Since H.G. Wells published The Time Machine in 1895, the idea of time travel has fascinated scientists and storytellers alike. While Wells’ novel was purely fictional, it sparked a scientific curiosity that continues today. Theories from Einstein’s relativity to Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time suggest that time is not as rigid as it seems. Now, with the recent discovery of ‘negative time’ in quantum physics, the debate over time travel has been reignited. Recently in a ground-breaking experiment, scientists at the University of Toronto have observed a phenomenon known as ‘negative time’ within the realm of quantum physics.

This discovery challenges our conventional understanding of time and opens new avenues for exploring the fundamental laws of the universe. Movies like Independence Day: Resurgence and Interstellar have popularised the idea of manipulating time, but how close are we to making such concepts a reality? The latest research challenges our understanding of time’s one-way flow and raises intriguing possibilities. What is ‘Negative Time’? Time is traditionally thought to flow in one direction ~ from past to future. This concept, known as the “arrow of time,” is based on thermodynamics which requires that entropy (disorder) always increases with time. However, quantum physics often challenges classical rules.

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In the above experiment, scientists observed photons appearing to exit a material before they entered it. This suggests a ‘negative duration,’ meaning the particles behaved as though time was running in reverse. While this doesn’t mean we can build a time machine yet, it provides evidence that, under special conditions, time might not be strictly linear. Imagine dropping........

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