UlasanAnime.com – My undergraduate studies in physics came with a multitude of implications. I recall seeing college football players majoring in the same subject and wondering if they could not only attract more desirable romantic partners than I could but also perform Gaussian integrations more efficiently.
Jokes aside, I’ve always struggled with my natural lack of eloquence, especially when trying to explain the fundamentals of particle physics and my limited knowledge of the standard model to others. Forget about clarifying the meaning of chiral symmetry in the context of QCD – I can barely recall it myself. The absence of formal education in modern physics has presented challenges to some extent. While quantum mathematical notation appears familiar, it often translates to little more than gibberish.
However, that’s not the most significant issue. If you’re asking me to explain these concepts, it likely means you’re in an even less informed position. Attempting to convey the basic idea of M-Theory might be within my reach when conversing with a friend who holds a PhD in chemistry. Explaining why photons are massless becomes considerably more difficult when I’m speaking with my sister, who barely scraped by in high school mathematics. Why do I lament this situation, or why bother at all? Because theoretical physics is, in essence, wonderful.
When Makoto Shinkai teased the concept of matter teleportation from our 3-brane in his fantastical depiction within the trailer for Beyond the Clouds, I was enthralled. In fact, knowing his typical style, this was the sole unexpected element in his then-new film that piqued my curiosity plot-wise. It’s a remarkably uncertain plot device, and for valid reasons.
And it served its purpose effectively for those who understand. I fear that group is not particularly large. However, now that I’ve given it some thought, if a variation of M-theory were to debut in popular fiction, this might be the most elegant and mood-appropriate method to introduce it. For starters, it’s nearly impossible to even conceive of an abstraction that we can visualize. PBS’s series on string theory made a valiant effort and succeeded for the most part, but that level of luxury is typically reserved for documentaries. Even if, in reality, all that marvelous science served little more than as background scenery, evoking the appropriate subtext to maintain, at least, my suspension of disbelief was a once-in-a-lifetime treat. Or at least, that’s my hope, as it marks the first of many such instances to come.
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But to be fair, the quantum divide is not a novel concept. John Bell’s entanglement experiment is a marvel, and one can encounter discussions of it even in science fiction books (or catch it in Noein). One could even consider Rahxephon in a similar light. Admittedly, the show itself didn’t strongly evoke the scientific principles, but the science aligns perfectly with the narrative. From the division of Tokyo Jupiter to its liberal aural allegories, it all draws from the same wellspring of inspiration that physicists tap into.
Einstein famously stated that imagination is more important than knowledge.
I find myself missing the era when science fiction was the dominant form of geek entertainment. This isn’t to say that the past was superior to the present, but in our pursuit of the “Good Story” or “Perfect Flair,” we can sometimes overlook that details themselves warrant attention. Neon Genesis Evangelion is one such example, and it was these details that lent credibility to its equally compelling drama. They served as the adhesive that allowed a harem scenario with giant robots to be taken seriously. I could elaborate further on Serial Experiments Lain – some of its fans are drawn solely to its subject matter. Even a show like Scrapped Princess relies on its careful orchestration of hitting the right sci-fi/fantasy notes to guide us through Pacifica’s philosophical quandaries.
It matters.
