Quantum wormholes could (actually) carry people to other stars and even galaxies!

New Scientist ^ | 18:10 23 May 02 | Exclusive from New Scientist Print Edition

[vannrox]

Quantum wormholes could carry people

18:10 23 May 02

Exclusive from New Scientist Print Edition

All around us are tiny doors that lead to the rest of the Universe. Predicted by Einstein's equations, these quantum wormholes offer a faster-than-light short cut to the rest of the cosmos - at least in principle. Now physicists believe they could open these doors wide enough to allow someone to travel through.

Quantum wormholes are thought to be much smaller than even protons and electrons, and until now no one has modelled what happens when something passes through one. So Sean Hayward at Ewha Womans University in Korea and Hisa-aki Shinkai at the Riken Institute of Physical and Chemical Research in Japan decided to do the sums.

They have found that any matter travelling through adds positive energy to the wormhole. That unexpectedly collapses it into a black hole, a supermassive region with a gravitational pull so strong not even light can escape.

But there's a way to stop any would-be traveller being crushed into oblivion. And it lies with a strange energy field nicknamed "ghost radiation". Predicted by quantum theory, ghost radiation is a negative energy field that dampens normal positive energy. Similar effects have been shown experimentally to exist.

Delicate balance

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Weblinks

Hayward and Shinkai abstract

Research Institute for Basic Sciences, Ewha Womans University

Computational Science, Riken Institute of Physical and Chemical Research

Wormholes, Colorado University

Ghost radiation could therefore be used to offset the positive energy of the travelling matter, the researchers have found. Add just the right amount and it should be possible to prevent the wormhole collapsing - a lot more and the wormhole could be widened just enough for someone to pass through.

It would be a delicate operation, however. Add too much negative energy, the scientists discovered, and the wormhole will briefly explode into a new universe that expands at the speed of light, much as astrophysicists say ours did immediately after the big bang.

For now, such space travel remains in the realm of thought experiments. The CERN Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland is expected to generate one mini-black hole per second, a potential source of wormholes through which physicists could try to send quantum-sized particles.

But sending a person would be another thing. To keep the wormhole open wide enough would take a negative field equivalent to the energy that would be liberated by converting the mass of Jupiter.

Charles Choi

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[vannrox]

WOW!

[martin_fierro]

This story reads like a "flying cars" article out of "Popular (Quantum) Mechanics." <|:)~

[LurkedLongEnough]

Just tell us, is there a hole big enough for Hillary and Rosie, plus Senator Byrd?

[SauronOfMordor]

It would be a delicate operation, however. Add too much negative energy, the scientists discovered, and the wormhole will briefly explode into a new universe that expands at the speed of light, much as astrophysicists say ours did immediately after the big bang.

Why do I get the feeling that this might be a bad thing?

[Jzen]

Quantum wormholes

I've read this article before and been looking for these quantum wormholes. I believe I have actually found them. I was at the park the other day and there was this little green building that looked like a spaceship, I got in and by golly there it was the Quantum wormhole. Needless to say, I jumped right in.

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

Very funny Scotty, now beam down my clothes.

[dd5339]

Ping!

[sharktrager]

This is bogus. I've got a wormhole in my closet and it just takes me to the Wendy's down the street.

Distant galaxies indeed!

[Jzen]

Once I made it through the wormhole I was scared. Because just then I looked up and saw someone plugging it up.

[Vermont Lt]

OK, so it takes this S-Load of equipment to get the door open. Who is going to volunteer to get through...without the equipment to bring themselves back. I guess we could just tie a rope around them like they did in Poltergiest--and Yank really, really hard when they are ready to come back.

I keep thinking of the Simpsons where Homer fell into the black hole.

[mhking]

[Bikers4Bush]

I say go for it, right after the geniuses can assure me that this isn't how our own universe was created however many billions of years ago.

"Everything is looking good Zotarc, go ahead and add the ghost radiation......oh sheeeete....". boom

[mc5cents]

HOLY SPACE TRAVEL BATMAN!!

Gort! Klaatu barada nikto!

[mc5cents]

"Everything is looking good Zotarc, go ahead and add the ghost radiation......oh sheeeete....". boom

LOL Shaboom shaboom eyadatadatada...

[Aracelis]

Space-travel ping!

[Wright is right!]

They're looking for wormholes in all the wrong places. All wormholes are connected directly to home CLOTHES DRYERS. And they operate on SOCKS.

Michael

[CubicleGuy]

Why do I get the feeling that this might be a bad thing?

I'm sure we'll get it right on the fifth or sixth try...

[Aracelis]

"Everything is looking good Zotarc, go ahead and add the ghost radiation......oh sheeeete....". boom

ROFL! I can see this happening...let's give Willy and Hill the honor of being the first to travel through the wormhole.

[nina0113]

Who is going to volunteer to get through...without the equipment to bring themselves back.

You don't know any real space nuts, do you. There are thousands of people who would line up for the chance, even if they KNEW FOR SURE it was a one-way trip. If I were single I'd be one of them.

[Spacetrucker]

Awwww, shucks. 'tain't nuthin'. They wuz doin this in that 80's show, Quantum Leap. :o)