Thought Experiment: People from the Future

As you walk your way to work, someone hands you a small device. Before you could even see the person and ask what it is, the stranger has mysteriously vanished. Intriguing enough, you kept it until you reached your workplace. You finally recognized it to be a flash drive so you plugged it into your computer and checked what it is. BLUEPRINT OF TIME MACHINE, it says. You opened it and acknowledged that it is; you say so because you are a scientist.

            Addressing all scientific complications ever conceived, the blueprint can indeed give a true time machine upon examining – theoretically and scientifically. However, you found a disclaimer at the end that once a time machine is constructed from the blueprint, it will start another world war with a note of PEOPLE FROM THE FUTURE. If the note is rendered true, you then concluded that it was probably someone from the future who gave the source material to you. 
Now, should you construct a time machine from the blueprint or not?  
 ---
The Government: The scientist should construct a time machine from the blueprint.

ADVANCEMENT – Such feat will be celebrated not only by the science community but also by the world. Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity and Stephen Hawking’s theories on wormhole and time travel (among others) would have now been addressed by the blueprint. Scientific problems and discoveries will be solved and uncovered which will enrich our knowledge of science – time and space.

TECHNOLOGY OVER COST– Regardless of the cost, the science community can care less about how much it would cost as long as it advances science per se. The government has long invested in science and technology. Such invention will be such an investment.

PREVENTIVE MEASURES – If the disclaimer is ever true, then the time machine, once constructed, shall correct the events in its capability. No matter what it takes, the time machine shall be used for the greater good and to prevent world wars.

---

The Opposition: The scientist should not construct a time machine from the blueprint.

UNCERTAINTY - Prominent scientists of great minds have only theorized time travel through space and time and not an actual machine. The blueprint may have addressed scientific complications but ONLY in theory and principle. Science and technology is a trial and error despite a well-designed blueprint.

CONFLICT – Conflict of interests will occur. Who will own the machine? Should it be revealed or confidential? Should it be shared among nations? What are the limitations of the machine? Who will set such limitations not limited by the machine? Such questions actually lead to national concern which makes the disclaimer credible if taken logically.

RISK – If the disclaimer is indeed true, it serves as a great warning. If the idea of a time machine has been entertained by the people, the people shall also acknowledge the warning from the people of the future (as they accept that time machine is possible, thus people from the future is also possible). What is their purpose for giving the material? Why is it given in the first place? The uncertainty gives great risk, let alone it came from an unknown source. And how sure are we the blueprint only constructs a time machine and not a weapon given its potential to be used in several ways?



Thought experiment
PHILO 1 (Introduction to Philosophy)
13 December 2018

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