Is the TARDIS in Dr. Who based on the principles of Einstein?

Question

Indeed, are just about all those science fiction television series (Red Dwarf, Star Trek, etc.) based on Einsteins principles? And even books like "Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy"?

Answer 1

Mm, yes and no. Good science fiction will be scientifically accurate. Having said that, sometimes the science does get sacrificed for the story - Doctor Who is certainly guilty of that! (And I say that as a huge Doctor Who fan!) There's a difference between soft science fiction (which bends the laws of physics - or outright breaks them - for the sake of the story) and hard science fiction, which tries to remain as accurate as possible.

For an almost-entirely-accurate novel, try Contact, by Carl Sagan. It does have some conjecture, such as using wormholes for travel, but it still remains well within the realms of actual physics. (It generally helps when the science fiction is being written by an actual scientist!)

Answer 2

Most of science fiction, at least the quality stuff, is based somewhat in reality.  If it is too farfetched, they will only get uninformed and/or gullible viewers/readers.  Take Michael Crichton, for example...  his bibliographies are nearly six pages long, trying to create the most realistic fiction he possibly can, to get the hardcore "it's not possible" readers to keep buying his books, and try to find fault in them.

Answer 3

No. It depends a lot on the intended audience but now usually they usually hire consultants who can check a script and correct them if a story is about to make a glaring mistake that half the audience would spot. It was not always this way.

I'll give you an example. In one original episode on startrek (1960s) they decided the fly the ship from the earth to the sun to slingshot back in time. Conceptually this is takking big vast liberties with einstein's therory. But what did they show on the screen? Other stars going by!!!  Now, that's just wrong. On a short trip from the earth to our SUN you wouldn't be seeing other stars going by. But that shot of stars on the screen is what they had to work with. And THAT is the reason for most decisions on a television production.  Budgets dicate many desicsion - most  in fact.

The TARDIS concept was invented because it allowed them to use a convenient prop (the police call box) that they could move anywhere and it didn't have to be big like the spaceship was on the inside.  It saved them money because 2 men could move it rather than a whole crew.

In 1967, Star Treks transporters were 'invented' because it would be too expensive showing the ship landing on a different planet every week. So for budgetary reasons, they invented a plot device that solved this problem for them.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is in a class all by itself because Douglass Adams was not just writing Sci-fi, but comedy Sci-fi. He loved to spoof on this tendancy for other scifi writers to invent plot devices whenever it suited them. Every story has a few couincidences that strain belief. He reasoned why not create a story in which an infinite series of really weird coincidences are inevitable?  And thus the Infinite Improbability Drive was created. There is NO peice of science behind this. Its all just for fun.

The point is that even though this sci-fi is often wildly innacurate, it may get you thinking outside the box of what is currently known and accepted. No one who is convinced Warp Drive is impossible will ever invent the thing. So think of the concepts you find in scifi as occasional fuel for the imagination. But don't use them as test answers oin your homework!!!