Comments on: How Time Travel Works (and doesn’t) in Back To The Future [BTTF Week] http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/01/16/how-time-travel-works-in-back-to-the-future/ Overthinking It subjects the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 04:53:58 +0000 hourly 1 By: I Dabble in Science Nerdery « Here’s The Beef http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/01/16/how-time-travel-works-in-back-to-the-future/#comment-11556 I Dabble in Science Nerdery « Here’s The Beef Sun, 23 Aug 2009 22:45:35 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=4351#comment-11556 [...] a multiverse, etc. to things we’ve grown up with–like the theories on time travel in Back to the Future. Dr. Kaku not only relates some lofty ideas to the everyday person interested in science, he also [...] [...] a multiverse, etc. to things we’ve grown up with–like the theories on time travel in Back to the Future. Dr. Kaku not only relates some lofty ideas to the everyday person interested in science, he also [...]

]]> By: Cholera http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/01/16/how-time-travel-works-in-back-to-the-future/#comment-7515 Cholera Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:22:45 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=4351#comment-7515 If you want a very well-thought out analysis of paradoxes in the BTTF movie(based on a certain "correctable" single-timeline theory), check out: http://www.mjyoung.net/time/back1.html The basic gist of his theory is that time travel backwards is OK so long as you don't change anything significant enough to prevent your going back in time in the "first" place - what he calls a N-jump. Going forward in time is easy - it's basically the same as being frozen somewhere for X number of years - but once you are in the future, going back to the "present" is the same thing as backward time travel - meaning you can't change anything any more. Also, in this theory you would disappear for the intervening years, meaning that Marty would never find himself or his family in 2015... Unfortunately, none of the BTTF movies offer a satisfying storyline with only "N-jump" non-paradoxical explanations. However, one time travel movie that the site's author thinks is almost entirely paradox-proof is 12 Monkeys, which succeeds precisely because everything the time traveler does in that movie is fail. If you want a very well-thought out analysis of paradoxes in the BTTF movie(based on a certain “correctable” single-timeline theory), check out:

http://www.mjyoung.net/time/back1.html

The basic gist of his theory is that time travel backwards is OK so long as you don’t change anything significant enough to prevent your going back in time in the “first” place – what he calls a N-jump. Going forward in time is easy – it’s basically the same as being frozen somewhere for X number of years – but once you are in the future, going back to the “present” is the same thing as backward time travel – meaning you can’t change anything any more. Also, in this theory you would disappear for the intervening years, meaning that Marty would never find himself or his family in 2015…

Unfortunately, none of the BTTF movies offer a satisfying storyline with only “N-jump” non-paradoxical explanations.

However, one time travel movie that the site’s author thinks is almost entirely paradox-proof is 12 Monkeys, which succeeds precisely because everything the time traveler does in that movie is fail.

]]> By: Brad Carter http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/01/16/how-time-travel-works-in-back-to-the-future/#comment-4951 Brad Carter Tue, 20 Jan 2009 05:11:42 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=4351#comment-4951 Remember, it takes awhile for time to catch up. Like in part 1, it took an entire week for Marty to start fading out of existence. So it would take awhile for people/things in 2015 to start changing too. The reason Biff "has a heart attack" is because he's slowly fading away. This is because he was killed a some point before 2015, whereas he still existed in the previous timeline. Come to think of it, though, that doesn't quite work either. Because days later, Doc finds the top of Old Biff's cane in the Delorean. Wouldn't that have disappeared too? Maybe it was just a simple heart attack. Biff must have spent 60 years eating greasier foods than in the previous timeline. Remember, it takes awhile for time to catch up. Like in part 1, it took an entire week for Marty to start fading out of existence. So it would take awhile for people/things in 2015 to start changing too.

The reason Biff “has a heart attack” is because he’s slowly fading away. This is because he was killed a some point before 2015, whereas he still existed in the previous timeline.

Come to think of it, though, that doesn’t quite work either. Because days later, Doc finds the top of Old Biff’s cane in the Delorean. Wouldn’t that have disappeared too? Maybe it was just a simple heart attack. Biff must have spent 60 years eating greasier foods than in the previous timeline.

]]> By: Jenna http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/01/16/how-time-travel-works-in-back-to-the-future/#comment-4922 Jenna Tue, 20 Jan 2009 00:16:58 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=4351#comment-4922 The New old Biff fades away in 2015 because Lorraine kills him some time in 1994 The New old Biff fades away in 2015 because Lorraine kills him some time in 1994

]]> By: Disco Stu http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/01/16/how-time-travel-works-in-back-to-the-future/#comment-4884 Disco Stu Mon, 19 Jan 2009 10:38:14 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=4351#comment-4884 DC Comics tried to introduce the concept of "hypertime" a little while ago in an effort to clean up their continuity. The basic theory was, every story they ever published happened, even if it contradicted other stuff. Eddies in the space-time continuum. They gave it up pretty quickly but it was an interesting idea (if implemented poorly) Hell, comic continuity in general seems very similar to the "tapestry timeline" concept. DC Comics tried to introduce the concept of “hypertime” a little while ago in an effort to clean up their continuity. The basic theory was, every story they ever published happened, even if it contradicted other stuff. Eddies in the space-time continuum. They gave it up pretty quickly but it was an interesting idea (if implemented poorly)

Hell, comic continuity in general seems very similar to the “tapestry timeline” concept.

]]> By: Marty http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/01/16/how-time-travel-works-in-back-to-the-future/#comment-4813 Marty Sat, 17 Jan 2009 14:55:07 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=4351#comment-4813 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrpkWP2yCiw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrpkWP2yCiw

]]> By: Posts about Apple Software as of January 16, 2009 | The Lessnau Lounge http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/01/16/how-time-travel-works-in-back-to-the-future/#comment-4763 Posts about Apple Software as of January 16, 2009 | The Lessnau Lounge Sat, 17 Jan 2009 00:28:45 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=4351#comment-4763 [...] [...] [...] [...]

]]> By: Lynsey http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/01/16/how-time-travel-works-in-back-to-the-future/#comment-4753 Lynsey Fri, 16 Jan 2009 23:11:17 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=4351#comment-4753 I must always fill in the blanks like a casual viewer but I've never time travelled so it's only an assumption. When Biff travels from the past, the actual point in time he has just left still leads to the original 2015. If young Biff had won his millions whilst old Biff was still there I assumed that would then be the alternate future. As he had to wait until his 21st birthday Old Biff was not leaving from an altered timeline simply entering one. I also assumed that no matter how much we f*$? up the timeline the world is programmed to correct itself. It would be so irresponsible to leave two people in the future who are supposed to already exist there but much older. :) I'll bet there's so much I don't know or understand! I must always fill in the blanks like a casual viewer but I’ve never time travelled so it’s only an assumption.

When Biff travels from the past, the actual point in time he has just left still leads to the original 2015. If young Biff had won his millions whilst old Biff was still there I assumed that would then be the alternate future. As he had to wait until his 21st birthday Old Biff was not leaving from an altered timeline simply entering one.

I also assumed that no matter how much we f*$? up the timeline the world is programmed to correct itself. It would be so irresponsible to leave two people in the future who are supposed to already exist there but much older. :) I’ll bet there’s so much I don’t know or understand!

]]> By: PunchnPie http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/01/16/how-time-travel-works-in-back-to-the-future/#comment-4736 PunchnPie Fri, 16 Jan 2009 20:17:40 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=4351#comment-4736 Matt: Biff fades away right after he returns to 2015. It's a deleted scene on the DVD. Cut because audiences didn't quite get it. Not sure I get it either. Matt: Biff fades away right after he returns to 2015. It’s a deleted scene on the DVD. Cut because audiences didn’t quite get it. Not sure I get it either.

]]> By: Davey Jones http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/01/16/how-time-travel-works-in-back-to-the-future/#comment-4734 Davey Jones Fri, 16 Jan 2009 20:08:17 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=4351#comment-4734 Suzie - I see what you're getting at. But it doesn't quite work. You're saying reality changes the second Old Biff returns to 2015. But why should this be? If Biff changes the timeline, then everything that happened in the movie up to that point is magically wiped away, which means Marty and Doc are never in 2015 to begin with, which means... eh, someone else take over. Suzie -
I see what you’re getting at. But it doesn’t quite work. You’re saying reality changes the second Old Biff returns to 2015. But why should this be? If Biff changes the timeline, then everything that happened in the movie up to that point is magically wiped away, which means Marty and Doc are never in 2015 to begin with, which means… eh, someone else take over.

]]>