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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?'"

5 of 436 comments (clear)

  1. Re:DeLorian problems by confused+one · · Score: 4, Informative

    Actually, you can still buy them, new. DeLorian may have gone out of business but another guy bought all the parts and manufacturing equipment. He repairs existing ones and will build you a brand new one if you have enough money.

  2. link by confused+one · · Score: 3, Informative

    here's the link I forgot...

    http://www.delorean.com/

  3. Re:stasis field food storage by Bogtha · · Score: 4, Informative

    I spent 60 seconds on Google and found the draft. Next time don't be so lazy.

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    Bogtha Bogtha Bogtha
  4. Did the author not watch the movie? by actionbastard · · Score: 3, Informative

    Professor Brown explained that Einstein simply 'skipped' over that minute and arrived in the same place at a different time. The DeLorean -and hence Einstein- still had their combined velocities of the reference plane (place) that it had when it did the 'timeskip'; that's why it was still going eighty-eight MPH when it reappeared one minute later. If the combined velocities of the 'time traveler' or the 'place' do not change during his trip, then he simply arrives in the same 'place' just at a different time. However, if the 'place' from which he leaves encounters a sudden change of velocity at the exact moment of departure, then he could return in a very different 'place' upon arrival.

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    Sig this!
  5. Re:Does it explain by KJSwartz · · Score: 3, Informative

    It was a well-known observation that Dr. Brown sent Einstein back one minute in time to Calibrate the DeLorian's Space-Time compensator. Since the terrorists showed up before the calibration could be validated, Dr. Brown's compensator was calibrated 2-3 picometers into the substrate.

    Notice in Revision 2 (the Locomotive), there were no contrail.