Is Star Trek becoming a reality? The new warp drive design does not violate any laws of physics.
Scientists' interest in warp drives is increasing, and new studies are revealing intriguing findings. According to physicists, it is possible to build a warp drive.
The universe, let alone galaxies, is astonishingly vast. For instance, our Milky Way Galaxy contains between 100 billion to 400 billion stars and, consequently, trillions of planets. The width of our galaxy is about 100,000 to 120,000 light-years. Given that modern technology would require roughly half a human lifetime just to exit our solar system, traveling to another star system is, for now, an unrealistic dream. However, physicists suggest that the science fiction “warp drives” seen in films like Star Trek could actually be feasible.
Although traveling to another galaxy would be nearly impossible even at the speed of light, theoretical solutions propose that the fabric of space-time itself could be warped. Concepts like wormholes or Einstein-Rosen bridges suggest shortcuts created by folding space-time. Additionally, there is the warp drive or Alcubierre drive, a hypothetical engine that could create faster-than-light distortions in space-time. This engine would function by compressing space in front and expanding it behind, much like squeezing toothpaste.
Warp Drive that Adheres to the Laws of Physics
In a recent study, physicists discovered that it is possible to build a real warp drive, and it does not violate any known laws of physics.
The idea of a warp drive was first proposed in the 1990s by physicist Miguel Alcubierre. The initial theoretical designs relied on exotic physics, such as “negative energy,” which has never been observed in the real world. However, a new study published in the journal *Classical and Quantum Gravity* presents a concept that does not depend on physics-breaking theories. In other words, it theoretically works within the known limits of physics.
The lead author of the study, Jared Fuchs, stated in a press release, “By presenting a first-of-its-kind model, we demonstrated that warp drives cannot be relegated to science fiction.” According to the team, this new concept uses a sophisticated combination of traditional and new gravitational techniques to create a warp bubble capable of transporting objects at high speeds within the known limits of physics. The study specifically theorizes a warp drive that manipulates space-time to behave as if it were responding gravitationally to normal matter.
Certainly, we can’t build the theoretical warp drive proposed by the team overnight, but this could be a significant step forward in advancing our understanding of space travel. Indeed, we still don’t fully understand gravity, and we know that Einstein’s theory is incomplete. The team plans to conduct further research to see if they can improve upon their models and explore ways to increase achievable speeds. However, even this realistic, grounded design has some limitations. The researchers themselves acknowledge these limitations: “Such a design would still require a significant amount of energy, but we show that warp effects can be achieved without exotic (negative matter) forms of matter.” Physicists have long thought that energy conditions would prohibit any kind of warp drive, but this new research shows a possible way around that. And who knows what we’ll achieve as we better understand gravity?
