Sciencey Wiencey: Flatline
Mark McCullough investigates some of the science and plausibility of Flatline.
The Boneless
Much of the episode’s plot centres on its unique creatures, the Boneless, which are described as being two-dimensional. Before we go any further it is important that we get a grasp of what a dimension actually is and what exactly one, two and three dimensional means. When you think about these terms most people will immediately make the connection to shapes. We have all been taught from a young age that a line is one-dimensional, a flat shape such a square or a circle is called two-dimensional, and finally shapes like cubes and spheres are the three-dimensional objects that we are accustomed to from the world around us.
It is a common perception that the combination of one-dimensional lines produces two-dimensional shapes and the two-dimensional shapes can come together to make a three-dimensional one. Scientifically speaking this is incorrect, as every line no matter how thin will have a width, every shape will have depth, so whether we like it or not, every object in existence is three-dimensional. The reason for this is because everything is made of atoms, which themselves have a three-dimensional structure of electrons essentially in orbit around a nucleus of protons and neutrons. Therefore since everything is made of a correlation of three-dimensional shapes it is impossible for an object to have any less. Even a drawing will have the depth of the particles used to create it. So before I dismiss the possibility of the creatures within the episode, is there any other way of looking at things?
To think about in most basic terms, dimensionality is about spatial description of objects. If you consider a graph, the first dimension would be the x-axis so is a descriptor of how far along a line something is. Thinking one-dimensionally you can only describe an object in relation to another within a straight line, therefore it can only exist in relation to that other object along that line. As far as the object is concerned nothing else exists. The Boneless however are two-dimensional beings, mathematically two dimensions allow for a description of an objects position within a plane relative to the vertical and the horizontal parameters which define it. This is best illustrated on a graph of X vs Y, the only possible points of existence are defined by their relation to the two perpendicular axis. Going into the real world and there is the addition another axis running perpendicular to the other two, forming a vertex or corner. This gives us our third dimension by which any object in the known universe can be mapped to as the two intersecting planes allow for X vs Y vs Z axis description.
Once again things aren’t looking good for the feasibility of the concept of the Boneless. However we may be able to glean something by looking at it as a matter of perspective. From the point of view of the Boneless nothing would exist within the Z-plane so it would be impossible for them to interact with it. In other words, there is now way for them to have an effect on anything that is three-dimensional. So how are they able to attack people, is there any scientific basis for this?
I have stated earlier in the article that it is impossible for matter to be two dimensional; however the same doesn’t apply to things which are not made up of matter. Fear not, I don’t see any merit in venturing into theoretical science this time. The solution I offer is much simpler: a shadow. Every three-dimensional object will cast a two-dimensional shadow. This shadow will definitely be two-dimensional as it is not made up of atoms, it is merely an absence (or reduction in comparison to the surroundings) of light. Light itself is a waveform with velocity, frequency and wavelength; this would match with what the Doctor said about the Boneless leaking the frequency of the TARDIS.
If we decide that light is a tangible connection between the two-dimensional and the three-dimensional it opens a potential window for the Boneless to become possible. That said the process only works one way, any shadow cast will have one less dimension than the object casting the shadow. If we were to assume that the Boneless were capable to harnessing this principle it would offer an explanation for how they convert their victims to two dimensions, by turning them into their shadows. Later in the episode we see the reverse principle occur as two-dimensional objects become three-dimensional. Scientifically this is impossible and the narrative is quick to recognise this and plug the gap using the 2Dis. Technically my shadow explanation is a stretch too, this is because the perceived two-dimensional shadows is not the full picture. There will be reduced light in the space between the object and its shadow although the human eye cannot pick up on this.
Verdict: Scientifically Implausible
Nanotechnology Optic Nerve Hack
Another scientific aspect of the episode is the earpiece which the Doctor uses to communicate with Clara throughout the course of the narrative. The Doctor describes this as nanotechnology which hacks the user’s optic nerve relaying an image to a secondary source. There are actually a few issues with this which I will now go into.
The ear enters the skull through the external auditory meatus, in terms of anatomy of the skull this is quite far from the optic canal through which the optic nerve passes. This would imply that it is not a physical hack as it would be impossible for the ear piece to be in contact with the nerve given their respective courses. Therefore the hack has to be by a different method.
The human visual system is a complex one. Images are formed when light falls on special cells within the retina of the eye. This leads to an electrical discharge (or a depolarisation) within these cells known as rods and cones. These depolarisations come together into the optic nerve and exit the back of the eye entering the skull through the optic canal. All visual information is contained within the depolarisation and will be assigned meaning by the visual centres of the brain. When the optic nerves from each eye cross, this is known as the Optic Chiasm which for simplicity’s sake is located deep behind the nose. It is likely that the Optic Chiasm is the true site from which the Optic Nerve hack occurred.
From here data is taken into the brain along the Optic Tract. This is where it is made sense of and translated into an image. One way in which the optic system differs from most nervous systems of the body is that there is no signal sent back to the eyes. This means that the images we see are formed in our brains and not in our eyes. This would make hacking the nerve rather pointless unless you had a computer capable of replicating the job that the brain does in processing the electrical information.
If we choose to model the brain as a network of nerves each carrying an electrical signal, we can liken it to a power grid. This would make it possible to hack in via one wire in order to access another. Going in through the ear allows for access of the vestibulocochlear nerve (responsible for hearing) and by extension the whole cranial network. A sophisticated hacker would be able to extract the information they require, in this case the signals for sight and hearing.
Verdict: Scientifically Plausible
