2i4 P H V SIC S Of THE IMPOSSIBLE
achieve the Planck energy. Many physicists believe that at extremely
tiny distances, at the Planck distance of 10
33 centimeters, space is not
empty or smooth but becomes "foamy"; it is frothing with tiny bubbles
that constantly pop into existence, collide with other bubbles, and then
vanish back into the vacuum. These bubbles that dart in and out of the
vacuum are "virtual universes," very similar to the virtual particles of
electrons and antielectrons that pop into existence and then disappear.
Normally, this quantum space-time "foam" is completely invisible
to us. These bubbles form at such tiny distances that we cannot observe them. But quantum physics suggests that if we concentrate
enough energy at a single point, until we reach the Planck energy,
these bubbles can become large. Then we would see space-time frothing with tiny bubbles, each bubble a wormhole connected to a "baby
universe."
In the past these baby universes were considered an intellectual
curiosity, a strange consequence of pure mathematics. But now physicists are seriously thinking that our universe might have originally
started off as one of these baby universes.
Such thinking is sheer speculation, but the laws of physics allow
for the possibility of opening a hole in space by concentrating enough
energy at a single point, until we access the space-time foam and
wormholes emerge connecting our universe to a baby universe.
Achieving a hole in space would, of course, require major breakthroughs in our technology, but again, it might be possible for a Type
III civilization. For example, there have been promising developments
in something called a "Wakefield tabletop accelerator." Remarkably,
this atom smasher is so small that it can be placed on top of a table yet
generate billions of electron volts of energy. The Wakefield tabletop accelerator works by firing lasers onto charged particles, which then ride
on the energy of that laser. Experiments done at the Stanford Linear
Accelerator Center, the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in England,
and the École Polytechnique in Paris show that enormous accelerations are possible over small distances using laser beams and plasma
to inject energy.
Yet another breakthrough was made in 2007, when physicists and
achieve the Planck energy. Many physicists believe that at extremely
tiny distances, at the Planck distance of 10
33 centimeters, space is not
empty or smooth but becomes "foamy"; it is frothing with tiny bubbles
that constantly pop into existence, collide with other bubbles, and then
vanish back into the vacuum. These bubbles that dart in and out of the
vacuum are "virtual universes," very similar to the virtual particles of
electrons and antielectrons that pop into existence and then disappear.
Normally, this quantum space-time "foam" is completely invisible
to us. These bubbles form at such tiny distances that we cannot observe them. But quantum physics suggests that if we concentrate
enough energy at a single point, until we reach the Planck energy,
these bubbles can become large. Then we would see space-time frothing with tiny bubbles, each bubble a wormhole connected to a "baby
universe."
In the past these baby universes were considered an intellectual
curiosity, a strange consequence of pure mathematics. But now physicists are seriously thinking that our universe might have originally
started off as one of these baby universes.
Such thinking is sheer speculation, but the laws of physics allow
for the possibility of opening a hole in space by concentrating enough
energy at a single point, until we access the space-time foam and
wormholes emerge connecting our universe to a baby universe.
Achieving a hole in space would, of course, require major breakthroughs in our technology, but again, it might be possible for a Type
III civilization. For example, there have been promising developments
in something called a "Wakefield tabletop accelerator." Remarkably,
this atom smasher is so small that it can be placed on top of a table yet
generate billions of electron volts of energy. The Wakefield tabletop accelerator works by firing lasers onto charged particles, which then ride
on the energy of that laser. Experiments done at the Stanford Linear
Accelerator Center, the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in England,
and the École Polytechnique in Paris show that enormous accelerations are possible over small distances using laser beams and plasma
to inject energy.
Yet another breakthrough was made in 2007, when physicists and