What if time travel is real? For all we know, it could already exist! Now maybe not in the way we see in movies — there is no portal, or special potion that you drink for time travel to occur. Although a portal sounds enticing, we don’t believe it is probable. There have been several theories that prove that time travel is possible, but is unlikely. Current theories in the scientific community include: closed time curves, paradoxes, and unstable spacetime. Many theories around time travel are a series of complex yet fascinating ideas, which are combinations of physics, philosophy, and a mix of personal opinion.

SUPPOSITION 1: Time travel does exist. This is the logical conclusion the strange students in the Peoria Academy Journalism Club have come to. There are a multitude of conspiracy theories about time travel and misinterpretations formed by the media. “Back to the Future,” “Avengers Endgame,” and even “A Wrinkle in Time” show time travel, yet we are not talking about the examples in these movies.

We understand that a magic potion or portal does not seem real, but according to astrophysicist Ron Mallett, a hyperfixed cylindrical magnitude ball of energy and light enclosed in a shield as powerful as a black hole could cause time travel. There is a chance that time travel does not exist, but what if it does? Some theorize the existence of time travel, such as Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. This theory says that time travel could be possible if used through intense gravitational fields or near the speed
of light. CONCLUSION 1: Time travel is real.

SUPPOSITION 2: Time travel does not exist. That is the logical conclusion reached by the more rational students of Peoria Academy. The idea of time travel is nothing more than a fabricated concept, exploited by conspiracy theorists to unsettle our perceptions of reality. Even Albert Einstein — widely regarded as one of the most brilliant minds to ever walk this planet — was mistaken. He proposed that time travel might be possible in the future, but this was a falsehood. While many continue to uphold his theory of relativity as truth, it is, in fact, a carefully constructed deception. CONCLUSION 2: Time travel cannot exist.

SUPPOSITION 3: Has time travel already happened? No, this is one thing that the journalism club agrees on. Time travel has not happened … yet. We are certain of this because there has been no proof. There have not been any time travelers, no one is able to credibly claim that they are from the future. Not a single scientist has said that time travel has occurred but some do believe that it is possible. We do not have the tools or technology, such as the previously mentioned hyperfixed cylindrical magnitude ball of energy and light enclosed in a shield as powerful as a black hole.

If time travel were real, it would bring paradoxes, dilemmas, and unpredictable consequences. Changing the past — such as curing COVID-19 before its outbreak or warning Pompeii of its impending disaster — could reshape history in ways we can’t fully comprehend. Each altered event would create ripple effects, influencing future generations and shifting the trajectory of civilization. Would we lose important lessons from history? Would new disasters emerge? Time travel opens the door to endless possibilities, but the true consequences remain unknown.

In conclusion, time travel may or may not be real. But wouldn’t life be more interesting if it was? These are just one of the many questions we investigate in our spare time in the Peoria Academy Journalism Club.

— By Emelia Stevenson and Ammini Guzzardo