, Ipoh and Penang for 30 days beginning April 15, 2012.  Beer lovers will be able to catch Mr. Asahi in action from Wednesday to Saturday’s from 5.00pm onwards in selected locations and will be able to follow the Mr. Asahi trail by logging onto facebook.com/AsahiMalaysia.

Local celebrities who graced the event includes Joe Flizzow, Cheryl Samad, Sazzy Falak, Bernie Chan, Zizan Nin, Hani Harun, Dato Mohammad Medan Abdullah – Senior General Manager of PETRONAS Group Corporate Affairs Division, Francis Tan – General Manager of Suria KLCC, Fartini Zaharuddin – PR & Communications Manager of Suria KLCC and Yasmin Abdullah of KLCC Property Holdings Berhad to pledge their support to Earth Hour.

At 8.30pm, they lit up Suria KLCC LED candles to symbolize the moment of illumination to take  a stand and make that move to protect the planet. One thousand of the Suria KLCC LED candles were given out for free along with McDonald’s ‘Be Our Guest’ cards as a token of appreciation for the participant’s support.

The crowd was also entertained with eco-themed performances throughout the night with junk percussion shows by KL Stompers and songs sung by the choir group, Dithyrambic Singers. During the acoustic choir performances, the public sang along to songs such as Earth Song and Heal The World made popular by Michael Jackson, among other songs. They were also given the opportunity to sign their Earth Hour pledges on the pledge wall.

Breast cancer is a leading cause of death among women worldwide and about 1.3 million women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. However, early detection and treatment can save lives and that is PRIDE’s mission – to enlighten Malaysian women on the importance of breast cancer awareness.

Retailing at RM69 at all Charles & Keith stores in West Malaysia, the Love t-shirt is available in black colour with limited quantity. The t-shirt comes in free size and is suited for casual wear. Charles & Keith will be donating part of the sale proceeds to the foundation.

The Love campaign is available in Charles & Keith stores in China, Philippines, South Korea and Singapore.

The RACER, part of Guess Watches’Truly Sport collection, is the perfect blend of technological innovation and Euro-inspired fashion. Dubbed the epitome of exceptional sportswear for men, the RACER is perfect for the masculine man who strives for a life of fast-paced thrills and constant competition. The bracelet is constructed in the perfect blend of brushed and polished black IP plating, with textured center links.

The QUILTY is perfect for the feisty fashionista. This Truly Glamorous stand-out collection takes the traditional “quilted” look and transforms it into an ultra-trendy, bold series of cool wrist-wear. It comes in this season’s must-have hue of amethyst-inspired purple – a color traditionally associated with romance, royalty, sophistication and wealth. The plum-colored patent leather strap features a quilted, pillow-like appearance created from a process of intricate stitching. QUILTY is also available in iridescent ivory and brilliantly bold black.

These trendy collections were unveiled at the GUESS Watches Party Ahead of Time at 1Utama Shopping Center. The party featured a larger-than-life display of the implicit connection between fashion and rock and roll. Performances took place on a specially-crafted GUESS Watches two-storey stage built around the new standalone GUESS Watches Store in 1Utama. Other activities that were organized over the next three days were ‘Strike Your GUESS Pose’ Facebook competition, where the Grand Prize Winner stood to walk away with a Truly Sport/glamorous timepiece worth RM600 and a GUESS certificate worth RM800.