Wormholes are a long-standing subject of controversy among scientists and a favorite technique in science fiction. An astrophysicist at Ohio State University argues that even if the wormholes are real, they are most likely deadly.
If you are a fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, or the Marvel Universe, then you know that these franchises all have one thing in common: their heroes use wormholes to quickly move through space. But maybe wormholes are just fiction?
In the latest episode of the weekly show Ask a Spaceman, astrophysicist Paul Sutter explained why wormholes are a bad idea, even if they exist.
“Wormholes, huh? Sutter says. - This is a science fiction stamp that you just can - once! - and move anywhere in the universe as fast as the plot requires."
To understand how (theoretical) wormholes work, let's start with a little understanding of the science of black holes. In fact, there are several types of them. The view Sutter has focused on is stellar mass holes that appear after massive stars explode into supernovae.
Schematic representation of a black and white hole and a wormhole connecting them.
After a supernova explosion, the resulting gravitational collapse creates a black hole - an incredibly massive object that captures all matter and light that gets too close to it. Black holes can only be seen by the radiation they produce, or by observing gravitational effects on other objects: they are one of the possible ways to create a wormhole.
If you think of a black hole as a funnel, as Sutter explains, objects “fall into the trap” by crossing its event horizon and moving downward. So where is the wormhole? It is a funnel, equal and opposite to the black hole, with an exit to the outside. This type of wormhole is sometimes referred to as a "white hole".
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There are several problems with white hole theory. It is difficult to figure out how to get into a white hole from a black one. The mathematical calculations behind white holes show that they are extremely unstable: they can vaporize or even destroy black holes after they form.
But even if the wormholes connecting black and white holes existed, they would be deadly. After all, as soon as the spacecraft falls beyond the event horizon of the black hole, the trap will slam shut. It is impossible to leave a hole, whether it is black or white, because, by definition, you cannot get out of the event horizon. The only way is to a singularity, whether it is associated with a white hole singularity or not.
Paul Sutter is a cosmologist at Ohio State University and chief research fellow at the Ohio Center for Science and Industry. He also hosts the podcast Ask an Astronaut, all episodes of which can be viewed here.
Vladimir Guillen