Carl Sagan's Carl Sagan's ContactContact

Honors 368, Section 1Honors 368, Section 1

Science in Science FictionScience in Science Fiction

Odis HickmanOdis Hickman

April 3, 2001April 3, 2001

Wormholes: Sci-Fi TrapdoorsWormholes: Sci-Fi Trapdoors

Einstein’s general theory of relativityEinstein’s general theory of relativity– Time moves slower in spaceTime moves slower in space– Reversal is possibleReversal is possible

Is time travel possible?Is time travel possible?

Theory of WormholesTheory of Wormholes

Matter is neither created nor destroyedMatter is neither created nor destroyed Objects sucked into a rotating, electrically Objects sucked into a rotating, electrically

charged blackhole do not disappearcharged blackhole do not disappear One theory is that they reappear elsewhere One theory is that they reappear elsewhere

out of an exit point or whiteholeout of an exit point or whitehole The tunnel that links a blackhole and The tunnel that links a blackhole and

whitehole is known as a wormholewhitehole is known as a wormhole

WormholesWormholes

Possibly created after the Possibly created after the Big Bang, which began Big Bang, which began the Universe roughly the Universe roughly thirteen billion years agothirteen billion years ago

The wormhole provides a The wormhole provides a convenient and rapid way convenient and rapid way to travel great distancesto travel great distances

Wormholes cont.Wormholes cont.

According to current theories, natural wormholes According to current theories, natural wormholes are too small for star travelare too small for star travel

Wormholes are thought to be very unstable, Wormholes are thought to be very unstable, being subject to collapse due to internal and being subject to collapse due to internal and external influencesexternal influences

It is thought that a technically advanced It is thought that a technically advanced civilization could find the means of widening civilization could find the means of widening these wormholes and keeping them open, or even these wormholes and keeping them open, or even creating their owncreating their own

WhiteholesWhiteholes

As universes have a beginning and end, so As universes have a beginning and end, so do wormholesdo wormholes

Whiteholes are the reverse of blackholesWhiteholes are the reverse of blackholes The equations of general relativity have the The equations of general relativity have the

interesting mathematical property of interesting mathematical property of symmetry in timesymmetry in time

Just as a black hole can only suck things in, a Just as a black hole can only suck things in, a white hole can only spit things outwhite hole can only spit things out

Whiteholes cont.Whiteholes cont.

You can take any solution to the equations and You can take any solution to the equations and imagine that time flows backwards rather than imagine that time flows backwards rather than forwards and you will get another valid forwards and you will get another valid solution to the equationssolution to the equations

These may exist in a different universe, region These may exist in a different universe, region of space, or timeof space, or time

If not for the wormhole, it would be completely If not for the wormhole, it would be completely disconnected from the blackhole’s regiondisconnected from the blackhole’s region

BlackholesBlackholes

A region of space that has so much mass A region of space that has so much mass concentrated in it that there is no way for a concentrated in it that there is no way for a nearby object to escape its gravitational pullnearby object to escape its gravitational pull

We suspect that most of the black holes that exist We suspect that most of the black holes that exist are produced in the deaths of massive starsare produced in the deaths of massive stars

Black holes are believed to weigh about as much Black holes are believed to weigh about as much as a massive star or ten times the mass of the sunas a massive star or ten times the mass of the sun

Blackholes cont.Blackholes cont.

The interior of a charged or rotating black The interior of a charged or rotating black hole can "join up" with a corresponding hole can "join up" with a corresponding white hole in such a way that you can fall white hole in such a way that you can fall into the black hole and pop out of the white into the black hole and pop out of the white holehole

Blackholes cont.Blackholes cont.

As you get closer and closer to the center of As you get closer and closer to the center of the hole, "tidal" gravitational forces begin the hole, "tidal" gravitational forces begin to take affectto take affect

Blackholes cont.Blackholes cont.

As you get closer to the center, these tidal As you get closer to the center, these tidal forces get more and more intense until forces get more and more intense until eventually ripping you aparteventually ripping you apart

Sagan originally wanted to use black holes Sagan originally wanted to use black holes as the aliens' space transit system, but soon as the aliens' space transit system, but soon realized any travelers would be stretched realized any travelers would be stretched and crushed into oblivion, thus settling on and crushed into oblivion, thus settling on artificial intergalactic wormholesartificial intergalactic wormholes

Kip ThorneKip Thorne

Relativity theorist and astrophysicistRelativity theorist and astrophysicist Professor of Theoretical Physics at Professor of Theoretical Physics at

California Institue of TechnologyCalifornia Institue of Technology Has researched in several areas including Has researched in several areas including

gravitational radiation, black holes, neutron gravitational radiation, black holes, neutron stars and the nature of space, time, and stars and the nature of space, time, and gravitygravity

Kip Thorne cont.Kip Thorne cont.

Theory that wormholes may act as time Theory that wormholes may act as time machinesmachines– According to quantum mechanics, if a According to quantum mechanics, if a

spacecraft is traveling at the speed of light in a spacecraft is traveling at the speed of light in a wormhole, then time would be moving wormhole, then time would be moving backward relative to other objectsbackward relative to other objects

Kip Thorne cont.Kip Thorne cont.

Advised Carl Sagan on Advised Carl Sagan on ContactContact– Sagan wanted a plausible way in which the Sagan wanted a plausible way in which the

characters would be able to zip around the characters would be able to zip around the galaxy at superlight speeds without violating galaxy at superlight speeds without violating the laws of physics to a great extent the laws of physics to a great extent

Examples of WormholesExamples of Wormholes

2001: A Space Odyssey2001: A Space Odyssey– Stanley Kubrick was the first director to depict Stanley Kubrick was the first director to depict

his vision of time travel through a wormholehis vision of time travel through a wormhole Star Trek: GenerationsStar Trek: Generations

– Uses a moving ribbon of energy, referred to as a Uses a moving ribbon of energy, referred to as a NexusNexus

– Has the power to destroy ships and civilizations Has the power to destroy ships and civilizations and also transport people through time or a and also transport people through time or a fantasyfantasy

Examples of Wormholes cont.Examples of Wormholes cont.

Deep Space NineDeep Space Nine– A wormhole connects the Alpha and Gamma A wormhole connects the Alpha and Gamma

quadrants from opposite sides of the Milky quadrants from opposite sides of the Milky WayWay

Sliders’Sliders’– Featured a portal that would transport its users Featured a portal that would transport its users

to parallel universesto parallel universes TimecopTimecop

– Wormholes permit the reversal of a murderWormholes permit the reversal of a murder

Related SourcesRelated Sources

Center for Particle Astrophysics, an NSF Science and Technology Center for Particle Astrophysics, an NSF Science and Technology CenterCenter– http://cfpa.berkeley.edu/home.htmlhttp://cfpa.berkeley.edu/home.html

Black Holes and BeyondBlack Holes and Beyond– http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Cyberia/NumRel/BlackHoles.htmlhttp://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Cyberia/NumRel/BlackHoles.html

Wormholes: Searching for a “Subway to the Stars”Wormholes: Searching for a “Subway to the Stars”– http://www.sff.net/people/Geoffrey.Landis/wormholes.htphttp://www.sff.net/people/Geoffrey.Landis/wormholes.htp