Time is of the essence! Or, is it? Is time travel possible? Can we change the past? On this episode of StarTalk Radio, Neil deGrasse Tyson explores the wibbly wobbly, timey wimey nature of time itself with theoretical physicist Brian Greene, comic co-host Chuck Nice, and Impractical Joker James “Murr” Murray.
Join us on a pop culture adventure, from the TARDIS of Doctor Who, to the shrinking capabilities of Ant Man and the Wasp, to the Upside Down parallel universe of Stranger Things. Explore if the laws of physics allow time travel to be possible. You’ll learn how the physics of time travel differs depending on whether you’re going into the future or the past. We discuss wormholes and what happens when you place a wormhole next to a black hole.
Find out about the “chronology projection conjecture,” a concept first introduced by Steven Hawking. Ponder the logic paradox that occurs when you travel into the past. You’ll find out if other species process time similar to the way humans do. We also venture into the fourth dimension as we explore the TARDIS and it’s capabilities.
Next, we move from time travel to the Quantum Realm as we discuss the shrinking science of Ant Man and the Wasp. You’ll learn what the laws of physics say about shrinking. Discover more about the empty space inside atoms. Investigate “molecular disequilibrium,” quantum entanglement, and what Einstein called the “spooky action.”
Neil gives praise to the movie A Bug’s Life on its ability to represent the microscopic (besides the obvious error in ant anatomy).
Lastly, we take a trip to the Upside Down as we investigate parallel universes. Find out more about string theory and the “brane” idea. Explore the idea of a “gravity phone” used to send out vibrations in space time rather than vibrations through air. Unlock the possibilities of the Many-Worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics and learn more about the “order of infinites.” All that, plus Neil offers an emotional, poignant happy birthday message to his birthday buddy, NASA.
