Talk:Predestination paradox

City on the Edge of Forever
I'm not sure the example is actually a predestination paradox. Rather, it is just an example of restoration of the original timeline. As I understand it, had McCoy failed to go back in time, Edith Keeler would have died and events would have unfolded without intervention. McCoy's pressence necessitated Kirk's intervention, however his absence would not have hindered the flow of events as history recorded them. As Kirk's falling in love with her had no bearing on the eventuality of her death (because he exercised some rare self-control), no predestination paradox occurred.

Instead, a better example might be the 'A causes B causes C causes A' ramblings in Voyager's or Scotty's transparent aluminum rationale in. Galileo 10:44, 19 March 2006 (UTC)
 * Kirk and McCoy did change the future, be aware: we're merely led to believe the "important" necessary death was assurred at the end; but the altering of the future (or would it the fulfillment of it?) is likewise assured by the man who vaporized himself with McCoy's phaser. --ChrisK 21:51, 30 November 2006 (UTC)


 * What happened to that phaser? If someone else found that phaser, would that not have changed history? --64.12.117.142 05:09, 1 September 2008 (UTC)

Star Trek IV
Would the case with Kirk's glasses as a present count as a Predestination Paradox. I am refering to the scene where Kirk says "And they will be again", to Spock's question "Weren't those a gift from Dr. McCoy.
 * If I remember correctly, there was even a mention of the lenses when Kirk first got them, and again in TVH after they were broken in the battle with Khan, so short answer, yes. I'll have to watch the films again to be sure before adding anything. - 06:24, February 25, 2010 (UTC)

Took out a bunch of stuff
Yikes, this article needed work. It was rife with speculation and original research. Here's the stuff I took out, along with my rationale:


 * The Predestination paradox is very closely related to the Grandfather paradox. Suppose a man travels back in time and impregnates his great-great grandmother. The grandmother would thus give birth to one of the man's great grandparents, who would then give birth to his grandmother or father, who would then be able to give birth to one of the man's parents, and finally to the man himself. As a result, the man's very existence would be pre-determined by his time traveling adventure, and therein lies the paradox.


 * Origninal research


 * One of the possible examples of this paradox is the death of Edith Keeler: if Doctor McCoy does not travel back in time accidentally and change the timeline by saving her, Captain Kirk does not follow him, does not fall in love with Keeler and does not leave her in the way of that certain truck.


 * Never confirmed to be a predestination paradox


 * A predestination paradox may exist in 1986 when McCoy and Scotty give Dr. Nichols the formula for transparent aluminum. McCoy comments that if they do so, they may alter the future but Scotty asks how do they know he didn't invent it?  McCoy seems satisfied with that.


 * Possible, but speculation


 * Another paradox in 1986 is Kirk's glasses. He hands them to an antiques dealer, and when Spock protests that they were a present from McCoy, Kirk says "They can be again". This means that when Kirk received them, they could have been a lot older than they appeared - although the damage caused by Khan's attacks had been repaired.


 * Possible, but speculation

In order to stop him making advances on her, Beverly Crusher told Berlinghoff Rasmussen that she could be his 4th great grandmother. 


 * That has nothing to do with a predestination paradox


 * ===References===




 * Took out the references because it was only actually named in "Tribble-ations," and some of these episodes have nothing to do with the subject -Angry Future Romulan 20:29, September 3, 2010 (UTC)

Removed

 * Many beleive that the Borg traveleing back in time to assimilate Earth after the 3rd world war was a Predestination Paradox as it led up to a message being sent to the Delta Quadrant by a group of Borg from that mission that had been reactivated. This led the Borg to the Alpha Quadrant, where they attempted to assimilate humanity, and failed, the second time traveling back in time to try and assimilate Earth after World War 3.

Poorly worded, wrong POV, and not sure that's really even suitable. -- sulfur 22:49, September 5, 2010 (UTC)