--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If time travel is possible, where are the…" description: "\"If time travel is possible, where are the tourists from the future?\" — Stephen Hawking" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b2/stephen-hawking-389_future_if-time-travel-is-possible-where-are-the_2812124.jpg" --- # If time travel is possible, where are the tourists from… ![“If time travel is possible, where are the tourists from the future?” quote by Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b2/stephen-hawking-389_future_if-time-travel-is-possible-where-are-the_2812124.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b2/stephen-hawking-389_future_if-time-travel-is-possible-where-are-the_2812124.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b2/stephen-hawking-389_future_if-time-travel-is-possible-where-are-the_2812124.jpg) > “If time travel is possible, where are the tourists from the future?” [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If time travel existed, the absence of future tourists suggests paradoxes or constraints. **In simple terms:** Future tourists are missing despite possible time travel. Key Takeaway Question the feasibility of time travel. Themes science paradox time travel Mood curious skeptical Type scientific inquisitive When to use this quote - theoretical research - science fiction writing - education Key Concepts physics philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What would evidence of tourists look like? - How does this affect our view of causality? A Different Perspective It may conflate speculation with fact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time travel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-travel/) [Tourists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tourists/) [Travel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/travel/) ## Related quotes > [The best evidence that time travel is impossible is the fact that we haven't been invaded by hordes of tourists from the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillaume-musso/the-best-evidence-that-time-travel-is-impossible-is-the-fact-that-we/) [Guillaume Musso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillaume-musso/) > [Time travel may be possible, but it is not practical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/time-travel-may-be-possible-but-it-is-not-practical/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [“If time travel were possible we'd be inundated with tourist from the future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/if-time-travel-were-possible-we-d-be-inundated-with-tourist-from-the/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [“If I could go back in time, I would design apartments that could not echo. I would revoke sound's ability to echo in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/weike-wang/if-i-could-go-back-in-time-i-would-design-apartments-that-could-not/) [Weike Wang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/weike-wang/) > [“While time travel was now possible, the precision of the journey was by no means scientific.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-dietzel/while-time-travel-was-now-possible-the-precision-of-the-journey-was/) [Chris Dietzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-dietzel/) > [Today, we know that time travel need not be confined to myths, science fiction, Hollywood movies, or even speculation by theoretical physicists. Time travel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifford-a-pickover/today-we-know-that-time-travel-need-not-be-confined-to-myths-science/) [Clifford A. Pickover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifford-a-pickover/) > [Time travel is possible. 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Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) > [Do you realize that in the past sixty years, the only foreigners the French have been able to drive out are American tourists?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-orben/do-you-realize-that-in-the-past-sixty-years-the-only-foreigners-the/) [Robert Orben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-orben/) ## More by Stephen Hawking > [The doctor who diagnosed me with ALS, or motor neuron disease, told me that it would kill me in two or three years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-doctor-who-diagnosed-me-with-als-or-motor-neuron-disease-told-me/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [We are the product of quantum fluctuations in the very early universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/we-are-the-product-of-quantum-fluctuations-in-the-very-early-universe/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [The human race does not have a very good record of intelligent behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-human-race-does-not-have-a-very-good-record-of-intelligent/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [“We have finally found something that doesn’t have a cause, because there was no time for a cause to exist in. For me this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/we-have-finally-found-something-that-doesn-t-have-a-cause-because/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [ \[On President Bush's plan to get to Mars in 10 years\] Stupid. Robots would do a better job and be much cheaper because you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/on-president-bush-s-plan-to-get-to-mars-in-10-years-stupid-robots/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [I believe the simplest explanation is, there is no God. No one created the universe and no one directs our fate. 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Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gibson/we-have-no-idea-now-of-who-or-what-the-inhabitants-of-our-future/) [William Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gibson/) > [“You are destiny for greatness. Your future is in the hands of the Lord.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/you-are-destiny-for-greatness-your-future-is-in-the-hands-of-the-lord/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [I'm just always looking forwards. I spend very little time, looking backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-vaynerchuk/i-m-just-always-looking-forwards-i-spend-very-little-time-looking/) [Gary Vaynerchuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-vaynerchuk/) > [Football is my passion, and who knows where I will play in the future - you cannot foresee that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edinson-cavani/football-is-my-passion-and-who-knows-where-i-will-play-in-the-future/) [Edinson Cavani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edinson-cavani/) > [When I was 17, I broke up with my future wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-allen/when-i-was-17-i-broke-up-with-my-future-wife/) [Kris Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-allen/) > [I think everybody in the future has stopped talking to each other and we all just use emojis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-moffatt/i-think-everybody-in-the-future-has-stopped-talking-to-each-other-and/) [Scarlett Moffatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-moffatt/) > [When you continue to dwell on the past, there's no chance for a future. History repeats itself, thus, it's ok to LOOK back at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-continue-to-dwell-on-the-past-there-s-no-chance-for-a-future/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am no different from a lot of people. I am concerned for the future of my children and concerned for the future of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barnes/i-am-no-different-from-a-lot-of-people-i-am-concerned-for-the-future/) [John Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barnes/) > [Starting a new job can be nerve-racking , but it's also exciting. 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