It’s very likely that in our universe, time travel is impossible. That might well be part of its enduring appeal in science fiction.

Time travel has been a thing for a very, very long time. In the Hindu epic Mahabharata, which may date from as early as 400BC, King Kakudmi is looking for a husband for his daughter…and genuinely believes she’s out of everyone’s league. So he goes and asks Brahma (the creator god). They listen to a concert…and decades pass.

This is an example of the same kind of time travel concept often seen in fairy tales and for the same reason. It’s interesting that it’s been floating around for a while. It’s also interesting that it’s the oldest time travel story.