![]() Ask UsSpace Physics:
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Wormholes |
Keeping a Wormhole Open? |
What Does a Wormhole Look Like? |
What About Wormholes and Time Travel? |
Time Travel |
Particles Faster than Light |
Faster Than Speed of Light? |
Wormholes are allowed to exist in the math of "General Relativity", which is our best description of the Universe. Assuming that general relativity is correct, there may be wormholes. But no one has any idea how they would be created, and there is no evidence for anything like a wormhole in the observed Universe.
However, many experts in the field of gravitation and general relativity have done a lot of work on them, including Stephen Hawking and Kip Thorne. A good book on this subject is Black holes and Timewarps, Einstein's Outrageous Legacy by Kip Thorne.
Drs. Eric Christian and Louis Barbier
Dr. Eric Christian
The first thing I should say is that there is no proof that wormholes exist. They are allowed for in the math of General Relativity (which is our current best guess as to how the Universe works), but they've never been observed, and no one can figure out how one would actually be created. If they do exist, then there will probably be some material rotating around the outside of the wormhole and it might look "something" like a hurricane.
Dr. Eric Christian
General Relativity is the only theory currently that appears to explain everything we know about space-time. Wormholes were "discovered" as an allowable solution to the math of General Relativity; they are not a separate theory. Also, a wormhole is not really a means of going back in time, it's a shortcut, so that something that was far away is much closer. (See the answer to the "Faster Than Speed of Light" question.)
Dr. Eric Christian
The first answer I thought of is that the laws of physics would have to change. Now this does not necessarily mean that the Universe would have to change. Our understanding of the Universe, and the laws of physics that we use, are certainly imperfect. And general relativity does seem to allow some paths through space-time that may indicate a possibility for time travel, but these are way beyond our ability to test (for example, orbiting a multi-light-year long, supermassive rotating cylinder). So at the moment, there is certainly no known way for time travel.
Dr. Eric Christian
Tachyons are postulated as particles that might exceed the speed of light. For an excellent review, check out Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Tachyons.
Dr. Louis Barbier
(November 2001)
Faster than light speed is not possible within the theories that we currently think explain the Universe best. That does not mean that it is impossible, since our understanding of the Universe is limited. Many of us hope that some way will be found to circumvent "The Laws of Physics". A wormhole is not really a means of going faster than light (or backward or forward in time); it's a shortcut so that something that was far away is much closer. You can think of an ant on a piece of paper. If that ant could fold the paper around and poke a hole through it, it could get to the far end much faster than if it just walked. That's what a wormhole does in 3D space.
Dr. Eric Christian
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This file was last modified: October 14, 2005
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