Steins;Gate Ep03

This episode takes another turn with introducing the concept of parallel worlds, and that an alteration to one timeline can actualy create another parallel universe in where the events altered by the time-traveler becomes a reality.

I am getting to see a title pattern here: almost all titles end in the word “Paranoia”.

Even with parallel worlds, the altered timeline merges with the original timeline, creating a different memory with everyone else and creating a different reality. How the two timelines merge isn’t exactly explored in this episode, however we’ve seen it in action in the first episode.

It seems that the time-traveler or the one that initiated the change retains the memory of the incident or of the action.

From these three episodes, I can surmise the ground rules upon which time travel functions:

1.) Time travel can be initiated by anyone with an existing machine

2.) Microwaves have something to do with the triggering of a time travel sequence, aside from an actual black hole.

3.) Time travel can take any forms, be it actually transferring material bodies such as bananas and humans or by sending electronic data (such as text messages) to the past.

However, with the progress that Okarin has, we still cannot see how they can control this technology. They have yet to be able to send a text message to a specified time period, instead of a five-day progression (the text messages that they have sent so far are always hitting the “5-days-ago” mark.

The theory with Black Holes are brought up also in this episode. It may hinge on the theory of the “Event Horizon”, where space is bent and light could not escape at a certain point in the area around the Black Hole. The theory here is that space-time is also bent there, and that you could ride your way into a different time or location, or whichever comes first. This theory isn’t proven yet anyway, since we have yet to find someone to actually cross an event horizon and back.

The involvement of CERN (said as SERN in the series) also adds to the mystery, since this organization has historically been in the particle physics field for a time now. Their achievements in the field of particle physics is well-known, as they are able to produce anti-matter particles and make them collide with matter. Their production of Black Holes in their experiments aren’t exactly known however, and may be actually just added here in the story.

It is actually true that they posses a large number of cutting-edge technology for their experiments (such as the LHC and the like), however the CERN in this universe is a sinister organization, much like an evil scientific corporation. And I’m also curious as to what SERN stands for. The original one (here in the real world) stands for Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire, which means “European Organization for Nuclear Research.”

And here’s a rundown of some interesting scenes in the anime: