UM physics professor gets Maxim exposure

By John Evans

Posted on Sept. 30, 2004, at 12:00 a.m.

Maxim Magazine, known for its beautiful, scantily clad women and sharp wit, took a stab at time travel in their latest issue with the help of UMaine’s own Dr. David Batuski, professor and chair of the department of physics and astronomy.

In the upcoming movie “A Sound of Thunder,” based on a short story by Ray Bradbury, a group of time travelers journey to the past and happen to kill a butterfly. However, this seemingly insignificant event has dire consequences as the group returns to present day New York City, to find “Time Waves” altering the present. Would this really happen if we traveled to the past? Would one small change in the past drastically affect the present? Is time travel even possible?

“Plenty of scientists have speculated that it is, perhaps by exceeding the speed of light or entering a wormhole,” said Batuski in Maxim. “Chaos theory tells us that some small events can have outsize consequences, so, yes, a certain butterfly could have a big impact. But most events would be so diluted by others that they’d be imperceptible.”

Maxim magazine, with an audience of over ten million, is known by college kids all over the country. Of course, when we discovered a member of the UMaine community was quoted in one of the latest issues, we jumped at the opportunity to barrage the man with questions. With steady, intelligent eyes and a quick smile, Dr. Batuski answered all of our questions, assuring us that taking a part in such a popular magazine was “a thrill for sure.”

Time travel is an area of study, and there are a few theories that most agree are most probable. “Every little event, even subatomic, causes the world to split,” says Batuski. This world split is called the “Many Worlds Theory.” Every decision or possibility, even on the subatomic level, creates a new universe.

For example, an electron spins either up or down after observation, says Batuski, but before observation, it spins both ways. According to the “many worlds theory,” after being observed as either spinning up or down, a new place is created in which the electron is spinning the opposite direction. Assuring me there were a lot of electrons out there, and a lot of other aspects of our world that possessed more than two possibilities, Batuski showed me how infinite this lattice work of worlds would be.

An old Halloween episode of “The Simpsons,” put Homer right in the middle of the “many worlds theory.” He tries to fix a toaster, ends up making a time machine which he uses, changing eternity. Telling Dr. Batuski about this experience with physics and time travel earned a quick smile and laugh. With a shrug, Batuski said that is theoretically what happens, just a little exaggerated.

Maxim writer Alfred Schulz said he and other staff members at the magainze found Dr. Batuski very knowledgable on the topic of time travel, and found our good Doctor gave answers that were much more down-to-earth and reader-friendly than other universities, such as Columbia.

“He helped me out quite a bit,” said Alfred Schulz. “He was much more cool, and gave far superior answers.”

Regrettably, Dr. Batuski says he did not get the chance to meet any of the Maxim models. “Although,” he said, “it is a pretty sexy magazine.”

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