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The Grandfather Paradox and Causal Loops in Physics

The Grandfather Paradox and Causal Loops in Physics

Update: 2025-10-11
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Grandfather Paradox—a classic logical contradiction arising from backward time travel—by framing it as a discussion between two hosts. The hosts establish that while General Relativity allows for theoretical spacetime loops called Closed Timelike Curves (CTCs), quantum physics introduces limitations that might prevent their formation. The majority of the discussion focuses on three major solutions to the paradox: the Novikov Self-Consistency Principle, which dictates that only paradox-free histories occur; the Many-Worlds/Branching Timelines model, where contradictions are avoided by jumping to a new timeline; and Deutsch’s CTC model, which uses quantum mixed states to enforce consistency probabilistically. The hosts also explain the implications of CTCs for quantum computation, arguing that the strict enforcement of consistency conditions is what prevents logical paradoxes from turning time loops into resources capable of solving complex problems. Finally, the text distinguishes the Grandfather Paradox from the Bootstrap Paradox, which involves originless information loops that are logically consistent rather than destructive.

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The Grandfather Paradox and Causal Loops in Physics

The Grandfather Paradox and Causal Loops in Physics