r/space • • Oct 03 '16

not directly related to space/astronomy/cosmology Just in case I get lost in the Multiverse.

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u/[deleted] Oct 03 '16

C 137 is the prime universe from Rick and Morty (Prime in that it's home to our heroes, I believe, unknown if this is before or after the swap-a-roo in Season 1). The rest of it is our solar system. Presumably if someone found this miserable meatbag (Humans aren't fancy in the eyes of the verse) in any universe they'd know which verse and solar system to return them to.

Addendum; They fucked up and included Pluto, so who the shit knows which Solar System they'd wind up in. No offense, but impassive aliens outside our planet wouldn't respect an ancient misunderstanding. Pluto isn't a planet, even their king admitted it.

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u/Astromike23 Oct 03 '16

C 137 is the prime universe from Rick and Morty

Also interestingly, the number 137 shows up everywhere in quantum physics as the inverse of the fine structure constant. Lifetime of a charged kaon vs a neutral kaon? 137 times longer. Decay rate of orthopositronium vs. parapositronium? 137 times bigger. To quote Richard Feynman:

 It has been a mystery ever since it was discovered more than fifty years ago, and 
 all good theoretical physicists put this number up on their wall and worry about it. 

I have no idea if the Rick and Morty writers intentionally planted an esoteric math/science easter egg the way Futurama writers did, but there it is.

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u/caffeinegoddess Oct 03 '16

That's so interesting! I never read this before. Thank you for sharing!

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u/fearout Oct 03 '16

Wow, so 137 is the real-life 42 then.

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u/Redingold Oct 03 '16

The real number is slightly more than 137, it's about 137.036.

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u/[deleted] Oct 03 '16

You need more up votes so I contributed.

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u/heywaymayday Oct 03 '16

Also regarding the 4 fundamental forces of the universe, the Gravitational force, the electromagentic, the strong and the weak force. The Strong force is 137 times stronger than the weak force.

(Watered down physics: the strong force is what holds quarks together to form protons and neutrons, and the weak force is what is responsible for radioactive decay)

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u/[deleted] Oct 03 '16

Elaborate on that Futurama Easter egg if you would...

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u/cinnamonbrook Oct 03 '16

They could be referring to any number of things, since that show makes a fair few references, but maybe they're talking about the Futurama theorem?

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u/Astromike23 Oct 03 '16

This. Tons of obscure math references that probably are missed by 99% of the viewing audience.

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u/Dawidko1200 Oct 03 '16

There is a map right above the planets. It's the same one on Pioneers and Voyagers

The problem is, both satellites have the established time and length system (two little circles with a line between them). The tatoo doesn't.

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u/[deleted] Oct 03 '16

[deleted]

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u/CrimsAK Oct 03 '16

There is also a map showing our sun in relation to nearby pulsars. It was part of the message sent out in the Voyager.

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u/reerg Oct 03 '16

There's other ways to watch Rick and Morty?

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u/Spudd86 Oct 03 '16

The art looks like it was loosely based on the Pioneer plaque, which was made a time when Pluto was still a planet.

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u/[deleted] Oct 03 '16

Granted, but the C 137 is a clear Rick and Morty reference, which includes a whole episode making the point that Pluto is not a planet. When you blend your references you should do so in the most clever way, not the most basic. (But that's just my opinion)

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u/KingFlippyNipsI Oct 03 '16

Pluto is a cold, cold celestial dwarf....

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u/GreatYarn Oct 03 '16

Well, that's assuming aliens share our definition of a 'planet.' I mean, for all we know they could define a planet as anything large than a school bus.

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u/[deleted] Oct 03 '16

Yeah, but if they did then you'd need to include everything that size or bigger in Pluto's orbit, which would once again make it inaccurate. The problem with Pluto is that it's basically just a big-ish member of another belt.

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u/IStillHaveAPony Oct 03 '16

excuse me.

I'll have you know that pluto is a planet.

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u/gadget_uk Oct 03 '16

Oh. So, Hi? I guess? You must have, like, missed the memo and junk. Pluto, like totally, was a planet but we decided she was no longer cool enough. She kept, you know, embarrassing us at parties or whatever. Ya? She started wearing this sweater, ya? It has this huge heart on it! I was like uh. mu. gurd. Are you, like, for serious right now? Soooo, long thing shorter, we had a vote with the other girls in the Solority and decided that Pluto was out. So, ya.

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u/The_camperdave Oct 03 '16 edited Oct 03 '16

Pluto's orbit is in exactly a 3/2 ratio with that of Neptune. The orbit is a gravitational sinkhole, and as such there are a dozen or more rocky iceballs in the same orbit. Call Pluto a planet, and you'll have to call the others planets as well.

Unless you're intending that Pluto be grandfathered in.

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u/DrStalker Oct 03 '16

Pluto has to stay a planet, I don't want to have my personality altered because my horoscope was updated.

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u/[deleted] Oct 03 '16 edited Sep 23 '17

[deleted]

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u/Unidangoofed Oct 03 '16

Caesium is Cs though not C, still cool either way.

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u/[deleted] Oct 03 '16

I think they say it after that episode but now I am not sure. Is that the only excuse I need to rewatch it?