The Theory of Wormholes

Have you ever wondered if we could connect two points that are far, far away in space?

Well, this theory is called the theory of Wormholes. A wormhole is a hypothetical structure of space-time envisioned as a tunnel connecting points that are separated in space and time. Even so, no wormholes have been discovered yet, and they only exist mathematically: meaning mathematics predicts the existence of these structures, the reason why they are hypothetical.

It started with Albert Einstein and Nathan Rosen. They were attempting to extend the theory of general relativity into a unified theory of everything, but during this process, they stumbled upon the possibility of these structures: the wormholes.

Einstein and Rosen published a paper in 1935 (the ER paper) that proposed the idea of tunnels or bridges through space-time using general relativity. What these tunnels or bridges did was connect two points in the universe. Amazing, huh? They could be billions of light years away and still connect them. It is hard to imagine, isn’t it? Let’s say, it could be a shortcut, like the one we see in the film Interstellar. If you haven’t watched that film, I strongly recommend you do.

That same year, 1935, Einstein, Boris Podolsky, and Rosen published another paper (the EPR paper) which suggested that the theory of quantum mechanics was incomplete, with the title: "Can Quantum-Mechanical Description of Physical Reality be Considered Complete?"

Two particles in an entangled state show a correlation between their positions: measuring one leads to predicting the other. They concluded that no action on the first particle could instantly affect the other, as it would violate the theory of relativity by requiring information to be transmitted faster than the speed of light.

Using a principle known as the "EPR criterion of reality," they claimed that if we can predict the value of a physical quantity without disturbing a system, there is a corresponding element of reality for that quantity.

 This led them to the conclusion that before either quantity could be measured, the second particle had to have a fixed value from beforehand. However, because quantum physics views these two observables as being incompatible, no system is given simultaneous values for both of them. In light of this, Einstein, Podolsky, and Rosen concluded that quantum theory does not fully explain reality.

The ER and EPR paper joined together to establish that two particles intertwined are connected by a wormhole. Therefore, the equation for a wormhole is ER EPR. In other words, it states that two entangled particles (referring to EPR paper) are connected by a wormhole (referring to ER paper). This is thought as the basis of unifying general relativity and quantum mechanics to make a theory of everything.

The discovery of a wormhole would help us explore a great deal of the universe without having to travel for decades or centuries with a spacecraft. In addition, it would teach us about our universe and its development.

Reference:

Tillman, N. T., Harvey, A., & Sohn, R. (2024, March 5). What are wormholes? Space.com. https://www.space.com/20881-wormholes.html

-Authored by: Marta Bennasar from The Eunolia.

https://linktr.ee/TheEunoliaClub