Humans continue to try to make sense of the odd reality we are thrust into every day when we open our eyes to the world around us.

The people, the objects, the places that constitute our world are backed by three fundamental aspects: time, space, and interactions between people and objects. Questioning, altering, and desiring to manipulate these aspects is a constant in our lives. However enormous our reality appears to be, we are fundamentally limited by the finitude of physical resources, three-dimensional perception, and the linear progression of our reality. Humanity’s intent to manipulate space and time, therefore, stems from the desire to escape and expand these limitations to create more value with what we have. Until now, humans have teetered on the edge of manipulating space and time. As time progresses, we seem to be coming closer and closer to taking the plunge.

When we think of “space,” cosmic graphics and outlandish depictions of starry nights often come to mind. But here, I am dwelling upon the broader term “space.” Space is not just the area around us but the very existence of matter. Space comprises the various dimensions that create our reality — the physical universe. But after the dot-com explosion and the rise of the Internet, this term is being redefined. The Internet is arguably a digital environment where people can meet others and engage in activities with them, completely cut off from the “actual” world. Doesn’t this fit the definition of space? With the rise of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), we are taking this a step further and creating an entirely new dimension in which we can exist. Space is now not just a physical concept bound by the constraints of three dimensions. Rather, it includes an interactive and tactile environment that humans have created. In the near future, we may be able to buy things just by looking at them or exist and interact with people in three-dimensional simulations completely separate from our own world. Humans are continuously striving to add to and fine-tune the space that we have been given.

This desire to manipulate space comes from the need to expand our horizons. With an ever-increasing population, humanity seems to need more of everything. Creating a new dimension or adding to the space in which we exist allows us to break the confines of the physical world. For example, to create structures in the real world, we are dependent on limited resources like limestone. However, in VR and AR, we can simply create our own resources through lines of code to build unlimited structures. Manipulating space satisfies both the greed and need for unlimited physical space and, therefore, unlimited opportunities to interact with people and objects, even if they’re just lines of code.

While we are increasingly altering and tinkering with space, time seems to be the paradox that humans haven't quite been able to grasp. Time is referred to as the only constant in life. From movies like The Matrix to various religions' perception of the passage of time, everyone seems to have their own take on what time actually is. Despite these differences, the one shared idea is that nobody yet has the power to maneuver time. Even the most powerful people on this planet, from the uber-wealthy to religious figureheads, eventually succumb to time. Hence, if one could control the seemingly uncontrollable passage of time, there would be virtually no bounds to their power. By manipulating time one could live forever, change the course of history, and rewrite fundamental events that shaped humanity into what it is today. By manipulating time, one could tailor and alter reality as they wish. As we humans successfully, and will to an ever greater extent, manipulate space, manipulating time would be the next step in the progression of our species.

Interesting research in the field of time manipulation is underway but none seems promising. The closest we have gotten to altering time might be researching the phenomena of time dilation. Simply put, time dilation is the difference in the rate of time’s passage for two people in different environmental conditions, like a differing gravitational field. But these new understandings of time are again very feeble compared to the strides we have made in pushing the boundaries of space. The idea of pushing the boundaries of time threatens to wreak havoc on the way our society functions. If one is able to travel back in time, what happens to the present? Does the present change as a result of the past changing? Theories about parallel universes come to mind, though they sound both gimmicky and straight out of a sci-fi movie. It's safe to say that, as of now and for the foreseeable future, humans haven't been able to maneuver the fabric of time, and maybe that is for the better.

As more of these boundary-pushing advancements become a part of our daily lives, it is of utmost importance that we understand the cause and effect of our actions. Are magical glasses and interactive simulations truly the way forward, or are we dangerously implementing technologies whose full implications we don't yet grasp? Are limitless opportunities actually going to enhance the human experience? If we can spawn new homes in a matter of seconds and create virtually anything we fancy without the pressure of limited resources, will any of it have value? Or is the satisfaction of possessing material things only based on material scarcity? It would be naive to assume our motives are purely philosophical. Our desire may stem from the vain and narcissistic view that the world is humanity’s playground and we can play in it however we want to. Further, many say that altering our reality is just a form of escapism. In today’s world, humanity faces countless issues like war, climate change, loneliness, and more. It’s natural for us to want to run away from it all. Altering our reality would allow us to live in an illusion where none of these issues exist.

An important aspect to consider is the fact that, if we do manipulate space and time effectively, the power will impact people disproportionately. The ability to manipulate space and time will undoubtedly lie in the hands of the few people who have the resources and wealth to do so. It's safe to say that not all these people will have the best interests of everyone at heart. History tells us that too much power possessed by too few people always results in disastrous outcomes. The greatest fault of the advancements we are making is that they are often driven not by the desire to help humanity at large but by the greed for helping ourselves as individuals. Humans’ inherent nature is to always look after ourselves first, and maybe that’s why manipulating these aspects of our reality might not have the best outcomes. Perhaps we as individuals are just not suited to wield this much power.

In conclusion, humans try every day to find and create more value in the world. With the help of new technology, we are now at the point of creating an entirely new reality for ourselves without fully understanding the workings of the one we are in right now. With countless real-world conflicts and pressing issues that plague today's generations, maybe humanity needs to reflect on whether our new advancements hold meaning. Will they better our world or further worsen existing power dynamics? Are they really a part of the noble quest for the betterment of humanity? Or are they just a form of escapism to run away from the host of problems we have created in our world right now? A better understanding of these aspects will surely make our advancements toward manipulating time and space more beneficial to all of us.