Did the boxes lead to the grand future that Abe and Aaron envisioned at the discovery of time travel? Hardly. At least, Abe had the sense to write the four rules to prevent causality problems. Aaron simply views the box as a learning device. If you make a mistake, just go back and fix it. The boxes have become a dismal failure. Is that why Aaron mentions, "the modular design of the coffins"?
The hint here is the Emiba address. P.O. Box 112358. This number is known as the Fibonacci sequence of a recurrence relationship. 1+1=2. 1+2=3. 2+3=5. 3+5=8. The series will just continue forever. Shane even mentions "the problem was recursive". This applies to the whole scenario we see. By definition, each term of the sequence is defined as a function of the preceding terms. This is the same as what happens to Abe and Aaron, a product of the preceding timeline. Shane admits that this is his favorite subject in math.
It also helps to understand that at Moscow University they asked math problems that contained complex terms to confound and confuse entry students. There is a solution, often a simple one. The question, though, is put in terms that makes the problem seem to be more complex than it really is. Why did they do this, knowing every student would fail to solve the problem in time? It was a system of control and prejudice to prevent undesirable students from qualifying for admission to their prestigious university. They are often referred to as ‘killer problems’. The original term from Russia is known among math students as a ‘math coffin’, or simply a ‘coffin’.
The riddle of Primer seemed more complex than it really is. I guess more people could solve the protein build-up problem if they only knew that Aspergillus Ticor will only grow in an oxygen-rich environment, and not in the presence of Argon. (Ticor is a substitute for Aspergillus Niger. Shane also changed the secretion to a mustard color instead of its original color.)
