Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials [[SPOILERS!!]]

[Morrus]

There's no need to ever address mavity again. The TARDIS translates, remember? Well, forevermore whenever it's around, it'll translate mavity into gravity. Just this one episode it couldn't.

There’s nothing to translate. It’s not another language. It’s just that Newton decided it would be called mavity.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Really enjoyed the second special. The first one felt a little predictable and preachy to me. But I haven't seen any of the 12th or 13th doctor's runs, so maybe the character of the series has changed in recent years.

 

[RangerWickett]

There’s nothing to translate. It’s not another language. It’s just that Newton decided it would be called mavity.

My assumption is that the tardis is flexible in what defines as a language. After all, Isaac Newton sounded the way that we expect someone from the 17th century to sound, even though that's not how they actually sounded.

The tardis is making things easy for our mostly British audience to understand.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

There's no need to ever address mavity again. The TARDIS translates, remember? Well, forevermore whenever it's around, it'll translate mavity into gravity. Just this one episode it couldn't.

Except for the not-Bechdel Test moments when the Doctor isn't around and they're on Earth. But you're right that, most of the time, it won't be an issue.

 

[Rabulias]

There's no need to ever address mavity again. The TARDIS translates, remember? Well, forevermore whenever it's around, it'll translate mavity into gravity. Just this one episode it couldn't.

But the Doctor says "gravity" when Donna reacts to him saying "mavity" while the TARDIS is away.

 

[Ryujin]

But the Doctor says "gravity" when Donna reacts to him saying "mavity" while the TARDIS is away.

I thought that The Doctor said "gravity" and Donna corrected him by saying "mavity."

 

[Morrus]

My assumption is that the tardis is flexible in what defines as a language. After all, Isaac Newton sounded the way that we expect someone from the 17th century to sound, even though that's not how they actually sounded.

No, there's nothing to translate. Gravity just got named something else in that timeline. Like, if Donna's mother had named her Betty instead of Donna, Betty wouldn't translate to Donna. Her name would just be Betty.

 

[Rabulias]

I thought that The Doctor said "gravity" and Donna corrected him by saying "mavity."

I was not 100% sure so I went back and reviewed that segment. I was slightly wrong, but it makes a stronger case that "gravity" is still the term the Doctor knows.

The Doctor: The captain of the ship. Circling round and round forever. Caught in the gravity field.

Donna: Caught in the what?

The Doctor: Mavity field.

 

[Ryujin]

I was not 100% sure so I went back and reviewed that segment. I was slightly wrong, but it makes a stronger case that "gravity" is still the term the Doctor knows.

The Doctor: The captain of the ship. Circling round and round forever. Caught in the gravity field.

Donna: Caught in the what?

The Doctor: Mavity field.

The Doctor has a somewhat special relationship with time and is likely able to recognize changes like this for what they are.

 

[RangerWickett]

I mean, it's just a silly joke, with no rational basis, because the word gravity in English comes from the Latin gravitas, meaning weight.

I can forgive Doctor who getting space science wrong a lot, so I guess I can forgive it getting linguistics wrong too.