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The Science and Physics of Back To the Future

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the how-many-giga-which? dept.

overthinkingit writes "A scientist has tried to apply serious math and physics, including the Law of Cosines, to analyze how the DeLorean in Back to the Future travels through both Time AND Space: 'in order to pull off the kind of time travel we see in the Back To The Future trilogy — the kind where the traveler is transposed in time, but remains stationary in the same relative position to where he/she left — the DeLorean would have to be an outstanding space ship, in addition to its already laudable work as a time-ship. According to Doc Brown's stopwatch, Einstein the dog travels precisely one minute into the future on this first jump, arriving, relative to their frame of reference, at the same location he left. But how far has this reference frame itself traveled during that one minute?'"

10 of 436 comments (clear)

  1. Does it explain by oodaloop · · Score: 5, Funny

    how it leaves tracks of fire on asphalt? Or in the air? Never quite understood that part. The rest of the movie, OTOH, makes perfect sense.

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    Tic-Tac-Toe, Global Thermonuclear War, and relationships all have the same winning move.
  2. Extra Dimensions by awitod · · Score: 5, Funny

    What you fail to grasp is that the 7th dimension works like quantum sticky tape to hold you in place relative to the things around you as you travel through time. So, you don't really need a space ship because of the relativistic affects of the items around you relative to each other pulling you along. Plus there's the whole inertia thing which requires you to go 88 miles an hour exactly so you always wind up where you started whether you go forward or backward. Try it yourself by drawing two 8's. On is for space space and the other one is for time space.

    Also, don't forget that the velocity has to be in miles per hour, because the metric system is gay.

    DUH!

  3. DeLorian problems by EmbeddedJanitor · · Score: 5, Funny

    The fire was probably due to a well known fact that DeLorians leaked fuel and oil badly. That's why they quit making them.

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    Engineering is the art of compromise.
    1. Re:DeLorian problems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      The fire was probably due to a well known fact that DeLorians leaked fuel and oil badly. That's why they quit making them.

      Why don't the British make computers?

      Because they haven't figured out how to make them leak oil yet.

      I'm sure you'll get a set of complimentary tightening wrenches with them when they do though.

    2. Re:DeLorian problems by Mister_Stoopid · · Score: 5, Funny

      I think that, if I had a time machine, I could come up with a more lucrative business plan than smuggling drugs.

  4. Re:1.21 Jigawatts by Drakkenmensch · · Score: 5, Funny

    1.21 Jigawatts: the energy output of a man dancing a 1.21 minute jig. So next time you jig, be very careful to dance either more or less than 1.21 minute, lest you suddenly go back in time to the 1950s where your dad is a spineless wimp.

  5. Don't ask me! by mangu · · Score: 5, Funny

    Ask this guy instead.

  6. Re:It's really quite simple by MaskedSlacker · · Score: 5, Funny

    And by meeting, he means fucking.

  7. Re:link by veganboyjosh · · Score: 5, Funny

    I don't see the option for the flux capacitor. Link for that?

  8. Re:It's really quite simple by Chris+Burke · · Score: 5, Funny

    Which is redundant when talking about the works of Heinlein.

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    The enemies of Democracy are