This edition of Science Real-Talk is inspired by Bright Half Life's director Jessica Holt, who threw down some science at first rehearsal. Knowing a little about half-lives and supernovae will help you understand the central metaphor of the play.
The idea of a half life in Bright Half Life is linked to the idea of a supernova. Erica describes it this way:
“It’s as super nova...
It's better than a star…
exploding through space,
super far away
This [what we see] is its half-life.”
The story of the play is the story of Vicky and Erica's half-life. Their love generates supernova-like energy and luminosity that could light a galaxy.
So first, a definition of half life:
1. the time required for half of something to undergo a process: as
a: the time required for half of the atoms of a radioactive substance to become disintegrated
b: the time required for half the amount of a substance (as a drug, radioactive tracer, or pesticide) in or introduced into a living system or ecosystem to be eliminated or disintegrated (into half its effectiveness) by natural processes
2. a: period of usefulness or popularity preceding decline or obsolescence
Informal. a brief period during which something flourishes before dying out.
Adapted from Merriam Webster 11th edition, p 562 (Yes, a REAL, PRINT DICTIONARY)
Now that half life is clear, what is a supernova?
Image Source: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2015/iyl/
A supernova is the explosion of a star that unleashes a massive burst of light through the cosmos. It is the largest explosion that takes place in space.
Supernovas blaze so brightly that they can be seen at distances of up to 10 billion light years away. Light from these distant supernovas can tell us how the behavior of the universe has changed during the several billion years of the light’s journey to Earth.
A supernova happens where there is a change in the core, or center, of a star. A change can occur in two different ways, with both resulting in a supernova.
Adapted from the Nasa Knows series, for middle schoolers. Yes, middle school science is the BEST!