Dr Who - The TARDIS

Created 18/03/2013, Changed; 17/06/2020, 03/04/2020

Old this webpage; http://ww1.andrew-lohmann.me.uk/engineer/dr-who-classic-estb-1963/Doctor-Who---The-TARDIS

Dr Who - The Old Doctor Who and The New Doctor Who

You could not do what it does any other way - of cause you can't change natural laws but if there is a discrepancy you must have got some of that law wrong.  There are no written down laws of nature but Theory or Hypothesis depending on degrees of certainty.  All known things are based on observation and analysis.

Dr Who always touched on Science fantasy.  In other words things that could be envisage by science and engineering but are extremely unlikely.  But there was a rationality in the earlier stories and practical science and maths to back it up. Particular point that science and technology is even better than fantasy - this point is so true of the 60s. It is true of real life intense saturated food flavours, PC screen with the sound, colour, contrast and brightness turned up don't improve reality but saturate so destroy the detail.

To emphasise that point the Doctor describes in The Chase that the TARDIS may be visiting a (virtual world of the TARDIS to use modern language) a place of their fears and imagination that seems to be a medieval house of dungeons and monsters.

Subconscious things like premonition become almost real when a person is under extreme stress and, as in real life can, the Doctor's subconscious sees them through, But the TARDIS is stretched beyond it's capabilities almost to destruction.

There has always been a stronger following in fantasy, hypnosis, mind control and drug induced mind control.  Doctor Who partly rationalises this but partly goes along with a mystical understanding.  By comparison in I Robot - Isaac Asimov 1950 a robot gains all the attributes of being a human.  As I say this not a line in Sci-Fi that Doctor Who ever pursues there is always a flaw making biological life, religiously almost, superior.

Virtual reality machine, that can do much more than fantasy could be envisaged again in The film Tron of 1982 the possibility now established by the general public and waiting for engineers to get on and develop it. BBC sound services were used in the making of the film Tron.  Tron of cause is very much lesser expectation than a Gallifayian time capsule and was not a particularly successful film.

By comparison The Time Machine was a physical machine created using very hard materials, fictionally, by H.G. Wells in 1895.  Herbert George Wells who gets his ideas when he meet Doctor Who in the story Time Lash.

Biological life is totally symbiotic - 90% of our bodies are microbes that join us at birth or within our first three years work with us for our mutual benefit.  The remainder, of what is ourselves, will be genes that have cross for mutual benefit and Mitochondria that passed on through the egg only.  The Y chromosome which has been reducing in size will eventually be replaced by another chromosome to select sex in 4 billion years.

This is fiction, you really can't have all your wants, know all things and have those by force of will. Perhaps it is a left over Victorian idea that nature could be tamed. This is wrong and by shouting at someone will make them understand English and do what you order is also wrong.

 In Newtonian science things can be precisely measured put together and a precise outcome be achieved. In reality considerably more can be achieved by understanding the imprecise nature of things.  Material in nano quantities behaves differently and conversely a complex system does more than the sum of its parts. 

Modern life style, couch potato and home delivered pizza, and excessive consumption is contrary to any wish for clean air and quality food and good health (nature is not that tameable at all).  There is a conflict between rationality and the understanding of limitations and variability with Idealism and the wish for definites and absolute facts.  To understanding and deal with this needs understanding that most people are idealist, what is so, some of us are rationalist, what works.  I am attempting in this project to convey a need for understanding between all temperaments rather than a battle.

How many past regenerations has the Doctor had?

These stories were only watched once and would not be scrutinised to such a degree! Apparently I am told elsewhere it is written that not all the past lives were the Doctor's (perhaps a rewriting of fictional history to fit another story the Keeper of Traken where the master has used up all of his lives and the wish by the BBC for the TV series to end on a high point after the 4th Doctor + Shada where the old timelord has used up his last life).  In this story it is stated that Morbius strength of mind out classes the Doctor's but the brain case that Morbius (Brain) is contained in has a weakness that electricity can build up and cause a discharge which is what happens to Morbius causing his demise.

Recently BBC Radio 4 Feedback(12 July 2013) A Radio series The Archers received a lot of correspondence criticising the BBC for running an interesting thread on The Archers prime channel Radio 4 then broadcasting the big punch line story on a secondary digital channel running a concurrent but slightly different version of the story it was said. Just a warning don't try to make too much sense of any long running series.  That Radio programme has been running 60 years and there is a lot attention to continuity and agricultural accuracy paid to it.

TARDIS appears to be a machine that generates its own virtual substance from energy.  Perhaps as a radio broadcasts waves but generating stationary waves of simulated matter.  Forbidden Planet of 1956  The Universal Turing Machine developed to its ultimate conclusion.

I stretch what has been said about the TARDIS to include some of the ideas being developed in physics 100 years ago and explained to an ordinary engineer, like me, in Heretic's Guide to Modern Physics, Wireless World 1983. I am sure these ideas are influential. Although the article challenged established views about particles and waves.  Experiment that using Newtonian physics proves light is waves but using quantum physics (which takes account of probability and random events) does not prove either about light in that experiment.  Light is a stream of photon particles but when modelled as waves works as well.

Science and peoples way of thinking changed over the past 150 years.  I think this article on an influential idea but all the same is a wrong The Illusion Of Matter: Our Physical Reality Isn’t Really Physical At All

Thought-provoking-quantum-experiments-showing-reality-illusion.html

Because the TARDIS and the time travellers are in a symbiotic relationship it follows that anything or anyone entering becomes part of the TARDIS. Do travellers in some way on leaving the TARDIS do so as projections from the TARDIS re-materialising properly when the TARDIS leaves them behind?  Travellers in the TARDIS do gain an ability to communicate in any language but not any media as a gift of the Timelords. They are not quite as projections from the TARDIS though.

Both the interior and the exterior of a TARDIS change.  The exterior should change to fit in to the environment but The Doctor does not understand this technology and that may be the reason why that feature of the TARDIS has deteriorated whilst in his use and now does not work? We evidently seem to see the interior of the Doctor's TARDIS change to suit the understanding of his fellow travellers and the TV viewers.  The controls on the console are surely immaterial because, we have been told, the timelord is telepathically connected with the TARDIS but the Timelords keys (knowledge and a germ within his DNA I think) that allow the machine to travel, are within him and can be taken from him. The console helps fellow travellers to be included and contribute - whereas the minimal TARDIS console mean that the machine resorts to symbolism in the early Edge of Destruction helping Barbara to discover key facts that resolve the fault.

The first time we see another TARDIS and this one has camouflaged itself to fit in with it surroundings. 

The actor Peter Butterworth is such a nice Monk who would believe he was doing anything bad?

TV Story telling was like traditional story telling, clearer cut and in context 60 years ago, Dr 2 paid particular attention to not losing that aspect in the shorthand cut-to-the-chase way TV serial story telling had become.  The division between fact, fiction, faction, comedy used to be clearer. But it is less so now I believe modern stories like Doctor Who story "Crimson Horror" confuse fact and fiction. I only watched a bit of this story, could not stand any more and found a Dads Army before returning to my comparative the sanctuary of my TV free home. "Crimson Horror" might have been an attempt at Carry on Screaming but it seemed to portray the Quaker companies like Cadbury and the town of Bornvile, built for the workers as bad, but they were examples of compassionate Victorian employers 

 With story telling you need to be clear when you are telling a joke and not portray one thing in a plausible way as something else. Reality and fiction in peoples minds are confused enough anyway in the UK and dumbing down is an issue that concerns many.  Apparently the Carry on Films were scripted none of it was off the cuff,  I would have thought that the would have made the acting wooden, but it worked ever so well - you will see that I note later on temperament it would appear the temperament of the writers was Idealist (Ox) probably would not have worked for some of the doctors.

Recent Doctor Who the TARDIS interior has become Gothic presumably by the state of mind of the Doctor (7/8th) possibly regeneration 15.

The interior of the TARDIS is almost perfectly secure but can occasionally a symbolic representation can appear within by a powerful external psychic force.  In the The Awakening - Malice forms a Gargoyle in the TARDIS briefly.  Also in  Pyramids of Mars an icon from an Egyptian pyramid forms with the TARDIS Exceptionally the malevolent Keep of Traken and the One of the Tharil's with Romana say good by to the Dr at Warriors Gate; can physically enter the TARDIS as well as items sent from Gallifrey by Timelords.

I don't believe in outside forces like telepathy and premonition preferring to think our brains process all possibilities and form incite, though I have had compelling experiences that suggest otherwise. Most people experience things that care difficult to rationalise - I suspect.

The TARDIS comes from an era of such hope and science which could be recaptured, I believe. Collectively many wonderful things are possible working as a part of and with an understanding of nature, is essential though.  A well managed team with scientist and engineers at its best is artistry.  They interpret and make things that are better than envisaged when clear but inspired design is allowed. The Photographer Ansel Adams brought out the detail and subtly by using very low contrast wet photography. That is so different to trying to find substance in quantity, intense colours and strong flavours. I set the computer monitor's intensity and contrast low in order to benefit from the subtlety of tones that, with breaks, allows me to use the computer without strain but quite intensely for long periods.

People who often remarked, the car really does not skid even on a skid pan but apparently they can be made to skid by pulling the handbrake.  Like so many good things lots claimed and in reality the car, the Timex watch, made to measure suits, British textiles, whatever the claim was, the item purchased general was found to be even better than expected.

The engine is on top of the gearbox and they were coupled by an idler gear.  That gear gave the engine a distinctive whine that would change on over run. It is these little assumptions about what sounds are connected to which part make it possible to design and work on a machine - Art of design is not to loose the ability to reckon also know as to judge by eye.

Super willing engine would start, like all BMC cars, extremely easily. Only weakness in earlier cars was that the ignition suffered in wet weather.  The original 1920's Austin engines had two main roller bearings, four cylinder and were side valve. Later became three main bearing engines . A new overhead cam 1935-ish engine design was powerless and only made briefly and lessons were learnt.  The engine reverted to overhead valve based on the old side valve block but with the unique patented swirling gas cylinder head design in about 1936/8-ish. That patents ran for 40 years. The engine was used on lorries first and then a smaller powerful engine used in the MG sports cars were known to suffer broke crankshafts. The crank shaft was strengthened by making it using by forged instead of casting to form a grain like crystal structure in the metal. The three main bearing, (vibration pivoting on the middle bearing) and now long stroke to increasing the capacity to 850cc gives the same mini engine it's distinctive deep throb.

Many other parts, widows, dynamo were replaced with standard parts but the fuse box had just two fuses still.  The Mini Metro of 1980's engine include all the features of the Cooper and an improved carburettor  and cooper exhaust manifold making it more powerful and economical. In 1974 Audi introduced the new Audi 80GL with all independent suspension and Citroen similarly advertise a car driven at speed, between two lorry's that keeps going straight with a front Tyre blow out.  If owned a 1970's Austin Princess, Rover, which were big Minis, you could quite easily still be running it now once fixed they were excellent cars.

All other makes of cars including the BMC Morris Minor and BL Itel, would skid off the road if you used the brakes on a corner.  Very difficult in Ice. You had to slow down for corners much more than you need to now-a-days with modern cars. Also Ford cars were notably difficult to start.

A second hand Mini how ever old and bad condition was very expensive to buy. Super little go-cart and a car that you turn the key and the engine is going. But by comparison a VW or Audi, by the end of the 1970s was now the most expensive to buy second hand however old they were because their condition would be very good.

TARDIS Mini Raleigh Bikes British engineering promised much delivered much more

By comparison with all the things going on at the time the TARDIS was just another British great its materialisation was overdue in 1963, 115 years after The Programmable Computer (Charles Babbage) and Programming (Ada Lovelace), 40 Years after Quantum mechanics, 25 years after the modern computer that can do anything (Universal Turing Machine). But during the 1970's these small motor companies that had been merged into one very big nationalised industry was not working the boss consequently did not know most of his employees' names any more. Cars were full of "Gremlins" and were sold with British Leyland insurance included. Much of the company was basically very good and under the chairmanship of Sir Michael Edwards from 1978 turned the corner for the company most notably with the Mini Metro. 

Blue Lamp - Don't think that cars could handle corners at these speeds 70 MPH that was not possible until the Mini.  This 1950 film is from the era of the Police Box being in use still.

It was vitally important when driving that you slow a car down before a corner and then go through the corner without accelerating or breaking. Just as the Highway Code says. Only a Mini and a TARDIS that a driver could you do almost what they like.  Blue lamp is a lovely romantic film typical of the time cultivating and acknowledging the best in public services. This is how people viewed public services something where they can serve people.

British engineering was very highly regarded and many films like Fast Lady featured mostly classic cars, but also trains, steam engines in the 1960s. Unfortunately people could not afford to run these cars, petrol was not cheap and such a car as a real (pre 1931) not supercharged race winning Bentley and particularly the supercharged Bentley would be inefficient.  My father considered purchasing his for his first car in about 1950 a Rolls Royce but he went for the much cheaper to run and easier to drive and more expensive 1935-ish Ford Anglia at 200 guineas (£201).  A Ford car engine were cheap cost regulated by the manufacturer and were designed for 25,000 miles and that is as much as Dad got from a new engine he had purchased.

Lalla Ward who played Romana No.2 was married to Tom Baker briefly said in April 2013 that Tom was the best Doctor Who but others have other favourites.  She never watched Doctor Who and describes the programme as story's tied together by the TARDIS but they were not science fiction as such. 

Dr Who - Timelords and Celestial beings 

 BBC has a very good section on classic Dr Who