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From: rwl@uvacs.UUCP (Ray Lubinsky)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: Back to The Future (SPOILER) wrt ``Multiverse causality''
Message-ID: <2254@uvacs.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 20-Jul-85 23:33:41 EDT
Article-I.D.: uvacs.2254
Posted: Sat Jul 20 23:33:41 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 21-Jul-85 23:49:17 EDT
References: <2694@topaz.ARPA>
Organization: U.Va. CS in Charlottesville VA
Lines: 30

*** SPOLIER SPOILER SPOILER ***

> The one thing that bothered me about Back to the Future wasn't that it
> made use of parallel universes but that it seemed to use them wrong.  Marty
> changed both universes.  The changes to the universe he returned to
> were obvious: his parents had dfferent personalities, he had a new truck,
> etc...  However, he also changed the universe he left.  He invented
> rock and roll (essentially).  While he is playing Jonny B Goode at the
> dance (in 1955), the guitarist with the broken arm (whose name was
> something Berry) calls his brother "Chuck" to tell him about this great new
> style of music that Marty is playing.  This means that universe 1 (where
> Marty started) shouldn't have had any rock music in it because Marty wasn't 
> around in 1955 to let Chuck know about it.  Of course, it did because
> otherwise Marty wouldn't have known the song (or have been in a rock
> band).  
--
   Nah, Marty I going back in time is actually Marty I going to the 1950's in
the-universe-in-which-Marty-I-goes-to-the-50's (ie, universe II).  This is the
same universe that will contain the ``Lone Pine Mall'', etc.  In universe II,
Marty I is the inventor of rock.  Back in universe I, in its own 1950's,
events proceeded as we know them.

   My question is, what happens to Marty II when he takes off in the DeLorean
for the ``past?''  Does he go to the 1950's of universe I -- or somewhen else
entirely?  Off hand, I'd have to vote for the latter; a closed loop in the
multiverse seems to be a pretty nasty violation of causality in the system.
-- 

Ray Lubinsky		     University of Virginia, Dept. of Computer Science
			     uucp: decvax!mcnc!ncsu!uvacs!rwl