Episode 133
When Science Fiction Meets Science: Project Hail Mary & Time Dilation
What happens when a journey takes 13 years in Earth time, but less than four years for the traveller?
It’s one of the most intriguing ideas in Project Hail Mary, the bestselling novel and blockbuster film. But surprisingly, it’s not just science fiction.
It’s science.
In this episode, MACSYS Research Fellow Dr Tom Kimpson helps us unpack the fascinating concept of velocity time dilation: the idea that time can pass at different rates depending on how fast you’re moving.
We explore why time dilation is one of the more unintuitive ideas in modern physics – and why it isn’t just science fiction. It’s happening around us all the time.
Our host is Felicia Bongiovanni – a PhD Candidate at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research and a member of The Random Sample editorial team representing the Statistical Society of Australia.
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Additional Links
Dr Tom Kimpson
- Personal website: https://tomkimpson.github.io/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomkimpson/
Guest
MACSYS RESEARCH FELLOW
Host
WALTER & ELIZA HALL INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL RESEARCH
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