You are currently traveling through time at 1 second per second
In short: While movies depict time travel as a leap into another era, physics suggests it is a constant state of being. From the clocks on satellites to the light captured by telescopes, our reality is governed by a universe where space and time are inextricably linked.
According to Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, space and time are not separate entities but components of a single fabric called spacetime. This means that motion and gravity directly influence the passage of time. The universe operates under a basic constraint where no object exceeds light's velocity, measured at roughly 186,000 miles every second. Because of this link, the faster an object moves through space, the slower it experiences time relative to a stationary observer.
We see evidence of this in everyday technology and cosmic observation. For instance, clocks on airplanes moving at high speeds were found to run slightly behind clocks remaining on Earth. Similarly, GPS satellites experience weaker gravity than we do on the surface; because gravity also slows time, these satellites travel through time faster than people on the ground, requiring constant calibration. On a microscopic scale, even standing up causes your feet to age 10 femtoseconds less than your head because they are slightly further from Earth's gravitational pull.
While we cannot currently build machines to leap centuries into the past, we can 'travel' through time using light. Because light takes time to travel across distances, telescopes like Hubble act as time machines. When we view a galaxy billions of light-years away, we are seeing it as it existed in the distant past. Conversely, theoretical models suggest more extreme possibilities: if the universe were spinning rapidly, or if humans could construct massive objects like infinite cylinders or wormholes, spacetime could curve enough to create loops that allow for travel into one's own past.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: TIME TRAVEL explained in 6 Minutes
- Also: Is Time Travel Possible? | NASA Space Place – NASA Science for Kids
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