Timeline (the book)

[Toth]

I just finished this fantastic book by Michael Crichton and I was wondering if anyone else here read it. I was excited to see the movie and now greatly regret that decision. How can you make a book not about time travel into a crummy movie ABOUT time travel. /sigh

Anyway, the science is very, very intriguing. I wouldn't be shocked if this technology will be possible in a short time. The idea of multiverses and travel between them sounds promising. I still wouldn't want my body to be destroyed in the process though.

[Kuya]

In before Kaylia.

[Toth]

In before Kaylia.

oh?

[evilbau]

you are probably waiting for them to clone dinosaurs too?

[Toth]

Cloning dinosaurs may not be possible but understanding quantam mechanics and wormholes certainly can be.

[Stee]

I read the book about 5 years ago it's probably one of my favorite books but the movie that came out for it just plain sucked. I remember seeing the commercial for the movie a year or so after reading the book, got all excited just to see the movie failed.

I thought the reason the Jurassic Park movie was even made was because Crichton heard of some scientists trying to clone dinosaurs with mosquitos but since the movie came out and everyone freaked out people didn't want to fund their research anymore.

[Toth]

What I want to know is how you could mess up an easy-to-translate book THIS badly.

[Kurp]

I bought it at an airport a few years ago because there really wasn't anything else. It was pretty entertaining.

[Kaylia]

In before Kaylia.

lol.

I want to...I want do.

[edit]
Ok, I wasnt able to not post. You win.

Cloning dinosaurs may not be possible but understanding quantam mechanics and wormholes certainly can be.

Long story short...physics doesn't work that way, and understanding isn't a synonym of technology and application. I've no idea what the movie is about or what kind of technology you're talking about, but there is a good chance it's not possible for technical or mathematical reason. Technical reason being the infinite energy (or extremly high) needed to control time travel/worm hole and the like, or the impossiblity for matter to exist as we know it on the quantum level.
I would make a long argument about it, but Kuya will get angry at me.

Oh, and cloning dinosaur is probably going to be possible some day. We were able to decode the DNA of many species that disappeared long time ago, we just need the technology to artificially make it. At the rate thing are going in biology domain, I wouldnt be surprised if it was done within 100 years

[Charla]

The only hard part with cloning dinosaurs is finding the intact dna in the first place. Simple way around that: learn to genetically engineer completely original organisms and make something that just *looks* like a dinosaur!

[Kuya]

I would make a long argument about it, but Kuya will get angry at me.

I will get angry if you don't make a long argument, i mentioned you just so you could come and dash his hopes.

Besides, i know better than to read past page two when these arguments get going.

[Keno]

I just finished this fantastic book by Michael Crichton and I was wondering if anyone else here read it. I was excited to see the movie and now greatly regret that decision. How can you make a book not about time travel into a crummy movie ABOUT time travel. /sigh

Anyway, the science is very, very intriguing. I wouldn't be shocked if this technology will be possible in a short time. The idea of multiverses and travel between them sounds promising. I still wouldn't want my body to be destroyed in the process though.

I liked it a lot, but not nearly as much as Jurassic Park, Prey, Next, Sphere, etc. I think it's probably actually one of Crichton's worse works, but that doesn't exactly mean a lot because he only writes great books.

[Kaylia]

The only hard part with cloning dinosaurs is finding the intact dna in the first place. Simple way around that: learn to genetically engineer completely original organisms and make something that just *looks* like a dinosaur!

Yeah, if you find 2 "broken" dna, you can usually recombine them and figure the missing piece. I thought they completed mamooth genome a few months ago, and found some dinosaurs' DNA somewhere else. Jurasic Park made it look too easy, but the idea behind it is still real and could be done with a technology not too far ahead us.

Well, I don't know much about biology and cloning, but I don't see anything "impossible" if you manage to find a few sample of the DNA, and can replicate it in laboratory. And why limit yourself to making something that look like dinosaur. Make freaking pokemon if you manage to be able to artificially create DNA. I would totally buy a Snorlax pet if they make one.

I would make a long argument about it, but Kuya will get angry at me.

I will get angry if you don't make a long argument, i mentioned you just so you could come and dash his hopes.

Besides, i know better than to read past page two when these arguments get going.

I'm certain you made fun of me in last science thread, which is why I said that. But yeah, I do get carried away in those thread >_>

[Toth]

Kaylia, there is no time travel in Timeline actually. It's about using 'holes' in quantum foam (extremely subparticles) to send a human beings' personal data (compressable only by the book's ficticious company's discovery of quantum proccesors) from one universe (ours) to another of an infinite multiverse (many at earlier times) and having them 'reconstructed' there (i.e. like a fax). The theory and science has been discussed many times recently and there have been some advances in recent years. One point one of the characters made in the book that struck me is that major physic advancment used to occur centuries apart. In the 20th century, we had 3 huge advancements alone.

[Slapper]

Oh, and cloning dinosaur is probably going to be possible some day. We were able to decode the DNA of many species that disappeared long time ago, we just need the technology to artificially make it. At the rate thing are going in biology domain, I wouldnt be surprised if it was done within 100 years

More like less than 20 years. I remember seeing something on the history channel about doctors in harvard being able to grow a penis or vagina in the lab, so if your cock is broken they can grow you a new one and attach it. If they can pull this shit off cloning dinosaurs within a few decades isnt out of the question.

[Kaylia]

Kaylia, there is no time travel in Timeline actually. It's about using 'holes' in quantum foam (extremely subparticles) to send a human beings' personal data from one universe (ours) to another of an infinite multiverse (many at earlier times) and having them 'reconstructed' there (i.e. like a fax). The theory and science has been discussed many times recently and there have been some advances in recent years. One point one of the characters made in the book that struck me is that major physic advancment used to occur centuries apart. In the 20th century, we had 3 huge advancements alone.

I can't argue against the basic explanation. Our current theory (string theory and other quantum stuff) aren't completed, and model are far from being completed. Saying something like this is impossible, or not likely to happen wouldn't be correct.

However, how do you establish the first communication with the "other side"? You need something to recombine the data you sent? Also, could you come out on the other side exactly like you are? Is it possible to send a copy of the bioelectric componant of your brain through the network, not to mention it would pretty much kill the version of you in this universe, even if an identical clone is born on the other side.

Considering everything on the quantum" level is much more complex than it sound, I think the explanation they give is too simple, but proving it wrong is ahead my physics skill. I'm not even sure how you could control quantum tuneling. If I had to make a guess, I would that sending information information with such system is possible, but I don't think destroying and recomposing matter on the other side is ever going to happen because of the impossibility to build such technology. What kind of tools could allow you to turn into "quantum foam"? Something made of iron or tungstene won't cut it. Maybe granite, but I doubt so.

More like less than 20 years. I remember seeing something on the history channel about doctors in harvard being able to grow a penis or vagina in the lab, so if your cock is broken they can grow you a new one and attach it. If they can pull this shit off cloning dinosaurs within a few decades isnt out of the question.

Holy shit, I can finally have 2 cocks like komodo dragon. My dream.

I said 100 years, because 40 years ago, we were suposed to have antigravity car in 2000. Sciences progress fast, but not always as fast as we hope, and progress in many discipline is slowing down.

[Toth]

However, how do you establish the first communication with the "other side"? You need something to recombine the data you sent? Also, could you come out on the other side exactly like you are? Is it possible to send a copy of the bioelectric componant of your brain through the network, not to mention it would pretty much kill the version of you in this universe, even if an identical clone is born on the other side.

Actually, these are all major points brought up in the book :D

edit: don't forget I am giving a verrrrrrrrrrrrry dumbed summary of the pages of a 1999 text describing how this 'multiverse traveling' and the machine to do it works.