In-Universe
O período de 29,7 anos foi supostamente previsto no (mundo real) paradoxo EPR proposto por Albert Einstein, o pai da física temporal.
Embora não seja explicitamente declarado no episódio, parece muito provável que Quinn tenha usado esses mesmos algoritmos ao calcular como construir o dispositivo timer. Isso também explica como o cronômetro sabe quanto tempo precisa gastar em cada mundo antes de abrir outro portal:
DIANA: You're stuck here for 29 years.
MAGGIE: How did you know that?
DIANA: That period is one of the predicted algorithms in the EPR paradox.
REMBRANDT: Whatever. It's been one of the rules since the 'get-go.'
Fora do Universo
Por que esse período foi escolhido (fora do universo), foi simplesmente uma decisão de escrita que cria um senso de urgência:
How come a window can be “minutes on some worlds and months on others” – why not years, or even 29 years; if the next window is 29.7 years (if they miss their slide), why are their stays limited to minutes or months, and not years (besides the obvious TV complications this would present to the series)?
"I could give you a pseudo science answer, but the real reason is whatever serves a given story. Besides which, it’s fun to have them one place for an hour in one story and a few days in another, it shakes up the mix." - MARC SCOTT ZICREE Interview: SLIDERS CYBERCON ’98
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What is the significance of the 29.7 years?
"That’s just one of those silly rules that, you know, you have to come up with for these things and it sounded better than 30. Because 29.7 years, we used to all go around… I got a lot of flack from that from other people. I mean, 29.7… in fact, it really bothered Bob Weiss. He kept insisting it’s gotta be a nice, round figure. I said, I am not budging on this! It’s 29.7!" [Laughter] - TRACY TORMÉ Interview – DRAGONCON 1999