Applications Open! Enroll for Summer 2027 at 2026 Tuition Pricing Until Sept 30
Investigate black holes, spacetime, and paradoxes as you build a time-travel theory in this 3-week program for middle school students at UCLA.
Course Description
Could time travel work without breaking the laws of physics? Students investigate that question by comparing ideas from quantum mechanics, general relativity, and the search for a theory of quantum gravity. Black holes, negative energy, cosmic strings, and spacetime become entry points for asking what current physics allows and where the hardest questions remain.
Students examine experiments and scientific arguments that have shaped modern thinking about time. They analyze classic time-travel paradoxes, consider the possibility of mutable timelines, and test competing explanations through thought experiments and debate. The goal is not to treat science fiction as fact, but to use an imaginative problem to practice careful reasoning about evidence, assumptions, and consequences.
The course builds toward an original time-travel theory. Students decide which physical ideas support their proposal, identify the paradoxes it must address, and explain where evidence ends and speculation begins. Sharing and defending that theory helps them communicate complex ideas clearly while discovering how physics, philosophy, and science fiction approach the nature of time from different angles.
This three-week course is part of Summer Discovery’s Institute for the Gifted program on UCLA’s campus. The course is available to residential and commuter students. Beyond class, students connect active academic exploration with campus life, growing independence, new friendships, and a clearer sense of what students may want to explore next.
What Will You Do?
• Compare quantum mechanics, general relativity, and quantum gravity
• Investigate black holes, negative energy, cosmic strings, and spacetime
• Analyze time-travel paradoxes and the idea of mutable timelines
• Examine experiments and evidence connected to theories of time
• Test competing ideas through thought experiments and debate
• Develop and explain an original theory of time travel
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Compare major physics ideas connected to spacetime and time travel
• Analyze paradoxes, evidence, and assumptions within a scientific argument
• Construct and explain an original theory of time travel
Students leave with a personal time-travel theory, a Summer Discovery certificate of completion, and a clearer sense of which questions in physics they may want to explore next.
Why Theoretical Physics Skills Matter
Questions about time travel demand more than imagination. Students have to distinguish scientific evidence from speculation, compare theories that explain the same problem differently, and follow an idea far enough to uncover its contradictions. That kind of reasoning is useful across physics, mathematics, engineering, and any subject built around evidence.
The course also develops communication skills. Explaining spacetime or defending a response to a paradox requires students to organize complicated ideas, define unfamiliar terms, and respond thoughtfully to questions. These habits help students become more precise thinkers while giving them a deeper way to engage with science.
Who Should Attend?
This course is for middle school students who have completed 6th, 7th, or 8th grade and are curious about physics, black holes, spacetime, time-travel stories, or questions that do not have simple answers. It fits students who enjoy testing unusual ideas, looking for logical contradictions, and discussing different explanations with classmates.
Students should be ready to engage with challenging concepts, participate in thought experiments and debate, and explain a theory of their own. Institute for the Gifted eligibility requirements apply. Families should review the criteria on the FAQ page and submit a completed program application.
Why UCLA?
UCLA gives middle-school students an energetic place to learn, have fun, and experience campus life in Los Angeles. The setting brings together science, technology, creativity, entertainment, and culture, helping new subjects feel connected to a wider world of ideas.
The program combines hands-on academics with friendships, campus activities, clear routines, and support as students become comfortable in a large university environment. Students can try new challenges, share interests with peers, and build confidence through participation without needing to decide where those interests will lead. For families, UCLA offers a structured middle-school experience that balances substantive learning with fun, community, and age-appropriate independence. Students leave with new memories and a clearer sense of what they may want to explore next.
Summer Discovery Certificate of Completion
After successfully finishing this course, you will be awarded a certification of completion for your accomplishment.
*This is a preview, not what you will receive