In red sweater, tan slacks, and off-white walking shoes, goateed Yakir Aharonov does not immediately stand out as he strides down the colorful streets of Berkeley, California. The town--which proudly proclaims itself THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF BERKELEY on innumerable tie-dyed T-shirts-- has an almost studied casualness, and Aharonov fits right in. Stopping to relight his momentarily neglected cigar, Aharonov accidentally drops it, then stares for several seconds, apparently considering the propriety of retrieving the smoldering butt from the street.
Ultimately--if reluctantly--Aharonov abandons the stogie, lights a fresh one, and moves on, eager to resume his description of his recent work. It is work of an odd sort, even for a quantum mechanical theorist: Aharonov has designed a time machine. Now I’ve really captured people’s attention, the 59-year-old researcher says, beaming.
Since the era of H. G. Wells, science fiction buffs have gone gaga over the idea of traveling through time. ...
