Time-travelling humans from future

[NeoCaesar]

If you look at the evolution of man from ape to now and then continue the trend you get what is the stereotype grey alien that people claim to see. Coupled with developments in technology our muscles and stature will lessen as we do less physical activity. Our brains will increase in size as will our eyes which will change to respond to looking at screens all day. Fingers will become elongated for manipulating technology. It is a natural progression from ape to grey.

Is it then possible that aliens are time-travelling humans back to see where we went wrong? The most improbable point (not the only one, I know...) is that most physicists believe time travel may be possible forwards but never backwards. Basically everytime I think of our evolutionary path a grey is what I get.

Discuss.

What do you think we are evolving into?

 

[Major]

That's always been my theory on all the alien/UFO encounters that are reported. I'm always skeptical about all that stuff, but at the same time it would be quite a coincidence if everyone reported seeing similar things.

 

[fractal]

Actually brains decrease in size, while retaining intelligence.

I don't know much about evolution, but I don't expect any of the changes you mentioned to ever take place. Evolution is the based on the survival of the fittest. Unless those without the characteristics you mentioned gradually declined in number, and reduced their contribution to the gene pool, why would the existing characteristics ever go away? In the past, genetically less fitter people died and were taken out of the gene pool. In this day nothing like that happens.

Do I understand evolution correctly?

 

[oxyMORON]

yeah I actually thought primitive man had larger brains than us, but weren't as developed yet...

Kind of how cars back in the day were large, box-like gas guzzlers. Now we have sleek and efficient cars.

and as much as I'd like for time travel to be possible to pull off, the ramifications just boggle my mind and leave me thinking time travel is physically impossible to pull off.

 

[Wade8813]

If you look at the evolution of man from ape to now and then continue the trend you get what is the stereotype grey alien that people claim to see. Coupled with developments in technology our muscles and stature will lessen as we do less physical activity. Our brains will increase in size as will our eyes which will change to respond to looking at screens all day. Fingers will become elongated for manipulating technology. It is a natural progression from ape to grey.

Except almost everything I've heard indicates that athletes are faster, stronger, and pretty much all-around better than athletes just a few decades ago. Admittedly, a lot of it is due to better training techniques and better health information, but if you even vaguely pay attention to the Olympics, world records are broken on a fairly regular basis.

The 4 minute mile was considered unattainable - now it's considered the standard for top middle-distance runners.

I can't imagine any evolutionary advantages to being unfit, but there are numerous advantages to being more fit; including attracting potential mates, producing healthier offspring, etc.

Is it then possible that aliens are time-travelling humans back to see where we went wrong? The most improbable point (not the only one, I know...) is that most physicists believe time travel may be possible forwards but never backwards. Basically everytime I think of our evolutionary path a grey is what I get.

Do physics indicate that we can't travel back in time? Or is that a theory just an explanation of how reality would prevent time paradoxes?

That's always been my theory on all the alien/UFO encounters that are reported. I'm always skeptical about all that stuff, but at the same time it would be quite a coincidence if everyone reported seeing similar things.

Not entirely. People are more likely to imagine things that correspond with the mental image they already have.

Actually brains decrease in size, while retaining intelligence.

Sometimes. Other times they increase in size while increasing in intelligence, and sometimes they stay the same size while increasing intelligence.

 

[fractal]

Do physics indicate that we can't travel back in time? Or is that a theory just an explanation of how reality would prevent time paradoxes?

There are multiple theories that allow us to avoid paradoxes such as parallel universes with different consequences, and theories like cosmic censure where you can travel back but can't alter major things. All that depends on which theory you subscribe to.

Not entirely. People are more likely to imagine things that correspond with the mental image they already have.

I believe the term you might be looking for is "confirmation bias".

Sometimes. Other times they increase in size while increasing in intelligence, and sometimes they stay the same size while increasing intelligence.

If I remember correctly, it's the ratio of the brain mass to the body mass that you must look at, and this is while comparing different species. The relation between brain size and intelligence is rather vague, but we know for a fact that the brain size has decreased. I do not expect intelligence to have decreased.

If you understand evolution, I'd like you to look at my previous post and comment because I always wanted to ask that question.

 

[Wade8813]

There are multiple theories that allow us to avoid paradoxes such as parallel universes with different consequences, and theories like cosmic censure where you can travel back but can't alter major things. All that depends on which theory you subscribe to.

I understand that - my question was about the supposed physics of it.

I believe the term you might be looking for is "confirmation bias".

More or less. I wasn't really looking for the term, but if I had been, I'm sure that would have been it :lol:

If I remember correctly, it's the ratio of the brain mass to the body mass that you must look at, and this is while comparing different species. The relation between brain size and intelligence is rather vague, but we know for a fact that the brain size has decreased. I do not expect intelligence to have decreased.

It's ratio of brain size to body size, but also how wrinkly the brain is (to put it crudely). A smooth brain has less surface area, and apparently is thus less efficient for the same size.

If you understand evolution, I'd like you to look at my previous post and comment because I always wanted to ask that question.

Well, random mutations would still occur (being random and all...). And I'd imagine some reduced level of selection would still occur - people still select who to have kids with based on certain traits, so people with those traits will become more and more prevalent. And there are various health issues that contribute to reproduction that will invariably be selected for to some extent.