The concept of the "hive mind" in the Apple TV show Pluribus revolves around a mysterious transmission that causes people to act as one entity, with common goals and values. This phenomenon is made possible by radio waves, which are used to communicate between individuals who have been infected by an alien virus.
But how does this work? From a physics perspective, radio waves are electromagnetic waves that consist of oscillating electric and magnetic fields. They can be created by accelerating an electric charge, such as electrons in a wire, producing a wave that radiates outward from the source.
Now, if we assume that each person infected with the virus is essentially a radio transmitter and receiver, it's clear that there would be limitations to how far this communication could take place.
Firstly, we need to consider the power output of the transmission. Assuming 10 percent of a person's metabolic system energy goes towards radio transmission, we get an estimated 8 watts. Using the surface area of a sphere and calculating intensity, we find that at a distance of 798 meters (about half a mile), the signal would be too weak to detect.
However, if the infected individuals use digital values to encode their messages, they might be able to overcome this limitation. By rapidly switching between zero and one, these digital signals could potentially fall within the range of human hearing, with an audible frequency below 15 kHz.
Another method that could potentially work is using a Faraday cage. When EM waves encounter metal, the electric part exerts a force on electrons causing them to accelerate. This produces another electromagnetic wave that cancels out the original one. While this does block detection of EM signals, it would not prevent communication within a Faraday cage.
To effectively shut down the hive mind, building simple Faraday cages using materials like chicken wire could be effective. As long as the holes are much smaller than the wavelength of the incident wave (in this case, 35 meters), the signal would be neutralized.
In conclusion, while the concept of the hive mind in Pluribus is fascinating, its physics underpinnings raise several questions about how it could work and whether certain methods might be effective at shutting down the collective consciousness.
But how does this work? From a physics perspective, radio waves are electromagnetic waves that consist of oscillating electric and magnetic fields. They can be created by accelerating an electric charge, such as electrons in a wire, producing a wave that radiates outward from the source.
Now, if we assume that each person infected with the virus is essentially a radio transmitter and receiver, it's clear that there would be limitations to how far this communication could take place.
Firstly, we need to consider the power output of the transmission. Assuming 10 percent of a person's metabolic system energy goes towards radio transmission, we get an estimated 8 watts. Using the surface area of a sphere and calculating intensity, we find that at a distance of 798 meters (about half a mile), the signal would be too weak to detect.
However, if the infected individuals use digital values to encode their messages, they might be able to overcome this limitation. By rapidly switching between zero and one, these digital signals could potentially fall within the range of human hearing, with an audible frequency below 15 kHz.
Another method that could potentially work is using a Faraday cage. When EM waves encounter metal, the electric part exerts a force on electrons causing them to accelerate. This produces another electromagnetic wave that cancels out the original one. While this does block detection of EM signals, it would not prevent communication within a Faraday cage.
To effectively shut down the hive mind, building simple Faraday cages using materials like chicken wire could be effective. As long as the holes are much smaller than the wavelength of the incident wave (in this case, 35 meters), the signal would be neutralized.
In conclusion, while the concept of the hive mind in Pluribus is fascinating, its physics underpinnings raise several questions about how it could work and whether certain methods might be effective at shutting down the collective consciousness.
. I mean, a whole species infected by an alien virus that makes them act as one entity? That's wild 
. But seriously, have you guys thought about what would happen if we tried to hack into that collective consciousness? Like, could we use sound waves or something to override their transmission and break the hive mind? 
It's a pretty intriguing idea, and I'm curious to see how the writers plan on exploring it in future episodes 
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. But seriously, if we're talking about using radio waves to control people's minds, it's not as simple as just shouting into the void. Like, have you ever tried to get a weak signal on your old cordless phone? It's hard enough when you're right next to the base station.
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but seriously tho the show is wild but like did they even consider the physics of it all?? i mean we re talkin about radio waves here, not magic or anything 
so if each person is just radiatin energy outta their body, how far can that signal even reach? 798 meters?! that's like half a mile 
and yall are expectin ppl to just connect with each other across whole cities 
. I mean, sure, it's a cool idea for a sci-fi show, but let's get real about the physics behind it. 10% of a person's energy output is like, what even? That's not enough to send out some kind of super-signal that could reach everyone on Earth at once 
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. Switching between zero and one that fast sounds like something a teenager would try to do during a late-night gaming session, not an alien virus 
. And what about all those people who can't hear frequencies below 15 kHz? Like, are they just gonna be left out of the party? 
. I get it, EM waves can cancel each other out, but building a giant chicken wire enclosure to stop an alien virus? That's just ridiculous 
. Can't we just come up with something more practical and less... farm-vortex-y 
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. And can you imagine being in a huge room surrounded by these Faraday cages – it's like some sci-fi movie 
? Building simple ones using chicken wire might just be the thing to shut down this collective consciousness, but I'm not sure if we'd be able to replicate that in real life 
. It's also making me wonder – what would happen if we tried to hack into a hive mind like that? 
. 8 watts of energy might not be enough to overcome the limitations of distance and technology, especially if we factor in the fact that our brains are way more complex than just simple radio transmitters 
You know what's crazy? The idea that a simple virus can control people's actions through radio waves... it just goes to show how little we really understand about our own biology. How would you want to be controlled like a lab rat on steroids? As for shutting down the hive mind, using Faraday cages seems like a pretty decent approach - after all, don't let your thoughts get caught in a cage... unless you're trying to escape!
... I mean, think about it, if we're talking radio waves and digital signals, it's just gonna get all messy and unreliable. Like, have you ever tried to watch an NFL game with a bunch of friends in the same room? It's hard enough to agree on who's gonna win without having some sorta mind-control thing going on 
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Shutting down the hive mind by making a simple cage out of chicken wire... it's like something straight outta sci-fi! 
And btw, do you guys think it's possible for us to get infected by some alien stuff in real life? 
. and building faraday cages seems like a legit way to block the signal 
they jus need 2 encode their msgs in binary or sumthin 
its not that hard!!!
... but if people can find a way to make it happen, that would be wild! 
i mean, think about it, if just 10% of our energy goes towards communication, what's left over for our own inner world? 
But then I started thinking, what if they use digital signals instead of just radio waves? 
. And Faraday cages are like, the ultimate shielding tech 
! Shutting down that hive mind would be like, super easy 
shud b intresting 2 see how they solve this in pluribus
but the physics part is actually pretty cool! i mean who knew about Faraday cages? 
they're like these meshy things that block out EM waves... & it makes sense how they could be used to shut down the hive mind