brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton) (12/08/85)
If I were the Doctor, I would be very worried about recent trends, in particular the Davison regeneration. If we take Hartnell as an example, a Time Lord's body lasts around 500 years, and they get 12 regenerations for a 6000 year lifespan. Harntell regenerated the normal way, from old age. But Peter Davison only lasted a few short years! We know this, because he was always accompanied by mortal companions. With Tom Baker, we can't be sure because he had at least two companionless periods in which he no doubt roamed the Galaxy having a good time. Yet he was only about 750 years old when Romana joined, so his roaming was limited, and if not, we must count the Troughton and Pertwee eras as quite limited. Pertwee had only one opportunity for Galaxy roaming, between the Green Death and Sara Jane's arrival. Otherwise he was stranded on Earth or with Jo. Anyway, If I were the Doctor's doctor, I would advise him to cut back on these regenerations! -- Brad Templeton, Looking Glass Software Ltd. - Waterloo, Ontario 519/884-7473
tra4@sphinx.UChicago.UUCP (Jonathan H. Traum) (12/09/85)
Yes, I've thought about the Doctor's lifespan also. Presumably, as was stated, Hartnell regenerated of old age. Troughton was forced to regenerate by the Time Lords, Pertwee had to regenerate after being almost fatally disrupted (or some- thing like that) Tom Baker fell off a tower (although since he knew he was about to regenerate, his time may have been up anyway) and Davison had to regenerate because he didn't drink his bat's milk. Thus, only one of the Doctor's regenerations has been "of natural causes", and his lifespan will be considerably shorter than the average for time lords (unless the writers think of something clever...) No wonder so few time lords like to "get involved"!! Jon Traum
sma8465@ritcv.UUCP (12/10/85)
In article <1430@sphinx.UChicago.UUCP> tra4@sphinx.UChicago.UUCP (Jonathan H. Traum) writes: >Yes, I've thought about the Doctor's lifespan also. Presumably, as was stated, >Hartnell regenerated of old age. Troughton was forced to regenerate ... >...bat's milk. Thus, only one of the >Doctor's regenerations has been "of natural causes", and his lifespan will be >considerably shorter than the average for time lords (unless the writers think >of something clever...) > Jon Traum For those who saw (or read) the episode "The Five Doctors", you might remember the High Council of the Time Lords offering the Master a completly new set of regenerations. Apparently it is within their power to give new regenerations to Time Lords, although I imagine the reasons must be very good. I would also think that they (the High Council) can't do it too often. This is mentioned to avoid the likely responses complaining that if this was true, no Time Lords would ever die. But nobody said that everyone wants (or should) to live forever! Stephen Abbott ###funny comment goes here###
buchbind@agrigene.UUCP (12/10/85)
> If I were the Doctor, I would be very worried about recent trends, in > particular the Davison regeneration. If we take Hartnell as an example, > a Time Lord's body lasts around 500 years, and they get 12 regenerations > for a 6000 year lifespan. Harntell regenerated the normal way, from > old age. > > But Peter Davison only lasted a few short years! > With Tom Baker, we can't be sure Of course he regenerated due to injury, as opposed to a worn-out body. > Yet he was only about > 750 years old when Romana joined, so his roaming was limited, and if > not, we must count the Troughton and Pertwee eras as quite limited. Pertwee's Doctor refers to his age as being several thousand years. T. Baker's Doctor gives his age as being between 700 and 800 (I forget the exact number). Don't try looking for consistancy on this point - there is none. And considering some of the other recent postings, "Dr. Who" being terminated because he has run out of regenerations is the least of our worries. -- Barry Buchbinder (608)221-5000 Agrigenetics Corporation; 5649 East Buckeye Road; Madison WI 53716 USA {{harvard|topaz|seismo}!uwvax!|decvax|ihnp4}!nicmad!agrigene!buchbind
dturner@imagen.UUCP (D'arc Angel) (12/11/85)
[ my 2 cents ] The way i always look at the doctor's rengention is that there is quite a lot of time spent that is not showen. ( who wants to watch 30 min. of the doctor looking throw the tardis for socks, shoes, compaintions, etc etc ) but you do have a point , time is indeed flying for the doctor, but after all what's time for a time lord. p.s. and beside the point , am I the only person who writes dr.who storys , if not talk to me. ttfn
samson@h-sc1.UUCP (gregory samson) (12/11/85)
In article <9146@ritcv.UUCP> sma8465@ritcv.UUCP (Stephen Abbott) writes: > > For those who saw (or read) the episode "The Five Doctors", you might > remember the High Council of the Time Lords offering the Master a > completly new set of regenerations. Apparently it is within their power > to give new regenerations to Time Lords, although I imagine the reasons > must be very good... Perhaps something like this involves other Time-Lords donating a regeneration, or part of one, to the Time-Lord who needs a new set. Imagine 12 Time-Lords each sacrificing 1 regeneration to a Time-Lord who has run out. The basis for this guess may be found in "Mawdryn Undead", in which the mutants wished the Doctor to give up his 8 remaining regenerations to return them to a normal state (so that they could die...) Apparently, though, Gallifreyan technology might have the capability to make any form of energy into new regenerations, as the Blinovitch Limi- tation Effect's energy was used instead of the Doctor's remaining re- generations. That would have to be strictly controlled by the High Council, or else we WILL get Time-Lords that live forever. But, in this case, why did Lord President Borusa want immortality so badly that he had to do something stupid with Rassilon to get it? Couldn't he just have tapped some random energy (waterpower or whatever :-) and gotten a new cycle of regenerations? I like the method involving other Time-Lords best. Making such an offer to the Master would indicate that the situation was REALLY desperate. -G. T. Samson The Evil MicroWizard gts@wjh12.HARVARD.EDU (NOT samson%h-sc1@harvard.HARVARD.EDU!!!!)
percus@acf4.UUCP (Allon G. Percus) (12/11/85)
> ...Apparently it is within [the Time Lords'] power > to give new regenerations to Time Lords, although I imagine the reasons > must be very good... In addition to "The Five Doctors," this is demonstrated in "The Deadly Assassin," when the Master tries to tap the Eye of Harmony, thus getting a new regeneration. . ------- |-----| A. G. Percus |II II| (ARPA) percus@acf4 |II II| (NYU) percus.acf4 |II II| (UUCP) ...{allegra!ihnp4!seismo}!cmcl2!acf4!percus |II II| -------
ewan@uw-june (Ewan Tempero) (12/16/85)
> T. Baker's Doctor gives his age as being between 700 and 800 (I > forget the exact number). In the Power of Kroll, he gives his age as 760 years. Having not seen Pertwee episodes in 10-some years I don't remember whether he gave an exact age or not. -- Ewan ------------ Ewan Tempero UUCP: ...!uw-beaver!uw-june!ewan ARPA: ewan@washington.ARPA I have found a most wonderful proof for P <> NP but net etiquette on the size of .signature files doesn't allow me to give it here.....