MovieChat Forums > Timeless (2016) Discussion > Using the Time machine to refute or conf...

Using the Time machine to refute or confirm history

posted 7 years ago by mignagni
12 replies | jump to latest

Do you realize that with the Lifeboat or the Mothership, you could basically travel back in time and either prove the Bible is a fantasy or real. You could solve unsolved murders, find out if Oswald really killed JFK, prove Area 51 was a myth, and so on.

I like this show a lot but it seems to me that with all the talk about preserving history, couldn't the time machine be effectively used to disprove history and clear up a lot of confusion?

Wouldn't it be great to have a time machine to shut up all those idiot conspiracy theorists who believe we faked the moon landing, 9/11 and that Paul McCartney is dead and a double took his place.

JFK is the only conspiracy I can think of that actually has merit to it. I'd love to shut up the 9/11 truth movement if I could.

And Shut Up!

[–] CharlesTheBold 7 years ago

Wouldn't it be great to have a time machine to shut up all those idiot conspiracy theorists who believe we faked the moon landing.
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The conspiracy theories would just say the time machine was faked as well.

I think it would be interesting to have a time travel where the traveller is simply doing research on historical mysteries. Probably too cerebral for TV or movies, though. I guess they could rev it up by either.

(1) Have the traveller make an accidental change that needs to be fixed.
(2) Have the traveller be tempted to right a historical wrong.

[–] Tjanssen411 7 years ago

Perhaps that was Mason's Plan when he developed the machine

Flynn stealing the Mothership altered whatever those plans were...

perhaps one of Flynn's missions will require them to affirm or refute a Conspiracy...

by simply having a mission centered around Apollo 11 they have already taken the stand that 'Armstrong on the Moon' is a Fact which by default shoots down that particular Conspiracy

and of course being a Fiction, any evidence they find will exist primarily in the mind of the Writers

"For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible." -- Stuart Chase

[–] pauli_gomez 7 years ago

I agree with all what you said, Tjan

[–] darkavenger77 7 years ago

The OP's idea is an interesting premise. Another use could be to stop crimes such as homicides (kind of a reverse Minority Report (2002)). Of course, if that took place networks like ID Discovery would lose a lot of subject material. 

I agree with the other member's take, conspiracy "fans" would not believe it.

Ignoring politics doesn't mean politics will ignore you.
-Pericles paraphrased in <100 characters

[–] Yorick_Brown 7 years ago

I like this show a lot but it seems to me that with all the talk about preserving history, couldn't the time machine be effectively used to disprove history and clear up a lot of confusion?

Yes, then again, this machine is not a toy and disproving silly conspiracy theories or solving archaeological mysteries isn't the intent.

All hail the underdogs
All hail the new kids
All hail the outlaws
Spielbergs and Kubricks

[–] mignagni 7 years ago

Agreed, but 9/11 truthers are the biggest dumbasses in the world and they need to be shut up once and for all.

And Shut Up!

[–] CharlesTheBold 7 years ago

Yes, then again, this machine is not a toy and disproving silly conspiracy theories or solving archaeological mysteries isn't the intent.
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Exactly what WAS the intent? Before Flynn stole the machine and the others had to fixx the damage.

[–] Yorick_Brown 7 years ago

Rittenhouse bankrolled Mason to build the machine for mysterious but likely nefarious purposes.

The given reason that Mason invented the machine is implied to be that Mason invented the technology for commercial entertainment purposes.

All hail the underdogs
All hail the new kids
All hail the outlaws
Spielbergs and Kubricks

[–] therealshapeshifter 7 years ago

I read a science fiction novel about 10 years ago (don't recall the title or the author, but I think s/he was well known) in which a machine was created that allowed people to view the past rather than actually travel to the past. IIRC, the opening chapter was about people having lost faith because religious leaders from the distant past did not fulfill the people's beliefs.

[–] CharlesTheBold 7 years ago

CHILDHOOD'S END, by Arthur C. Clarke.

Of course, he was assuming that the religious leaders would behave according to HIS beliefs.

[–] TakeUpReel 7 years ago

you could basically travel back in time and either prove...

Interesting thought. I guess letting the world know that a time-traveling machine exists would bring up a whole new set of problems, however.

--
If vampires hate "plus signs" - imagine how they feel about the "square root" symbol.

[–] Jes' Sayin' (5990) 4 years ago

Sure, but it's also a TV show, that is, not real. So if they would go back and resolve one of those issues, it's meaningless and will disappoint about half the viewers. So why do it?