Skip to main content

doctor who - How do Time Lords prove to others that they are the same person as their past regenerations?


Not sure if this is addressed in the old series:


Suppose that there is this famous Time Lord that invented chess, and one morning he regenerates and no one witnesses it.


How do Time Lords prove to others that they are the same person?


Since the regeneration thing is managed by those High Council guys, I suppose that they are able to verify it somehow. But what about the rest of the community? How can they tell, trivially, if this new face is truly the inventor of chess, and not somebody impersonating him?


I'd imagine that a TARDIS, which is apparently linked to its owner, can serve as credentials. But I doubt everybody has a TARDIS - besides, that's probably not the most convenient way to show people who you are.



And finally, I'm not sure, but it looks like most Time Lords have some sort of tool (like the Doctor's screwdriver, or the Master's deathstick), which I guess is good for credentials - but heck, the impostor could've just stolen it.



Answer



This has been a matter of some discussion on the Doctor Who Wikia;


In short, Timelords seem to be able to almost immediately recognise each other. On top of that they're capable of telepathy so any lingering doubt could easily be erased by conducting a mind-to-mind contact;



They can still recognise each other regardless of regeneration. This was shown in The Armageddon Factor when Drax was able to recognise the Fourth Doctor and The Twin Dilemma when Azmeal was able to recognise the Sixth Doctor, despite their last encounter being in the Doctor's fourth incarnation.


Given that Time Lords have been shown to have some telepathic ability, it is reasonable to suppose that this is how they recognise each other after regenerations. However, this doesn't explain how the Doctor recognised the Master on television in "The Sound of Drums". It is possible, therefore, that certain other traits are carried from one incarnation to the next e.g. Subtle facial characteristics.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

harry potter - Did Dolores Umbridge Have Any Association with Voldemort (or Death Eaters) before His Return?

I noticed that Dolores Umbridge was born during the first Wizarding War, so it's very likely she wasn't a Death Eater then (but she is pretty evil -- who knows?). After that Voldemort was not around in a way that could affect many people, and most wouldn't know he was planning to rise again. During that time, and up through Voldemort's return (in Goblet of Fire ), did Umbridge have any connection with the Death Eaters or with Voldemort? Was she doing what she did on her own, or was it because of an association with Voldemort or his allies? Answer Dolores Umbridge was definitely not a good person. However, as Sirius points out, "the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters". Remember that he also says that he doesn't believe Umbridge to be a Death Eater, but that she's evil enough (or something like that). I think there are two strong reasons to believe that: Umbridge was proud to do everything according to the law, except when she trie...
Post a Comment
Read more

What is the etymology of Doctor Who?

I recently decided to watch Doctor Who, and started viewing the 2005 version. I have the first two episodes from the first season, and I can't help but wonder what is the etymology of the name "Doctor Who"? And why does the protagonist call himself "the Doctor" (or is it "the doctor")? Answer In the very first episode of Doctor Who (way back in 1963), the Doctor has a granddaughter going by the name "Susan Foreman", and the junkyard where the TARDIS is has the sign "I.M. Foreman". Barbara, who becomes one of the Doctor's companions, calls him "Doctor Foreman" (probably assuming that is his name given his relationship to Susan), and Ian (another early companion) does the same in the second episode, to which the Doctor says: Eh? Doctor who? What's he talking about? "Foreman" is most likely selected as a convenient surname for Susan to use because it happened to be on display near where the TARDIS landed....
Post a Comment
Read more

story identification - Animation: floating island, flying pests

At least 20 years ago I watched a short animated film which stuck in my mind. The whole thing was wordless, possibly European, and I'm pretty sure I didn't imagine it... It featured a flying island which was inhabited by some creatures who (in my memory) reminded me of the Moomins. The island was frequently bothered by large winged animals who swooped around, although I don't think they did any actual damage. At the end one of the moomin creatures suddenly gets a weird feeling, feels forced to climb to the top of the island and then plunges down a shaft right through the centre - only to emerge at the bottom as one of the flyers. Answer Skywhales from 1983. The story begins with a man warning the tribe of approaching skywhales. The drummers then warn everybody of the hunt as everyone get prepared to set "sail". Except one man is found in his home sleeping as the noise wake him up. He then gets ready and is about to take his weapon as he hesitates then decides ...
Post a Comment
Read more