We explore how space and time form a single fabric, testing our daily beliefs through questions about free-fall, black holes, speed, and momentum to reveal what models get right and where they break.
To help us, we’re excited to have our friend David Theriault, a science and sci-fi afficionado; and our resident astrophysicist, Rachel Losacco, to talk about practical exploration in space and time. They'll even unpack a few concerns they have about how space and time were depicted in the movie Interstellar (2014).
In this part of our series, we explore space and time. We start with a simple contrast: pilots black out under high Gs because seats push on bodies, while astronauts in free fall don’t feel a thing even as their speed soars. That insight opens a door to curvature: mass-energy bends space-time, and objects follow those curves. From there, the stakes rise fast. Tidal forces near black holes stretch matter into “spaghetti,” gradients matter more than averages, and safe modeling requires understanding where assumptions snap. We take on laser sails and photon momentum, the hard problem of braking at 20 percent of light speed, and why sensors would see the universe blue-shifted ahead and red-shifted behind.
Through it all, we connect metaphysics to method. Newton’s gravity works where curvature is small; Einstein expands the map so light’s speed stays constant and causality holds. That same mindset applies to building resilient AI: define reference frames, honor invariants, watch edge cases, and expect revisions as knowledge advances. Time dilation isn’t just a movie trick; it’s a reminder that perspective shapes measurement, and good models make those frames explicit.
If conversations like this sharpen your curiosity and help you think more clearly about complex systems, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review. Each topic in the series is leading to the fundamental question, "Should AI try to think?"
Step away from your keyboard and enjoy this journey with us.
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