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I've just had a quick look around and thought I might as well chip in what I'd found.

Firstly, while there were hearing aids that looked a lot like mobile phones, at the time that particular Chaplin movie was filmed, the smallest hearing aids were "desktop" types. They had a large battery box not unlike a car battery, a microphone, a processing box and a headpiece. Large, impractical, and not what's in that shot.

The smaller mobile-phone-like ones didn't come around until the 40s.

I think the explanation is probably simple or even simpler.

One is that she was doing something else, like using ice to take away the pain of toothache or a visit to the dentist.

However, I'm inclined to think the simplest one may be the truth though.

It's fake.

In looking around I saw a claim that the fade transfer between shots hadn't been invented in the 20s and so the very presence of the fade suggests the whole thing is an elaborate fake. The fact it was "discovered" by a filmmaker only makes that seem even more likely... but even if it IS on the disk, it still seems a bit sus.

A fun bit of footage, but the whole "noone has been able to tell me what it is, so it must be a time traveller" is WAAAY too far fetched and far too big a leap.
"Noone has been able to tell me what it is, so it seems like it may be a fake" seems a far more reasonable position to hold.

LOL

1. even if it were a mobile phone there wouldn't be anyone else to talk to.

2. Even if another time traveller had a mobile phone there wouldn't be a satellite to route the call.

3. Even if there were a satellite there wouldn't be a network provider to handle it.

I find it difficult getting a signal now let alone in 1928 !!

GULLIBLE !!!

Maybe the real problem is that you can't go back in time to before the time machine was created. At least, you can't do so in this universe.

Kevin Cann wrote:LOL

1. even if it were a mobile phone there wouldn't be anyone else to talk to.

2. Even if another time traveller had a mobile phone there wouldn't be a satellite to route the call.

3. Even if there were a satellite there wouldn't be a network provider to handle it.

I find it difficult getting a signal now let alone in 1928 !!

GULLIBLE !!!

Well someone doesn't watch Dr Who.

Tomo wrote:Maybe the real problem is that you can't go back in time to before the time machine was created. At least, you can't do so in this universe.

I'm guessing you're thinking of the one that "uses" an array of lasers to twist spacetime.
There are theories for time travel that would allow pre-invention travel.
Others still are forwards only.

NONE are as cool as a DeLorean DMC12


Kevin - I'm not sure you can write off a mobile phone for those reasons.
1> They don't need satellites.
2> If they did it's possible the time travelers brought back the kit and means to put it into space and then later removed it before our space race started to leave no advanced technology behind.
3> It's possible that future mobile phones won't work in a cellular fashion.

As for the signal, I doubt mine would be much WORSE in 1928 than it is now.


I still think the simplest conclusion is by far the most likely, faked footage.

BigShot wrote:There are theories for time travel that would allow pre-invention travel.

The one you're probably thinking of involves a jump sideways to a parallel universe where time is earlier. You don't actually go backwards in time, and it's not the same universe.

Not necessarily. There is self-consistency theory, for example.

Essentially that you can go back in time but things like the Grandfather Paradox are not a problem.
If you try to go back and kill your grandfather before your father was concieved, or kill yourself before going back or whatever that you will fail to do so.

That's not as cool as the DMC12 theory of time travel either. I think I prefer that one - mainly because I want THAT time machine.

Tomo wrote:Maybe the real problem is that you can't go back in time to before the time machine was created. At least, you can't do so in this universe.

There are a few diffirent theories on how time travel could be achieved. The kind of 'teleportation' idea you mention is only one of them. The REAL problem with time travel to the past is actually getting back. Working out how to travel through time is only half the battle. A time traveller would be either stuck in the past or would have to spend the rest of his life jumping from one time to the other, like Sam in Quantem Leap, never to return.

The problem lies in the fact that the past cannot be changed. Someone landing in 1920 will inevitably change something. Walking down the street and someone moves to let you past, someone looking over at you, in fact it could even be argued that just being there doing nothing could change the past as you werent there before. As soon as even the smallest change occurs the universe splits and we end up in a parallel universe. When we then try to return we end up in 2010 in the parallel universe, not this one.

To time travel effectively we must not only be able to travel through time but also from one dimension to another, so we can get back. I believe the key to this dimentional travel lies in gravity. There is a theory that gravity is in fact not from this universe, but is leaking through from a parallel universe. If this is true then gravity can travel from one dimension to another. If we could somehow artificially create a gravitational field around our time machine we may be able to slip into another dimention - as the gravity slipped through it would take our craft with it. Presumably not much actual motion would be needed, the craft may only move a few millimetres if at all.

Incidently, a by product of this idea is that the speeds of certain so called ufos, said to be impossible for any human pilot, may actually be possible. The gravitational field round the craft would, in essence, be like a mini earth. It could reach speeds far greater than is currently thought possible and the pilot/crew would be fine. In fact the people inside wouldnt feel as if they were moving at all.

Of course it could all just be b*ll*cks

Tomo wrote:

BigShot wrote:There are theories for time travel that would allow pre-invention travel.

The one you're probably thinking of involves a jump sideways to a parallel universe where time is earlier. You don't actually go backwards in time, and it's not the same universe.

Entropy bingo!

BigShot wrote:Not necessarily. There is self-consistency theory, for example.

Essentially that you can go back in time but things like the Grandfather Paradox are not a problem.
If you try to go back and kill your grandfather before your father was concieved, or kill yourself before going back or whatever that you will fail to do so.

I think we can only stick to theories in physics when talking about time travel. Newton would have words with this theory!

I wish you people would stop writing things like "there's a theory that..." Whose theory? It makes figuring things out more difficult.

For reference, the many worlds theory that allows jumps sideways is Deutsch et al.

Tomo wrote:I wish you people would stop writing things like "there's a theory that..." Whose theory? It makes figuring things out more difficult.

Was that a dig at me I cant remember the name of the guy who came up with the theory that gravity is leaking here from a parallel universe, id have to check. It was one of the pioneers of string theory, if memory serves. The idea of using this to travel from one dimention to the other is, as far as i know, my own

jim

Bloody hell, Tomo! I didn't realise this was such a serious discussion.
Fine... the Novikov self-consistency principle is what I was referring to. Yes - I did have to look up his name because prior to this it was simply "some Russian guy's theory". I thought that might be sufficient for a light hearted chat in a thread about a faked shot from flippin' Charlie Chaplin film.


Jim - going back is no problem and causes no paradox with the self-consistency principle. The idea being that if you go back, whatever effect you had on the past already happened pre-travel and would produce exactly the effects that led to the universe being as it is and you going back in the first place.

I think I'm gonna duck out though because apparently this is actually a serious discussion where Newton is invoked and we have to give full names for theories and (presumably) pick at them (or more likely - read Wikipedia and jump to the "criticisms" section and regurgitate it on here) - but more than anything because I just don't care that much... in case my DMC12 remarks hadn't already made that totally clear.

It's your kids, Marty! Something has GOT to be done about your kids!

And please check the flux capacitor...

It's the lack of plutonium that concerns me, Mandrake.
Granted, Mr. Fusion takes care of that problem, but as with all films, the original was better than the sequels so unfortunately I think we are stuck with the limited supply half-inched from the Lybian terrorists... and left behind when travelling through time.

Surely most of these are hypotheses rather than theories...

Sorry for being serious.