Is time travel to the past possible?

Dwarkesh Patel discussed time travel in a conversation with Danny Miranda. He explored the idea of traveling to places today versus reading about historical times, asking whether the two are qualitatively different experiences. Patel noted that the inherent issue with reading about history is the uncertainty of past events, unlike traveling to a current location where one can verify and experience the present state directly. He expressed disappointment over the permanent loss of certain historical knowledge, suggesting that although detailed recreations through VR might be possible for recent centuries, periods like ancient Egypt may remain forever elusive due to insufficient artifacts [1].

In essence, Patel implies that while VR could potentially offer immersive historical experiences, the true essence and details of long-gone eras may be lost to time and unverifiable.