The Long Gallifrey Day Theory

## Theory

   The Timelords of Gallifrey aren't as old as they seem, because a Gallifreyian year is longer than an Earth year, so that means that when The Doctor says he is 2,100 years old, he is actually much younger than that, possibly 300 in Gallifreyian years.

This would explain why the Doctor is so inconsistent in reporting his age, because he keeps switching between giving it in earth and Gallifrey years.

Discussion Page

## Evidence

1. Gallifreyan years are longer than earth years, based on how they have two suns (only a bit, though), and **the planet is much bigger than earth**, as seen in The End of Time: part two (Careful. Would this really result in longer days or years?).
2. Their days and nights would also be longer, perhaps resulting in a slowed metabolism, slowed aging, and extended lifespans.
3. In The Return of Doctor Mysterio, the little boy does something childish, and for for some odd reason , in his fluster, he asks the boy "aren't you 48?, despite him obviously being a child. This is strange even for the 12th doctor, but it could be that a person who is 8 on Gallifrey would be 48 in earth years, and that they age more slowly than earthlings.
4. He was "just a kid" at 90 1. This could mean human years.
5. The Second Doctor claimed to be "something like" 450 in ***Earth years***.
6. He was a teenager for 50 years 1, and 7, the number of years you are a teenager, divides into 50 almost perfectly. 50/7 = 7.1, so perhaps seven Earth years is roughly one Gallifreyian year.

## Counter-Evidence

1. The First Doctor would have been only one when he entered the Timelord academy, and six when he exited primary school! Also, he would have been only 33 (Christ figure?) when he stole his TARDIS and left Gallifrey (an age he did not look) (1). **But:** This could well be a case of him switching between reporting his age in Earth and Gallifreyian years. Otherwise, going by the ages he reports for each event, he first went to the academy at eight and then primary school around the age of 45. If we take 8 to already be in Gallifreyian years and divide 45 by 7 to get that in Gallifreyian years as well, though, it makes more sense. He exited primary school at around 6 and then went on to the academy two years later at 8. Also, it does not matter how old he looks! How old he looks is independent of his age. **Counter:** We learned in the last (2017) Christmas special that the first doctor really was the first face. We know that when he was younger, the first Doctor looked like a child. We know from the Christmas episode where 11 regenerates that it takes a millennium or so for him to look like an old man.
2. To #3 Are we to assume that a 8 year old Timelord would act as maturely as a 48 year old human? Because the Doctor is implying that he is an adult, and that he is surprised (or feigning surprise) that he does not act his "age". **But:** Given how vastly superior Timelords are to humans, yes; a Gallifreyian 7 year old might be as intelligent as a 48 year old human.
3. To #3. 48/7 = 6.8 ~ 7 **But:** The Doctor was approximating his age, and could have been a little off.
4. It is simpler to assume that someone as old as the Doctor is forgetful about his age. **But:** He has a superior intelligence to humans, and probably a superior memory made to remember a very long life.

### Notes:

According to the TARDIS wikia, "Cindy Wu pointed out the uncertainty in whether the Doctor gave his age in Gallifreyan or human years, "or some cosmic measurement tied to absolute zero universal center?" in the comic "The Lost Dimension" (1).

Timelords spent "centuries" at the academy . Let's say the Doctor must have graduated by the time he was 33 in Timelord years, since it seems he did graduate and he could not have done so if he ran off before that. Let's say he spent 200 years at the academy in earth years. 200/7= 28. That's still a long time, but believable given what the complexity of what they are studying. It could not be 300 years or higher, however. 28 + 8 = 36 (36 \* 7 = 256), however, which makes this a bit of a stretch. It could just be rounded to "centuries" from something relatively close to 200, however. (175/7 = 25) + 8 = 33.

### References:

1. ↑ http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/The\_Doctor's\_age
2. ↑ http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Time\_Lord\_Academy
. ☀http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/The\_Doctor's\_age **refers to**  (TV: *The Stolen Earth*) AND **☀(COMIC: *The Time Witch*) AND** ☀(TV: *The Tomb of the Cybermen*)

Original Theory by user Emma-Song.