Ronald Mallett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ronald Lawrence Mallett
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| Born | March 30, 1945 Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Pennsylvania State University |
| Known for | Time travel, quantum cosmology, relativistic astrophysics |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astrophysics and cosmology |
| Institutions | United Technologies University of Connecticut |
Ronald Lawrence Mallett (born March 30, 1945) is an American theoretical physicist, a professor, and an author. He has taught at the University of Connecticut since 1975. He is well-known for his ideas about whether time travel is possible.
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Early Life and Inspiration
Ronald Mallett was born in Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania, on March 30, 1945. He grew up in The Bronx, New York City. When he was 10 years old, his father passed away in 1955. This made young Ronald very sad.
About a year later, when he was 11, Mallett found a comic book version of H.G. Wells' famous story, The Time Machine. This book gave him an idea. He wanted to travel back in time to save his father. This dream became a huge part of his life and led to his research into time travel.
Mallett joined the United States Air Force and served for four years during the Vietnam War. He returned to civilian life in 1966. This was also the year the science fiction TV show Star Trek began. He quickly became a big fan. He especially loved the episode The City on the Edge of Forever, which was about time travel and lost love.
In 1973, at age 28, Mallett earned his Ph.D. in physics from Pennsylvania State University. He also received an award for his excellent teaching that same year.
Mallett is a member of important science groups. These include the American Physical Society and the National Society of Black Physicists. In 2005, he became an honorary member of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Career in Physics
In 1975, Dr. Mallett started working as an assistant professor at the University of Connecticut. He became a full professor in 1987. He has received many awards and honors for his work in academics.
His research focuses on several exciting topics. These include black holes, general relativity (Einstein's theory of gravity), quantum cosmology (the study of the universe's beginning), and time travel. As of 2024, he is a Professor Emeritus of Physics at the University of Connecticut. This means he is a retired professor who still holds his title.
In 2007, a radio show called This American Life shared Dr. Mallett's story. It told how he has spent his life trying to build a time machine.
Exploring Time Travel
Dr. Mallett's ideas for a time machine are based on how a ring laser works. He uses Einstein's general theory of relativity. This theory says that both matter and energy can create a gravitational field. This means that a strong beam of light could also create gravity.
Mallett first suggested that a ring laser could cause a small amount of "frame-dragging." This is like how a spinning object can twist the space around it. He believed this effect could be measured. He explained that the energy from a light beam can create a gravitational field. He thought that a spinning particle placed inside a ring laser would be pulled around by this field.
Later, Mallett suggested that with enough energy, a circulating laser might do more than just drag space. It might create "closed timelike curves" (CTCs). These are paths in space-time that would allow travel into the past.
He found new solutions to Einstein's equations for a strong, circulating cylinder of light. He showed that the space around this light cylinder could contain closed timelike lines. These lines suggest that time travel into the past might be possible. This idea forms the basis for his time machine concept, which uses a circulating cylinder of light.
Dr. Mallett wrote a book called Time Traveler: A Scientist's Personal Mission to Make Time Travel a Reality. He wrote it with author Bruce Henderson. The book was published in 2006. In 2008, the famous movie director Spike Lee announced he would make a movie based on Mallett's book. However, the movie was never finished.
In 2006, Dr. Mallett said that his idea for time travel using light beams could be proven within ten years. He has built a model to show how lasers could twist space and time. He also has an equation that he believes supports his theory.
Personal Life
Ronald Mallett's brother is the artist Keith Mallett.
Books
- Time Traveler: A Scientist's Personal Mission to Make Time Travel a Reality, by Dr. Ronald L. Mallett with Bruce Henderson (2006).
See also
- List of contributors to general relativity
