The Primer Universe

Stealing Time

2011-09-30T12:13:00.000-07:00

Hey, here's something fun, a little 15 minute film about time travel.

I think you will like it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTO0ogdNMdY

Awesome! Be a time traveler

2011-07-29T18:08:00.000-07:00

You are the time traveler. Over 40 levels.

Warning. Very addictive.

That's all for now.

http://www.miniclip.com/games/chronotron/en/

I got my time for all 40 levels done in under 10 minutes!
I set one record and tied several others.
Got into the top 100, but don't have the time to invest in being in the top 10.

WELCOME TO THE PRIMER UNIVERSE

2009-05-05T13:18:00.000-07:00

THE ORIGINAL TIMELINE

2009-05-05T13:05:00.000-07:00

Here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to type this and you’re going to read it. You’re not going to interrupt. You’re not going to speak for any reason.

Our only glimpse of the original time line is from Aaron. He tells us, as we see in a flashback, that he discovered the fact that Abe had built a fail-safe.Was that, in fact, the original time line? There is no guarantee as this is only the original time line from Aaron’s perspective.

It is possible for a large number of recurrences prior to this point. Aaron could have already been in a repeat of the original time line without knowing it at all since Abe’s use of the box would erase Aaron’s knowledge of the previous time-line. If Abe tells Aaron about his time travel and later regrets having told him, he can reset events and tell Granger rather than Aaron about the box. This time line could turn out even worse than the one before it. Granger could try to steal or sell the device causing Abe to fail-safe. Again, Abe repeats the time line of telling Aaron. This time he will try to control Aaron better, preventing Aaron’s mistakes, guiding him. From Aaron’s perspective, it is the first time line. Abe would know it as the third time line.

There is a basic cause and effect cycle. Abe can tell Aaron about the time machine or he can keep Aaron in the dark. If keeping Aaron in the dark leads to suspicion and thus causes Aaron to find the fail-safe, then Abe must start by telling Aaron. Neither Abe nor Aaron can see the entire loop bringing them back to this point because they only can ‘see’ their own time lines. If you were Abe and had the two boxes, you might even travel back in time and pretend that you still only had the Weeble-sized machine, pretend you don’t even know what the box is doing, imitate the original time line.

Did you catch the foreshadow in your first viewing? The birds in the attic are no birds or rats. But something is afoul up there. The sudden shock that time travel has already unraveled and caused mayhem, hidden from even his wife. What about the interest that Abe has with Aaron's wife? Is there some dormant desire or paranoia? Then there is the seemingly insignificant ice-maker. "We have to throw the first couple of batches out." That statement should tell you that the time machine will not turn out well either. How much is missed in the first viewing? How many times must someone watch ‘Primer’ to appreciate is simplicity and underlying complexity? How addictive such a film is.

REGULATE YOUR OXYGEN

2009-05-05T13:03:00.000-07:00

Breathe deep, try to relax. Everyone misses the fact that Abe built the boxes but pretended to still be developing the experimental machine with Aaron. This does not mean that Abe has traveled yet. He may not have used it yet, he may not even realize completely what it does. It only matters that it is in working order and that it is turned on. If your best friend was impulsive and not fully trustworthy, wait. Don't tell him everything. First learn, establish the ground rules and the safety policies. Insure your survival as well as the invention itself.

We now come to the first major time line where Abe builds the fail-safe box, sets the timer, and unbeknown to Abe,Aaron(2) pops out. That leaves Aaron(1) with four days to find the fail-safe and disappear. However, for this wound in the fabric of time to heal and for Aaron(1) to disappear as in the first play of the time line, all events must continue as before. If there is a serious deviation, if Aaron is interfered with or if Abe moves, locks, or turns off the box; then that time line will be forever altered. It doesn’t matter if Aaron brings the other box on this trip or not. He only needs to gain the upper hand, to gain control, to arrive first. He can always reemerge later with the folded-up box as long as he does so before Abe figures out that Aaron(2) is around. If Abe figures that out, he could fail-safe and move the box to a secret location, which would leave Aaron(1) stranded with no foreseeable exit window.

Once Aaron gets to the point where he exits the fail-safe and turns it off, he is in control of the Primer universe. At most, Abe can only travel back in time 15 minutes later than Aaron (because of the 15 minute delay switch). A few hours window would even be better. You could fail-safe, turn the box off, take a long nap, and then activate the delay timer. Thus, you arrive several hours before your friend or foe returns. It would appear that Aaron may have left the box on the first time. But quickly, he plots to have his own box and recognizes that turning the box off is a better means of control. We can explore this idea and its consequences later.

Aaron thus creates a new time line, one that is untethered from the original. The original time line has been lost forever, that is, the box cannot be used to enter into a time line where time travel does not exist (as was the case in the original time line). Abe will later regret this when he sees what a mess the time line becomes, thanks to Aaron's impulsive decisions. Abe wants to go back in time, exit, and destroy the box (disable it) but, this serves no purpose if Aaron(2) is there with his own box hidden somewhere.

Aaron(2) must behave as Aaron(1) would anytime he is around Abe. He also must guide Abe’s creation of the box that he just arrived in, and insure that Aaron(1) finds the fail-safe and gets in to avoid a paradox that could erase his existence.(This is obviously what Aaron acknowledges although this does not necessarily mean that he could not survive a paradox) Aaron will have to try to speed things up with helpful assistance since Abe is stalling on his progress on the experiment so he has more time to work on his boxes (the two at the U-Haul). Abe and Aaron both need each other in these early stages. The power of time travel though, has already unraveled their trust in one another. Both of them have become selfish, secretive, sly.

WEEBLES

2009-05-05T13:02:00.000-07:00

"The Weebles are stupid." Yes, two Weebles, symbolically representing Abe and Aaron. They convince themselves of their own intelligence.. It is during the Granger Incident that their foolishness and over-confidence is unmasked. Their personalities are, like all of us, flawed. Abe is very cautious and methodical. Still, he makes several errors, some of which Aaron later points out. "There are not one use only." Aaron acts imprudently with the thought that any errors can be detected and merely need to be over-written.

What about the fungus that grows on the Weeble? It is essential for the discovery of time travel.Without it, time travel will remain out of their grasp. The audience has Abe's perspective. 100,000 fans could not figure out the secrets of the fungus. Here are some obvious points. The fungus can only grow in a dark and damp environment. The process takes several months. Even this rate of growth is only due to a cool environment and being "stirred" and "sweetened" by adding pure Oxygen. The garage is not cold nor damp. The box is flooded with Argon. Argon greatly inhibits the growth of molds and fungus. There isn't enough Oxygen for a living creature to survive. Why does the fungus grow on the Weeble? The box is not covered in fungus. The watch was not covered in fungus. Bizarre.

Abe's concludes that the device is essentially time travel. Abe, using the watches, discerns a ratio of time inside the box to be 1:1300. While not exact, he can predict the outcome as odd or even. He feels that the time of the Weeble in the box, 1300 minutes, is generating the fungus. 1300 minutes is 21 hours and 40 minutes. Wow, you got that fast. Twenty two hours is definitely not enough to incubate fungus. Now, if this was accurate, then to travel backwards in time 21 hours and 40 minutes would require only one minute in the box, not 21 hours and 40 minutes. Traveling for 3 days and 14 hours would be a four minute trip, hardly long enough to require lots of Oxygen, food, water, and an empty bottle. The real ratio is 1:1. When Abe travels 6 hours backwards, he stays in the box for exactly 6 hours. So how does fungus grow in a hostile environment in such a short period of time?

IT IS A JOKE

2009-05-05T13:01:00.000-07:00

It was a joke. Shane told you upfront, and you still got fooled. Watch for the question, "How did you know it was a joke?" The technician looks to Aaron, who in turn gives a slight shake. No answer, not in front of Aaron. Blame Abe. He fell for the red herring, therefor everyone else did. Originally, Aaron may have put the fungus there as a joke. True, the original time line #2 has been replaced and the first play of it can not be truly known. This joke led to Abe discovering that actual time travel was occurring. Or so Aaron(1) thought. The truth is, Abe discovered this somehow, built two boxes, and Aaron came out without Abe's knowledge. Very likely, Abe may not have even finished the second box yet. As soon as the first box is working and turned on, someone will exit. After Aaron finds out that the box is actually time travel, what should he do when he exits the box before Abe has used the box for his first day trip? In imitation of the original time line and in order to insure against any paradox, Aaron(2) purchases the fungus, place it on the Weeble, and allow a replay of the day Abe approaches Aaron on the park bench. Since only the last revision counts, the lab tech will only experience Aaron(2) acquiring the fungus. (At least for now, until we discuss Aaron(3).

How did this not prevent Abe from climbing in the box? It should have left Aaron in complete control. However, if Aaron skips this event in a rewrite, could he jeopardize his own existence? Why didn't he exit and sabotage Abe's box? Pure greed and power, right?

Granted, in an earlier concept, Aaron(1) could be clueless. The technician would not know that there is an Aaron(1) and Aaron(2). Thus, in front of Aaron, the technician does not give an answer to Abe’s question. In the original time line, Aaron(1) may have planted the fungus as "a joke." Then,Aaron(2) could plant the fungus which would make Aaron(1) innocent, surprised, and clueless.Later, Aaron(2) may repeat the same process of planting the fungus (that is if he drugs Aaron(1) in that particular time line). This may keep a constant feature in the new time line.

So Abe’s first reaction was correct, "What did you do to this thing?" Part of the proof that we are watching Aaron(2) or Aaron(3) is the joke that Aaron starts to tell in his office. Thus, proof of the time loop, whether Aaron repeats this joke from memory or a recording (in the time line, he hasn’t heard it yet). There can be no debate though, Abe is definitely talking to an Aaron who has traveled back in time.

What does it accomplish? It insures that Abe will build and store his boxes in the U-Haul storage center, a climate-controlled environment. It is certainly safer out of town so that no one may see them and their doubles. This step is essential to their success. It may also be an attempt to convince Abe not to get in the box (from Aaron’s perspective). This would allow Aaron sole control over the boxes. It is easy to believe that Aaron hasn’t traveled in time yet, because Abe is still under that belief. It is very hard for many people to grasp on their first viewing, even after reading the explanation. But, Abe built a box early on. Long before most fans realize it, even after several viewings.

THERE'S ALWAYS LEAKS

2009-05-05T13:00:00.000-07:00

Abe has been working on the small experimental box. Aaron balances the feed. Abe learns of its function for time travel. He builds a large box. He does not use it. He plans on building a second box. Unbeknown to himself, the first box actually works, Aaron has exited the box. This is Aaron(2) who has been convinced by Aaron(3) to leave. He calls Abe and tells him about the time travel boxes. Now Abe uses the fail-safe box.[but enters after Aaron(3)and(2)arrive]

First, we have to understand that Abe was capable of building the boxes, even if he thought it was for gravitational experiments. He made the first time travel box. It is possible that he turned it on and his future self exited. Actually, nothing happened, he got in the box at 3:00, and then a stunned Abe(1) met the exiting Abe(1). That makes Abe(1) a temporary Abe, as long as he repeats himself from the former time line and gets back in the box at 3:00.

If Abe recognized that he built a time machine, he may have decided to keep it secret for a little while, learn control, make rules, then let Aaron know. But, since the time lines overlap, as illustrated above, then, as we see in the end, Abe builds the box and gets a call from Aaron(2). Now even if Abe(2) sabotages the box, Abe(1) will not stop until he experiences making and using the box.

Abe should recognize that, since he got a call from a future Aaron, that the cycle is repeating itself. But instead of calculating that there is another Aaron running amok and that he can not gain the upper hand, Abe assumes with the knowledge he gets from Aaron(2), that he will get and keep the upper hand over Aaron(1). (And this could be true, unless Aaron(1) gets thrown into the attic and escapes to find the fail-safe. Or if Aaron(3) meets Abe, which puts Aaron(1) into the attic just as Aaron(2) had done the time before. Poor guy.) In Abe's defense, it would be a lot to absorb. This is probably why Abe feels he can keep Aaron from causing such a disruption by slowly guiding and teaching him. (If it was only Aaron(1) but, of course, it isn't.)

Is this already a paradox? It may seems to be because of the overlapping of the time lines. It seems almost like Dr. Brown's line in Back to the Future, "Time machine? I haven't invented any time machine yet." And this is Abe, only there is a four day gap instead of thirty years. Since Abe is unable to comprehend that Aaron exits the first box turned on, he doesn't understand how the Argon is leaking out. Obviously, some leaks out when Aaron gets in at the B end and opens the door once again when he arrives at the A end.(plus any residual leaks over an eight day period. This is why Abe is concerned, "There's always leaks." Aaron is truly surprised by this, "There's leaks!". Since neither of them takes an Argon bottle to replenish, one must assume that there is enough Argon in the box at the B end to facilitate the full trip back to the A end. It should also be noted that the fungus is never brought up again.

THE PHONE CALL

2009-05-05T12:59:00.000-07:00

Who is the narrator? Aaron. Undebateable. Who is he calling? Why is he calling? Let's start with which Aaron is calling. It is Aaron(2). Aaron(3) is trapped playing any number of past Aarons, whichever ones he has on his recording.(More about him later.) Aaron(2) is the one who fights with Aaron(3) and decides to exit. He leaves to go to France, which is shown only at the end of the film. (This way, we don't find out about Aaron(3) until the film's grand revelation.)

Aaron(2) calls Abe(1). He does not need to identify himself, Abe knows his voice. Abe listens. He does not interrupt. (Something Aaron could never do.) Aaron is clearly attempting to control Abe. Why would Abe believe that Aaron is a real time traveler? It is due to Abe being gassed, drugged, and locked in a bathroom for at least a day. If Aaron is hoping that Abe will be content to know that he already built a time machine and not go any further than that, he should realize that it is beyond man's ability to retreat so near to such an achievement. Aaron(2) has learned that Abe(2) may have corrupted Abe(1)'s box."He's got it wired wrong. It doesn't work." Abe is attempting to prevent time travel from occurring in the current time line. "You can't watch them forever." Abe(1) will work in secrecy, rather than in the open. (Sounds like the beginning of our story, doesn't it? Such is the feedback loop.)

"They'll be building their own boxes in another day. And yours already knows what they've built. You're not going to be able to watch them forever." Here Aaron is relating that Abe knew it was capable of time travel long before Aaron did. Thus, Abe(2) can not travel back to the moment before time travel occurred to stop it. He can fail-safe, corrupt the box, and delay events; but prevention is out of his control. Abe can only perform damage control. Aaron(2) is indebted to Abe(1) for his creation of the box and he seems instrumental in overseeing its recreation. (Call it a Safety Paradox: One exists and insures their future existence) Aaron is angry at Abe(2) and recognizes that Abe(2) has already attempted to prevent Aaron(2) from existing. Abe(1) made Aaron(2)'s life possible. The debt has been repaid.

When I first started to discuss this topic on line, I was the only source. Everyone was determined to believe that Aaron(3) was calling Aaron(1). I didn't have the book written back in those early years. When the book was released, more and more fans started to grasp the significance of this detail. Some were locked into dead theories and refused to even discuss the topic. Later, while promoting the DVD release of Primer in France, Carruth actually admitted that the narrator was the second Aaron. Asked if he was calling Abe, Shane replied that it could only be Abe. End of discussion.

THE BEAUTY OF CREATION

2009-05-05T12:57:00.000-07:00

If you can understand that from Abe's perspective in the second time line is to turn on the fail-safe and 15 minutes later Aaron(2) pops out (but he is not identified as a time traveler until later). That immediacy helps us to see how Aaron(3) and Abe(2) are present simutaneouly as well. So as Abe builds the box, it is quite possible for Abe(2) to try to sabotage it. Also, Aaron(3) can act to repair the box. So the box can work for a few hours, then suddenly not work. In the second time line, it seems that Aaron(2) was capable of repairing the box, even if Abe(2) had tried to contain future time travel ( or at least the box Abe(1) constructed).

Aaron(3) seems to feel that his survival is dependent upon not creating a paradox (especially since he personally experienced the Granger incident and fears something similar could happen to him).. If Aaron(2) will not get back into the box, then his survival could be threatened. Aaron(3) could also be just a past rendition of Aaron(4). Aaron(2) realized as he stated at the gas station, that he is living in a repetition where all of his actions are virtually programmed. Even if he would alter his course from the previous unremembered time line (now in revision), then Aaron(3) could always just reset the day and insure that Aaron(2) is not able to disrupt his plans again. Perfection has a high price.

ABE AND AARON

2009-05-05T12:56:00.000-07:00

Abe and Aaron have a unique friendship. They are computer geeks with shirts and ties to prove it. Abe typically is uneasy around sport jocks. These guys have to try to fit in. It is much easier for the average kid to identify with these two than with some ‘hero’ like Rambo or Rocky. There is a strong bond between Aaron and Abe; a deep trust, ripe for exploiting. Carruth has created two great characters and friends. I put them right up there with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Hawkeye and Hunnicut, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker. Like the boys, Primer fans often obsess over minor details, agonize about technical terms. They study deep paradox theories. Some thrill over plot intricacies, while others vow they will never read this solution. To them, this book is cheating, admitting mental defeat. It is in the true spirit of Abe and Aaron. Use your mind. Figure it out for yourself.

I must admit, once you learn the solution to Primer, it is easy to lose perspective. Carruth said he never intended Primer to be so difficult to solve. Remaining objective is difficult. A lot of fans have been misled into believing well-intended but flawed theories. Others have become disillusioned and feel that the answer is unknowable.

What is complicated is that Abe and Aaron play against each other. There are a lot of dishonest statements. Some of it is hidden by future versions repeating lines from past versions. Also, some of your future selves can be your ally or your opponent. They might even travel back, punch you in the nose, and erase your memory of the whole ordeal. Either way, it is very easy to get a bit dazed when trying to break the whole timeline down. I will try to go one step at a time.

MR. TOAD'S WILD RIDE

2009-05-05T12:55:00.000-07:00

In the same manner in which a released hostage has to be debriefed, you may need some time to adjust to the bright light of the cause and effect timeline. It was described as a feedback loop. When you look into a series of mirrors, you will see an infinite number of reflections.

So, if Abe told Aaron about the box and it turned out to be a bad decision, he could go back and change that event. This new cause will produce a new effect as, Aaron’s response to not being told about the boxes. Aaron may attempt to steal them or use them in an unsafe manner. If Abe goes back and tries to relive the first timeline, he may unwittingly be starting a loop where he continually tries to change that event. Even if Abe has a third or fourth option, it just complicates matters if the final option leads back to reliving the first option.

But, you may say that Abe would be aware of the infinite loop. Aaron would not be aware of it. Remember though, that very quickly, both Abe and Aaron are using the boxes. Thus, neither one is aware of what the other is doing. This allows both of them to be in a continual loop without recognizing that fact. There are much more than one or two events in Primer. Keep your sunglasses on.

Both Aaron and Abe are controlling time. If everything was discussed openly and honestly, there would be no problems. Every time one of them uses the box, they erase the previous timeline from the others memory. They need to trust one another. It is hard to prevent the other person from using the box. So they continue to deceive one another, pretending to be their past self. Abe doesn’t realize at first that when he exits his fail-safe, Aaron(2) is already in the timeline.

GROUNDHOG DAY

2009-05-05T12:54:00.000-07:00

Phil is in a continual loop of the same day, over and over. He can learn from his errors, anticipate what others will do, and continue his path until he finds success. Rita and Larry are stuck too. However, each day erases the previous one for them. While each rewrite is unique, they react in a similar fashion, even saying the same exact things. They are completely unaware of the repetitions. For them, it is one day.

Knowing Rita’s personality allows Phil to manipulate events, earning her praise and affection. Phil also learns how to help others despite his selfish personality. Aaron displays some of the same emotional conflicts, loneliness, fate and destiny. He has become untethered. Phil would understand.

When Aaron uses the time machine, he carries the knowledge of the previous timeline with him. At the same time, he will erase Abe’s memory of that timeline. When Aaron relives the party 19 times to get it just about perfect, Abe remembers only one time, the 19th version for Aaron. When Abe uses his box, it has the same effect on Aaron. They continue to learn and erase the others learning process. This is why their use of the boxes leads to actions and reactions that allow them to relive the events over and over again without realizing it.

Abe and Aaron need to understand that this is the cause of the feedback loop. Only then can they begin to figure a way out without causing a paradox disaster. There simply is no way to control the power of the boxes. It is quickly becoming like an arms race between two superpowers, each one trying to achieve and maintain superiority over the other. It seems the only way to win is not to play the game. The scene where Aaron is talking to Abe at the gas station shows he is beginning to gain valuable insight that he is living in a revision caused by himself or someone else.

WHERE IS IT?

2009-05-05T12:53:00.000-07:00

Aaron is certainly keeping Abe busy by buying and planting the fungus. This may give Aaron some valuable time to think out his next move. Abe doesn’t at first realize that he is talking to a time-traveler. Aaron doesn’t know that Abe has received a phone call from Aaron and knows that he has built a time machine. Aaron hopes that Abe will never use the two large boxes he is secretly building. Aaron slyly suggests that all they have built is an incubator for fungus. Notice how Aaron drops in the sentence, "Where is it?" He must find the machine. Abe tells Aaron that he took it to the shop. Now is Aaron repeating this scene from memory, recording the conversation, or reliving it with the recording?

When anything is repeated, it is impossible to know what the original timeline was like. The idea of building a bigger box; was it really Aaron’s idea or was it Abe’s? If Abe originally said it in the timeline, then in the rewrite of it, Aaron must be sure that Abe comes to that same conclusion, even if he has to suggest it. This will insure that Abe will build the fail-safe that Aaron(1) must locate and travel through to become the present version of Aaron(2).

Aaron also suggests keeping it someplace safe, safer than in a closet. Some place climate-controlled. Amazing that not a bit of the fungus appears at the, right behind you, U-Haul. Aaron(2) has thus insured that the box will remain at the U-Haul where Aaron(1) will find it. The U-Haul is now the very center of the Primer Universe.

It’s just too bad that the doors can never be locked. Otherwise, how would you get out from the inside? If you cannot lock it, you cannot control who is going to use it. Even if you never tell anyone, they could always follow you or look up the information on the storage manifest.

WE CAN PUBLISH

2009-05-05T12:52:00.000-07:00

Why does every math geek want to publish his discovery? He wants the recognition of his ability. Aaron may say this out of sheer exuberance originally. He may say it in the rewrite so that Abe does not become suspicious that Aaron is plotting to gain control of the boxes. To do that, Aaron must not only use the fail-safe but bring back a box with him, thereby duplicating it. However, that will not last since Aaron(1) will take the box and disappear with it. In order to have a lasting duplicate, or third box, Aaron(2) must stop Aaron(1) from taking that box. Also, if Aaron(1) finds the third box, he will have no need to use the fail-safe. Then Aaron(2) will have created not only a duplicate box but a duplicate Aaron.

As it turns out in the timeline, Aaron(2) exits the fail-safe with the other box before Abe has constructed it. As long as Abe does not see this box, he will continue as in the previous timeline, building his second box. The boxes are identical, the fail-safe has been running longer than the other box.

The second major timeline has Abe building the fail-safe with Aaron immediately exiting with his very own box. This can allow Aaron(2) to be in control of the box that is running the longest. He can go back in time at least 15 minutes farther than Abe can, even more if he turns the fail-safe off and restarts it at a later time than in the original timeline.

Having hindsight into the past may give one some insight on what to do. But how do you decide what to do when you become the past self? As Aaron(2) is about to find out, it is not easy to trust your future self, Aaron(3). When Aaron(3) tells Aaron(2) to get in the box and allow Aaron(3) to become the ‘present’ Aaron, how would Aaron(2) know if this is true or if he is being tricked so that his use of the box will result in his disappearing from the present timeline?

THE KICKER

2009-05-05T12:51:00.000-07:00

How does Aaron(2) escape the cause and effect loop? Consider his actions. He uses the fail-safe and does not interfere with Aaron(1). This is why he does not expect Aaron(3) to fight with him. But by the time Aaron(3) has the struggle with Aaron(2), Aaron(2) cannot be simply convinced that his entrance once again will create Aaron(3). Aaron(3) has therecordings of the day that Aaron(2) has experienced, but he seems to be more than one jump ahead. Aaron(2) fights because he is convinced that his use of the fail-safe will not reset events of the timeline, but rather, cause him to vanish.

Deep in the loop, Aaron(2) may go willingly back in the box. Yet, this allows the loop to continue. For Aaron(2) to step out, he must stop his use of the boxes. This is where Aaron exits. However, Abe’s use of the fail-safe keeps resetting events back in time to a point before Aaron(3) meets with Aaron(2). This would erase any knowledge that Aaron(2) has gained. Therefore, Aaron(2) must meet with Abe(2) and teach him to stop the feedback loop. First, the Granger incident must be avoided. Second, Abe must drug his double, which Abe was determined to avoid. This is working the timeline backwards. Abe and Aaron can relive the party together. Since Aaron(2) is determined not to fail-safe again,when Aaron(3) decides to fail-safe with the recordings and confront Aaron(2), he will vanish into the past. Time will finally go forward, with Aaron(2) and Abe(2) exiting.

Aaron(3) seals his own fate by giving so much information to Aaron(2). This allows Aaron(2) to understand what he must do to exist as a permanent. He must trust Abe enough to tell him what has been happening. Abe(2) will fail-safe at the point where Aaron(3) has nearly perfected the party 19 times. Then, the boys rewrite the party scene together, the final version that everyone else will remember.

YOUR EAR IS BLEEDING

2009-05-05T12:50:00.002-07:00

A cell phone’s antenna gives off radiation. It damages the acoustic nerve, forming cancers that can cause bleeding. It also does damage on a cellular level, damaging the DNA that allows the cells to repair themselves. Abe and Aaron use their cell phones while in a continual loop, dosing themselves with radiation over and over. Note, their ear only bleeds after using the phone with that ear. Abe was right. You should avoid all electronic devices.

Aaron’s bleeding is a sign that he has been doing a lot more time traveling than Abe. It is a sign for the audience as well. By the time we see Abe’s ear bleeding, we should know that they are both doing a lot of traveling, just like the weebles.

The bleeding ear can be a minor tragic event that could help them avoid greater tragedy. Think about "It’s a Wonderful Life" where George Bailey has an ear infection and deafness from saving his brother from drowning. Later, the pharmacist hits George on his bad ear when he refuses to deliver the wrong medicine. George will suffer these events, as they prevent even greater tragedies; the platoon’s demise and that of the pharmacist.

Aaron should avoid making the narrator’s phone call heard at the beginning and the end of the film. It would avoid another cause and effect feedback loop. The ending is significant. It shows that Aaron knows that Abe(2) cannot guarantee that he will prevent Aaron(1) and Abe(1) from successfully building the time machine. It may even cause a paradox, eliminating both Abe(2) and Aaron(2). Abe(2) could even cause greater problems by his attempts to thwart their destiny.

THE END

2009-05-05T12:50:00.001-07:00

At the end of the film, Abe(2) thinks he can prevent Abe(1) from building the boxes. He thinks he has changed the future by stepping out of the feedback loop. He does not realize that Abe(1) is himself, about to receive the phone call from the exiting Aaron(2). True this is a different week, but the main characters are essentially the same people in a different set of circumstances and events. If Abe(2) allows himself to interfere with the boys, he will get sucked right back into the new cause and effect loop that Abe(1) and Aaron(1) will create.

If they are successful despite Abe(2)’s efforts, the feedback loop will result with a similar ending, spitting out another Aaron(2). Any interference will just make the boys extra paranoid. Waking up in a closet or attic has that effect on people. Abe(1) will build a box based on receiving the phone call. If Abe(2) notices that Aaron(1) vanishes, it will be proof that Abe(1) built a working box after all. Then Abe(2) will be powerless to stop them from creating havoc. There is always the possibility that Abe(2) understands this. He could keep one of the boxes in the storage facility as his own fail-safe. He would use this only if Abe(1) builds a working box. Then, he could go back a few days and prevent Abe(1) and the new Aaron from time traveling. Unless, Abe(2) exits the fail-safe and finds out that Aaron(1) is already Aaron(2) the time traveler. Then someone would have to come and rescue them all. If only someone a month from now would find out, be able to travel back in time for 30 days or so, and be able to help Abe(1), Aaron(1), and Aaron(2) escape the new loop they are bound to become stuck in.

To do that, you would have to build a very large box, far away from the locales of Dallas. Paris perhaps. Aaron(2) may promise himself to never return. Unless, unless he finds out that Aaron(1) has disappeared along with Abe and Abe.

HOW TO USE THE FAILSAFE

2009-05-05T12:49:00.000-07:00

I came to understand how to use the fail-safe. I thought I had every answer in my mind. As I went to write this page down the first time, I realized while I was writing on the topic of how Aaron should have used the fail-safe, that it was exactly what Aaron did.

Originally, Abe teaches Aaron that you must leave the box running whenever you exit from it, as you are inside the box traveling backwards. While well-intentioned, it is incorrect.

You can leave it on and wait for your former self to get in the box and disappear. But, you can overwrite this part without creating a paradox. This means that, you can skip this part completely. As you exit the box, you are in a new timeline. It does not matter if you leave the box running as you are not in the box. Your travel has created a new timeline that overlaps the original timeline. It would be best to leave the box turned off until the time has past where you entered it in the former timeline. Since you are in a new timeline, turning the box off will prevent anyone else from entering that timeline, which could even be yourself. Thus, Aaron(3) can prevent Aaron(4) from entering the timeline by turning the box off after he exits. Aaron(2) does not do this at first, until he confronts Aaron(3). He then considers how to prevent future selves from interfering with his plans.

Abe(2) learns this step when Aaron(2) tells him that he was confronted by Aaron(3). Then, he will travel back to both drug Abe(1) and prevent any future Abe’s. When any future version steps out of the box, they start writing a new timeline. Besides, every time you leave your time machine on, it seems to create a disaster where time travel becomes necessary. So the machine appears to always lead to havoc.

THE TIME MACHINE 2002

2009-05-05T12:47:00.003-07:00

In ‘The Time Machine’, Alexander looses his beloved Emma and begins his quest to build the machine to save her life. Every effort of his to save her always fails. This is a wonderful part of the script, that he could only invent the time machine because of her death. Therefore, the machine cannot possibly save her life. This creation paradox is ruined in the film when Alexander has this detail explained to him. It gives the audience nothing to figure out. This is a universal theme: either the time machine itself is a paradox or is an abomination that leads only to tragic events.

Correcting one tragedy may lead to something far worse, a Greek element of story-telling. In ‘The Time Machine’, Alexander’s best friend is Filby. Filby is the name for Aaron’s cat. (Listen carefully to the fountain scene.) Some people may say that Abe could have used Filby as the first living time traveler. It certainly is not part of the story though. Others theorize that the cat is a reference to a paradox theory known as ‘Schrodinger’s Cat’.

Filby is most likely a small tribute to the original book written by H.G. Wells in 1894. Without this early science fiction on time travel, Primer may never have been written.

As a side note on having a running fail-safe, it becomes useless to have it running for any length of time that is more than can be endured. If it is only large enough for four days worth of oxygen and water, then it becomes useless after four days and must be reset again. The only other option is to build a much larger box, one where more food, oxygen, and hopefully a toilet, can be placed within the box

THE GRANGER INCIDENT

2009-05-05T12:46:00.000-07:00

Much has been written and discussed involving TGI or the Granger incident. A stroke of genius, mind-scratching and a unique moment in film. Two things must be addressed: the event being recursive and the event being unknowable.

Unknowable: The reason Granger is told about the box and why he is necessary as a time traveler. This part of the script was left open. Carruth did not write or develop the event at all. Rachel getting shot does not fit into the equation here. It may have happened, but then Aaron would have rewritten over that event and lied to Abe that it never occurred. It seems the idea to punch Platt, or some other mayhem, got out of control. In an emergency, Abe sends Granger back through the fail-safe. It is possible that he went to rescue the Aaron in the attic as he seems to try to avoid Abe and Aaron in the car. However, that Aaron could have escaped the attic and cause the mayhem that jeopardizes the Abe and Aaron that we see. Seeing an Abe outside of the house is also a confusing part of the scene. One way or the other, Granger has arrived, made contact with Abe and Aaron, and seriously sent the time line onto a tangent course.

The problem is that Granger(2) is confronted by Aaron before Granger(1) learns of the box. Granger(2) becomes a paradox. Now the contact is leading Abe and Aaron to avoid their trouble but has caused a huge ripple in time. Abe does not inform Granger(1) about the box, therefor he will never learn about the box and arrive in this time line. Yet, here he is. How does the paradox "work itself out somehow"?

Recursive: the events are repetitive and self-feeding or even self-causing. Granger's appearance causes, in effect, his own demise. Thus, there is no way of knowing what has transpired from the present moment for Abe and Aaron to the moment Granger got in the box and rewrote new events. His contact with an Abe and Aaron who are unaware of being in a repetition of the time line are suddenly thrown into circumstances that did not occur the first time through. Rather than solve this dilemma, Abe decides to use his fail-safe. However, if Abe leaves his former self alone, then that Abe will continue to repeat the same events, live through the Granger incident, and continue to fail-safe over and over. Abe must interfere with his former self despite his rules and wisdom. Part of the problem is that if Aaron decides to go back in his own fail-safe, then he will take the time line back to a point before Abe actually experiences the Granger incident. Would that Abe believe Aaron and avoid the Granger incident by avoiding the experiment? Or would he at that time attempt to fail-safe and blindly try to avoid this event?

As Granger's coma deepens, it would appear that his state of health declines as Abe considers the idea of using the fail-safe. Abe should have informed Granger(1) about the box (without knowing the reason why) and avoided any paradox. It could be that Granger was injured by Aaron behind the house, and in turn lied to Abe. Either way, Abe and Aaron are shocked to see Granger(2). Why? This is the first time that they realize that they are not in control. In fact, they are not in the present but the past. From their perspective, Granger arrives from the future. Both learn that one can never know if they are in the actual present or in a rewrite of time.

Abe learns of his needed actions from Aaron when he learns at the bench scene that Aaron has traveled to such a great extent and has recorded his repetition. (Except that the recording does not contain the Granger event since it was this event that helped Aaron see the need to record events such as the party with Rachel.) There is only one way to break out of this cycle that repeats itself over and over, but this leads to creating permanent doubles of Abe and Aaron. Again, a splitting of the minds. Abe wants to prevent Abe(1) from time travel. Aaron wants to avoid being a paradox and decides to call Abe(1) which will set him on the course to re-invent the boxes.

THE BENCH SCENE

2009-05-05T12:45:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite scene in Primer. It has so many classic elements. When you watch this film for the second time, you start to realize how complicated events have already become.

Aaron’s impulsive use of the time machine, his making a copy of one of the boxes, and putting his former self in the attic have set the stage for a great escapade.

"I was going to give you this big speech about how we’ve been friends for a long time and built up trust and that whole big thing ... but how about this instead." Abe implies that his last approach didn’t work. He knows that Aaron is impulsive.

Abe hopes to try a new approach, teaching Aaron about the box, giving him a few rules about its use. Abe has already built both boxes. This is not his very first trip. Note how Abe is confident that they will see his former self appear at the U-Haul. Later, he shows his experience with his knowledge of the static shock that Aaron experiences.

Aaron(1) is in the attic. Aaron(2) has his own box. Are there a lot of steps in between, not shown to us? The number is nearly endless. Aaron(2) may have followed Abe’s rules, allowing Aaron(1) to run around undisturbed. This could have led Abe to figure out what was going on and use his fail-safe to reset the timeline. If this happens, Aaron(2) can use his fail-safe, not only going back farther, but erasing Abe’s knowledge that Aaron(2) is already on the scene. In this case, Abe would not even know that he used his fail-safe at all. Such is the luxury of possessing the primary or earliest fail-safe. If Aaron leaves an 8 hour gap, then Abe would never arrive until Monday morning at the earliest. That would allow Aaron to exit his box on Sunday evening and get a good night’s rest. Then, he can calmly proceed to the park bench and begin the day anew.

ABE'S ERROR

2009-05-05T12:44:00.000-07:00

When Abe first constructs his fail-safe, he cannot imagine that it is fully functional when it turns on. His decision to be a good distance from the box when it powers up leaves him in the dark. When Abe turns on the fail-safe on Sunday evening and drives away, he should have stopped in the parking lot to see if he would indeed be exiting the U-Haul. It was his assumption that it could only be himself since he has not told anyone about this part of the experiment.

If Abe had observed himself exiting from the fail-safe on Sunday, prior to his construction of the second or daily box, he may have become fearful. What event caused me to use the fail-safe? What went wrong? Instead, based on the film, Abe would have observed Aaron exiting the facility. This would cause him to include Aaron in the project of the boxes.

Abe is also convinced at this point that it would be dangerous to contact anyone who exits the box from the future. The film shows this to be both beneficial and harmful. However, if Abe were to see Aaron exiting, he could turn around, look behind him, and observe another Abe watching him. If he left a note on the box for the person exiting, would he find 1300 notes when he returns? If he throws them all in the trash, would there be a huge pile of previous notes there?

When did déjà vu first hit you while watching Primer, the bench scene, the engineer’s joke, or with Granger? I would love to have a video of myself watching Primer for the first time. Everyone sees Abe on the roof before going down to talk to Aaron on the bench, the first time. When you watch it again, you say, "There are two Abes. Abe(2) is on the roof watching Abe(1) talking to Aaron. And Aaron has an earpiece, so it must be Aaron(2)."

THE EMPEROR HAS NO CLOTHES

2009-05-05T12:40:00.000-07:00

This is a common statement from some Primer critics. They have read a few ‘answers’ that they can see are full of errors. Unable to find answers, they conclude there is no solution to Primer. They contend that Carruth made the timeline so complex that anyone can say anything, that there is no true understanding. Has Carruth cleverly hidden plot flaws behind a smokescreen of intelligence? Is this movie a maze with no real exit? Why is everyone’s ‘solution’ online fraught with grave errors?

Consider the fact that if the plot were very simple instead of being complex, it would be hard for the audience to believe that Abe and Aaron were stuck in a loop unknowingly. The whole point of showing the film from Abe’s perspective is to give us his sense of trying to figure it all out. Nothing in the film breaks the rules established for time travel.

True, there is not a conservation of mass as there are two Abes at the same time. But, it is proven to the viewer that this is possible. Carruth shows that you can even interact with yourself. This is the basic foundation that is established. Be careful in making assumptions though. Not everything is as it seems.

For example, there are points in the film where one of the boys are the future version pretending to be their former self. You can become confused if you miss some of these turns in the timeline. Beware of the red herring. A smoked fish was used to train hunting dogs to follow a scent. Later, they must learn to follow the fox’s scent and not follow the fish scent, which is much easier to detect. Why do so many people follow that time travel must be the cause of the fungus? Probably, because Aaron has used the fungus to trick Abe. Abe believed it, so you did too. No one followed the fox.

ENDLESS REVISIONS

2009-05-05T12:39:00.000-07:00

Many people have tried to figure out the ending. The beginning though is even harder. The details can drive you mad. For example, was it a mistake for Aaron and Abe to tell Kara about their time travel? Could that have led Kara to call Mr. Granger? Did she wake up to find Aaron was gone? Did she look in the attic? Will someone begin to believe that Kara was responsible for TGI or will they claim that I suggested it? Is Aaron the only person who drinks milk in his house?

Ideas resurface in Primer, complicating matters. When Aaron talks about punching Platt, isn’t it obvious to Abe that this is Aaron’s way of saying he has already done this? Of course, we have to give Abe a break in that he doesn’t know that Aaron has his own box. Later, Aaron tries to wrestle with himself. Or what about Abe suggesting that he could keep the machine safe in a closet. Then, later, he puts himself in the closet.

So as we look at the timeline, every perspective changes our views. Did Abe really stall Aaron by slowly gaining success with the small machine? Or was Abe’s progress hampered by Abe(2)’s interference?

There is a lot of confusion surrounding the point when time travel begins in the film. It starts at a point in time when Abe has the fail-safe kick on. Three days later, Aaron finds it and gets in. Aaron does not hopscotch the two boxes to go back before the box’s creation. It is an interesting theory of time travel to explore but it is not part of the film.

When Aaron exits the fail-safe, he calls Abe. "Hey, tell me you’re hungry. Kara’s at her mom’s and I’m starving." The glitch Abe experiences, is the beginning of the timeline being rewritten. I like how Shane avoids answering this question.

HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF

2009-05-05T12:38:00.000-07:00

You are Aaron. Your watch confirms that you have reached the A end and it is time to exit as the box is cooling down. It is hard to believe that it is Sunday evening. Now, should you leave the box running or turn off the fail-safe? Are you in the box or not? Will your former self find the fail-safe and get in sometime Thursday? What will happen to you if he doesn’t? What will Abe do if he suspects you are from the future?

Your best option at this stage would appear to be to turn off the box and reset the 15 minute timer for it to run anew. You trust that Aaron(1) will perform the same routine as your past few days, get in the box, and exit this new timeline. Would you plant fungus on the weeble to convince Abe that the de-vice was dangerous? Did Abe tell me that the machine was too dangerous to look inside to prevent my time travel? How long has Abe had the boxes at the U-Haul? Abe must have used the box before Monday. How else would he know about the shock? How could he be so sure that his first trading day would be successful? Abe must have gone through this routine before, watching himself return to the box in the after-noon. Was Abe really working on the device at the shop or was that just what he told me? Maybe I figured out that he was keeping me from finding out about the boxes. Maybe he went back a day and erased that entire day from me. Where is Abe now? What did we do last Sunday night? I should give him a call. Hmm, Sunday 7pm. I’ll show him.

Contrary to some popular theories, using the fail-safe does not automatically create a permanent double. You would have to prevent yourself from using the fail-safe, perhaps by eliminating the event that caused you to use the fail-safe to begin with, or you would have to insure that the box was turned off without restarting during your time period.

A LIFE OF ITS OWN

2009-05-05T12:35:00.000-07:00

Shane Carruth is amazed at the life of Primer. Fans still love to discuss its details. Theories are cruelly belittled and bitterly defended. The timeline and which Aaron is which are disputed at www.Primermovie.com and at imdb.com. Try putting up a statement, wait for a reply, and edit your first comment. Presto, you have yourself a virtual time machine. You can begin to reverse engineer your statements. Most fans believe only their personal theories or ones they have fallen for at Whikipedia.com.

Why has no one solved Primer before? Simply that they continue to repeat the errors of others that seemed very confident in their answers. Some people actually use a second identity to agree and congratulate themselves. I have researched these sites extensively to prove that I am the first to solve Primer. I suspect that when these answers get out, some people will try to edit their theories to post this information as their own. So, I am writing history back to 2004, a 4 year time machine.

If the movie Primer led to this book, what will this book lead to? If there is nothing more to argue about will those boards die away? Carruth has already made his site a read only site, with just a few of us able to post new information. I don’t know how long I will last either. I fear if I post any major answers on his site I will be revoked, erased from existence.

But I may actually show up to argue against what I have writ-ten just to keep things alive. Maybe I will say that Aaron(3) is not really Aaron(3) or that Abe never built the fail-safe. I guarantee it will never be the wildest ideas that have already been posted. For example: Abe is Aaron, Aaron is Abe’s son, and there are 1300 Aaron’s in the last timeline. Time travel does lead to insanity, just look at what happened to Cole and Evan. At least Emit was just eccentric; at least he drove a Delorean.

FOR CRYING OUT LOUD

2009-05-05T09:13:00.001-07:00

Are there 20 Aarons in the attic? No. This is not ‘Calvin and Hobbes’. Whenever there are two or three of yourself running around, one of you is bound to turn off the box to prevent an abundance of yourself. Also, sooner or later, one of you will get the idea that there is at least one of you too many. (Hint: smell your milk first.)

Did Aaron or Rachael die at the party? There is no evidence that this ever happened in the film. True, we can not believe everything that Aaron says. However, death is just simply never brought up in the plot of the film. So it is going too far with what could have happened. If someone actually died, it would not make any ethical sense for Aaron(2) to invite this person to the party deliberately. It is apparent that Aaron(2) never thought to empty the shotgun before Abe mentions it, which would be likely if someone had been shot.

Is Abe in love with Kara? Is Aaron in love with Rachel? These ideas surface when Aaron and Abe have an exchange at the airport. This is just Aaron’s accusation. Likewise, at the fountain scene, Abe is angry that Aaron is time traveling by himself, risking his life for Rachel’s sake. He does not say that he thinks Aaron is in love with Rachel. These ideas are more of their paranoia than reality. When you fail-safe into almost total oblivion, you get a little edgy. Aaron’s decision to leave for France and let Aaron(1) have Kara may seem to Abe that Aaron(2) is detached or indifferent. Abe just doesn’t see the need to escape from the powerful effects of the boxes. His decision to watch over the next week’s events could pull him right back into the next cycle of the boxes that Aaron(1) and Abe(1) are about to build in another day or two. Thus if Abe(2) succeeds, he could cause his own paradox. Abe feels that it is his responsibility to control the future effects of his invention.

THE MISSING PRIMER

2009-05-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

Abe could build a box at the hotel and experiment with it there. From his experiments, Abe plans to record his work and compose a book on the elementary rules and principles for time travel, a primer.

Abe experiments with his watch. He starts the box. After three minutes, he opens the box and removes a watch that is identical to his own. He waits for 57 more minutes before he opens the box and places his own watch inside. Opening the box once again, he finds it is empty. Abe is excited. He repeats the experiment with a live mouse. Upon his success, he rents a unit at the U-Haul. This will be his fail-safe. He starts the fail-safe, rents another unit, and constructs another box. This will be his personal travel box, the one he will eventually show to Aaron.

Abe plans a number of experiments. On one of his time travel days, Abe returns to the hotel to avoid outside interference. As he looks outside the hotel from his room, he is shocked to see Aaron and himself walking into the hotel lobby.

What to do? Abe was not planning to tell Aaron right away. How could this be? Should Abe continue as planned or will he decide to use the fail-safe and attempt to work at a slower pace? Aaron’s rewriting of the past few days, from Aaron’s perspective, would cause Abe to see the future jumping into his present. Abe may be determined to be more secretive and less trusting of Aaron. He may decide that instead of working by himself with his experiments, he may need to keep a close eye on Aaron. Abe will not have the time to write his primer on time travel. All he has time for is a few minutes to scribble down a few main ideas on a piece of paper; four key rules that would restrict the use of the box, preventing any possible harm.

IS ABE A LIAR?

2009-05-05T09:11:00.000-07:00

When does Aaron begin to question Abe’s instructions? He is so impetuous to begin with. Why bother following the rules if you can always repeat your day from its beginning? Perhaps he thinks back to Tuesday morning. How did Abe know that I experienced a shock? How did he know I got out too early and not too late? Is he pretending not to know or has he not learned how to use this thing? Could he be suspicious that I am reliving this day? If Monday was his first trip in the box, why does he seem so well-practiced?

Is the box really "too dangerous to look into"? Abe is wrong. The box is not "one-time use only". Wrong or lying? When someone exits the box, he can not be in the box also. It is a new timeline. The box is empty. If I just take a quick peek.

"Stay away from your double." Why? I could teach him what I have learned. Now I know that these things are not true. But in order to insure that Abe thinks I am a first-time traveler, I will have to make the same mistake by getting out too early. I must insure that Abe does not use his fail-safe and erase all of the progress that I have made so far.

"Don’t touch the box when you exit." It has to be to my benefit to turn the box off after I exit. I need some time before anyone else exits from the future. I need to make sure that my double does not ruin things either. I have to keep him out of my hair somehow.

How many experiments has Abe conducted? How many 36 hour days has he lived? Why did he wait so long before he told me? Was that day one of the days that he has repeated? What did he erase?

ENDLESS PERMUTATIONS

2009-05-05T09:10:00.000-07:00

Solving Primer was like a blind man solving a Rubik’s cube. There are so many possibilities. How long did it take Aaron to realize the need to take Abe’s other box through the fail-safe? Where does he put his box and when does he turn on Abe’s fail-safe, Monday morning? When does he decide to go back and drug his former self? Aaron could try to drug himself before turning on the box. Then if he must fail-safe again, he returns moments after putting Aaron(1) in the attic. But that means if his attempt is unsuccessful, Aaron(1) could really make a mess of things, even preventing Aaron(2) from existing. Too much like the story, ‘By my own bootstraps’.

Abe’s shock at finding Aaron(2) after using the fail-safe makes him ask "How?" Aaron found the fail-safe to return to the timeline before Abe used the box on Monday. Aaron also realized that after he found the fail-safe on Thursday and went back to Sunday, that Abe(1) sent Granger from Friday to Wednesday evening to prevent Aaron(1) from finding the fail-safe. However, Aaron(1) can not find the fail-safe in the new timeline because he is stuck in the attic. After Aaron(2) wrestles with Aaron(3), he decides that using the box could erase himself, making him become Aaron(3). If you do not like your future self, go back and prevent his future, keep the machine off. Rework the party with Abe(2) and make sure that Abe(1) is out of commission as well. Trust each other. Trust the recordings. How long has this teeter-totter in time been out of control? It must stop if Abe and Aaron will ever exit and go forward in time instead of continually returning to the past. Even at the great cost of leaving his wife and daughter to Aaron(1); the most sensible option is to leave it all behind.

BECOMING SELF-AWARE

2009-05-05T09:09:00.001-07:00

Aaron(2)’s confrontation with Aaron(3) leads to a moment of Zen, an awakening. He sees the error of his revision upon revision. The job at hand is to repair the space time continuum. Aaron(2) learns to avoid the consequences that Aaron(3) has experienced. He can assist Abe to avoid the Granger incident as well. First, he must insure that Aaron(1) is drugged, that Aaron(3) is not allowed to exit the fail-safe by keeping it off, and he sees the need to record the day’s conversations. When Abe(2) returns from the fail-safe from tgi with Aaron(3), he will meet Aaron(2) who will proceed to instruct Abe to gas his former self, shut off his fail-safe, and rewrite the party for the final revision.

At the bench scene, Aaron(2) seems well rested and prepared. Abe, however, has lived several 36 hour days prior to his four day trip through his fail-safe. Abe is now self-aware. He is in shock to see, not Aaron(1), but Aaron(2). Abe will rejoin his friend Aaron(2) at the bench when his trip is equally successful. Without interference from their former selves or their fu-ture selves, they can run through the party, avoid the Granger episode, and finally exit the feedback loop in time. They are at fault for creating this disaster in time. Neither one can see what the other is causing. So Abe has been unaware of all of Aaron’s rewrites.

This shift in forward power to standing down with their continual use of the fail-safe is the reverse engineering of the timeline itself. While some fans have done a decent job in writing a forward timeline, they fail to see how it must go forward by retracing its origins. It is a bit of a mirror image with Abe and Aaron now fully aware of how to use their boxes to their fullest potential. Thus, the first bench scene will be repeated with Abe(2); the Abe who gasses Abe(1).

COLD WAR

2009-05-05T09:08:00.001-07:00

I started to write that Abe and Aaron were like the two super-powers of the USA and the Soviet Union in the cold war. I did not want to imply any metaphors in this purely fictional tale, even though the boys have the same substance, the same elements of escalating their powers by their unabated use of the boxes. I threw the page away and went to rent a movie. It was there that I fell into shock. I would stumble across the movie, that I will from here on out, refer to as the ‘Fail-Safe’.

I knew what it was before I even watched it.

After watching the film ‘Fail-Safe’, I had no doubt that this film from 1964 shaped the actions and emotions that are so vividly displayed in ‘Primer’. Man was not meant to mediate his own possession of unyielding power. It is the spying and meddling into each other’s affairs that leads Russia and the Americans into a nuclear disaster. The more complex their worlds became, the greater the odds for catastrophe. Things got complicated far too quickly. There is time only for actions and reactions, but not for contemplative thought.

"We let our machines get out of hand." the president says. Adding, "Do we learn from the future or do we let it happen again?" The only logical conclusion is that the machine that controls nuclear responses should not have been built. Each side needs to be completely open and honest with each other.

They must trust one another and stand down their mobilized forces. Abe and Aaron land in the same predicament. It runs parallel with this must-see film.

Note, if you read the book, the final solution is carried out in the last chapter entitled, ‘The Sacrifice of Abraham’. Yes, all along, Shane Carruth placed this gem of a clue linking Abe’s name and his use of the military term, the back-up plan, the fail-safe.

UN-TETHERED

2009-05-05T09:07:00.000-07:00

Abe and Aaron are not just ungrounded from time, but are suffering an emotional detachment. At the fountain, Abe wonders why Aaron is willing to risk his life for Rachel. Aaron does not have the same feelings for his family or his own personal welfare as he use to have. Aaron thinks that since he feels and thinks differently, that he must even look differently. Living in the past is very trying. Aaron is living a lie, a deception to his friends and family. The primer universe is a fairly selfish place.

Living days over and over is bound to make life quite boring. Is Abe different in that he is more stable or just that he has not traveled as much as Aaron has? It is likely that Abe has spent so much time on ‘the thing’ that his relationship with Rachel has suffered, even deteriorated. She has a boyfriend at the party. "She practically begs for this to happen."

Abe seems different too. Just by living 36 hour days or traveling in time for several days with minimal amounts of food and sleep can impact your whole life in itself. When Abe and Aaron finally find out what the other has been up to, it pushes them apart in two different directions. This is the very nature of the box. It drew them together and it spit them out. Paranoia has also played a leading role in their distance from one another.

How much impact did it have on Carruth’s life? Years of work with no guaranteed reward. Even without the Sundance awards, I hope that the fans praise and interest would in itself be enough of a reward. I appreciate that Shane researched the science behind time travel rather than just writing down a bunch of mumbo jumbo, like ‘The Sound of Thunder’. We must then, examine the science behind ‘Primer’ as well.

QUANTUM MECHANICS

2009-05-05T09:06:00.001-07:00

Always study the science before constructing a time machine. Feynman diagrams illustrate the effects of smashing atomic particles with a particle accelerator. Abe and Aaron do not say the box does this, but that it has similar properties. When you break apart atomic particles, they disperse and interact with one another, becoming more reactive particles as they decay. There are three main components. They are at times, attracted toward one another and at times, repelled from one another. The possible reactions seem infinite, yet causality is always preserved. Renormalization eliminates the amplitude of self-interactions.

In Primer’s time travel, the possibilities are also infinite but the results are likewise finite, even predictable. As events are repeated, the branches of the timelines connect with each other. Abe and Aaron appear as three main causes of the past, present, and future. At times, Abe and Aaron are drawn together, as well as drawn apart. At times, they interact with their other selves and at times, they avoid one another. They can act alone in secrecy or they can work together.

So, there is an infinite number of possible interactions between our two players and their components of past, present, and future. Yet, there are a limited numbers of actions that will result. In any timeline, one component may choose to fail-safe. When though, we arrive at the party, there is only one result that will not cause one component to send the timeline into a repeat of the past events. Sooner or much later, the branches recombine into the end result. As to the surviving components; some will exit or continue into the future while others may become absorbed into the past repetitions (the feedback loop). Their actions repeat themselves over and over without escape. This is just like the particles in the accelerator which both form and decay simultaneously.

SLOW DOWN

2009-05-05T09:05:00.000-07:00

Are you thinking that you purchased real estate in the middle of Lake Erie? If entering the box to travel into the past forms a rewrite of events, then how could Abe and Aaron sit there and watch Abe disappear into the past? Shouldn’t it result in a rewrite, erasing their memories of the last 6 hours? Or does the universe somehow know when you will cause a rewrite and when you will simply disappear from the timeline?

What really counts in the timeline’s possibilities is who sur-vives. It does not matter to the universe if Abe or Aaron exit at all. It’s no great loss when Aaron(3) fail-safes into infinity. There is only one final outcome (or central branch), one path that leads from the beginning to the conclusion. The fact that Aaron(2) survives to exit the feedback of the timeline, shows that his account matters. There is no universal law. It is the survival of the fittest. Abe was right when he said, "Worry about yourself first. Now is the only moment that has to make sense." Aaron(3) only matters in the sense that he interacted with Aaron(2).

Even if there was an Aaron(4) who fought with Aaron(3); Aaron(3) would see events as being rewritten by his use of the box (erasing the future Aaron(4)), while Aaron(4) would see Aaron(3) leaving his timeline (becoming Aaron(4)).

Abe and Aaron have made a critical error while watching the former Abe enter the U-Haul. He did not just disappear. He had to exit six hours later into a new timeline, or six hours earlier. This Abe is known as Abe the Houdini. Everything may have seemed fine, but Abe and Aaron still have a lot to learn. We will learn more about Houdini later.

QUANTIFYING

2009-05-05T09:04:00.000-07:00

I took on the task of quantifying and defining Primer because I felt Shane will never do so. As the creator of Primer, Shane does not need to examine and explain the minute details. He has had to perform this task twice; once in writing the script and again in editing the film to insure it was consistent with the timeline. This means that Shane can never view Primer from the perspective of the first-time viewer. He cannot imagine the aspect of being puzzled or dumbfounded as the film reveals its complex web of timelines. While Shane knew he was creating an enigma, he never thought that viewers would find Primer impossible to unravel.

We should be grateful that Shane did not dumb-down the film to the point where every detail was spoonfed to us. The only detail that Carruth has given in his interviews is in relation to tgi. Shane explains that Granger is suffering from recursion. The fact that he has an interaction with Abe and Aaron from the past may mean that now no one will tell him about the machine. Shane says that it is impossible to define exactly how Granger finds out. Carruth says he did not determine the details behind the scenes for this particular part of the script. It is not clear whether Granger’s future is erased because of Abe’s use of the fail-safe or if Granger interacted with the very person who would tell Granger(1) about the box before that event occurred. Granger(2) did not insure that Granger(1) would find the box in the timeline that his trip created. Without that information, Granger(2) becomes a paradox. Granger(1) was sleeping comfortably in his bed at home.

(As an addition: in an interview in France, Carruth has admitted that the narrator’s phone call "could only logically be Aaron(2) talking to Abe(1)". The interview is only available in French.)

WEIRD SCIENCE

2009-05-05T09:03:00.000-07:00

Unusual particles form inside a hadron collider. Some of them react with other particles and form the theorized ‘Higgs boson’, a particle that influences other particles into the formation of stars, planets, and even black holes. In our story, Abe(2) and Aaron(2) are thus, the Higgs bosons from our Feynman diagram. They are, in a sense, created by the power of the box. They continue to react with all of the other characters, including past and future selves. They shape events around them, even eliminating events if they wish.

Thankfully, Carruth did not write this as one mentally imagined fairy tale, like ‘Dallas’. It is a wonderful in-depth view of the scientific thinking behind time travel. If you fail to appreciate the difficulty of this, try torturing yourself some-day by watching ‘Timeline’. The science behind its time travel has been replaced with the worst possible explanation; perhaps an 8-year old might swallow. In ‘Déjà vu’, it is no small miracle that the time machine just by chance has a pod inside large enough to fit a human, magically is able to send human life (though not designed to), and can land that person in a hospital bed where his heart must be restarted. This is not meant to be science fiction, just mindless entertainment. Note the reference to the "cowbell", in which they poke fun at their own worthless scientific jargon.

When Abe and Aaron decide to change events, they form a new timeline (from their perspective). When they choose not to change events, but rather, repeat previous events, it is a rewrite from their perspective. Every time travel story repeats ideas from the past, as well as chooses new directions to go in. These new actions are incorporated into future stories. Try to picture this story without the influence of Pandora’s box or the Midas curse. Where would the future of our time travel movies be without Primer? I shudder to think. Thanks Shane.

CHANGES IN THE REPETITION

2009-05-05T09:02:00.000-07:00

As one relives a specific day, he may begin to question his own actions. Is he repeating what his former self did or is he repeating what his future self will do? Aaron is aware that everything he does may already have been defined.

Aaron initially theorizes that the machine is just an incubatorfor fungus. When this point in time is repeated, it becomes a statement from Aaron to potentially keep Abe from finding out that the box is safe for human travel. After this point, it may still be necessary to insure the proper location of the boxes.

"I spent all last night and a two hour lunch break just double-checking everything." Initially true. In the repetition, Aaron has only to pretend he did this work. It now insures Abe will proceed to build the working boxes.

This flexibility allows Aaron(1) to use the fungus as a joke. It allows Aaron(2) to use the fungus to help Abe determine that the machine can be used for time travel. This also allows for him to skip this step as unnecessary. In that case, something else may become changed. In order to restore the space time continuum, Aaron(3) goes back to use the fungus. Not having the fungus, even in the later repetitions, could lead to a possible disruption of the events that followed. In this scenario, the fungus has no other function but to disallow events that would fill the vacuum in leaving out the fungus step.

Insignificant seconds can have a huge impact on events, as can every little sentence in a conversation. This is fully demonstrated in ‘Lola Rannt’ (German) or ‘Run, Lola, Run’. It has some great music too, as does ‘Primer’ (written by Carruth).

SECOND GUESSING

2009-05-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

It is not as easy as it seems to imitate your self after exiting your ‘box’ or ‘coffin’. If Aaron(2) improvises a few things to speed up the creation of Abe’s boxes, Abe could accidentally skip over an important learning step. He may rush into building a box and construct it without the timer. Without having a timer, it would be impossible for Aaron to use the fail-safe.

Without trust between the two, there is always too much second guessing. In ‘Fail-Safe’, the Americans start to out-think themselves. What will the Russians do if they think we are lying? Walter Matthou suggests they use their mistake to launch an all-out nuclear attack. He is convinced that this would work because the Russians would never expect such an easily detectable attack. They would have to assume it was a computer error or a testing exercise. The stupid choice is the smart choice if only because it is completely unexpected. The Russians have no strategy for this. The otherwise smart choice is stupid because the Russians have been developing intense responses to any hidden agendas.

Later in the film, the Russians shoot down one of two errant American planes. The Americans tell the Russians which plane is empty and which is heavily armed. The Russians decide the Americans are trying to trick them. They shoot down the empty plane, sealing their fate for nuclear attack.

This illustrates that it is very hard for Abe and Aaron to trust one another. How could you know if their advice was full of deceit and trickery or honest advice? For that matter, how do you know your future self is telling the truth? Aaron(3) may have made up the whole story or added parts of it just to prevent Abe from telling Granger. Maybe Aaron(4) gave him a pile-driver behind the house when Aaron(3) says he slipped.

HOME, SWEET HOME

2009-05-05T09:00:00.002-07:00

Aaron refuses to listen to Abe. He may hope that in building a large box, he can live beyond the current sphere of control. Getting sucked into a nearly infinite timeline can be quite annoying. Aaron may surmise that no matter what Abe(2) does, Abe(1) will still be able to create the fail-safe that Aaron(2) used to become his current existence. There is the danger that Abe or Aaron could get trapped into another long cycle of a feedback loop if they attempt to reuse the same boxes. Maybe Abe(1) and Aaron(1) will simply disappear from the current timeline. Of course, they are bound to make the same errors that their predecessors made.

Abe thinks it is possible to prevent the boys from creating the boxes again. Maybe this time Abe will get to go on a "two year, world-galloping vacation". Every time Abe(2) begins to interfere, Abe(1) should get more suspicious, more paranoid, and thus more secretive. Did Abe ever show this previously? Note how Abe and Aaron cover the garage windows. Watch the fountain scene again. Would you really expect to find a cat in a huge fountain of water? How would you react to waking up in your attic or locked in a closet? How would you feel if people saw you at a party, but you were never there?

A lot of people focus on the phrase, "this is gonna pass". Is there a dual effect such that if Abe invents a working box, then Abe(2) will come and dismantle it, preventing time travel, preventing his own existence? Then, without Abe(2), Abe(1) will be successful at building a working box, creating another Abe(2) who will come and dismantle it? Is Abe(2) only saying that he will do this to try to prevent Aaron(2) from leaving, knowing he will build a box with the knowledge he has gained? Abe was the one who said not to contact your double in the first place. We must first answer if they are permanent doubles or soon to be gone paradoxes.

THE END OF THE WORLD

2009-05-05T09:00:00.001-07:00

"If you promise to do the few small things that I ask you, I will in return, show you the most important thing that any living organism has ever witnessed."

Aaron(2) has been confronted by Aaron(3). The information and ideas he expressed has not only given Aaron(2) advanced knowledge of the future but also, and more importantly, he has learned how to avoid that future. He will not simply go back in the box, disappear, and reappear as Aaron(3) to repeat the same mistakes. Instead, he wants to go back and relive the past few days and at the same time, take the steps necessary to prevent not only Granger’s appearance in the timeline, but Aaron(3)’s as well.

Aaron(2) goes back. He does not drug Aaron(1) this time. He has convinced himself that if he can prevent Aaron(3) due to their confrontation, that Aaron(1) could do the very same thing to him. By doing this, Aaron(1) should become a Houdini, leaving Aaron(2) to do as he pleases. He is sure that Aaron(1) will find the fail-safe, become the early version of Aaron(2), go to the party, and eventually disappear for good.

However, Aaron(1) will only time travel if he escapes from the attic, follows Abe to the U-Haul, and finds the fail-safe running. Fortunately for Aaron(2) as he will later figure out, Aaron(3) is already in the timeline. He was there before as a silent observer to Aaron(2). He may have even drugged him, taken his place, recorded the day, and gone back, erasing his memory of being drugged. If Aaron(2) decides to stay away completely during these events, then Aaron(3) will find, not Aaron(2) at home, but Aaron(1). Then, it will be easy for Aaron(3) to drug Aaron(1) and put him up in the attic. That poor guy, I hope he is not allergic to fiberglass insulation.

YOU ARE NOT THINKING FOURTH DIMENSIONALLY

2009-05-05T08:58:00.000-07:00

Despite Aaron(2)’s success in saving Rachel at the party, he must endure his time on the sidelines and allow Aaron(3) to overwrite those events if he is to escape the feedback loop. The only way to do this is to insure that Aaron(3) will get back in the box. If Aaron(3) actually gets things perfect and does not fail-safe, then he will exit the loop and leave Aaron(2) permanently stuck behind. When Aaron(2) does exit, he will not have experienced the final revision of the party; the one everyone else will remember.

Aaron(3) will take Aaron(2)’s place. He will meet Abe(2) at the bench with the recordings and convince Abe to go to the party with him. There is only one way to make him fail-safe. Aaron(2) must insure that things do not go smoothly at the party. This will cause Aaron(3) to use the fail-safe, feeding the feedback loop. If Aaron(3) concludes correctly that things are not going right because of Aaron(2)’s interference, it will cause him to go back and confront Aaron(2) at the house. For that matter, Aaron(2) could also send Granger back into the loop, startling Aaron(3) into thinking he was in a repeat of tgi and causing either Abe or Aaron(3) to fail-safe. Then again, Aaron(3) should try to observe events as Aaron(2) lives them. Aaron(3) will observe the events, fail-safe, take out Aaron(2), and begin his task of perfecting the events.

Is Aaron(2) outsmarting Aaron(3)? Is it his sacrifice of control that insures his escape? Or does Aaron(3) realize that he is going to become stuck in the feedback loop when he uses the fail-safe? Why would Aaron(3) sacrifice everything willingly? If Aaron(2) and Aaron(3) continue to fight and struggle for control, won’t Abe figure out that there are too many Aarons running around? The only solution for Abe would be to use his fail-safe to reset events, hoping for a better outcome.

TOTAL RECALL + MULTIPLICITY = PRIMER

2009-05-05T08:57:00.000-07:00

Aaron(3) exits the box. What he does depends on what the others do. If Aaron(3) thinks he has landed in a timeline where Aaron(2) does not exist, then Aaron(3) will go to the party. If he thinks Aaron(2) is in his timeline and causing problems, then Aaron(3) will confront Aaron(2) to convince him to get back in the box. When Aaron(3) sees Aaron(1), he will drug him and put him in the attic, taking his place. This timeline could be a new timeline where Aaron(2) has chosen not to drug his former self. Whenever Aaron(3) time travels and does not see Aaron(2), he will conclude that his former confrontation convinced Aaron(2) to get back in the box.

Aaron(2) exits his box. He has decided to repeat a former timeline but has chosen not to interfere with Aaron(1). He is not confronted by Aaron(3). From his perspective, he is in an earlier timeline. However, this could be a new timeline in which Aaron(3) has chosen not to confront Aaron(2). It is also possible that the person he thinks is Aaron(1) is really being impersonated by Aaron(3). When Aaron(2) drugs his former self, he cannot know if Aaron(3) is about to confront him or is hiding from him.

Thus, Aaron(2) and Aaron(3) are fighting against one another in the Primer universe. One of them has to back down and yield to the other’s attempt to control events. This is hard to do when you are both ambitious perfectionists. Aaron(3) really does want it more. Aaron(2) settles for giving up control for an opportunity to escape the feedback loop. It may seem that he has it all figured out. It is obviously more likely that Aaron(3) has a greater perspective and knowledge but has chosen to take control of events for the benefits only a person with his level of knowledge can accomplish. He will accomplish what Aaron(2) could not. Of course, his influence may have caused Aaron(2)’s failure in the first place.

THE AMAZING HOUDINI

2009-05-05T08:56:00.002-07:00

How did Abe walk into the U-Haul and disappear right before the eyes of Abe and Aaron? The timer read 6 hours at 3:00pm, so Abe reemerged into the timeline at 9:00am. What did this Abe do? Since it is a new timeline, he can do anything. He could continue in the exact same course and leave at 3:00. Or he could simply keep himself away from Aaron and Abe. He could be across the highway, watching Abe and Aaron standing by the truck.

Abe learns this point when he says, "I think we broke symmetry". When Abe saw that Aaron had his cell phone, he realized that Aaron should not have exited the box with the phone. Unless the time traveling Aaron has already exited the box with his forgotten phone. In that case, it is essential for Aaron to get in the box with the phone. The problem is there is absolutely no way of knowing exactly what Aaron exited the box with, to avoid a potential paradox later. It is strictly impossible for Aaron at 3:00pm to be exactly as Aaron at 9:00am. One is 12 hours older. They cannot be identical.

Do these types of events simply regulate themselves? Did Aaron forget to take his phone out of his pocket because he has already exited the box with it?

Aaron answers his wife’s phone call in the prior timeline and then, doesn’t answer it in the next timeline. This means that Kara should have no memory of contacting Aaron since that part was rewritten. Except that the time travelers have had no contact with Kara in the rewrite, which means her memory of the first timeline should remain intact. Only if Aaron talks to her should her old memories be replaced with the new ones. Abe wonders what has changed. He tries to see things from Kara’s perspective. Are Abe and Aaron really rewriting every event or are there two sets of Abe and Aaron co-existing? If we don’t see our duplicates, how do we know if they exist? (To put it plainly, the two phone calls to Aaron are really just one call at the same time. Abe and Aaron are yet to figure this out.)

TIMELINE

2009-05-05T08:56:00.001-07:00

If you understand the timeline cannot be strictly linear, is it truly circular? Not in the context of the beginning and the finale. Characters continue to join the feedback loop. The basic characteristic of the timeline, once all of the characters are on the scene, is a bit circular and a bit of a branching format. But you must envision all three Aarons and two Abes running around. So the timeline can jump from one branch into another depending on who uses the fail-safe. Many people may refer to this as a chaos theory. But there is a unique logic in every action. It is full of endless possibilities.

Think of a clothes dryer spinning with 32 red socks and 32 white socks. If you examine it through a glass window, how many options are available? How many will appear to be identical? How often will they appear in the perfect order of red, white, red, white, red? There is a branch, a timeline, in this cause and effect loop where the fail-safe will not be used by Abe and Aaron. Things will not be reverted to the past for another rewrite. Instead Aaron(2) and Abe(2) will exit. All of the other 1300 possibilities will wind-up with someone resetting the entire timeline, creating a virtual time vortex.

Aaron(1) and Abe(1) also exit. Aaron(3) does not. If anyone can ever draw over 1300 possible branches of the timeline and illustrate how one person’s use of the box can connect to other parts of the timeline, I will be more than glad to include it here. The classic drawing by M.C. Escher; ‘Ascending and Descending’ seems to be an impossible flight of stairs with characters going up and down. Yet, they continue on in a circular motion, just like the actions of Abe and Aaron. Andrew Lipson made an actual creation with plastic blocks.

Your eye is not being tricked as much as your mind is. You can figure it out.

THINK FOURTH DIMENSIONALLY

2009-05-05T08:54:00.000-07:00

Let us see just how deep the rabbit hole goes….

When Aaron(2) arrives at his home, he looks in and sees Abe, Kara, and himself talking about time travel. Should he break in that evening and drug the milk? (Does Filby drink milk?) Let us say that in the last timeline, Aaron(2) fail-safed because Aaron(1) was not drugged, which led to him causing serious complications. As Aaron(2) thinks about the timeline he is in, is it a rewrite of the last timeline or is it a new timeline that his travel has created? First, he must consider if in the previous timeline, was Aaron(1) really Aaron(1)? Was it Aaron(3) pretending to be Aaron(1)? Second, is he really looking at Aaron(1) now? Has Aaron(3) arrived already and taken Aaron(1)’s place? Is Aaron(3) merely repeating the conversation as Aaron(2) remembers saying it when he was the original Aaron? There is no way for Aaron(2) to know. (He might check the attic later.) Third and most importantly, the timeline that Aaron(2) remembers as the last one he experienced may not be the real previous one. It is completely reasonable to conclude that Abe(2) or Aaron(3) used the fail-safe in the last timeline. Since this action affected Aaron(2)’s memory, he does not have any recollection of those events. He will only remember the last timeline that he exited from! The same is true for any other time traveler in the Primer universe.

The whole scene may seem to be a classic comic chase scene; chasing and being chased by one another, running around, and creating havoc, until one of the characters jumps into the fail-safe and restarts all of the events. This factor of the plot is what makes it so difficult to begin or conclude any discussion about Primer. It is what makes the bench scene mind-numbing when examined in detail. The end of the film is also special. The end is a new beginning.

KNOCK-OUT PUNCH

2009-05-05T08:53:00.000-07:00

The new Abe(1) and Aaron(1), fresh out of the attic and closet, have four days less progress than their predecessors did when they started their time travel experiments. They do not know that Abe(2) will be an observer to their work on the boxes they plan to construct. This will not be easy, as they are both aware that something happened to them. Abe(2) knows that he could miss their success in the future. So, he decides to leave one of the boxes at the U-Haul running. This will be Aaron(2)’s fail-safe should either Abe or Aaron discover time travel.

Aaron(1) will find and travel almost four days back in the box. The box he finds will be the box Abe(2) has stored as the fail-safe! This makes Abe(2) decide to go back as well. When he arrives, he will find that Aaron(1) has taken control. He has therefore, become a new Aaron(2). He has insured that he is a permanent double.

This will create a new feedback loop. The only person in the world who can help them is in France, the Aaron(2) from the previous month. Let us say this new episode is early April. The older Aaron(2) uses the large box to travel back to early April. He comes back and joins this new timeline. He confronts the new Aaron(2), playing the role of Aaron(3). He only pretends to be Aaron(2)’s future self. Aaron(2)suspects that Aaron(1) escaped the attic and fail-safed to get revenge.

When Abe(2) discerns that Aaron(3)is really Aaron(2) from the last cycle, it is quite the shock. Obviously, before the confrontation with Aaron(2), Aaron(3) will have to observe the new series of events, go back and substitute himself with the recorder, and then go back to struggle with Aaron(2). Wow! Now you start to see how we have a story within a story. You see how Abe from the future and Aaron from the future were there from the very beginning of Primer. I know you see it.

TRUST ME

2009-05-05T08:52:00.000-07:00

Rules to Follow to Evade Causality Paradoxes or Generally Screwing Your Life Up:

1.Do not disturb the box after you exit it. You or your double is in it.
2.When re-experiencing time stay away from your double until he/she has started his/her journey backwards.
3.Worry about yourself first. Now is the only moment that has to make sense.
4.Don't be too curious about your surroundings.

Why does Aaron jump back into a problematic timeline? Is it to rescue Abe or the other Aaron? Does he do it for his wife?

Obviously, he doesn’t realize that the new Aaron, who has used Abe’s fail-safe, will exit after being confronted and will have the same idea to disappear to a foreign country. More of a surprise comes to Abe when he sees the storage manifest. He only rented one room. It was his future self who dangerously left the fail-safe where it would be stolen by Aaron.

The clue was in the name Terger; backwards it spells regret. The company name on Aaron’s shirt and camera is Emiba. Abime is French for a story within a story; also as engulfed, or in an abyss. This term certainly helps solve the beginning and end of the movie; unless like me, you find it last after explaining everything else. Abime is also from Mis-en-abime: an entity with another identical entity. Or also, it is an image of an image. This is exactly the term I have always used to help people understand why Abe and Aaron can barely write. They have made themselves a mirror image of an image.

Solving Primer has been a fascinating roller coaster of a ride. It reminds me of creating a math proof. You never actually solve it until you have done at least half of the work. You either finish it correctly or you scrap the whole project. I am still amazed that any one person could create such a complex and original outline. I have the greatest respect for Shane Carruth. I hope he will be pleased to know that a math geek was the first to crack the code.

As far as math goes, the word symmetry actually refers to its mathematical definition: the exact reflection of form on two sides of a plane, a balance. Abe understood that the phone call had broken the symmetry between them and their duplicates. I did mention to look at the math before.

ONE POSSIBLE FUTURE

2009-05-05T08:51:00.000-07:00

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 the 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.)

PRIMER IS ALIVE

2009-05-05T08:50:00.000-07:00

Part of Carruth’s legacy is the sub-culture his movie gave birth to. Primer fans love to discuss its details at length. They argue over which Abe is on the roof and which Abe is talking to which Aaron on the bench. There are hundreds of failed theories, just like the time line in the film. All of their wrong answers have led us to define true solution. Aaron and Abe learn the solution to the feedback loop due to their errors with time travel. This is a method used most often by mathematicians; find the answer by eliminating the wrong answers. Mistakes lead to true discoveries. (The old ones are still at www.primermovie.com. I took mine down so that people would have to read the whole book. It was just too confusing on a forum board to organize a lengthy discussion. But I also had some discussions before that which had errors as well.)

Do all Primer fans accept this? I doubt it. Many staunchly defend the old theories that were discussed before the book was printed. Perhaps it is like the time lines left behind where Abe and Aaron still battle for control.Solving the puzzling array of time lines in ‘Primer’ can be viewed as a math problem. Carruth was an avid math student, so this should come as no surprise. Finding an answer to a problem is not enough. One must provide a proof for their answer. The proof for Fermat’s last theorem is 200 pages long. Most experts cannot understand it. Also, an answer may be accepted until an exception disproves the proof. For example, it was accepted as true that: 2ⁿ+1=P (a prime number). Except 2 to the 32nd power+1 is not a prime number. It is the product of 641 x 6700417. But it took a long time for someone to disprove the then accepted thesis.

Recursive series of prime numbers are special prime numbers beset with a unique quality. This is the case with the numbers 714 and 715. Both numbers are the product of prime numbers, yet they differ by only one, being sequential. So 714=2x3x7x17 and 715=5x11x13. When this was discovered it fueled a search for other similar numbers. How was it discovered? By a mathematician who was discussing Babe Ruth’s home run number 714 being broken by Hank Aaron’s record number 715. Discovered by a casual discussion of sports, not math. These numbers are called Ruth-Aaron numbers. Thus Aaron was the catalyst of a great discovery, and thus the name of our time machine inventor.

Abe and Aaron's battle for supremacy causes a rippling effect on their world. To illustrate: a farmer raising corn has a field infested with insects. He is advised to purchase birds. The birds are effective in eating all of the insects but soon they have very few bugs to eat and so they begin to eat the corn crops. The farmer imports insects which keep the birds from eating the corn. However, the cycle renews itself as the insects begin to overrun his fields. The farmer will only have a successful crop if he keeps the balance between the birds and the insects. Notice too, how Abe and Aaron both cause major problems in Primer. They also need to have a proper balance in the Primer universe.

"Now I have repaid any debt I might have owed you." You know all that there is to this wonderful film. Perhaps now you can understand how hard it is to explain this unique film to others.

FILM BOSONS

2009-05-05T08:49:00.000-07:00

Atomic matter is created by the collisions in a large hadron collider. Notice that there is one in ‘Terminator 3’. The meeting of future Aaron and Abe(1) leads to a permanent Abe(2). The clash of Aaron(2) and Aaron(3) leads to the exit of a permanent Aaron(2). (Well, at least until he decides to go back into a different feedback loop than the one that he exited from.)

What will be the effect of Primer on future time travel films? Will we gain more intelligent scripts, skillfully avoiding the errors and major flaws that are so prevalent in many films? Will writers look to imitate non-linear dialogue? It is hard to build a time travel story without intersecting some of the ideas that have been expressed previously. It is not the purpose of a film to teach or influence others. It is just the most beneficial side effect. Some will imitate Primer, while others may boldly venture into new directions.

It is easy to see the down-side of a complex plot. Now you can begin to understand why so many critics praised Primer, but admitted that they understood almost nothing at all. For this, many of us are glad. We need more enigmas like Primer. You can only work on Sudoku puzzles for so long.

I would love to see a different storyline in ‘Terminator 3’. I prefer to have Sarah Connor alive. She could meet a young bodybuilder who looks like the T-101 from the first film. He is falsely accused and convicted of the crimes committed by the first T-101. After his execution, the Skynet technicians use his skin to create the first T-101 with human skin, which in turn is the cyborg that is sent back to 1984. You could even have Michael J. Fox working on the time machine for an added touch to a complete cycle in the time paradox.

tHE MAGIC IN PRIMER

2009-05-05T08:48:00.000-07:00

Abe makes an ominous threat at the airport. He must still feel that he can outsmart Aaron. Abe could always commit a crime and frame Aaron. Just make sure your double has an airtight alibi. This has become a strategic battle for control, for power, for their individual success. This is like the game 'Magic: The Gathering.'

Magic,the Gathering is an interesting two-player game. A game of power, spells, and strategy. Magic is a card game where each player is a wizard casting spells on his opponent, even spells to ward off spells. There are over 137 pages of rules. It is a complex game that appears very simple. Advanced players have complex strategies and counter-strategies. Every card has various conditions and effects.

In the game you can create and control a permanent player. You can create a repetitive loop, a series of events that has no way of stopping. ( resulting in a draw) Unless, the loop contains an optional action to break free. This inspired the basic plot of Primer’s time line. In the game, paradoxes have a way of working themselves out. If a played card requires an action that is impossible, then the new command must be ignored.

There are rules involving the replacement and prevention of permanent players, rules for infinite loops, even timestamps when entering a new zone (time line). Magic helps us to understand the infinite loop in the time line and the need for specific actions to break free.Do you remember the name of the stock they were buying? RGWU? RGWU is the code on a playing card in Magic, the Ink-treader card. Red, Green, White, and blUe (B is used for black).This card has the power to make copies of a spell. In a very similar manner, the box makes copies of the time line, even the time traveler himself. Like a spell, it affects everyone that comes in contact with the time traveler. For example, Abe travels back 6 hours and meets Aaron. Now Aaron is affected by the box. He spends the afternoon with Abe, unaware of his missed afternoon at work. The cards in the game of Magic are called "a box", just like the time machine itself.

This game is a special challenge due to its flexible rules; rules are updated, changed by new cards, or have strengths that can be blocked or reversed by new cards. Magic even has a paradox version called Unhinged. Magic has one unique feature, a mulligan which allows one player to reset the entire game. It is called 'a Paris mulligan'. This is the reason we see Aaron(2) working on his jumbo-sized box in France. He is said to be leaving for good but it is obvious that he is preparing to be able to reset the entire events that may occur in the next days, weeks, even months for Aaron(1), Abe(1), and Abe(2). A mulligan set in Paris. Magic.

I wish I could go back to that magical moment when I first viewed Primer. It's fun to watch other people view it for the first time. I would love to direct just a two minute sequel to Primer. Robert Redford and Paul Newman would play Abe and Aaron respectively. In old age, complete with gray hair, glasses, and a walking cane is Abe talking to Aaron. "If you promise to do the few small things that I ask…" Aaron replies, "I hope you’re not implying that any day of feeding these pigeons is unimportant." Abe and Aaron, still at it after all those years, perfect.

TAKE A BOW

2009-05-05T08:47:00.000-07:00

Note the wonderful camera perspectives in Primer, as well as the shapes in scenes, and the views through windows. This was a tribute to Shane's favorite, Stanley Kubrick. Note how similar the music is to "Solaris." There is so much anticipation and excitement in Abe,"It’s stable!" and his wonderment in "You’re talking about building a bigger one." The idea is born, unstoppable.

Having received the phone call; Abe knows he has the ability to create the time machine. Even though it may take weeks or months to finally realize his dream, he will not give up. Even if he has to pretend to do so, he will keep working secretly on his own. There may be days when Abe(2) cuts a wire to disable the box, leaving our hopeful Abe sitting in his box for six hours and exiting at 9:00 pm instead of 9:00 am. Time travel has to exist. If it didn’t, then there wouldn’t be all of this protein build-up on the weeble.

What was the defining moment in Shane’s creation? Was it the bench scene or when Aaron and Abe watch Abe vanish? "Who was that, Abe?" How did Carruth reverse-engineer such a perfect moment in film? The genius of this film is how Carruth produced a film that encourages repeated viewings. We see different perspectives with each viewing. Many will say that Aaron sitting on the park bench was really Aaron(2) after their first viewing. Then they will say it is Aaron(3) after their second viewing. Later, you will start to see that Primer is flexible. It could be any version of Aaron. Aaron(1) listening to the game, Aaron(2) imitating Aaron(1), Aaron(2) recording the conversation, or Aaron(3) repeating the scene by listening to recordings.

We would, or course, want to know "How". What does it take to create this great enigma and then have the fortitude and strength to say nothing? How many times did Shane have to cycle through the same conversations, with interviewers asking the same questions over and over? Did he wrestle with the idea of telling us? Shane has said by his actions: ‘My film is the only proof that you will have of any of this. I might have written a detailed explanation but my perspective is not what it used to be. Maybe you had the presence of mind to record this. That’s your prerogative. You will not be contacted by me again. And if you look, you will not find me.’

EPILOGUE

2009-05-05T08:45:00.000-07:00

Is there such a word as "evacipate"? No. However, it has become accepted as having the definition: "to undo the past."

What is ‘the eight’? We see 8 windows in the very first second of the film and the elevator goes to the 8th floor.There are up to 8 persons, one of each original Abe and Aaron and two of each time traveler (or 5 of Aaron and 3 of Abe). For example: Abe(2) is an observer. He travels back in the fail-safe. Until the former Abe(2) enters the box, there are three versions of Abe. (Shane has mentioned a few things in interviews such as this point. But it was first written here, before Shane made some admissions such as this and that Abe got the call from a future Aaron.)

Where did the name of Thomas Granger come from? Thomas Granger was named after Nobel winner Clive Granger who wrote an economic theory "Granger Causality". It basically states that one event leads to another subsequent event which is therefore predictable. Here, chaos is predictable. But also, the reactions and actions of each character is predictable, even the copies. Abe is always thinking, slow to action. Aaron is always rash, bold, ready to over-write any errors.

Did it really take three or four days or only 1/1300th of that time? If that was the case, then why would Abe or Aaron need to bring food and water and oxygen for four days worth? Time travel in Primer is definitely a one-to-one ratio.

Was Primer based on "The Door into Summer" by Robert Heinlein? No, but Heinlein was probably the first writer to deal with multiple versions of oneself. Try reading it as well as "By His Bootstraps" for some deep thoughts.

Why is there the sound of the ocean? Shane says it is a residual sound from the original time line. They traveled together and went to the beach. I would have liked to see that in the film. It is a hidden clue, one the viewer can only hear.

There was another audio clue that Aaron was a time traveler at 24:31. At this point you can hear Abe saying,"We thought we were degrading gravity.." in a somewhat muffled voice. It wasn't poor sound editing. It is the sound playing on Aaron(3)'s recording. ( Yes, there were a number of sound errors in the film itself. In fact, Shane's brother John dubbed in his voice due to a poor recording in the basketball sequence.)

Andrew Lipson’s website, which shows a 3-D model of an endless staircase, is http://www.andrewlipson.com/ The Penrose stairs was the original cover from M.C. Escher on the book "The Primer Universe".

Thanks to every Primer fan: past, present, and future.

IN A NUTSHELL

2009-05-05T04:18:00.000-07:00

I was asked if I could sum everything up in one page. Here goes...

Let's say that Abe invents time travel on Groundhog Day, Feb 2, 2001. What we would perceive as his last action is his first. It is backwards because this action is what Abe does in his last revisions. Abe and Aaron go back as far as they each can. It won't go back far enough for Abe because Aaron is still in control.

So Abe invents the box. Abe2 exits and breaks the box. He is a silent observer. He keeps a safety box in a storage unit and builds up money.Instead of inventing time travel in the first week of February, Abe's interference postpones his progress until March. Only when things go wrong in early March will Abe use his fail-safe and learn, as in the end of the film, that Aaron3 is already there.(A fail-safe that is coffin-sized is only useful for a few days at a time) Why? When Abe2 steps out of the box and breaks it, Aaron from the future(from 6 hours to four days) has already exited before him and insured that he has the upper hand.So, Abe builds the box, Aaron3 exits, steals a passport and moves to France, building a box the size of a house. Perhaps somewhere in the middle of March, he goes back several weeks, and arrives back on the scene around March1, 2001. You may say that we should call him Aaron2, the one that leaves to build the large box. It is, in a sense. Aaron returns as Aaron3 due to using the giant box. Thus he enters and exits, depending on your point of view. Truly brilliant of Carruth here.

He is actually, as the brought out, Aaron2 (or Aaron2 from Feb). He tells the Aaron2(from March) that he is Aaron3 or Aaron2's future. How much Aaron3 tells Aaron2 about time travel or the giant box he built in France or Granger is not stated. Hopefully, you can see why there are so many people when Abe 'first' discovers time travel in March.

Now, in March, despite Abe2's relentless efforts, Abe1 builds a successful box. From his perspective, it is the first time. From Abe2's perspective, it is the second time. Abe2 is angry when he finds out that the reason Abe1 didn't give up, the reason Aaron slyly says 'You can't watch them forever', is that Aaron knew what Abe says is correct. They would give up, unless Aaron3 gives Abe1 a phone call before leaving for France. From his perspective, I think he is insuring his survival.(It seems possible that if Abe does not invent time travel again, then Aaron3 may cease to exist. I wouldn't want to find out, if I was Aaron. Better safe then sorry.) If Aaron3 was calling Aaron1(instead of Abe1) then he should just say, "Here's the box and how to use it." It is much safer to create this relentless Abe1. He won't give up because he knows he can do it. And since he hasn't experienced it personally, he will not give up.

Sadly for this Abe, when he does invent time travel (now for the second time from our perspective) Aaron will still get the upper hand by taking a box and exiting and knocking himself out. Later, when Aaron3 arrives at this same point, he confronts Aaron2 and convinces him to leave, taking his place.(Obviously, Aaron3 has lived these events, recorded them and gone back a day or two, so that he has the recordings.) This Aaron2 leaves or exits, leaving Aaron3 in charge to make the final revision that everyone else will remember. Thus, (thinking backwards) the airport scene of Abe and Aaron arguing, can take place as early as Monday, while our brains from watching the film, makes us think that this event is later in the week.

So which box did Aaron2 find? He found not Abe1's box, but Abe2's box. This is why Abe is confounded when shown the storage manifest. He didn't build that box or even know that it existed. Abe2 knows how important a fail-safe is. He just didn't realize how much it would complicate matters, especially from our viewpoint.

In one way, we have Abe1, Abe2(from Feb), and Abe2(from March)....perhaps it becomes easier to call Abe2(from Feb), Abe3. It just gets confusing that Abe3 is around before Abe2(from March). Recently, I started to refer to Abe3 as Abe2a and Abe2(from March) as Abe2b (for clarity, believe it or not, as I know how confusing it can be to sit and read this). The same goes for Aaron. Aaron3 is first. He is an Aaron2 from Feb.or Aaron2a. Thus Aaron2 in March is really Aaron2b. This is mind-numbing.

The Primer Universe
S., Timothy
Copyright©2008 First Edition, 2010
Primer©2004 ThinkFilm
No part of this book may be reproduced or
Transmitted in any form without permission
In writing from the author.