The video game Portal is a unique puzzle game that revolves around a sci-fi device capable of creating portals. These portals connect different surfaces like walls, ceilings, or floors, allowing for intriguing paradoxes and thought experiments. In this article, we’ll explore some of these paradoxes and how they challenge our understanding of physics.
In Portal, when an object enters one end of a portal with a certain speed, it exits the other end with the same speed, albeit in a potentially different direction. This concept holds regardless of the frame of reference. For instance, whether the orange portal moves towards a cube or the cube moves towards the orange portal, the result is the same: the cube shoots out of the blue portal with the corresponding relative speed.
While portals are fictional, and there’s no definitive answer to how they work, this behavior aligns with the possible ways portals could function within our universe’s physics.
One intriguing paradox arises when considering what happens if the orange portal stops halfway through an object. Does the object remain in place, tear in half, or continue through the blue portal? To analyze this, imagine two cubes connected by a rope, with the orange portal stopping between them. The top cube would shoot out of the blue portal at full speed, pulling the rope taut and affecting the bottom cube’s motion.
If the rope is weak, it breaks. If strong, it accelerates the bottom cube and slows the top cube, resulting in both cubes emerging from the blue portal at half speed. Similarly, if the orange portal stops halfway through a single cube, the cube might tear if fragile, but more likely, it exits the blue portal at half speed. This logic applies proportionally if the portal stops at different points within the cube.
Another paradox involves placing a cube between two portals. Does the cube vanish, or do the portals react in some way? By imagining a piston extending through the blue portal and eventually hitting itself, we can explore this scenario. Since there’s no “inside” of a portal, the piston can’t extend indefinitely.
If the piston is weak, it crumples like hitting a solid wall. If rigid and the portals are heavy, the piston stops expanding. However, if the portals aren’t heavy, Newton’s laws suggest they get pushed apart due to the piston’s momentum. This same principle applies to the cube: if weak, it crumples; if strong, the portals might stop or bounce apart.
These paradoxes aren’t original ideas but rather thought experiments inspired by the Portal games and their developers. The game’s creators considered implementing moving portals but decided against it, leaving us to hypothesize and debate these fascinating scenarios.
In addition to pondering portal paradoxes, you might enjoy exploring different ways to represent molecules, such as ball-and-stick models or Lewis dot diagrams. Brilliant.org offers a course on molecular representations, created by Ever Salazar, which you can access for free. The first 200 people to sign up will receive a 20% discount on an annual Premium subscription.
Visit Brilliant.org/MinutePhysics to explore these courses and dive deeper into the world of science and puzzles. Happy learning!
Engage in a hands-on workshop where you will use a physics simulation software to create and manipulate virtual portals. Experiment with different scenarios to observe how objects behave when passing through portals, and discuss your findings with peers to deepen your understanding of portal mechanics.
Participate in a structured debate where you will argue for or against the feasibility of various portal paradoxes. Prepare by researching the physics principles involved and present your arguments to the class. This activity will enhance your critical thinking and public speaking skills.
Write a short story or essay that incorporates one of the portal paradoxes discussed in the article. Use your imagination to explore the implications of portals in a fictional setting, and share your story with classmates for feedback. This will help you develop your creative writing and analytical skills.
Work in groups to create physical models or diagrams that illustrate one of the portal paradoxes. Use materials such as cardboard, string, and other craft supplies to build your model. Present your model to the class and explain the physics concepts it represents.
Attend a guest lecture by a physics professor or game developer who specializes in the science behind fictional worlds. Engage with the speaker by asking questions about the feasibility of portals and other sci-fi concepts, and gain insights into how scientific principles can inspire creative storytelling.
Portal – A gateway or entrance, often used metaphorically in physics to describe a theoretical passageway connecting different regions of space-time. – In theoretical physics, a wormhole is considered a portal that could potentially allow travel between distant parts of the universe.
Paradoxes – Statements or propositions that, despite sound reasoning, lead to conclusions that seem logically unacceptable or self-contradictory. – The twin paradox in relativity theory illustrates how time can pass at different rates for two observers, challenging our intuitive understanding of time.
Physics – The natural science that studies matter, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. – Physics provides the foundational principles that explain how the universe operates, from the smallest particles to the largest galaxies.
Mechanics – A branch of physics dealing with the motion of objects and the forces that affect them. – Classical mechanics, formulated by Newton, is essential for understanding the motion of everyday objects.
Speed – The rate at which an object covers distance, a scalar quantity in physics. – The speed of light in a vacuum is a fundamental constant in physics, denoted by the symbol ‘c’.
Motion – The change in position of an object over time, described in terms of displacement, distance, velocity, acceleration, and time. – Newton’s laws of motion are crucial for predicting how objects will move under various forces.
Experiment – A procedure carried out to support, refute, or validate a hypothesis, often involving controlled conditions. – The double-slit experiment is famous for demonstrating the wave-particle duality of light and matter.
Logic – A systematic method of reasoning used to arrive at a conclusion, essential in the formulation and testing of scientific theories. – Logic is fundamental in constructing valid arguments and proofs in theoretical physics.
Momentum – A vector quantity in physics, defined as the product of an object’s mass and velocity, representing the quantity of motion it possesses. – Conservation of momentum is a key principle in collision analysis in mechanics.
Cubes – In physics, often refers to cubic shapes or volumes, which are used in calculations involving density, pressure, and other properties. – Calculating the density of a material often involves measuring the mass and volume of a cube-shaped sample.
