Talk:Flux capacitor

This article mentions that the plutonium is a red liquid, and seems surprised at this. And I would agree!

Actually the plutonium is a metal bar inside a glass (?) container, containing water perhaps to moderate or shield the radioactivity. Maybe its not water at all but some other liquid, who knows.

As Doc Brown screws the jar into the car, you suddenly see the bar drop down quickly into the reactor, and both him and Marty jump as this happens.

Move the trivia?

TKD put up the "too much trivia" notice today. As a solution to this, I suggest we create an article, something like Flux capacitor references in popular culture. Anyone disagree? Crimson Shadow 16:32, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

I think the itemized references are an improvement. I don't feel Flux Capacitor refs merit their own article at present. Some olden day cameras use flux capacitorsRob T Firefly 05:54, 11 February 2007 (UTC)

Other writers' use of the capacitor

It is mentioned that other writers use the flux capacitor when they don't want to have to explain time travel in their works. Can anyone give an example or source? If not, it would be a good idea to remove that tidbit. 69.249.92.211 21:47, 11 June 2006 (UTC)

No source having been cited, I'm going to remove it. If anyone does manage to find one, then please reinstate it. 69.249.92.211 16:31, 30 June 2006 (UTC)

A "flux capacitor" is mentioned during an argument between Ensign Crusher and Lieutenant Barkley in Star Trek-The Next Generation in the Episode "Hollow Pursuits" (season 3, episode 21) During a mission briefing Ensign Crusher first calls it a "flow" capacitor. In the next scene Lt. Barkley speaking with a hologram of Deana Troy, (Broccoli...sorry I had to) Barkley calls it a "flux capacitor."

Star Trek DS9 season 7 E25 Miles O'Brien is explaining the propulsion system and mentions the Flux Capacitor — Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.176.225.140 (talk) 19:31, 25 September 2020 (UTC)

Okay, I'll bite...

Fine, so what is the source of the new information connecting genuine "real science" and the fictional science of the movies?

Quote:

Electrical energy is translated into flux energy by the flux coils, and stored in the flux capacitor. From there it is slowly released by the flux array that surrounds the car, allowing it to draw close to the singularity without repulsing it.

The flux capacitor is fully discharged at the moment the time vehicle reaches 88 miles per hour. At this speed, the vehicle's kinetic energy (in the form of speed relative to its frame of reference) is sufficient to puncture the temporal rift manifested in 4-dimensional space by the Einstein-Rosen bridge. The energy present in the flux array holds the singularity open in n-space as the vehicle transfers though the 'neck' of the bridge. No time elapses for the occupant of the vehicle, who has just transferred through a gap in the time-space continuum.

This information is not found in the movie, nor is it mentioned by its writer Bob Gale in any of his interviews. As far as I have read, he only regards the flux capacitor as a plot device without a scientific explanation, and leaves it to the fans of the movie to fill in details for themselves. Wikipedia:No original research. If a reuptable scientist has used the term "flux capacitor" as an analogy in one of his theories, you may describe the theory there and provide a link to this article, but not the other way around. GUllman 14:27, 6 Sep 2004 (UTC)

gigawatt

Actually, "jigawatt" isn't the correct spelling either. See the heading. --Paul 05:05, August 22, 2005 (UTC)

Significance of 88MPH

Anyone know if 88MPH is of actual significance? Converted to metric it would be approximately 39.3m/s. This value seems to come up a bit when used in a search engine with the keyword "flux" as what appears to be an optimal velocity for energy transfer with fluids. (I would assume the fluid would be air in the case of BTTF time machines.) I'm not sure if this is merely coincidental (afterall such results could come up with random numbers) or if there's more to it. The whole principle of the Delorian's time travel ability with the flux capacitor does seem to be based on energy transfer via its stainless steel outer surface. (In the movie this effect doesn't just involve charge, but can be seen via extremes of heat transfer too.) Therefore a real world optimal value for such phenomena would make sense. Is there more significance to this, or am I just grasping at straws here? --Pauljs75 13:06, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

According to my DVDs, 88 is just a number they picked out of thin air, as something audiences would remember. I'd say it worked. 68.80.114.140 09:20, 12 February 2006 (UTC)

Y'know, it *could* be a point where the friction on the car's body (from the air) heats it up to a point where the electricity (from the capacitor) can flow freely through the car body, melting it to a point where, in a flash of light, it would disappear. I'm not really sure about how they aim the car at a soecific point in time. (Please respond on my talk page.) tinlv7 12:18, 23 September 2006 (UTC)

Why hasn't anyone responded yet (waah!) (Please respond on my talk page.) tinlv7 00:44, 12 October 2006 (UTC)

All of the LEDs are lit up, doofs. -lysdexia 06:50, 19 October 2006 (UTC)

Any thought to the connection with Buckaroo Bonzai (like below with the flux capacitor) and that Buckaroo's license plate is BUCK 88 and 88 is significant to his band / crew. Clearly I can't cite anything up rewatching BB and knowing it is connected to BTTF to leapt out at me. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.54.204.116 (talk) 02:47, 16 October 2012 (UTC)

"2train Robotics"

There's been some adding and removal and re-adding of the following statement: "2Train Robotics of the Bronx, New York is incorporating the flux capacitor on their robot as a power source." Since (1) "2Train Robotics" is a group of high-school robotics enthusiasts who don't even have a web site, (2) "their robot" is totally non-informative, (3) the sentence leaves it unclear whether it's claiming that 2TR really are using a flux capacitor as a power source (!) or that they have some gizmo that they're calling a "flux capacitor" for giggles, and (4) no evidence has been offered that it's true anyway whatever it means, I think it should go. Anyone want to make a compelling case to the contrary? Gareth McCaughan 22:32, 13 January 2006 (UTC)

I would go further: a fictional device cannot be used to power a real robot, therefor this statement must be false, therefor it must be removed.--82.92.181.129 15:53, 15 January 2006 (UTC)

Ah, sorry about that. I'm from 2TR myself but I don't know who's responsible for this... would it be vandalism? Yeah, we *plan* to build an imitation flux capacitor "for giggles," and it's not even going on the robot. It looks like one of my fellow members got a little ahead of him- or herself. Again, I apologize. Go ahead and delete any recurrences on sight. Hairyshoe 02:29, 20 January 2006 (UTC)

Star Trek

I've heard that the term flux capacitor originates from Star Trek. If so, it should be mentioned. 83.209.99.215

The term was used in season 3 episode 21 of Star Trek Next Generations, Hollow pursuits. As stated in an earlier post it was first called a flow capacitor and later referred to as a flux capacitor by Lt. Barkley.

They made up a lot of technobabble, but I don't think that they've every used "flux capacitor". Val42 05:52, 3 March 2006 (UTC)

Actually they did. In DS9: "What You Leave Behind," Miles O'Brien says to Julian Bashir:

somebody has to teach you officers the difference between a warp matrix flux capacitor and a self-sealing stembolt.

That should be added in some way as 83.209.99.215 suggests.--Tim Thomason 02:36, 23 April 2006 (UTC)

Surely that would be a reference to BTTF though, since DS9 was made many years after 1985?

It was also mentioned in The Next Generation #069: Hollow Pursuits —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.69.40.75 (talk) 21:00, 11 May 2011 (UTC)

Star Trek TNG wasn't first broadcast until 1987, and Hollow Pursuits wasn't produced until 1990. Anakin-Marc "DJ AniZ" Zaeger (talk) 17:50, 12 August 2019 (UTC)

Flux transmission?

If the electrical energy and the flux energy are of different nature Why is it transmited from the flux capacitor to flux dispersion bands... with common copper cables? I speak considering that the flux capacitor is a particle accelerator (that is the most logical and probable option). It should be transmitted by hollow tubes or for another method. I don't believe that the flux energy are of electronic nature.

Because it's in the script. This is complete fiction, after all, and unfortunately further research into this would clearly be original research. A bit of a problem for trying to see if the idea itself is viable, I'm afraid. -- Kuroji 13:07, 19 June 2006 (UTC)

The significance of "Y"

The most obvious, but least talked about, point of the flux capacitor is the glowing "Y" circuits. Why are there three different lines meeting at the center point?

It could be theorized that the three lines of the flux capacitor meet at one point, in similar fashion to where a quantum singularity is needed to travel through time (according to this wiki). It is possible that the point where the three lines meet is where the singularity is created. Because of this we can theorize that due to the occurrence of time travel (where you need to go at or faster than the speed of light) the flux energy is dispersed in the opposite direction (back out instead of in the flux capacitor) when traveling through time, making the whole of the car and anything inside of it travel with it.

If you take a look at the ASCII code of the capital letter Y you find that its 89 (close to 88{MPH}) and that the numeric character references in HTML and XML are "Y" again close to the # 88.

• Not sure if this could be added as it would be considered speculation. -- Riffsyphon1024 04:21, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

"Flush Capacity"

Has anyone ever actually seen this phrase printed on a toilet, or seen it connected to this movie in some way? Seems like peculiar (and unlikely) speculation to me.

Added a {{Fact}} tag. Let's see if anyone can prove it. Crimson Shadow 20:39, 29 August 2006 (UTC)

Genuine Flux Capacitor theory

I read somewhere that the flux capacitor was part of genuine time travel theory, and that was why it was used for the film. It was a few years ago that I read this, but apparently the flux capacitor kind of anchors the time travel device to the Earth's magnetic field so that when it comes out of time travel, it is in the same place it started. As we know, the Earth is flying through space, and if the time machine actually came out where it left it would really be in the middle of space, hence the need for the flux capacitor.--Santahul 12:08, 31 August 2006 (UTC)

Added 'Spoiler End' Tag

There wasn't one, so I stuck one in. Mysterious1der 00:14, 15 September 2006 (UTC)

Trivia duplicates, please correct.

The Mind over Murder episode of Family guy is cited twice. Please combine these entries.

Likewise, the 200th episode of Stargate SG-1 is also referenced twice. Let's combine these as well. M'kay? Mgmirkin 17:43, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Outsider's opinion

I generally like the article. However, it's no longer JUST about the "Flux Capacitor" it's also about "Mr. Fusion" "Jigowatt" and other trivia. I'm wondering if this article should be re-titled to something like "Back to the Future technology" or just straight merged with "Back to the Future" in a subsection on the "science of Back to the Future," not necessarily to say that it's treal science, just this is how science was portrayed in the movie. My main point is that Mr. Fusion isn't a flux capacitor. Neither is a Jigowatt. So, it just seems like the article has become more of a dumping ground for BttF trivia, and should probably be retitled or merged w/the main BttF article and redirects should point there. Does this make some semblance of sense? Mgmirkin 17:55, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

I agree. I'd say to move everything not related to the flux capacitor out of this article and put it somewhere else. Although it might also make sense to combine Mr. Fusion and the flux capacitor into a single page, calling it "Technology in Back to the Future" or some such; but the gigawatt section should be replaced with a link to a section in the main article. --ScottAlanHill 03:17, 6 February 2007 (UTC)

I think that's a great idea. A page on general BTTF tech would do much better than just a Flux Capacitor article with all that other stuff in. Perhaps something similar to List of Ghostbusters equipment could be done. Rob T Firefly 05:51, 11 February 2007 (UTC)

Removed Citation Needed tags from Delorean Website section

Delorean.com - all the "parts" mentioned in the article are clearly there. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 65.66.148.206 (talk) 14:53, 10 February 2007 (UTC).

Just to be a nitpicker, that's not really DeLorean's website as such. It's the site of the DeLorean Motor Company of Texas, a new company that bought up the logos and trademarks of the defunct original DMC, and the remaining stock of DeLorean spare parts. I attempted to clarify that a bit. Rob T Firefly 05:46, 11 February 2007 (UTC)

The link to DeLorean.com now appears to be broken. Snezzy 15:42, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Buckaroo Banzai rumor

I removed a Buckaroo Banzai reference in the trivia section. The rumor keeps turning up that the Flux Capacitor is the same prop as the Oscillation Overthruster from The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, but this is quite clearly false to anyone who has seen both props. The oscillation overthruster is an irregular pocket-sized chunk of metal which resembles a small carburetor, or a tiny fist, or something. (Photo of a replica on the official Banzai site.) Nothing like the Flux Capacitor at all, apart from the fact that they are both fictional gadgets which hook up to a vehicle to make movie magic happen. Rob T Firefly 05:35, 11 February 2007 (UTC)

A big part of the origin of this rumor is that the equipment that the irregular pocket sized chunk of metal hooks into in the jet car includes a triangular device, with lights running from the points to the center, though if I recall it is oriented upside down from how the flux capacitor is oriented. Combined with the fact that some of the same people worked in influential positions on both films, and so many other bastions of sci fi regularly throw in direct references to Buckaroo Banzai, it's not a stretch by any means to believe that, though it is obvious that no props were directly reused, a little bit of homage is going on. Someone just needs to find the right reference. --Reverend Loki (talk) 23:57, 8 September 2010 (UTC)

yes i think you are right! I think the rumor came from two places: 1. the possibility that some of the same prop guys worked on props for both films. 2. Both film use the same shape and is located in the same position in the car. It’s basically the same lite up Y" shape but flipped 180 degrees. Buckaroo Banzai was filmed prior to BTTF. I hope this helps. Elgin MacMillan. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 206.15.75.2 (talk) 20:01, 17 April 2012 (UTC)

The Flux Capacitor IS in the movie, but not in the car. It's the gadget Professor Hikita had hidden under a tarp during the test.

63.125.196.184 (talk) 14:31, 18 May 2012 (UTC)

Transistor

It was then hidden in the Delgado mine for 70 years, "... because suitable replacement parts will not be invented until 1947." This is presumably a reference to the invention of the transistor.

According to the BttF3 article, vacuum tubes were used to fix the car, not transistors. Nil Einne 16:06, 6 April 2007 (UTC)

It may have been some other parts. They also used some of the transistors from the walkie-talkie that Marty had. Val42 16:21, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

{{unreferenced}}

I have no doubt that most of the info is correct, but we have to verify it with reliable sources otherwise it's just original research. Anynobody 06:37, 18 June 2007 (UTC)