The many problems of stopping time. [Archive] - Team17 Forum

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Gardy Looo
24 Aug 2007, 09:27
Let's just say this guy called Phil, he can stop time, so he stops time. Fair enough. However, Phil wants to go out of the house. He goes to the door and looks at the doorknob. He reaches his hand out to turn the doorknob, but stops. Then, Phil wonders, "What would happen if I turn this doorknob while time is stopped?"
So, Phil thinks. There are currently two options that seem plausible, delayed reaction or continuous motion.
Delayed reaction
Let's say Phil turns the doorknob, but the door doesn't open. So he UNSTOPS time (basically turning time back to normal) and then a few seconds later, the door opens. In another example, Phil stops time and slaps someone in the head. Nothing. But after he unstops time, in a few seconds, the person who has been slapped feels a sharp pain in their head, and complain that they have a headache.
Continuous motion
This is slightly more interesting. Phil turns the doorknob, and nothing happens. He unstops time and suddenly, the doorknob turns, but spinning unbelievably fast. This is because if Phil stops time and turns the doorknob, and then unstops time, the doorknob would turn. But since time is stopped when it is turned, it means there isn't a limit to how many revolutions the doorknob would do in an amount of time. So instead of the doorknob turning at the speed of 1 revolution per second, it's going at INFINITE revolutions per second. This, of course, breaks the door and all the little mechanisms on the doorknob, and the doorknob is spinning wildly at an incalculable speed.
Now, there are various results to this.
One: The doorknob keeps spinning until Phil fixes the situation.
Two: The doorknob will eventually burn up and/or disintegrate. However, it's possible that the remains of the doorknob would continue to spin in a circle where the doorknob used to be spinning.
*Three: The doorknobs molecular structure completely collapses, possibly turning into something else entirely. Like from a spinning doorknob to a can of fine grated cheese, for example.
*Phil gets another idea, and thinks that if he were to stop time and walk on a pool of water, the water would be solid and he could walk on it? But how is this possible?
The water would have to change substances, from liquid to solid. But if time doesn't affect that, how would the water affect Phil while he's walking on it?
After a considerable amount of thinking, Phil turns the doorknob, and the door opens. Looks like Phil doesn't have time stopping abilities at all. It was all a waste of TIME.
Opinions, anyone?

*Splinter*
24 Aug 2007, 10:17
Yes! MEH
Do we really need another one of these 'no-one actually has a clue what they're talking about' debate threads? Personally Im sick of all the time travel bs around here...

Run
24 Aug 2007, 11:43
phil would suffocate before he even has a chance to turn any doorknobs
also he wouldn't be able to see anything

AndrewTaylor
24 Aug 2007, 12:38
After a considerable amount of thinking ... It was all a waste of TIME.
Phil is onto something here.

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