Wormhole Travel: 10 LY Away in an Instant?

  • Thread starter billbray
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In summary, wormholes are hypothetical tunnels that could potentially connect two distant points in the universe through the bending of space-time. This would allow for near-instant travel, but the technology and energy required are currently beyond our capabilities. One of the potential dangers of wormhole travel is time dilation, which could result in extreme aging or time travel. While it is still a theoretical concept, scientists are actively researching and exploring the possibilities of wormholes.
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billbray
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1. If I traveled in a wormhole from Earth to a distant star 10 LY away, and arrived there instantly, when would I arrive at the star? Would I be there 10 years ago, as the light took 10 years to reach Earth? If Minkowski space is truly 4D i.e., space-time, then I can't arrive at some objective 'now' since there is no common instant in time common to any two points in space no matter how close or distant. The only common 'now' would be the 10 year old photons reaching Earth - as I leave and arrive at the distant star 10 LY away... I should be there at the same time the photons left the star, 10 years ago? Relativity doesn't apply for v >c, i.e., instnataneous travel. Isn't this the same as two very distant entagled particles or photons - or a double slit experiment, violating causality?

2. If two ships each leave a common point speeding away from each other equally at v = c, to a distance of 2LY (1 LY travel for each) and each turns around and speeds back to the starting point at v = c, do their clocks agree? Unlike 1 ship speeding away and back (twin paradox) , there's no fixed reference.
 
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When you arrive depends on the unknown conditions of that wormhole. It could be "now" in Earth's reference frame. In most cases wormholes allow violations of causality.
billbray said:
Isn't this the same as two very distant entagled particles or photons - or a double slit experiment, violating causality?
No, these things don't violate causality.
billbray said:
2. If two ships each leave a common point speeding away from each other equally at v = c, to a distance of 2LY (1 LY travel for each) and each turns around and speeds back to the starting point at v = c, do their clocks agree?
Yes, with symmetric trips the clocks will agree.
 

1. What is a wormhole?

A wormhole is a hypothetical tunnel or shortcut through the fabric of space-time, connecting two distant points in the universe.

2. How does wormhole travel work?

Theoretically, a wormhole could be created by bending space-time using a massive amount of energy. This would create a shortcut between two points, allowing for near-instant travel between them.

3. Can we really travel 10 light years away in an instant using a wormhole?

Theoretically, yes. However, the technology and energy required to create and stabilize a wormhole are currently beyond our capabilities.

4. What are the potential dangers of wormhole travel?

One of the major concerns with wormhole travel is the possibility of time dilation. This means that time would pass differently for travelers inside the wormhole compared to those outside of it. This could result in extreme aging or even time travel.

5. Is wormhole travel possible or just science fiction?

Wormhole travel is still a theoretical concept and has not been proven to be possible. However, scientists continue to research and explore the possibilities of this phenomenon.

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