18th July 2008, 1:06 AM
Erm, there is no "predestination paradox", at least in the context of time travel.
If it's a closed time loop, how is that a paradox? I think you don't seem to get what paradox means. It basically is a statement like "This is a false statement.".
However, the first movie is only a closed time loop for sure after the second movie comes on the scene. A closed time loop is perfectly self consistant, except for one thing. Terminator 2 is suggesting that time travel works two ways simultaneously. It's BOTH "Your efforts to change history are what make it like it is to begin with" and "you can change history creating a paradox".
I kinda hate it when stuff pulls things like that. Is internal consistancy in a time travel mechanic so much to ask? Pick a way for it to work and stick with it. Star Trek is, of course, the biggest offender as it constantly switches between the closed loop and paradox forms. Even Ocarina of Time was guilty of switching it up at least once with the Song of Storms suddenly being a closed loop while all other time travel is in the paradox form.
If it's a closed time loop, how is that a paradox? I think you don't seem to get what paradox means. It basically is a statement like "This is a false statement.".
However, the first movie is only a closed time loop for sure after the second movie comes on the scene. A closed time loop is perfectly self consistant, except for one thing. Terminator 2 is suggesting that time travel works two ways simultaneously. It's BOTH "Your efforts to change history are what make it like it is to begin with" and "you can change history creating a paradox".
I kinda hate it when stuff pulls things like that. Is internal consistancy in a time travel mechanic so much to ask? Pick a way for it to work and stick with it. Star Trek is, of course, the biggest offender as it constantly switches between the closed loop and paradox forms. Even Ocarina of Time was guilty of switching it up at least once with the Song of Storms suddenly being a closed loop while all other time travel is in the paradox form.
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)