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Can science allow time loops, who suggested them, and how was that received?

Research question: Do the laws of physics as understood today, especially general relativity, allow closed timelike curves, and which physicists have proposed them and how were their proposals received?

The records show that general relativity admits solutions containing closed timelike curves, which permit an object to travel back in time and interact with a former version of itself 1415, but such curves have never been observed in the actual universe 28. Van Stockum predicted them in 1937 26, and Kurt Gödel constructed cosmological solutions containing them in 1949 13. Morris, Thorne and Yurtsever linked wormholes to time machines in 1988 4, and Stephen Hawking proposed the chronology protection conjecture to rule such curves out 2431, while David Deutsch proposed the D-CTC quantum model, which avoids logical paradoxes through a self-consistency condition 17. Gödel's universe was dismissed as a model of physical reality because it is unlike our universe 34, and the debate over the D-CTC and P-CTC models remains unresolved 23; the newest fact in the set is dated 2026 6, and the records do not settle whether quantum gravity prevents such curves 27.

Checked 2026-10-21. Only documented and supported facts are used.
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Sources

[1] supported
Kurt Gödel was the first to construct cosmological solutions of general relativity that contain closed timelike curves, which correspond to time travel.
"Zuerst konstruierte Kurt Gödel kosmologische Lösungen der allgemeinen Relativitätstheorie mit geschlossenen zeitartigen Kurven (Zeitreisen)."
Wurmloch
[2] supported
The document says relativistic physics can sidestep the time-travel paradox if the target of a hypothetical trip is restricted to regions outside the past light cone of the departure point. It does not state that general relativity allows closed timelike curves outright.
"Das Problem lässt sich auf Grundlage der relativistischen Physik umgehen, wenn das Ziel der hypothetischen Zeitreise auf Bereiche außerhalb des sogenannten Vergangenheitslichtkegels ihres Ausgangs beschränkt bleibt."
Großvaterparadoxon
[3] supported
Kurt Gödel discovered the Gödel universe in 1949 as a cosmological solution of Einstein's general relativity equations.
"Das Gödel-Universum oder R-Universum bezeichnet eine von dem österreichischen Mathematiker Kurt Gödel 1949 entdeckte kosmologische Lösung der Gleichungen der Allgemeinen Relativitätstheorie (ART)."
Gödel-Universum
[4] supported
Michael Morris, Kip Thorne and Ulvi Yurtsever published a 1988 paper linking wormholes to time machines and the weak energy condition, and the document notes that this point had already been raised in that paper.
"Michael Morris, Kip Thorne, Ulvi Yurtsever: Wormholes, time machines and the weak energy condition. Phys. Rev. Lett., 61, 1988, 1446–1449"
Wurmloch
[5] supported
The Gödel universe contains closed timelike curves through every event point, but these curves are not geodesics, so time travel would require very high accelerations.
"Genauer existieren im Gödel-Universum geschlossene zeitartige Kurven durch jeden Ereignispunkt. Diese sind allerdings keine Geodäten , sodass Zeitreisen nur mit sehr hohen Beschleunigungen möglich wären."
Gödel-Universum
[6] supported
The authors find their vacuum-polarization backreaction is consistent with Hawking's chronology protection conjecture but does not by itself prove it.
"We show this backreaction is consistent with, but does not by itself prove, Hawking's chronology protection conjecture."
Closed Timelike Curves in ADM Spacetime (2026)
[7] supported
John Archibald Wheeler and Robert A. Fuller published a 1962 paper on causality and multiply-connected space-time, which is cited in the context of wormholes and closed timelike curves.
"Robert A. Fuller, John Archibald Wheeler: Causality and Multiply-Connected Space-Time. Physical Review, Band 128, 1962, 919."
Wurmloch
[8] supported
The Gödel universe is not considered a realistic model of our actual universe.
"Das Gödel-Universum ist kein realistisches Modell unseres Universums."
Gödel-Universum
[9] supported
David Deutsch and M. Lockwood published an article on the quantum physics of time travel in Spektrum der Wissenschaft in November 1994.
"D. Deutsch, M. Lockwood: Die Quantenphysik der Zeitreise , Spektrum der Wissenschaft, November 1994, S. 50–57"
Großvaterparadoxon
[10] supported
Gödel argued that the theoretical possibility of time travel within general relativity speaks against the existence of an objective flow of time.
"Allerdings argumentierte Gödel, dass bereits die theoretische Möglichkeit von Zeitreisen in der ART gegen die Existenz eines objektiven Zeitflusses spricht."
Gödel-Universum
[11] supported
The Gödel universe, proposed by Kurt Gödel in 1949, is a spacetime that contains closed timelike curves (closed world lines).
"Geschlossene Weltlinien gibt es etwa im Gödel-Universum ( Kurt Gödel , 1949). [ 9 ]"
Kausalstruktur
[12] supported
In 1962, Ozsvath and Schücking constructed a variant of the rotating model without backward time travel by considering a finite rather than infinite universe, though it still violates Mach's principle.
"Durch Betrachtung eines endlichen statt unendlichen Universums konstruierten Ozsvath und Engelbert Schücking 1962 eine Variante ohne Zeitreisen in die Vergangenheit, die aber immer noch das Machsche Prinzip verletzt."
Gödel-Universum
[13] supported
A closed timelike curve is a closed curve that is everywhere timelike and everywhere directed either toward the future or toward the past.
"ne geschlossene Kurve, die überall in die Zukunft gerichtet und zeitartig ist, oder überall in die Vergangenheit gerichtet und zeitartig ist."
Kausalstruktur
[14] supported
Einstein's general theory of relativity allows the existence of closed timelike curves, which permit an object to travel back in time and interact with a former version of itself.
"Einstein’s general theory of relativity allows the existence of closed timelike curves (CTCs) [ 1 , 2 ] , where an object could travel back in time and interact with a former version of itself."
Closed timelike curves and the second law of thermodynamics
[15] supported
The equations of general relativity have solutions that permit time loops (closed timelike curves).
"Die Gleichungen der allgemeinen Relativitätstheorie besitzen Lösungen, die Zeitschleifen zulassen."
Zeitschleife
[16] supported
General relativity makes it relatively easy to find solutions to Einstein's field equations that contain closed timelike curves.
"One aspect of general relativity that has long intrigued physicists is the relative ease with which one can find solutions to Einstein’s field equations that contain closed timelike curves (CTCs)"
Experimental simulation of closed timelike curves
[17] supported
Deutsch proposed the D-CTC model, a quantum model of closed timelike curves that avoids logical paradoxes through a self-consistency condition.
"One of the models that does so was proposed by Deutsch [ 4 ] ."
Closed timelike curves and the second law of thermodynamics
[18] supported
Novikov's self-consistency principle and Hawking's chronology protection conjecture were proposed to reconcile or rule out closed timelike curves, driven by paradoxes such as the grandfather paradox.
"Driven by apparent inconsistencies—like the grandfather paradox—there have been numerous efforts, such as Novikov’s self-consistency principle 4 to reconcile them or Hawking’s chronology protection conjecture 5 , to disprove the existence of CTCs."
Experimental simulation of closed timelike curves
[19] supported
The quantum P-CTC model avoids paradoxes through post-selection, whereas the D-CTC model uses a self-consistency condition.
"the quantum P-CTC model chooses such solution through post-selection."
Closed timelike curves and the second law of thermodynamics
[20] supported
Several exact solutions of Einstein's field equations contain nontrivial closed timelike curves, including a rapidly rotating infinite cylinder, the Gödel universe, a Kerr black hole, and spinning cosmic strings.
"A number of exact solutions of the Einstein field equations exhibit nontrivial CTCs, including a rapidly rotating infinite cylinder [38, 39], the G¨odel universe [40], a Kerr black hole [41], and spinning cosmic strings [42, 43]."
On the Preservation of the Local Properties of Time in General Relativity
[21] supported
Bennett and colleagues challenged the D-CTC model's peculiar implications, arguing they stem from 'falling into a linearity trap' caused by analysing pure states rather than mixtures.
"Bennett et al. [ 14 ] questioned all of above implications showing that they simply stem from “falling into a linearity trap”"
Closed timelike curves and the second law of thermodynamics
[22] supported
Although the Gödel universe, cosmic strings and van Stockum cylinder may be unphysical, the low angular momentum Kerr black hole is believed to be physically relevant because it is the unique final state of gravitational collapse.
"the low angular momentum Kerr black hole is believed to possess physicalrelevance - it is the unique final state of gravitationalcollapse [44]."
On the Preservation of the Local Properties of Time in General Relativity
[23] supported
The debate over whether the D-CTC or P-CTC model is correct, if either, remains unresolved.
"The debate regarding which model, either D-CTC or P-CTC, if any, is correct is still ongoing"
Closed timelike curves and the second law of thermodynamics
[24] supported
Hawking proposed the chronology protection conjecture, holding that the laws of physics do not allow closed timelike curves to appear, based on his finding that vacuum polarization divergences create singularities before CTCs form.
"the laws of physics do not allow the appearance of CTCs."
On the Preservation of the Local Properties of Time in General Relativity
[25] supported
Brun, Harrington and Wilde showed that localized closed timelike curves could perfectly distinguish non-orthogonal quantum states, which led to discomforting possibilities such as breaking quantum cryptography.
"Similar circuits have been found to allow for perfect distinguishability of non-orthogonal quantum states 9 , leading to discomforting possibilities such as breaking of quantum cryptography 9"
Experimental simulation of closed timelike curves
[26] supported
Closed timelike curves were first predicted by Willem Jacob van Stockum in 1937 and later expanded upon by Kurt Godel in 1949.
"Closed timelike curves were first predicted by Willem Jacob van Stockum in 1937 and expanded upon by Kurt Godel in 1949."
The Science of Closed Timelike Curves, Explained
[27] supported
Whether quantum gravity prevents CTCs remains open to debate because there is no well-defined theory of quantum gravity.
"Without a well-defined theory of quantum gravity this matter is still open to debate [3]."
On the Preservation of the Local Properties of Time in General Relativity
[28] supported
Closed timelike curves are allowable under General Relativity and appear in some solutions to Einstein's equations, often involving very massive objects like black holes, but have never been observed in the actual universe.
"It turns out, closed timelike curves are allowable under General Relativity. That means that they show up in some solutions to Einstein's equations, often involving hugely massive objects like black holes, but have never been observed in the actual universe."
The Science of Closed Timelike Curves, Explained
[29] supported
Stephen Hawking proposed a chronological protection conjecture, suggesting the laws of the universe prevent time travel.
"Even Stephen Hawking proposed a chronological protection conjecture suggesting that the laws of the universe are set up in such a way that time travel is impossible."
The Science of Closed Timelike Curves, Explained
[30] supported
Some others argue there is no need to protect chronology, because one can only be inside a CTC if one was always in it, so there are no paradoxes.
"Still, others suggest there is no need to protect chronology, because you can only be inside of a CTC if you were always in it. There are no paradoxes because anything you do in the past is what you were always going to do."
The Science of Closed Timelike Curves, Explained
[31] supported
Stephen Hawking formulated the chronology protection conjecture because some solutions of the equations of general relativity contain closed timelike curves, which would allow time travel backward along the time axis.
"Die Vermutung zum Schutz der Zeitordnung bzw. der Zeitfolge (engl. chronology protection conjecture bzw. CPC) wurde von Stephen Hawking formuliert, da in einigen Lösungen für die Gleichungen der Allgemeinen Relativitätstheorie geschlossene zeitartige Kurven (engl. closed timelike curves bzw. CTC) auftauchen und diese die Möglichkeit von Zeitreisen auf der Zeitachse rückwärts beinhalten."
Liste ungelöster Probleme der Physik
[32] supported
In 2009, Heinrich Päs, Sandip Pakvasa, Thomas Weiler and James Dent showed that certain warped extra-dimensional spacetime scenarios could in principle allow closed timelike curves (time travel).
"2009 zeigten dieselben Autoren zusammen mit James Dent, dass solche Raumzeit -Szenarien im Prinzip geschlossene zeitartige Kurven ( Zeitreisen ) ermöglichen könnten."
Heinrich Päs
[33] supported
The proposal was covered in the media: New Scientist ran a 2006 article titled 'At last a way to test time travel', presenting the idea as a possible way to test time travel.
""At last a way to test time travel" , New Scientist 2552 p. 34, 20. Mai 2006 von Marcus Chown"
Heinrich Päs
[34] supported
Gödel's universe was dismissed as a model of physical reality because it is unlike the universe we live in.
"As a model of physical reality it can therefore be dismissed because it is unlike the universe we live in."
Closed timelike curves in general relativity
[35] supported
In 2005, Päs, Thomas Weiler and Sandip Pakvasa discussed the possibility that sterile neutrinos could take shortcuts through extra dimensions, the precursor idea to the later closed-timelike-curve work.
"2005 diskutierte er zusammen mit Thomas Weiler und Sandip Pakvasa die Möglichkeit, dass sterile Neutrinos Abkürzungen in Extra-Dimensionen nehmen könnten."
Heinrich Päs
[36] supported
Van Stockum's spacetime with closed timelike curves describes a cylinder of rigidly rotating dust, but the cylinder is infinite in length, so it could not be realised in practice.
"Another simple space-time containingCTCs is that of van Stockum [2] which representsa cylinder of rigidly rotating dust; however, the cylinder is of infinite length so it could not be realised in practice."
Closed timelike curves in general relativity
[37] supported
Most spacetimes containing closed timelike curves were regarded as of merely theoretical interest because of some non-physical feature in their composition.
"Nearly all of these have been regarded as of merely theoretical interest because of some non-physi"
Closed timelike curves in general relativity
[38] supported
Bonnor argues that general relativity fails to give a satisfactory account of all phenomena within its terms of reference unless closed timelike curves receive a reasonable physical interpretation, and he calls for an urgent search for one.
"in default of a reasonable interpretation of CTC, general relativity does not give a satisfactory account of all phenomenawithin its terms of reference."
Closed timelike curves in general relativity