Doctor Who paradox *spoilers*

[Dave]

Originally Posted by daleksec

In a parallel world, trochwood could have easily been founded by a different person or created for a different reason. If we are talking about parallel universes we need to be aware that ANYTHING can change

I wouldn't dispute that, but it is still highly unlikely that such an organisation would be called Torchwood, and that was my original point here.

UNIT is proof of the fact that something else resembling Torchwood could be founded by a different person or created for a different reason.

However, the Torchwood Institute was named for Torchwood House where Queen Victoria met the Doctor and realised that such an organisation, to meet the threat of aliens, was required.

The chances of something else resembling Torchwood being created by a different person for a different reason, and yet still being named after Torchwood House seem highly improbable.

[Ice fyre]

Torchwood may have been set up for a different reason and a different goal in that reality, it is indeed possible that Rose and the Doctor dont live in this reality perhaps the Doctor never visited earth. We only know that in that reality it was shut down by the goverment of the UK. Nothing much else is said about it. Also there is no Captain Jack Harkness around that I saw in that reality which makes me think that it is quite possible that the Doctor never visited this earth.

[Marauder77]

Basically, when the actual race of Cybermen could develop through a whole new means on the alternate Earth, the Torchwood institute could easily have been established via other means as well. (It could be named after the favorite horse of the Scottish King that established the Institute in 1415 or after the name on the mysterious vessel brought back from the West Indies by Sir Francis Drake... etc.)

[Dave]

I refer the honourable member to my previous answer.

[Marauder77]

Well I'd say it was more unlikely that a identical race (the Cybermen) would be created by a different species, for (possibly) a different motivation, than that a similar institution with the same name could be established after a different happening in the past! But the Cybermen happened!

[Dave]

The Law of Probabilities would suggest that two unlikely events would be even less likely to occur, not more likely.

Hodgkins' law of parallel planet development - a fictional concept mentioned in the 'Star Trek' episode 'Bread and Circuses' on why so many humanoid beings and cultures resembling Earth exist throughout the Galaxy - would suggest it was much more likely to be repeated.

You can take your pick. It is only a story, after all, but I've not been convinced to change my mind on this.

[Ice fyre]

I'm afraid that I have to delve into this one again.

The point of parralel universes as I understand it is to play out every conceviable possibilty, I would point out that no matter how improbable that that possibilty, so long as there exsists an even slight possiblity that it could happen it will happen in one or more universes.

Every descision made will have an impact. History in that parallel universe could be quite possibly identical up untill the Doctor dealt with the werewolf. From then on it could have been radically different there are a number of decisions that were made that could have led to a weaker Torchwood being eleminated by the goverment in the end. Perhaps the Insitute was set up with a weaker more wishy washy mandate.

Who knows what happened all we do know is in that particular parallel universe Torchwood was eliminated allowing Lumic to get his foothold.

[Dave]

Originally Posted by Ice fyre

The point of parralel universes as I understand it is to play out every conceviable possibilty, I would point out that no matter how improbable that that possibilty, so long as there exsists an even slight possiblity that it could happen it will happen in one or more universes.

I'll conceed that then, in all the possible universes in all of the multiverse, then the Doctor happened to walk into his.

[Marauder77]

Originally Posted by Ice fyre

Who knows what happened all we do know is in that particular parallel universe Torchwood was eliminated allowing Lumic to get his foothold.

Pardon? I might be mistaken, but I think Mickey clearly said that it was the Preachers / the underground, that had brought down Torchwood, and exposed their dealings?

And the point with parallel universes, at least in stories like this, is to be familiar but "wrong".... like Pete and Janice having a dog named Rose, instead of a daughter named Rose for instance.

[Ice fyre]

Oooo, your right Sorry just assumed they were a covert govt operation.

I am just going to have to do a pennace of watching season one again (I dont have any other).

hangs head in shame

[Marauder77]

Well, here in Norway no channels sends the series... Luckily both the internet and bit-torrents can help with that.

And as I do plan to buy the series on proper DVDs when I can find them here, (Importing directly from England would be too expensive, due to silly Norwegian laws) my conciousness is clean as a baby-Daleks bottom.