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StarTalk @ NY Comic Con: It’s About Time! (Brian Greene & Neil deGrasse Tyson)

StarTalk・2 minutes read

A panel at New York Comic Con featuring Neil deGrasse Tyson and other guests delves into time travel in "Doctor Who," quantum physics in Ant-Man, and parallel universes in "Stranger Things," discussing concepts like self-consistency, changing constants, dark energy, and multiverses. The event celebrates Tyson's birthday, reflects on NASA's history, and emphasizes the importance of science in bringing people together to explore possibilities, highlighting the diverse influences on Tyson's journey into astrophysics.

Insights

  • Time travel in "Doctor Who" involves accessing multiple timelines to save the universe in each episode, showcasing a non-linear understanding of events.
  • Quantum physics laws govern Ant-Man's ability to shrink, requiring energy release equivalent to mass lost, emphasizing adherence to known physics principles.
  • The discussion explores multiple universes and the potential for communication between them through gravitational waves, wormholes, and entangled gravitons, reflecting on complex inter-universe travel mechanisms.

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Recent questions

  • What topics are discussed at Star Talk?

    Time travel, quantum physics, parallel universes.

  • Who discusses time travel at the event?

    Brian Greene, a theoretical physicist.

  • What acronym is introduced in "Doctor Who"?

    TARDIS - Time And Relative Dimension In Space.

  • How does time travel affect parallel universes?

    Allows changes in a separate universe to avoid paradoxes.

  • What is the significance of dark energy and dark matter?

    Possible manifestations of another universe bleeding into ours.

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Summary

00:00

"Time Travel and Parallel Universes Discussed"

  • Star Talk at New York Comic Con features Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, James "Murr" Murray, and Brian Greene as guests.
  • The event covers three topics: time travel in "Doctor Who," quantum physics of Ant-Man, and parallel universes in "Stranger Things."
  • Brian Greene, a theoretical physicist, discusses time travel to the future and the use of wormholes for traveling to the past.
  • The concept of time travel to the past raises issues like the chronology protection conjecture and the potential for creating paradoxes.
  • Brian Greene explains the idea of self-consistency in time travel, where changes in the past are prevented to maintain a consistent timeline.
  • The possibility of changing the past in a parallel universe is discussed as a way to avoid paradoxes in time travel.
  • The TARDIS in "Doctor Who" is introduced as an acronym for Time And Relative Dimension In Space.
  • Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice engage in humorous banter about their knowledge of "Doctor Who" episodes.
  • The event concludes with a light-hearted discussion about the TARDIS and the acronym it represents.
  • The guests share anecdotes and jokes about time travel and the implications of altering the past.

12:39

"Doctor Who" Explores Time Travel and Dimensions

  • In "Doctor Who," a British police call box serves as the entrance to an entire ship, representing access to another dimension of space.
  • The ship's interior is depicted as larger than its exterior, a concept referred to as "It's bigger on the inside."
  • The show explores the idea of time as wibbly-wobbly and timey-wimey, suggesting a non-linear understanding of events.
  • Time travel in "Doctor Who" involves accessing multiple timelines to save the universe in each episode.
  • The discussion delves into the concept of time perception among different species, challenging human assumptions about animals' cognitive abilities.
  • The panel debates the ability of humans to communicate with animals in their language, highlighting the intelligence of certain primates.
  • The conversation shifts to the possibility of time travel and the implications of traveling close to the speed of light.
  • The panel explores the relationship between time, speed, and aging, discussing the effects of traveling at near-light speeds on time perception.
  • The GPS satellites' time differences due to their orbit height are explained through Einstein's theory of relativity.
  • The challenges of shrinking atoms and the limitations imposed by quantum laws are discussed, emphasizing the inability to compress atoms to zero size.

24:11

"Quantum Physics Impacts Universe Through Constants"

  • Changing the strengths of forces alters fundamental speeds, affecting processes like nuclear reactions in stars and the lighting up of stars, impacting the entire universe.
  • The discussion shifts to changing constants for a specific location, like where Paul Rudd stands, rather than altering them universally.
  • Shrinking someone while maintaining their mass results in them being highly radiant due to the release of energy, as explained by Einstein's theory of energy and mass equivalence.
  • Quantum entanglement, a concept from Einstein, involves particles influencing each other regardless of distance, with potential implications for encryption technology.
  • Quantum physics manifests differently at smaller scales, with different forces dominating, as seen in the movie "A Bug's Life" with a mosquito ordering a Bloody Mary.
  • Quantum processes, like those involving ADP and ATP in organic chemistry, occur at the molecular level in the body due to the laws of quantum physics.
  • The discussion briefly touches on the concept of the "big crush," described as the opposite of the Big Bang, involving a convergence of matter.
  • The Big Bang scenario involves a fusion of large and small scales, where quantum physics and general relativity intersect, giving rise to string theory.
  • Ant-Man's ability to shrink would require releasing the energy equivalent to the mass lost, creating a bright light effect in line with known physics laws.
  • The conversation concludes by affirming that Ant-Man's abilities could be theoretically possible within the confines of known physics laws, emphasizing the importance of not altering universal constants.

35:49

Inter-universe travel through black holes and wormholes

  • The protagonist in the film shrinks and needs to find energy to sustain himself, possessing bug-like strength at that size.
  • To return to his normal size, he must save a colony of ants and absorb energy back into himself.
  • The discussion transitions to the TV series "Stranger Things," focusing on an upside-down world and the disappearance of people into a parallel universe.
  • The concept of "branes" in string theory is introduced, suggesting multiple universes existing as slices in a higher-dimensional cosmos.
  • Communication between universes could potentially occur through gravitational waves, akin to a gravity phone.
  • The idea of dark energy and dark matter possibly being manifestations of another universe bleeding into ours is explored.
  • Wormholes and black holes could theoretically create portals between universes, governed by known physics laws.
  • Entangled gravitons could exist in different universes, allowing for communication across dimensions.
  • The multi-world interpretation of quantum physics posits the existence of parallel universes where all possible outcomes occur.
  • The notion of disappearing into another universe without special arrangements is debunked, requiring complex gadgets like black holes or wormholes for inter-universe travel.

47:09

"Infinite Multiverse: Exploring Possibilities and Realities"

  • The concept of the multiverse is discussed, where infinite universes exist with various possibilities and outcomes.
  • Different orders of infinity are mentioned, indicating that some infinities are larger than others.
  • The idea that all possible configurations of particles are represented in different worlds is explained.
  • The necessity of an infinite number of worlds to accommodate all configurations of particles is highlighted.
  • The importance of consistency in fictional settings and rules in storytelling is emphasized.
  • Percival Lowell's belief in canals on Mars and its influence on H.G. Wells' "War of the Worlds" is discussed.
  • The significance of science and curiosity bringing people together to discuss possibilities is acknowledged.
  • Neil deGrasse Tyson's birthday is celebrated, coinciding with NASA's founding week.
  • A birthday letter to NASA reflecting on their shared history and future is read.
  • The impact of NASA's history on the author's personal experiences and perceptions is shared.

01:02:22

NASA's Efforts to Promote Diversity and Inspiration

  • James Webb, head of NASA, wrote to Wernher von Braun, directing him to address the lack of equal employment opportunities for Negroes in the region and collaborate with Alabama A&M and Tuskegee Institute to recruit qualified Negro engineers into NASA Huntsville.
  • Despite societal challenges, Neil deGrasse Tyson pursued astrophysics, finding inspiration in libraries, books, his rooftop telescope, and the Hayden Planetarium, eventually becoming a professional astrophysicist.
  • Tyson acknowledges NASA's progress, noting its representation of America from senior managers to astronauts, highlighting the public's ownership of the Hubble Telescope and his role on NASA's Advisory Council, recognizing NASA's ability to inspire the nation's dreams.
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