Would
you like to chat to a friendly alien on a distant planet, or even pop through a
portal to explore an extraterrestrial world?
A
common event in science fiction, but physically impossible in the real world of
today.
In
current physics theory, nothing can travel faster than light. This limitation
means that even if you could travel at the speed of light, you would take more
than four years to reach the nearest star, Alpha Centauri.
Nothing
can travel faster than light speed, except for quantum wave/particles.
Entangled quanta can communicate at a distance by teleportation. This effect is
real. Experiments have demonstrated quantum teleportation over a distance of
several hundred miles.
Quantum
computing is also feasible and is becoming a practical reality. Consequently,
quanta can exchange data or communicate at a significant distance. These
advances mean we can envision a future where we can transmit data in the form
of digital messages, voice or images to an extraterrestrial location.
Remember
the live holographic images in decades-old science fiction like Star Trek? In
my opinion, such communications are within the bounds of current physical
knowledge. Future technical advances might enable us to chat to an intelligent
entity on the far side of the galaxy.
Our
dream of visiting this alien entity is still impossible in the real physical
world because a human is not a quantum-scale object. If we could perform
quantum manipulations on an object the size of a human, and if such operations
would not injure a live human, we could blithely teleport to an alien planet.
But, it’s not possible in current physics. Sorry! We cannot jump through a
portal to one of the planets near Alpha Centauri.
We
must rely on our imaginations to explore the galaxy and interact with alien
lifeforms. Hence, I create adventures in space to vault over the bounds of
reality, and often invoke teleportation as a means of interstellar travel in my
science fiction stories.
Author Bio
Aurora
Springer is a scientist morphing into a novelist. She has a
PhD in molecular biophysics and discovers science facts in her day job. She has
invented adventures in weird worlds for as long as she can remember. In 2014,
Aurora achieved a life-long ambition to publish her stories. Her works are
character-driven adventures and romances set in weird worlds and described with
a sprinkle of humor. Some of the stories were composed thirty years ago. She
was born in the UK and lives in Atlanta with her husband, a dog and two cats to
sit on the keyboard. Her hobbies, besides reading and writing, include outdoor
activities like gardening, watching wildlife, hiking and canoeing.
