cience does support some amount of time-bending, though.

For example, physicist Albert Einstein's

theory of special relativity proposes that time is an illusion that moves relative to an observer. An
observer traveling near the speed of light will experience time, with all its aftereffects (boredom, aging,
etc.) much more slowly than an observer at rest. That's why astronaut Scott Kelly aged ever so slightly
less over the course of a year in orbit than his twin brother who stayed here on Earth.

Related: Controversially, physicist argues that time is real

There are other scientific theories about time travel, including some weird physics that arise around
wormholes, black holes and string theory. For the most part, though, time travel remains the domain of
an ever-growing array of science fiction books, movies, television shows, comics, video games and more.

SPECIAL RELATIVITY AND TIME TRAVEL TO THE NEAR FUTURE

Scott and Mark Kelly

Twin brothers Scott and Mark Kelly are both astronauts, and have both participated in landmark studies
about the effects of space on the human body. (Image credit: Getty)

Einstein developed his theory of special relativity in 1905. Along with his later expansion, the theory of
general relativity, it has become one of the foundational tenets of modern physics. Special relativity
describes the relationship between space and time for objects moving at constant speeds in a straight
line.

The short version of the theory is deceptively simple. First, all things are measured in relation to
something else — that is to say, there is no "absolute" frame of reference. Second, the speed of light is
constant. It stays the same no matter what, and no matter where it's measured from. And third, nothing
can go faster than the speed of light.

From those simple tenets unfolds actual, real-life time travel. An observer traveling at high velocity will
experience time at a slower rate than an observer who isn't speeding through space.

While we don't accelerate humans to near-light-speed, we do send them swinging around the planet at
17,500 mph (28,160 km/h) aboard the International Space Station. Astronaut Scott Kelly was born after
his twin brother, and fellow astronaut, Mark Kelly. Scott Kelly spent 520 days in orbit, while Mark logged
54 days in space. The difference in the speed at which they experienced time over the course of their
lifetimes has actually widened the age gap between the two men.
"So, where[as] I used to be just 6 minutes older, now I am 6 minutes and 5 milliseconds older," Mark
Kelly said in a panel discussion on July 12, 2020, Space.com previously reported. "Now I've got that over
his head."

GENERAL RELATIVITY AND GPS TIME TRAVEL