A Computer for John Titor

[Einstein]

(not my image)

Dei Jah Voo.

Those colors look cool. But if someone were to design a time travel app, all they would need is the current time-line time which is the point of departure, and the alternate time-line which is the destination. After that, the designer is going to need to know what a divergence is and how to calculate it. The Divergence is not an arbitrary differentiation of the butterfly effect. The Divergence is a scientifically measurable differentiation of the butterfly effect based on several historical articles. Geological and Meteorological events are constant historical effects that are the same in nearly all time-lines. Katrina does not fit into that category because the flooding could have been prevented by the city if it had invested in levees to contain much of the flooding. The final score of the Superbowl is a very good arbitrary historical effect. You can't eyeball the Divergence. But if you have enough arbitrary historical articles to compare, you can come close. Divergence is measured on a scale from 0.0 to a higher number. But the only maximum number that is important is 3.0. Once the Divergence reaches 3.0, the two time-lines become too dissimilar so that what you do in one time-line will have no effect on the other. And really, why would you waste your time if there was no possibility of effecting a positive change? Keeping the divergence low is similar to keeping your fat intake low. Plan your actions like you plan your diet, and you will be sure to effect positive change. But how do you lower the Divergence? You keep traveling back in time on that same alternate time-line until you get it right. Anybody see "Edge of Tomorrow" yet? It is pretty much like that.

Wouldn't the phone need some time travel technology in it, not just the proper operating system? You know, like a multi-universal GPS type of thing?

I don't see the field coils that would generate the necessary time fields that would propel you through time.

 

[Num7]

You gotta plug the time coils in the headphone jack, it's not in the picture.

 

[Ren]

Wouldn't the phone need some time travel technology in it, not just the proper operating system? You know, like a multi-universal GPS type of thing?

The phone would require singularities and "virtual" or "variable" "gravity" or "gravitational" locks. You'll have to invent them first. Then we'll have to wait a decade after that for the miniaturization.

 

[PaulaJedi]

Wouldn't the phone need some time travel technology in it, not just the proper operating system? You know, like a multi-universal GPS type of thing?

The phone would require singularities and "virtual" or "variable" "gravity" or "gravitational" locks. You'll have to invent them first. Then we'll have to wait a decade after that for the miniaturization.

May need a wee bit of help with that. Any volunteers?

 

[Ayasano]

Anybody see "Edge of Tomorrow" yet? It is pretty much like that.

A better comparison might be Stein's Gate, especially given that it was based on Titor's theory that you described. Incidentally, did you know Edge of Tomorrow was based on the Japanese light novel "All You Need Is Kill"? (The dropship propellor repurposed as a giant sword was a bit of a giveaway. Where else but in Japan?)

As far as I can tell Edge of Tomorrow didn't use anything like divergence.

(Big spoilers ahead if anyone hasn't seen it)

The reason he ends up going back two days instead of one is because the Omega's power was stronger than the Alpha's. Also, him killing the Omega in the present erased its existence from the past, which doesn't really fit in with any of the common time travel theories. Also, he doesn't really travel back so much as "reset", like Groundhog Day.

(End spoilers)

Now, if you want a good movie that explores timelines, watch Primer. Although I'm not even sure that does involve timelines, depending on how you interpet the machine. That movie was confusing. I need to watch it a third time.