[X] My Assistant

[dvandorn]

There are times (pun intended) when I think like a time-traveler. In particular, I think about what the world would be like if time travel was possible.

For example, if time travel was possible, you would expect that there would be attempts to change erstwhile-historical events. And so I wonder -- what would be examples of attempts to change things?

One thing that has come to mind more than once is Apollo 13. Suppose that LM-7 was the one and only LM whose ascent engine had a hidden flaw, which would have caused it to fail to ignite (or worse, fail shortly after ignition)? And suppose that you don't have the ability to go back and fix the LM, but you do have a very short window in which you could effect some other small, minor change?

Might you not make a change which would prevent the use of that particular LM's ascent engine in flight? Such as re-attaching a bolt on a service module's oxygen tank shelf just before it was due to be removed from its SM?

I keep wondering how many serious, eye-opening but yet non-fatal accidents might have been engineered to prevent worse events? It's a modus operandi that I might adopt, under similar circumstances...

-the other Doug

[nprev]

I think Fritz Lieber got it right in The Big Time. If time travel were possible there'd be constant chaos as vying factions tried perpetually to change the Universe to suit themselves. No thanks!