Brits believe in time travel

By Ben Hurst on Mar 11, 11 09:23 AM

The lives of nearly a third of Britons could soon be made much easier thanks to the gift of time travel - or so they believe.

A survey of 3,000 people published today revealed that 30% of adults across the UK mistakenly believe that time travel is actually possible and not confined to the realms of fictional films or television.

The research, commissioned by Birmingham Science City, suggests that programmes such as Doctor Who and Ashes to Ashes may have had a hand in the blurring of lines between science fiction and science fact.

Results also showed that nearly half of adults (44%) wrongly believe that memory-erasing technology similar to that used in the film Men in Black and hover boards, such as those showcased in Back to the Future, exist in reality.

The possibility of being teleported was also an option for nearly a quarter of those surveyed (24%) who wrongly think it is a real mode of transport, while 22% of people think light sabres exist not just in Star Wars, but also in real life.

Other findings also revealed that nearly one fifth of adults (18%) hold the incorrect view that they can see gravity.

The team of researchers, who carried out the study to celebrate National Science and Technology Week, said it was "not surprising" that people sometimes get science fact and science fiction confused because of the major scientific advances being made across the world.

For example, over three quarters (78%) of Britons believe that invisibility cloaks exist only in the fictional world, and yet a team at the University of Birmingham, led by Prof Shuang Zhang, has developed a method for making objects appear invisible.

Nearly nine out of 10 people (89%) think it would be impossible to grow an extra pair of eyes, even though scientists at the University of Warwick have found this is possible in frogs. The team members believe they will be able to use the technology to explore eye development in humans and grow an "eye in a dish".

Dr Pam Waddell, director of Birmingham Science City, said: "While films and TV can be acknowledged as creating confusion, it is also worth highlighting how advanced science has now become and many things deemed only possible in fiction have now become reality or are nearing creation due to the advancements of science.

"What's clear from this research is that science captures everyone's imagination, so we must continue to invest in it and strive to develop the latest 'stranger than fiction' creations."

The survey also asked people what they would most like to see created.

For those male participants who did not already think otherwise, time machines or teleportation got the most votes, each receiving 21% and 19% respectively, whereas over a quarter of women (26%) instead favoured a universal cure for all diseases.