Since June 9, 2010, the American TV network Science began showing its first episode of Through the Wormhole. This show is a combination of all things pop culture and science, which gives way to the term “Popscience”. It has everything to do with the universe and space and asks the big philosophical questions that provoke human curiosity.
There are a lot of things to like about this show, but all of them will probably pale in comparison to the fact that THE Morgan Freeman narrates it. If we’re being totally honest with ourselves, that man can talk about potatoes and we would happily listen.
Through the Wormhole pays extra attention to new ideas and potentially breakthrough scientific philosophies, but it does it rather well. Below are just some of our favorites from the show and what they’re about, in a nutshell. Don’t worry. You won’t find any spoilers here.
Season 1, Episode 1: Is There a Creator?
One of the biggest and most controversial mysteries in the cosmos is whether or not there is a God. Was it by some random chance that the universe just come into being, or was it created by a supreme being that is able to nurture and sustain all life on Earth? The recent science showcases that the four forces that govern our universe, namely gravitational, electromagnetic, strong, and weak, are remarkably finely tuned. They have been tuned so brilliantly that it had led many people to believe that someone, or maybe even something, must have had a hand in calibrating them.
Critics, however, still hold that these new discoveries are neither evidence or conclusive of a divine creator. While they go back and forth with their doubts, some radical physicists are already postulating who this God may be: an extraterrestrial high-roller who has crafted our world as the ultimate SIMS game for his own enjoyment. God has been portrayed as a little child playing house with dolls — an answer that is as captivating as it is disturbing.
Season 1, Episode 3: Is Time Travel Possible?
It was Einstein who posited in his Theory of Relativity that time travel is perfectly possible as long as you’re moving forward. Looking for ways to travel backwards in time would necessitate breaking the speed of light, which is virtually impossible at this time. However, with emerging reports of strange yet true phenomena like quantum non-locality– where particles suddenly teleport across massive distances – may teach us a thing or two about how to make the vision of traveling back and forth through time and space a reality.
By stepping into a time machine, you will be able to rewrite history, bringloved ones back to life, and control our destinies. Imagine being able to that and more. But the question remains: if we are able to do so with great success, what would the consequences of such freedom be? Will we become ensnared in a surplus of multiple universes and paradoxes that will lead to the eventual destruction of the universe?
Season 3, Episode 10: Did We Invent God?
Did God invent humanity? Or did we invent God? Day by day, mankind is plagued by these questions and we have not been successful in coming up with compelling answers. Yet, some would argue that since our brains are where we experience reality, does imagining a supreme, omnipotent being make this powerful being real?
In this episode of Through the Wormhole, one neuroscientist tries to find the answer by looking closely into the human mind and seeing what its image of God is.
Season 4, Episode 9: Do We Have Free Will?
What if someone told you that every single thing that happened or will happen in your life is predetermined? Until the unearthing of quantum uncertainty, physicists were sure that free will is not real. Now other scientists seem to think the same way and have stepped into the dispute with the argument that free will is merely an illusion.
Season 5, Episode 3: Is Poverty Genetic?
Day in and day out, our surroundings trigger questions that we’re not really sure the answers to. Questions about life in general, such as “Are the wealthy just born in the right place at the right time?”, “Are the poor victims of a system designed to keep them down?”,or “Do physics and biology determine who is rich and who is poor?” Is poverty genetic? This is what this episode aims to answer.
Scientists discovered that all through history, the sharing of wealth is ruled by hidden forces: environmental stress,laws of thermodynamics, DNA, and patterns of human migration. All this leads us to believe that nature seems to demand that there be winners and losers in life.
But does all this mean that greed rules the land and the rich can take all the loot they want? Or does the participation of even the minutest microbes demonstrate that self-centeredness and egotism are not essential for one’s survival.
It’s safe to say that we are all fans of this show. Watch all the episodes of Through the Wormhole on your home theater or PC using additional streaming boxes and accompanying addons for a more worthwhile experience.
