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These are the "In Universe" theories that are understood about the nature of Time Travel, and what it entails. The characters that we follow and interact with, know these as the foundation their world. On a basic level, these theories expand upon and attempt to rationalize their knowledge of what is going on.
For those of us on the outside looking in, the world that we are observing utilizes a method of time travel theory that hews much closer to that of the "Back to the Future" series, than to that of the "Terminator" series of films. In that while difficult, it is possible to change the past, but in doing so you are likely to create a split in the timeline (BttF). As opposed to the theory that the past is immutable and while you can go back in time and make changes, those changes are already factored into the nature of reality and you end up not altering anything (Terminator).
Mensinger’s Theories of Temporal Relativity
Mensinger’s Theories of Temporal Relativity
The Theory of Temporal Inertia.
The Theory of Temporal Inertia.
The “current” of the time stream tends to resist the disruptive influences of temporal discontinuities. The degree of this resistance is dependent upon the coefficient of the magnitude of the disruption and the Uncertainty Principle.
The Principle of Temporal Uncertainty.
The Principle of Temporal Uncertainty.
The element of uncertainty expressed as a coefficient of temporal inertia represents the “X factor” in temporal continuity. Absolute determination of the degree of deviation from the original, undisrupted scenario is rendered impossible by the lack of total accuracy in historical documentation and research (see Heisenberg’s Principle of Uncertainty) and by the presence of historical anomalies as a result either of temporal discontinuities or adjustments thereof.
The Fate Factor.
The Fate Factor.
In the event of a disruption of a magnitude sufficient to affect temporal inertia and create a discontinuity, the Fate Factor, working as a coefficient of temporal inertia, and the element of uncertainty both already present and brought about by the disruption determine the degree of relative continuity to which the timestream can be resorted, contingent upon the effects of the disruption and its adjustment.
The Timestream Split.
The Timestream Split.
In the event of a disruption of a magnitude sufficient to overcome temporal inertia, the effects of the Fate Factor would be canceled out by the overwhelming influence of the resulting discontinuity. The displaced energy of temporal inertia would create a parallel timeline in which the Uncertainty Principle would be the chief governing factor.
Or in slightly more plain speak.
Or in slightly more plain speak.
There is a thing we will call Temporal Inertia, this can be thought of as a corollary to Newtons 1st Law (An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion ) The flow of time is something that has happened, and by its nature it wants to stay the same.
The classic analogy of the river works well here.
A river/timestream has flow/inertia heading downstream/to the future, and will continue on its path. Throwing a rock into the river will cause ripples/disruptions, but the flow/inertia of the river/timestream will account for and overcome any momentary ripples that are caused by said rocks.
Unfortunately if you throw a large enough rock/disruption into the river/timestream then it will be unable to overcome it, and the river/timestream will end up splitting in two. This all well and good, and you have now created two rivers/timestreams, but eventually at an unknown point downstream/in the future these two bodies will invariable be drawn back together and re-merge into a single course.
The amount of force necessary for the timestream to overcome the disruptions is determinable by how strong they were, a term we will call Temporal Uncertainty. This Uncertainty variable can be approximated by considering the original nature of the location in the timestream, and how much the ripples would change from the original state. Unfortunately we are never 100% certain what that original state was, so determining the variance is a guess at best. Thus we have a disruption of variable uncertainty that is affecting the timestream.
When it is a little disruption, and is unable to overcome the inertia of the timestream, it is nothing in the scheme of things. This is what allows for the general use of Time Travel and usage under controlled conditions the of the Time Wars as they developed. As long as nothing was done to that would disrupt the inherent inertia of events, then time would continue on.
When however there is a disruptive force that is strong enough to overcome the affect of inertia, a split may occur. One in which the course of action occurred, and one in which it didn't. At the point that a disturbance occurs Temporal Inertia will try to counteract the force of the disruption, with what we term the Fate Factor, or the nature of causality to try to right itself.
A good example of the Fate Factor might be; You travel back in time to kill Hitler as a young child in the hospital before he is able to be taken home and raised, either by nature or nurture, to become the monster he would be. You succeed in your task, killing the infant in his bassinet, and leave secure in the knowledge that you have averted much suffering in the future. This causes a disruption that is strong enough to overcome the Temporal Inertia of the timestream, there should be a Hitler to rise up and lead Germany. So we are about to have a split in the timestream, one in which Hitler grew up to be the Chancellor of Germany and led the 3rd Reich, and one that proceeds in a relatively unknown course. But instead of a split happening, the Fate Factor intervenes, and once the baby is discovered dead, a nurse feels so sad and moved by the tragedy that she steals another baby, from some random other couple, and swaps them. Hitlers parents go home with a child completely oblivious as to the deception, and raise their son as they intended. As far as history in the grand scale is concerned nothing has changed. There is still a child/boy/man named Hitler who goes through life and has the same history, it's just that is isn't the true Hitler. Thus a disruption is able to be countered by the Fate Factor and a split is avoided.
However by the simple variable nature of the Temporal Uncertainty Principle, and the unknowable of the Fate Factor from the outside. it is the split itself that is tried to be avoided at all costs. The split being in and of itself not the bad outcome, but the theory stands that while a split may occur, at some point down the timestream the inertia of the streams will slowly cause them to rejoin. The longer that the splits are apart, and the longer and larger that discontinuities are developed, then the resulting merger would result in the possibility of two timelines where people were living completely different lives had to reconcile and possibly be overwritten.
The inherent unknowable nature of the outcome of such a merger is what drives all the attempts to curtail splits from happening.
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