Current Scientific 1/2
St Andrews’ wormhole research grant proposal for the Department of Physics accepted by the European Space Agency
Wormholes, or Einstein-Rosen bridges, have been theorized by scientists as far back as Albert Einstein, but only recently has it become possible to stabilize wormholes at the quantum level using a loop of cosmic string.
By using a particle accelerator similar to the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, objects can be accelerated to the speed of light. Collisions of these subatomic objects can contribute the energy necessary to spawn a wormhole, by effectively concentrating enough energy in one area to tear space-time. This creates a wormhole the size of a fundamental particle, which can then be stabilized.
Although no known wormhole has ever been observed, they are hypothesized to appear similar to a black hole. By stabilizing the wormhole at a quantum level, research can be undertaken on Earth in small-scale scenarios. The hole could one day even be expanded to become large enough for entry, which could potentially allow transportation between regions of space to be achieved in all four dimensions, providing a shortcut between two points in space and time. Human travel between two space-time points is a foreseeable possibility.
The funding gifted by the ESA to the University of St Andrews will allow more research to be undertaken over the next fifteen years, in the hope of one day answering these questions.
Current Scientific 2/2
Lead scientist Dr Jennifer Sutcliffe said at a press conference this morning, “The whole team is wild with excitement. For the ESA to support such an innovative and ambitious undertaking is an inspiring sign of the true value placed on scientific exploration in our age.”
When asked about the potential commercial uses of wormholes, Dr Sutcliffe said, “At this stage in our research I’d be reluctant to use the words ‘time travel’, in case the media become over-excited. But that’s certainly one direction that this research could take us. However, I must stress the long-term nature of the project. I doubt that the equipment will be safe for human use before 2055 at the earliest.”
File note: News article from Current Scientific magazine, dated 3 May 2051
UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS CAMPUS, SCOTLAND, 2056
After a weekend of searching online for her parents with no success, Clove was disappointed on Monday morning, despite it being the first day of her work experience at St Andrews University. She was also unexpectedly nervous.
Tom and Jen insisted on proudly (embarrassingly) introducing her to all of their colleagues in the staffroom before she was allowed to do anything else. One of the other professors commented on how much she looked like her dad, which made Tom grin and Clove wince.
Finally, Jen took her to see the time machine. The laboratory was in the basement, and kept secure behind a heavy metal door. Jen had to press her thumb to the fingerprint scanner to gain entry.
The laboratory was huge − far bigger than Clove remembered from her visits as a child, and even larger than the building above. They must have excavated underground to extend the basement. The time machine had grown too. The little box that had sent a rose two seconds into the future was now a large metal cabinet, bisected by a huge steel tunnel that ran around the perimeter of the lab.
“That’s the particle accelerator, right?” Clove said, pointing at the tunnel. She’d researched it for a school project last year.
“Exactly.” Jen tapped it with her knuckles. “My baby,” she said almost reverently. “To make a wormhole, we use electromagnetic fields to accelerate two particles in that tunnel” − Jen held a fist up, miming a particle spinning around the lab, slowly at first, then faster and faster − “and when they’re as fast as possible, we make them crash into each other.” She held up another fist, swinging it around the other. “The speed and energy of the collision causes an explosion. That explosion then has enough energy to tear a hole in time and space.” Jen brought her fists together with a loud smack.
“A wormhole!” Clove said.
Jen nodded. “We have to make sure we can control the size of the wormhole. If we didn’t, the wormhole would keep growing until it turned into a black hole and destroyed the Earth.” Jen grinned at Clove. “Luckily, that hasn’t happened yet − but the first time we tried it, I nearly weed myself. This,” she said, pointing at the cabinet, “is where the wormhole appears.”
The cabinet was large enough for a human to enter.
“Is it ready for people to use yet?” Clove asked, recalling the silly dream she’d had as a child – of being the first one to use the time machine. It was just a kid’s fantasy, but now she was back here, it suddenly seemed more attainable.
“Not yet,” Jen said. “We don’t have the proper safety permits to try it.”
Clove narrowed her eyes. “But it would work? If you had the safety permits?”
“Well, we have the proper procedures in place. It’s all safe. We just have to get the paperwork done before we can try. Hopefully the ethics council will get back to us in the next year or so. Red tape has held everything up for months.”
“Are you going to use it? Would you go inside?”
Jen bit her lip. “I don’t know if I’m brave enough. Tom is desperate to try it, though.”
“Me too!” Clove said. “It would be so fun!”
“Well…” Jen said. “By the time you’re eighteen, the machine will almost definitely be ready, and you can volunteer for trials.”
“Would you choose me?”
Jen laughed. “And risk something happening to you? Think again, lady.”
Clove pouted. “You’re the worst.”
Patting her shoulder, Jen said, “Sorry, love. So, do you know how we control the size of the wormhole and make sure it opens in the right place?”
“That’s what Dad does, isn’t it?” Clove asked. “Using the code.”
“Right. He’ll be able to tell you a lot more about that tomorrow. That’s what you’re going to be working on with him. But now it’s time for lunch, I think.”
As they were leaving the lab, some grad students arrived and Clove had to go through another series of introductions. When they had escaped, Jen whispered, “They’re so messy! Some of them live down here, I swear.” She pointed to a camp bed set up in the corner of the room. “That’s for when even the caffeine can’t keep them awake.”
Clove thought she could see a pizza box sticking out of the duvet. She wrinkled her nose.
As they headed to the canteen, Jen handed Clove a sealed envelope. “Put this in your bag,” she said.
“Why? What is it?”
“Don’t open it yet. You get to see what’s inside when you’ve finished your training.”
Clove was confused, but she did as Jen said.
“Do you feel ready for work experience now?” Jen asked. “Are you going to show all of the undergrads up?”
Clove nodded resolutely. She’d taken a look at some of the students’ work, which had been lying on the desk in the lab, and had found at least three coding errors.
“So,” Jen said, stepping closer to Clove to let a pretty blonde girl pass them in the corridor. Clove thought she must be a student, although she didn’t look old enough. “How are you feeling about the adoption today?”
Clove’s grin dropped. “I don’t want to talk about it.” Her feelings of resentment and frustration towards Jen and Tom rose up to the surface again. How could Tom have left Kate to rescue Matt on her own? How could he have failed to find them after all these years? Another thought began to nag at her too: if Jen and Tom had managed to hide the fact that she was adopted from her − for years and years, without her suspecting a thing − then what else had they kept hidden?
Clove was silent for the whole of lunch, however much Jen tried to make her talk.