Can Physicists Unravel the Mysteries of Einstein-Rosen Bridges and Wormholes?

  • Context: Graduate 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Kutt
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Bridge
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the nature of Einstein-Rosen bridges, commonly referred to as wormholes, and their theoretical implications for interstellar travel. Participants explore questions regarding the existence, stability, and potential creation of wormholes, as well as their relationship to black holes and the associated challenges of using them for transportation.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question whether physicists understand what causes an Einstein-Rosen bridge to open and if stable wormholes exist in the universe.
  • Others argue that wormholes are purely theoretical constructs, with no observational evidence supporting their existence.
  • There is a suggestion that wormholes could be created artificially, but this is met with skepticism regarding the feasibility and the energy requirements involved.
  • One participant mentions that wormholes, if they could exist, would likely close almost immediately after forming, requiring exotic matter to keep them open, which is not known to exist.
  • Another viewpoint introduces Kerr black holes as potentially having traversable wormholes without the need for exotic matter, but raises concerns about entropy and information loss.
  • Some participants express that the concept of wormholes implies time travel, contributing to skepticism among scientists regarding their practicality.
  • The discussion includes references to the Alcubierre drive as a theoretical means of faster-than-light travel, highlighting the immense energy requirements and potential instability associated with such concepts.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally do not reach a consensus, with multiple competing views on the existence, stability, and practical implications of wormholes. The discussion remains unresolved, with ongoing debate about the theoretical nature of these constructs.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the lack of observational evidence for wormholes, dependence on theoretical constructs, and unresolved questions about the energy requirements and safety concerns related to potential wormhole creation.

Kutt
Messages
237
Reaction score
1
Do physicists know what causes an Einstein-Rosen bridge (a wormhole) to open up? Does astronomy know of any stable wormholes within the known universe? In theory, can wormholes be artificially created? And could we use these cosmic gates to send spacecraft to distant parts of the universe and so forth?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Gravity lots of it. Wormholes were theorized as being created by black holes. So good luck using one for transport. Not to mention none have been found.
 
Kutt said:
Do physicists know what causes an Einstein-Rosen bridge (a wormhole) to open up? Does astronomy know of any stable wormholes within the known universe? In theory, can wormholes be artificially created? And could we use these cosmic gates to send spacecraft to distant parts of the universe and so forth?

This is basically just science fiction stuff in terms of actual practice.
 
Mordred said:
Gravity lots of it. Wormholes were theorized as being created by black holes. So good luck using one for transport. Not to mention none have been found.

So they only exist in theory and astronomers have yet to find any actual wormholes within the known universe?
 
Kutt said:
So they only exist in theory and astronomers have yet to find any actual wormholes within the known universe?

Correct. "The theory says they might exist" is just another way of saying "we haven't yet proven that they don't exist", so until there are some observations, there's not much reason to take the idea seriously. Indeed, the lack of observations could be considered a hint from mother nature that we aren't seeing them because they aren't there.

Of course, some astronomer somewhere might find one tomorrow... Could happen... That's pretty much what happened with black holes (the theory said they might exist, eventually observations came along)... But I'm betting against it.
 
What I have read about such "wormholes" (if that's the same thing as an Einstein-Rosen bridge) is that they would almost instantly close up after forming, so there would be no way to use them for traveling. To keep them open would require exotic matter (matter not known to exist) that violates the "dominant energy condition", which I don't know what that means.
 
Kerr black holes might have a traversable wormhole without resorting to exotic matter. It could be that particles entering a Kerr black hole end up in another dimension.

What is usually ignored in these speculations is entropy. When we fall into a black hole or a wormhole, we gain entropy. Symmetrically, when we travel out of a wormhole, we would have to lose in entropy.

Someone made a nice analogy for this. If spacetime is a river, a black hole is a waterfall, then the wormhole is a waterfall followed with an inverted waterfall flowing upwards. There is nothing that forbids water to flow to the sky, except the second law of thermodynamics.

So - maybe some matter (in the sense of mass) can enter another dimension via a Kerr black hole, but most probably all information it carries will be destroyed. Rather poor way of travelling, IMO.
 
I read that black holes and wormholes may hold the key to unlocking the secrets of interstellar travel. Is that true?
 
Again another science fiction concept. For the reasons posted above
 
  • #10
Mordred said:
Again another science fiction concept. For the reasons posted above

As I understand it, the very existence of such a thing would imply time-travel, and this is yet another reason why many scientists are skeptical?
 
  • #11
1977ub said:
As I understand it, the very existence of such a thing would imply time-travel, and this is yet another reason why many scientists are skeptical?

No theoretically a wormhole if such a thing could be manufactured could create a spacetime tunnel. However the sheer amount of energy that it would take would be on par with a massive star. Some of the research I've read on it suggest it would also be unstable as well as generate high levels of radiation.
The Alcubierre drive theoretically could be used to warp spacetime enough to generate FTL. However that involves a small spacetime warpage. Even on that small scale the amount of needed
energy is enormous. Their is also concern on it of generated radiation.
 
  • #12
Mordred said:
No theoretically a wormhole if such a thing could be manufactured could create a spacetime tunnel.

I gather that this alone is enough to make many eyes roll, and put the whole thing into the world of sci-fi, practical energy and safety concerns aside.

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4535149
 
Last edited:

Similar threads

Undergrad Can Wormholes Be Created Without Exotic Particles?
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Undergrad Time travel is a fact or fiction.?
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
3K
Graduate Radial motion into an Einstein-Rosen bridge (Poplawski)
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
4K
Graduate Dimensional Rifts, Windows, Einstein-Rosen Bridge & other Mindbenders
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
5K
Graduate The philosophy of Wormholes, Blackholes, Deep space, etc
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
High School Question about the Entropy of a Black Hole Singularity
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
4K
Graduate Can entanglement swapping determine the absolute velocity of an object?
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
3K
Physics Can an applied physics graduate be a theoretical physicist?
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
4K
Undergrad Unraveling the Mystery of Dark Matter: The Missing 96% of the Universe
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
3K
High School QFT & QM Questions (about time, locality, gravity, etc.)
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K