John Titor wuz here—- Time Travel

John Titor is the name used by the person or persons claiming to be a timetraveler from the year 2036 who posted on several time-travel–related Internet Bulletin boards during 2000/2001, making many ambiguous predictions about events in the near future — all impossible to prove or disprove 100% — and giving an account of a supposed native time period. Proponents of Titor believe his claims cannot be substantiated due to the complex nature of the ‘multiple time-line’ theory. Whether or not John Titor was a hoax has been a topic of controversy on web-based paranormal discussion boards. He has also been discussed occasionally on the radio show Coast to Coast AM.

Predictions and contradictions

In his online postings, Titor claimed to be a serving soldier who was assigned to a government time travel project. He was supposedly sent from 2036 back to 1975 to retrieve an IBM 5100 computer which he claimed was needed to “debug” various legacy computer programs in 2036. The postings also described various future events between 2004 and 2037, including World War III (predicted for 2015) followed by two decades of recovery.

One such entry cited escalating conflict between Arabs and Jews as a harbinger of World War III:

“Real disruptions in world events begin with the destabilization of the West as a result of degrading US foreign policy and consistency. [...] The Jewish population in Israel is not prepared for a true offensive war. They are prepared for the ultimate defense. Wavering western support for Israel is what gives Israel’s neighbors the confidence to attack. The last resort for a defensive Israel and its offensive Arab neighbors is to use weapons of mass destruction. In the grand scheme of things, the war in the Middle East is a part of what’s to come, not the cause.”

Along with this report of World War III’s approach, another notable claim was that of a Civil war in America, which was slated to begin in 2004, around the time of the presidential election, and would escalate until 2008, which, according to Titor, “[is] a general date by which time everyone will realize the world they thought they were living in was over.”

Another claim was that 2004 would be the last year in which the Olympic Games would occur — this proving contrary to subsequent real-world events as the 2006 Winter Olympics were successfully held in February, 2006. In light of such predictive failings, some have speculated ex post facto that the history relayed by Titor could have referred to one possible course for the future, suggesting that humans may have since created an alternate future by going about things differently; this apologetic approach is exemplary of the more forgiving interpretations for Titor’s specific errors.

According to IBM engineer Bob Dubke, Titor’s statements regarding the IBM 5100’s ability to emulate and debug mainframe systems were correct. This information was not publicly available when Titor made his declaration, which has led to speculation that the person posing as Titor must have been linked somehow to the development of this system. (see “Secrets of the City” in external links for more information.)

When questioned about the mechanisms of time travelling, Titor answered that he was no engineer. When asked to provide a better picture of his time machine, he replied that he wasn’t a photographer. When asked to use the time machine to perform some paradoxical action (e.g., kill his grandfather), he replied that that would only affect this universe, but not his. He appeared to imply that there were many worldlines, and his time machine could not control its outgoing destination exactly, but could return to a worldline exactly similar to his own home. (It would be a different “Worldline” but would be exactly the same in his perspective as when he left). His originating “worldline” would, in turn, receive a John Titor exactly similar to the original. Therefore, his original “worldline” would indeed receive the benefit of his mission.

The “worldline” theory resembles the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, although his use of the term is different from physicists’ use of worldline, which refers to the path of an object through four-dimensional spacetime, not to an entire universe or history (what the many-worlds interpretation would just call a ‘world’)

Summary

These are taken from John Titor’s original statements and summarised.

• A Second American Civil War from 2004 to 2018
• An event similar to the “parting of the Red Sea” will occur in 2012.
• Association Football (Soccer) becomes the most popular sport in the United States.
• Third World War in 2015, a gradual global escalation that was ended by Russia bombing American, European and Chinese cities.
  • Sometime before this point (referred to as “N-Day”) China forcefully annexes Japan, Korea and Taiwan.
  • Chemical and Biological weapons are used, and some “non-lethal” weapons turned out to be quite lethal.
  • Australia successfully repels a Chinese invasion.
  • The war kills over 3 billion people.
• Post-war
  • Communities of survivors gather and grow around libraries and universities.
  • The United States splits into five regions based on various factors and differing military objectives.
  • The US Constitution is changed by a Constitutional Congress.
    • A President is elected for each of the five major areas of the US.
    • The powers of the union government are more defined and reside at the county and state level.
    • The Vice President is elected separately.
    • The US Capital is in Omaha, Nebraska.
• Life in 2036:
  • Society
    • Military service plays a large part in day-to-day life.
    • Capital Punishment is still implemented.
    • Communities have returned to a family/community centred state, advised by elders.
    • Texas is Hispanicized.
  • Religion and Beliefs
    • Religion is far more personal and plays a major part in day-to-day life.
    • The Ten Commandments have been restored to the “10″ that God gave Moses.
    • Sabbatarianism, or worship on Saturday is a common practice.
  • Technology
    • Wireless internet is ubiquitous.
    • Television and Telephony are delivered via the Web.
    • Books and other hard media are now distributed online and printed from local hubs.
    • Microsoft and Yahoo! no longer exist. Napster still distributes music via the web.
    • Power is not distributed over long distances. Alternate forms of generation are common, the most prevalent being solar.
  • Environment
    • The environment is heavily affected by radiation. The lack of potable water is the biggest environmental issue.
    • Global Warming has had little effect. Temperature is about the same although there were anomalies after the war.
  • Health
    • The birth rate is much lower, due to a high number of birth defects and stillbirths.
    • Mad Cow, or vCJD in humans, is a devastating public health problem.
    • Cures for AIDS and Cancer have not been found. Viral therapy is used for Cancer.