Wormholes & Warp Drives: Can Circular Polarizers Create Them?

In summary, circular polarizers do not generate wormholes and warp drives. While there may be some mathematical analogy between optical black holes and gravitational black holes, they are not the same thing. Optical black holes are not true singularities and therefore do not have the same properties as gravitational black holes.
  • #1
sddfds
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TL;DR Summary
circular polarizers wormholes warp drives
hello i would like to ask if circular polarizers generate wormholes and warp drives. thanks very much.
 
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  • #2
sddfds said:
Summary: circular polarizers wormholes warp drives

hello i would like to ask if circular polarizers generate wormholes and warp drives. thanks very much.
HUH? Are you talking about THIS: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circular_polarization ?
What would that have to do with wormholes and warp drives?
 
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  • #3
phinds said:
HUH? Are you talking about THIS: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circular_polarization ?
What would that have to do with wormholes and warp drives?
yes, circular polarization. polarization singularities are the superposition of phase singularities which are black holes. thanks.
 
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  • #4
sddfds said:
yes, circular polarization. polarization singularities are the superposition of phase singularities which are black holes. thanks.
I think you need to supply a reference to support this claim.
 
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  • #5
sddfds said:
yes, circular polarization. polarization singularities are the superposition of phase singularities which are black holes. thanks.
The word “singularity” is used to describe points where an otherwise well-behaved mathematical formula doesn’t apply; the most easily understood example might be Coulomb’s Law ##F=q_1q_2/r^2## which works everywhere except where ##r=0##. It is important to understand that the problem here is in the math, not the physics.

A polarization singularly is a point where the standard polarization equation doesn’t work, so has nothing to do with the gravitational singularity where the equations of general relativity don’t work.
 
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As @Nugatory notes, you seem to have confused the singularities in the mathematics of optics with the singularities in the mathematics of spacetime, some of which are inside black holes. They are not the same thing.
 
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ok thanks a lot.
 
  • #9
sddfds said:
i would like to ask if circular polarizers generate wormholes and warp drives
No, they don't. First, as others have posted, the "singularities" that appear in the references you give on polarizers are not the same as the singularities that appear in GR at the centers of black holes. Second, even leaving that aside, wormholes and warp drives are not black holes and do not have spacetime singularities in them.
 
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are optical black holes the same as gravitational black holes. thanks.
 
  • #11
there's a close mathematical analogy between a sub-field of optics called transformation optics and general relativity. if you have a light ray with some sort of bendy trajectory, you can 'undo' the bendiness by doing a coordinate transformation and use the same transformation to calculate the refractive index n(r) you'd need to give the bendy trajectory in the first place.

went to see John Pendry speak about his work on this subject (specifically, metamaterials) a while back - he is considered to be in the running for a nobel prize at some point!
 
  • #12
sddfds said:
are optical black holes the same as gravitational black holes.
No.
 
  • #13
sddfds said:
"Optical black holes are not true singularities. They use optical effects to simulate gravitational black holes, which are singularities. The distinction is important." Right from your sources. So the answer is simply NO.
 

1. What are wormholes and warp drives?

Wormholes and warp drives are both theoretical concepts in physics that involve the bending of space-time. Wormholes are hypothetical tunnels or shortcuts through space-time that could potentially allow for faster-than-light travel. Warp drives, on the other hand, are theoretical devices that could manipulate space-time to allow for faster-than-light travel without actually exceeding the speed of light.

2. Can circular polarizers create wormholes and warp drives?

No, circular polarizers are not capable of creating wormholes or warp drives. Circular polarizers are optical devices that work by filtering light waves based on their polarization, and have no connection to the bending of space-time.

3. What is the current scientific understanding of wormholes and warp drives?

Wormholes and warp drives are currently only theoretical concepts and have not been proven to exist. While there are some mathematical models that suggest the possibility of their existence, there is currently no empirical evidence to support their existence.

4. What are some potential implications of wormholes and warp drives?

If wormholes and warp drives were to exist and be harnessed for practical use, they could potentially revolutionize space travel and allow for much faster and more efficient exploration of the universe. They could also have implications for time travel and the possibility of traveling to other dimensions.

5. Are there any current research or experiments being conducted on wormholes and warp drives?

Yes, there are ongoing research and experiments being conducted on wormholes and warp drives, although they are still in the early stages. Some scientists are exploring the use of exotic matter and negative energy to potentially create and stabilize wormholes, while others are working on theoretical models and simulations to better understand the concept of warp drives.

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