Quantum singularity (fiction)
Encyclopedia
In science fiction
, the term quantum singularity is used to refer to many different phenomena, which often approximately resemble a gravitational singularity
in the scientific sense in that they are massive, localized distortions of space and time. The name invokes one of the most fundamental problems remaining in modern physics: the difficulty in merging Einstein's Theory of Relativity
(which includes singularities within its models of black hole
s) and quantum mechanics
. In fact, since singularities are infinitely small according to relativity, they are expected to be quantum mechanical by their nature; a theory of quantum gravity
would be required to describe this behavior, and no such theory has yet been completed.
episode "Parallax
". The singularity creates a mirror image and a temporal distortion. Voyager flies into the singularity after seeing an image of itself inside. To escape, the crew uses a shuttle and fires a tachyon
beam at an opening created upon entry. In Voyager episode "Hunters" the Voyager crew discover a Hirogen
relay station almost 100,000 years old that is powered by a quantum singularity. The word "tiny" is used to apparently describe the dimensions of the quantum singularity. Specifically, it is stated to be about "a centimeter" in diameter, making it, in fact, ironically and paradoxically enormous, although it is possible that the diameter stated could refer instead to the singularity's event horizon
. In episode "Scorpion" Species 8472
and the Borg
make use of quantum singularities to travel to and from fluidic space.
Artificial quantum singularities are also used to power Romulan Warbirds as first described in the Star Trek: The Next Generation
episode "Timescape". Additionally, in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
episode "Visionary
", the side effects from Quantum Singularities cause one character to shift through time.
", the term Quantum Singularity is used after Bender breaks-up with the Planet Express ship, who he only dated during this episode. The ship takes the break-up pretty hard and then threatens to fly into a giant quasar
, thus "the power of 10 billion black hole
s will smush me and Bender together into a beautiful eternal quantum singularity." Bender gets the crew out of the situation by professing his love for the ship, albeit sarcastically, which distracts it long enough for Fry
and Leela to disable the ship's logical processes and restore life support systems.
designed to allow the passage of starships. The Supergate is made up of 90 smaller pieces that are moved through a regular Stargate. Once assembled, a nearby planet is collapsed into a quantum singularity, using a special force field, in order to provide the massive power needed to open a wormhole to the Ori galaxy. Samantha Carter
theorizes that the singularity allows a connection to be maintained indefinitely.
The first Ori attempt to create a Supergate in the Milky Way fails when Vala Mal Doran
inserts her Tel'tak into the incomplete ring and prevents the segments from completely connecting. The shockwave from the forming singularity then blasts the gate to oblivion. A second Supergate is later built successfully and allows a fleet of Ori motherships into the Milky Way. The SGC
eventually blocks the Supergate to the Ori by opening a connection from a Pegasus gate powered by a "natural" black hole.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
, the term quantum singularity is used to refer to many different phenomena, which often approximately resemble a gravitational singularity
Gravitational singularity
A gravitational singularity or spacetime singularity is a location where the quantities that are used to measure the gravitational field become infinite in a way that does not depend on the coordinate system...
in the scientific sense in that they are massive, localized distortions of space and time. The name invokes one of the most fundamental problems remaining in modern physics: the difficulty in merging Einstein's Theory of Relativity
Theory of relativity
The theory of relativity, or simply relativity, encompasses two theories of Albert Einstein: special relativity and general relativity. However, the word relativity is sometimes used in reference to Galilean invariance....
(which includes singularities within its models of black hole
Black hole
A black hole is a region of spacetime from which nothing, not even light, can escape. The theory of general relativity predicts that a sufficiently compact mass will deform spacetime to form a black hole. Around a black hole there is a mathematically defined surface called an event horizon that...
s) and quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics, also known as quantum physics or quantum theory, is a branch of physics providing a mathematical description of much of the dual particle-like and wave-like behavior and interactions of energy and matter. It departs from classical mechanics primarily at the atomic and subatomic...
. In fact, since singularities are infinitely small according to relativity, they are expected to be quantum mechanical by their nature; a theory of quantum gravity
Quantum gravity
Quantum gravity is the field of theoretical physics which attempts to develop scientific models that unify quantum mechanics with general relativity...
would be required to describe this behavior, and no such theory has yet been completed.
In Star Trek
A quantum singularity is a phenomenon of multiple varieties. One such variety appears in the Star Trek: VoyagerStar Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
episode "Parallax
Parallax (Voyager episode)
"Parallax" is the third episode of the science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager.- Plot :The episode begins with Voyagers acting chief engineer, Lieutenant Carey, in sickbay suffering from a broken nose from an argument with B'Elanna Torres. Lieutenant Tuvok and Commander Chakotay argue...
". The singularity creates a mirror image and a temporal distortion. Voyager flies into the singularity after seeing an image of itself inside. To escape, the crew uses a shuttle and fires a tachyon
Tachyon
A tachyon is a hypothetical subatomic particle that always moves faster than light. In the language of special relativity, a tachyon would be a particle with space-like four-momentum and imaginary proper time. A tachyon would be constrained to the space-like portion of the energy-momentum graph...
beam at an opening created upon entry. In Voyager episode "Hunters" the Voyager crew discover a Hirogen
Hirogen
The Hirogen are a fictional race in the Star Trek universe, a long-running plot device in the Star Trek: Voyager television series, appearing nine times in Seasons 4-7....
relay station almost 100,000 years old that is powered by a quantum singularity. The word "tiny" is used to apparently describe the dimensions of the quantum singularity. Specifically, it is stated to be about "a centimeter" in diameter, making it, in fact, ironically and paradoxically enormous, although it is possible that the diameter stated could refer instead to the singularity's event horizon
Event horizon
In general relativity, an event horizon is a boundary in spacetime beyond which events cannot affect an outside observer. In layman's terms it is defined as "the point of no return" i.e. the point at which the gravitational pull becomes so great as to make escape impossible. The most common case...
. In episode "Scorpion" Species 8472
Species 8472
Species 8472 is a fictional extraterrestrial race in the science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager. They inhabit another dimension called fluidic space. These beings are rendered by animation from Foundation Imaging, Inc...
and the Borg
Borg (Star Trek)
The Borg are a fictional pseudo-race of cybernetic organisms depicted in the Star Trek universe associated with Star Trek.Whereas cybernetics are used by other races in the science fiction world to repair bodily damage and birth defects, the Borg use enforced cybernetic enhancement as a means of...
make use of quantum singularities to travel to and from fluidic space.
Artificial quantum singularities are also used to power Romulan Warbirds as first described in the Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
episode "Timescape". Additionally, in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
episode "Visionary
Visionary (DS9 episode)
"Visionary" is an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the seventeenth episode of the third season. It maintains a fan rating of 4.5 out of 5 on the official Star Trek Website.-Plot:...
", the side effects from Quantum Singularities cause one character to shift through time.
In Futurama
In the episode of Futurama, "Love and RocketLove and Rocket
"Love and Rocket" is the third episode of Futuramas fourth season. It first aired on February 10, 2002.- Plot :A few days before Valentine's Day, the Planet Express crew heads off to the most romantic city on Earth, Milwaukee, to land a delivery contract from Romanticorp, makers of all things...
", the term Quantum Singularity is used after Bender breaks-up with the Planet Express ship, who he only dated during this episode. The ship takes the break-up pretty hard and then threatens to fly into a giant quasar
Quasar
A quasi-stellar radio source is a very energetic and distant active galactic nucleus. Quasars are extremely luminous and were first identified as being high redshift sources of electromagnetic energy, including radio waves and visible light, that were point-like, similar to stars, rather than...
, thus "the power of 10 billion black hole
Black hole
A black hole is a region of spacetime from which nothing, not even light, can escape. The theory of general relativity predicts that a sufficiently compact mass will deform spacetime to form a black hole. Around a black hole there is a mathematically defined surface called an event horizon that...
s will smush me and Bender together into a beautiful eternal quantum singularity." Bender gets the crew out of the situation by professing his love for the ship, albeit sarcastically, which distracts it long enough for Fry
Philip J. Fry
Philip J. Fry, known simply as Fry, is a fictional character, the main protagonist of the animated science fiction sitcom Futurama. He is voiced by Billy West using a version of his own voice as he sounded when he was 25.-Character overview:...
and Leela to disable the ship's logical processes and restore life support systems.
In Megas XLR
In the episode "Battle Royale", the villain Magnanimous threatens to drop Kiva and Jamie into a quantum singularity, which he says is "like a black hole, only portable, and with a cooler name."In Farscape
In the episode "Back and Back and Back to the Future", a scientist belonging to the Ilanic race develops a Quantum Singularity to be used as an ultimate weapon against their enemies. It was described essentially as a portable black hole.In Stargate SG-1
"Supergate" A gigantic StargateStargate (device)
A Stargate is a portal device within the Stargate fictional universe that allows practical, rapid travel between two distant locations. The devices first appear in the 1994 Roland Emmerich film Stargate, and thereafter in the television series Stargate SG-1 and its spin-offs...
designed to allow the passage of starships. The Supergate is made up of 90 smaller pieces that are moved through a regular Stargate. Once assembled, a nearby planet is collapsed into a quantum singularity, using a special force field, in order to provide the massive power needed to open a wormhole to the Ori galaxy. Samantha Carter
Samantha Carter
Samantha "Sam" Carter is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction Stargate franchise, appearing in television series Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, and Stargate Universe. SG-1 and Atlantis are both about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien...
theorizes that the singularity allows a connection to be maintained indefinitely.
The first Ori attempt to create a Supergate in the Milky Way fails when Vala Mal Doran
Vala Mal Doran
Vala Mal Doran is a fictional character in the American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Played by former Farscape actress Claudia Black, Vala was created by...
inserts her Tel'tak into the incomplete ring and prevents the segments from completely connecting. The shockwave from the forming singularity then blasts the gate to oblivion. A second Supergate is later built successfully and allows a fleet of Ori motherships into the Milky Way. The SGC
Stargate Command
The Stargate Program is a fictional top-secret program that plays a key role in the Stargate franchise: it surrounds the operations of the Stargate on Earth. The core of the Stargate Program is Stargate Command , based at the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station near Colorado Springs, Colorado...
eventually blocks the Supergate to the Ori by opening a connection from a Pegasus gate powered by a "natural" black hole.