Prof Mallett explains: “If I could build a time machine, then I could go back into the past and see my father again and maybe save his life and change everything.”

Time travel may sound far-fetched, but scientists are already exploring several mysteries of nature that could one day see Ron’s dream fulfilled.

Albert Einstein thought the three dimensions of space were linked to time – which serves as a fourth dimension. He called this system space-time, and it’s the model of the Universe that we use today.

But Einstein also thought it was possible to warp space-time, creating a “bridge”. This phenomenon is called a wormhole, and it can be visualised as a tunnel with two ends, each opening into different points in space-time.