Description
The current Science-Fiction blockbuster “The Three-Body Problem” provides a testbed for the scientific plausibility of a wide range of futuristic concepts. What is the three-body problem? Is our nearest stellar neighbor unstable? Can intelligent life evolve there? Can complex organisms survive dehydration? Is interstellar travel as depicted realistic? Can entanglement provide instantaneous communication? Does a proton contain large amounts of hidden extra-dimensional space? Are nanowires and the noninvasive brain-interfacing VR gaming helmet feasible? Which concepts make sense with present understanding, which violate the laws of physics/biology, and which lie in a gray area advanced science/technology might make possible? The goal of this class is to learn to better evaluate science-fictional/futuristic concepts from the viewpoint of modern science.
