Time is the observation of the seemingly irreversible transition of the current state to next as governed by the laws of the local universe.
Physicists often describe the universe as having three spatial axes: x,y, and z (though the names often differ according to local customs). Time is often regarded as the fourth dimension; however, for the most part, time progresses on its own in one preferred manner.
An important consequence of perceiving time as another dimension is that traveling backwards in time is possible. Just as one can change direction in space (say, go left instead of right) one is able to traverse time in a similar manner.
At this time, the Federation has very limited experience in the controlled traversal of time. Most of the time travel was either accidental or caused by the intervention of a technologically superior race. Current Federation doctrine, namely the Temporal Prime Directive, prohibits using time travel to alter the past.
See also
- Temporal anomaly
- Temporal Mechanics
- Timeline