Skip to main content

story identification - Collection of short stories with various theories about time travel



Back in the 1960's-70's I read a book of short stories, each using a different theory or perspective about time travel. Not all were built with today's predominant idea that a change in the past makes a change in the present.


One story was about a Russian scientist who was researching time travel, getting close to understanding it. He was arrested and about to be executed by a firing squad. Just before being shot, he has an insight about his work. He says "Wait." And time almost stands still. The bullets are still in the air, out of the rifles, have not yet reached him. He leaves the site, visits his wife and others, has difficulty moving things, finally decides it is not worth continuing his life like this. So he goes back to finish being shot. He uses one of the lead bullets to write his newly thought-of formula on the wall. Then he stands in front of the bullets and says "OK". Time resumes and he is shot/killed. The head officer at the execution sees the writing and tells one of the soldiers to clean it.


Another story involves a character sitting in his living room. His future (or past) self rushes in with a time-travel machine and tells him he has to hurry. He gives instructions about going into the future, visit a museum where he can get a time-travel machine. At the museum, he see that he himself is the inventor of the time-travel machine, and he sees several models - some early/primitive and some later/advanced. The museum alarm rings and he has to quickly get the model that he is standing near and leave. He goes back home, finds himself sitting in his living room.


I'm hoping to find the whole book of stories. But any help finding either of these two stories might also help.




Comments

Popular posts from this blog

harry potter - Do the Kwikspell courses work?

In Harry Potter we are introduced to Kwikspell course in The Chamber of Secrets (and never hear about it again). We see Filch taking courses, presumably by mail. The descriptions of Kwikspell make me think it is for people who are weak in magic (kind of like how Neville was supposed to be when he was younger), but had magic in them nonetheless. However, Ron's comments later in the chapter make it sound like it is mainly for Squibs to learn magic. However, it is strongly implied through out all the books that Squibs are essentially Muggles, and will never be able to do magic. How then is a Kwikspell course supposed to work? Do we have any information to know if it works at all? Is it a scam? An answer from any level of canon is welcome. Answer Kwikspell courses are (probably) useful to some wizards, but not to squibs. The Kwikspell course literature comes with two testimonials. Madam Z. Nettles of Topsham writes: ‘I had no memory for incantations and my potions were a family joke...

futurama - How much time is lost in 'Time Keeps on Slippin''

In time Keeps on Slippin' , Farnsworth creates a basketball team which he matures by abusing Chronitons. This leads to time skipping forward by random, but ever increasing amounts. How much time was skipped in this way? Answer Unfortunately, I don't think a good estimate can be made for this, for two reasons: Many of the time skips move forward by an indeterminate amount of time. At one point, the Professor mentions localized regions of space skipping forward much more than others. We then see two young boys on the street below complaining about having to pay social security, only to suddenly become senior citizens and start complaining about wanting their money. Thus, each individual could have experienced a different amount of time skippage.

tolkiens legendarium - Difference between elves and dwarves blacksmithing in the Lord of the Rings

Both the elves and the dwarves were famous for their metal work in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but what is the difference between what they made, and which one had the better skill of making amours and swords? Answer James Christopher's answer sums up the second part of your question well, but as to the difference in what they made, a little more detail is needed. Once the Elves learned to forge with steel, the shape of the sword changed, now being able to take on the form of a great broadsword or a light and agile curved sword. Additionally, they took great pride in decorating their swords. As we see in the Lord of the Rings , some swords like Sting had magical properties such as glowing blue when orcs are near. As far as the use of Mithril, lotr.wikia has two contradictory passages: Thus, Elven blades became renowned as great weapons, capable of performing deeds beyond the skill of their handlers and were even more glorious when the use of Mithril was allowed to the Elves. ...

game of thrones - Is Syrio Forel dead?

In the episode 'The Pointy End' (Season 1 Episode 8) when Arya runs from the Lannister guards you hear the sound of a sword being dropped (around 4:56): [embedded content] After that neither Syrio or Ser Meryn Trant is never mentioned or seen in the show again, except when Arya mentions to the Hound that Ser Meryn Trant killed Syrio. Is there any mention in the books that Syrio actually dies?