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From: kyrimis@tilt.FUN (Kriton Kyrimis)
Newsgroups: net.tv.drwho
Subject: Re: Inconsistencies in stories.
Message-ID: <338@tilt.FUN>
Date: Sun, 25-Aug-85 02:42:22 EDT
Article-I.D.: tilt.338
Posted: Sun Aug 25 02:42:22 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 26-Aug-85 01:10:11 EDT
References: <2691@sun.uucp>
Reply-To: kyrimis@tilt.UUCP (Kriton )
Distribution: net
Organization: Princeton University CS Dept
Lines: 27
Keywords: Bang, Big.
Summary: What inconsistencies?

In article <2691@sun.uucp> larryl@sun.uucp (Larry Laskowski) writes:

>One class of "inconsistencies" which I find to be particulary enjoyable
>involves the effects of the Doctor's actions on universal history, and
>his firsthand knowledge of the causes of these events. In particular, in
>"Castrovalva", the TARDIS hurtles off to EVENT 1 (Hydrogen Inrush), which
>as we all know leads into the BIG BANG. Yet, in "Terminus", we find out 
>that the big bang was caused by an alien ship automatically jetisonning
>its unstable fuel!

I wouldn't talk about inconsistencies, when I refer to the Doctor. We never
know for sure whether the *universe* where a story takes place is the same as
the universe of the next one, since the TARDIS is quite capable of
(unpredictably) moving through alternate universes. (Remember Jon Pertwee's
trip to a sideways universe in "Inferno", and Tom Baker's e-space). Therefore,
in one universe the big bang could have been caused by a hydrogen inrush
(i.e. the *usual* way...), and in another by the events described in
"Terminus" (Are these two events really incompatible? If I remember correctly,
Terminus's motors were nuclear ones, and hydrogen (actually water), could well
be what one would term as "fuel").
-- 

	Kriton	(princeton!tilt!kyrimis)
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"It is... um... somewhat... uncomplimentary, Captain; Herbert was a minor
 official notorious for his rigid and limited patterns of thought."
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