Physics Behind Interstellar Movie and How it Changed my Perception of Viewing The Universe.
Interstellar is a science fiction movie directed by Christopher Nolan, which came out in 2014. It is consider as one of the most accurate sci-fi movies that used Einstein`s theory of relativity and visualize about the effect of time dilation. Nobel price lieutenant physicist Kip Thorne used the concept of physics to make it more scientific and accurate.
Synopsis: Interstellar shows a group of scientist headed towards another galaxy through Wormhole to find new home, as Earth is getting worst day by day.
Components:
TARS and CASE: They are the robotics with A.I that controls the operation in the spacecraft by the order of the team.
Endurance: It`s the space station with centrifuging mechanism to maintain earth`s gravity.
Actual Physics:
Higher Dimension: We experience our universe in 3 spatial and 1 temporal dimension, That`s why we call it 4 dimensional space time. Higher dimension simply means greater than 4 dimensional space-time either in spatial or temporal. We live in one temporal dimension, due to this we can only travel from past to present to future. Two temporal dimension can reverse the direction i.e. from past to future and vice-versa. In the movie, it is explained that higher dimensions beings can interfere lower dimension through gravity. Likewise, we see when cooper is in the tesseract (fifth dimensional space-time) was communicating with Murph using gravity. In the beginning we see inference like Murph`s ghost in library, magnetic compass acting strange which we later found these effects were happening as higher dimensional beings( in this time Cooper) was trying to communicate.
Who are “They”: Prof. Brand explains referring to someone as ‘they’ who were helping them since 48 years. Those beings might be aliens or higher dimensional human civilization or anyone. It didn`t cleared but their intentions were to helping current human civilization.
Professor`s Plan A and Plan B: In case the group find a new home. Prof. Brand has two ideas to immigrate into new home.
1. Plan A: The station of NASA secret base is already centrifuge. That means the station is rotating that applies centrifugal force. This mechanism helps to maintain Earth gravity in space. Prof. Brand`s Plan A is to find out a gravity equation on Earth that allows humans to power back and forth in difference universes and galaxies.
2. Plan B: Population Bomb, In case Plan A not succeeds, they will bring fertilized eggs of human species into new home. By this plan, only next generation humans can survive and existing humans can`t.
Time Dilation: Time dilation is the magic like phenomenon occurs those slows and speed up the flow of time in certain condition. It is described in Einstein`s special theory of relativity. In the movie time is dilated due to the effect of huge gravitation pull from a black hole Gargantua .In fabric of space time, Time can be dilate in two condition:
1. Speed of Light: If we approach near the speed of light, time will be slow for us as compare to others in Earth.
2. Gravitational time dilation: According to Einstein, space-time is the fabric. So that, massive body bends the space-time curve deep. In the movie as the team approach Millar`s planet which was very close to a black hole. Due to higher gravitational pull from black hole,. Space-time curve bend that makes time ticking slow in that planet i.e. 1 hr in that planet cost 7 years on earth.
Cryo sleep: On travelling from Earth to wormhole, the team stays in cryosleep pod. In this system, the temperature is low which slows down the metabolic process in the human body that helps to reserve resource on a long journey and that keep them hibernation state till then. In this case, the journey from Earth to Wormhole is almost 2 years.
Wormhole: Wormhole generally refers the tunnel or shortcut in the space-time fabric that connects two galaxies of millions distance in a bit. In the movie Romily describes “They” (those unknown beings) turns 3 dimensional space into 2 dimension that turns a wormhole in 2 dimension makes circle but in 3 dimension makes it a sphere.
In Millar`s Planet:
Since, Millar`s planet is too near the Gargantua. That make time drastically slows down at it`s surface and orbit. So that they cannot put Endurance directly in the orbit as Romily also had to study time and gravity problem in Endurance. What they can do is orbiting the Gargantua parallel to the Millar`s planet `s orbit and leave Endurance and headed to the planet and come back again in the similar manner. By doing so, time is only dilated for Doyle, Brand and Cooper while Romily in Endurance feel longer temporal distance as compare to other crew headed in the surface of Planet.
On reaching Millar`s planet they only find water all around them. Since, gravity is 130% of Earth, they have trouble in walking.
Mountains Waves: It is possible of tides touching the cloud in that planet. Same as tides on Earth occurs due to gravitational force by Sun and Moon, It is in high scale due to the strong gravitational pull from the Black hole makes tides so high.
Mann`s planet:
In this planet day and night, occur for 67hr each with 80% Earth gravity. Mann explain that Prof. Brand already solved gravity equation before he left. The problem due to which Plan A was still not possible is because he couldn`t combine Relativity and Quantum Mechanics.
Relativity and Quantum Mechanics are two broad topics in Physics. Relativity explain the properties of heavenly bodies like Stars, Black hole, Space-time etc while Quantum Mechanics deals with the properties of subatomic particles i.e. electron, proton, neutron and their derivatives. Since, the properties of relativity and quantum mechanics differ with each other that make us difficult to coincide these two theories. If we able to combine these two theory the we got a new theory that can explain from tiny to large i.e. Theory of Everything. To make this possible we need more data. In the movie as Cooper is planning to headed towards home, Romily explain that the Gargantua is older spinning black hole with a gentle singularity. “Due to fast tidal gravity something crossing the horizon might survive”, He added. He also said that if they are able to get Quantum Data (quantum properties in singularity), they can solve gravity equation and Plan A could be possible.
Singularity is the center point of black hole that is very much dense. We still are unable to figure out about what would happen and present in singularity.
Actually, we still had no idea what would happen after crossing event horizon (boundary of black hole from where nothing can escape). Due to high gravitational pull from the singularity light can`t even escape. In the situation, we can speculate that there is not any chance of survival. We will rip apart in a tiny bit of second.
Gravitational Slingshot: It is maneuver to save fuel of the spacecraft using the gravity of heavenly body in order to accelerate or decelerate spacecraft. In the movie, due to the lack of fuel they cannot simply headed to Edmund`s planet through propulsion of spacecraft. So they use Gargantua black hole to take gravitational slingshot to accelerate spacecraft with a proper and accurate trajectory towards Edmund`s planet. A simple mistake in this situation can cause failing of entire mission.
Inside Black hole (Gargantua): In the actual world, from the information we have from Physical properties till now, it is almost impossible to survive inside black hole.
As they are taking gravitational slingshot through Gargantua, Cooper with TARS headed towards the Black hole. On crossing the event horizon, he gets pulled inside in tunnel like structure. In the movie it is said that those higher dimensional being “They” are helping Copper to find out Quantum Data. Cooper is heading towards singularity in tesseract:
Tesseract is define as the four dimensional analogue of cube. Normally, we see cube of 3 dimension but if we put that cube inside another cube, then it becomes a tesseract.
Copper finally reached a tesseract of his own daughter library room and can travel in any duration of time. In this case, he reached at higher dimensions (fifth dimension space-time). He finds his past daughter and tried to communicate with her. In the situation, he finally realizes that the ghost Murph used to tell is himself from higher dimension. So that, the events pass similar to past and we understand what was happening at the beginning.
TARS also come in contact with Quantum Data and inform Copper, then, Copper goes to the timeline where Adult Murph is in the library. Since they cannot directly communicate with her. TARS convert the quantum data into Morse code ( dot-dash code that information can transfer in form of sound, light, and any movement) and Cooper send that code through the second had of Murph`s watch which he had given before leaving. Murph decodes the code given from her father and solve gravity equation. This leads to the possibility of Plan A.
“They” helped him escape from the tesseract and through Endurance he finally come back his home and met her daughter that was very old and about to die.
Age Difference: When Cooper meet his daughter Murph, she is about to die due to old age while cooper is still young as he is 124 Earth year. This is actually possible due to relativity. As time slows down due to time dilation at any planet or space, time at Earth ticks faster relative to that planet or space. Due to this age also varies in Interstellar.
How Interstellar changed my perception of viewing this world
Interstellar movie is about dimensions, love and relativity. As we understand, how Cooper tried to communicate Murph from higher dimension. Ghost whom Murph used to tell is her own father from higher dimensions. Likewise, we see many mysteries of supernatural phenomenon on the internet, which is claimed, by millions of peoples from their own experiences. I have met many peoples who claimed to experience supernatural events like seeing ghost. From their experience and way of telling story, I didn`t feel that there may be misconception because they were talking confidently with details. That`s story and the idea of ghost used to shake my head from my childhood. As time passes by I started to understand Science and now I know that there are a lot of things to discover as everything around us is mystery. Science is been progressing rapidly but the universe is so vast that we cannot figure out everything happening in the universe. As the movie show Copper in fifth dimension taking with his daughter, that time it change my perception of ghost and supernatural stuff that was confusing since my childhood. As we know that every effect that it`s cause, there could be something hidden in the mystery of ghost. There are many theories about the higher dimensions possibility and properties. So I think, although we only experience only 4 dimension space time, there could be higher dimensions beings that can interfere in some situation and through any medium that we in the dimension experience as ghost and supernatural phenomenon. After finishing interstellar, my fear toward this supernatural stuff is subconsciously changed and got a new perception to view the world.
