Desmond & Faraday's Messages

[D-Roc]

Des' written message doesn't travel back with his conscious:


However, Faraday's written message travels forward as it is 'updated' due to his 'new memory' of meeting Desmond in the past:


As the above caps hopefully help illustrate, there was a scene where present-day Des was writing the '2.342 11/h' that Faraday gave him on his hand, but when he went back in time it was no longer on his hand - because only his conscious is travelling, right. This would make sense, except that when Faraday did a similar thing in writing in his journal that Des is his constant, this DID appear in the future (or present day, if you will).

This probably suggests that physical matter can jump forward in perceived time, but not backwards?

Just thought this could be important

[firebreathingfishies]

i think it was just because he wrote it on his hand, and it would have been after he needed to see it... 8 years after... whereas Daniel wrote that in a notebook 8 years before, which meant it would stay put at least that's what I thought... you've totally baffled me yet again roco

[D-Roc]

Yeah, I think that's probably it - because he wrote it on his hand, and the hand (physical objects can't travel back in time - least not within this framework of time-travel), whereas physical objects can travel forward in time, since it's relative to when he wrote it in Des' perceived notion of time.

The confusing part is that it only 'appeared' once Des interacted with him in the past (or when Des found his constant) - which I guess makes more sense when we think of it as 'new memory' being added at the point when Des goes back to meet him in the past.

Hmm.

[firebreathingfishies]

Hmmm indeed...

i think i will be able to have some relatively intellegent input to this later, once i've gathered up all my brain i was just really bloody surprised that Desmond remembered the numbers! i wouldn't have

[Murgatroyd]

Are you sure it only appeared later in the episode? I mean, did we see that specific page without the 'constant' message on it at an earlier point in the episode? I thought we just hadn't looked at that page yet, personally, but if you're right that's a very significant point - it means Daniel was wrong (and was recognising he was wrong) about the idea that past and future events cannot be altered by time travel.

[monster-eats-pilot]

Also Penny asked Des why he wasnt writing it down and he said it wouldnt do any good or something