A Few Interesting Facts On Wormhole

Mar 02, 2020

The wormhole concept is still in its infancy. It’s a theoretical passage through space and time that can create a host of shortcuts for long distance journeys across the universe.

These wormholes are actually predicted by the theory of relativity. But be a little wary: wormholes come with certain dangers such as:

  • High radiation,
  • Sudden collapse,
  • Life-threatening contact with exotic matter.

In this article, we are going to discuss a few interesting facts about wormholes in general. Let’s go through them.

What is a wormhole?

Albert Einstein and Nathan Rosen proposed the existence of space-time “bridges” in 1935. They had taken the aid of general relativity to propose that theory.

These so-called “bridges” are used to connect 2 individual locations in space-time. According to this theory, it can be said that wormholes create a shortcut between two different points which should result in a significant decrease in time and distance.

Wormholes are believed to have 2 mouths and also have a throat acting as a bridge between the two. The mouths are believed to be spheroidal.

Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity predicts the fact that wormholes exist. But none is discovered practically to date.

Traveling through a wormhole: What can you expect?

Before we begin, we would like to state this fact that the things mentioned in this column purely exist on basis of a theory. Their practical existence is still not verified by the scientific community.

You have probably seen the reference of wormhole travels in many science fiction movies or in books. But to be honest, traveling through a wormhole can never be so easy like the way it’s portrayed in many. Refer to the video below (It’s a short clip of the wormhole scene in the movie Interstellar).

A wormhole travel like the way shown above is almost next to impossible. The first problem with wormholes that you are going to face is size. Most wormholes are believed to be quite tiny and exist on a microscopic level, at around 10-33 cm. But there’s no need to lose heart on basis of that fact. With the expansion of the universe, it might be possible for some black holes to exist in larger sizes. So you might still have a chance!

Wormhole also has another problem that’s particularly related to stability. Einstein & Rosen’s proposed wormholes would never be suitable for trouble because they would collapse quickly, often within seconds. But even that should not bring down your spirit. Recent studies suggest the fact that wormholes having “exotic” matter can stay open for longer period of time. That gives you another chance of time travel; right?

Wormholes can connect two separate and unique regions in the same regions. It can also connect a universe with that of another. It’s usually believed that a traversable wormhole can be used for travelling from one point to another or from a specific time to another (thus, the name time travel). But recent studies believe that time travel through wormhole is unreliable. Due to the unpredictable nature of wormholes, several undesirable things can happen during the time of travel. You will have no idea as to “when” you are going to come out. You will also have no idea as to “where” you are going to come out. Wormholes cannot be both predictable and stale.

How is a wormhole supposed to work?

The basic idea is quite simple. Imagine a worm going from a point on one side of the apple to the other side. If it follows the apple crust and reaches its destination, it’s going to cover a long distance and also take a long time to reach its destination. There’s simple alternative. Say, it burrows through the apple and reaches its destination. It’s going to take lesser time and has to cover lesser distance at the same time. The same concept is applicable in the case of a wormhole.

A wormhole is supposed to bend the space and time thereby saving both.

The wormhole concept is undoubtedly pretty interesting but it’s definitely blurry at the same time. It’s time we bring this article to an end. Hope you had a good read.

Article Posted in: Academics

Sudipto Das

Sudipto writes educational content periodically for MyPrivateTutor Singapore and backs it up with extensive research and relevant examples. He's an avid reader and a tech enthusiast at the same time with a little bit of “Arsenal Football Club” thrown in as well. He's got more than 5 years of experience in digital marketing, SEO and graphic designing.

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