Hu... That's something to think about.

Well, if the Parallel universe stuff is out, there is just one thing I can think about:

It's like, there are 2 theorys about time, or it's a cycle or a line.

Let's go for the Cycle Time-Travel Theory:

You're 2008 and go back to 1990. If time is a cycle, there is no way that you could change something, because, when you're in 2008 (or any other year) you've already been to 1990. It's like: you can't change time because whatever you do in the past have already happened. Got it? So, you killed your mother, you were supposed to kill your mother because you've already killed your mother.

Now, the Line Time-Travel Theory:

You're in 2008 and go back to 1990. If time is a line you can change it, because it's YOUR time path, not the whole world time path. So, you killed your mother. Your future self wouldn't just desapear. I guess that the records that prove your existence that stop existing.

Did I make sence?

Guess not.

Well, hope you understand a bit of it (but I still preffer the parallel universe thing)

Ah an age old type of question... " If you went back and killed your mother before you were born, how would you kill her as you were never born?"
Technically in a sense it could be done if there were alternate universes and such. In reality if that could happen and there is only one reality then its not possible. Before you are born if you kill your mom you aren't born. You're still technically a baby growing inside of her and if you kill her you are killing yourself so technically you would have to be not born at all. She would have to die, but not by your hands if you were to not exist. You cannot exist if you are not born UNLESS you were saved after she died if she was that far into the pregnancy. If you go back just enough to kill her then you could still be saved and technically still live. That way you would still be existant in the world but actually be the one that killed your own mother. It is possible if you really think about it... [Yes I go from point to point to point sidetracking and such]

I don't think I'm nearly as smart as YOU! I can't even understand all the stuff you're saying! I don't have any idea how to come up with a theory! But I do know a fact: You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.
And: Nothing is impossible with God.

Aheh, heh, heh! You poor guy! You just can't find a solution, can you? Neither can I though, so I guess we're on the same level!

WOAH!
very advanced pice...i like this kinda Qs

Anything that you would do in the past has already happened. You can't kill your mother because since it happened in the pastit already happened. If you did who knows what would happen.

interesting. here's a simple solution to the problem: we cannot travel throught time! so we need not bother over impossible questions, right?

:P archeima

Intresting... I'll stick to my simple object based system for now.. tell me if you don't like it (or find major flaws in it)

int4eresting...

This one, hmm, depends on the way you look at it. The way you have presented it, time is one huge line that goes on and on and on, like the enegizer bunny. But what if time isn't like that? Because what if time is frame by frame and our consciousnesses simply transfer from each one? Then, if we were to go to the past and kill our mother, we would simply be altering a time frame, thus causing it to branch out to a different time line, seperate from the one we had come from.

Another theory is that we each hold our own time line. So, if we went back in time, we're not really going back in time. Instead, we are simply altering the state of which our bodies are occupying to be in such an area like that of the past, and perhaps is the past. However, though we change the timeline by going back in time, our own personal time line is not altered, and in our history our mom was not killed by you before you were born and thus you exist.

This has much to do with your other chapter concerning parallel universes, and if you would like to know more about the paradoxes of time travel, Stephen Hawking is a suggested read.

"I absolutely LOVE paradoxes"

-Me

Well, if there are infinite consequences to everything we do down to the infinitsimally small actions, then we shouldn't have to worry because if we have a set of integers and add three irrational numbers to it, we still have an infinite set.

Besides, the universe is a VERY VERY VERY complex place.

Weel, whilst thinking about the idea that I wrote last time, how about this- You could try to kill your own mother, but you'll fail because you exist. So the gun would misfire or shoot blank or something because your destined to fail. You couldn't do it right because she's already survved. Watch 'back to the future' It'll all make sense then. Possibly. ;)

lol this is fascinating - albeit somewhat disturbing. i liked the way it was written. i think, if i were to come up with a solution to this most disorienting of problems, i would decide not to go back in time with a time machine (as it seems the hypothetical murderess has done in this piece), but rather commit the murder in a past life (you know, like the reincarnated spirit through the ages thing :P). then, since i would never have existed in this life, the poem/riddle would never have been written. so if the riddle doesn't exist, then it doesn't need to be solved: therefore it can be solved simply be eliminating it! (okay i'm gonna stop now before i get even more confusing than the actual question :P). this was very fun to speculate on (once i got used to the rather morbid concept, i mean ;P). nice piece, i enjoyed it muchly. :)

What if you travelled back in time, killed your mother, then travelled back to your real time and discovered you were adopted? How embarrassed would you be?

There was a theory floating around somewhere that the continuum is self-fixing, and that circumstances will prevent you from killing your mom, and any contact you have with her would already be part of history. One of the many problems with this, though, is that self-fixing would imply some form of control over time and our actions, which opens another pandora's box of insanely paradoxical questions...