In theory, wormholes—hypothetical features of spacetime that connect two points in space and time—could potentially be used for instantaneous travel or “teleportation” across vast distances. In a simplified sense, a wormhole is like a tunnel with two ends, each in separate points in spacetime.
However, there are several significant challenges and issues:
- Existence: We don’t actually know if wormholes exist. They are a prediction of the general theory of relativity, but, as of this writing, we have not observed one.
- Stability: Even if wormholes do exist, keeping them stable is another matter. Calculations suggest that wormholes would collapse quickly, but some scientists have speculated that “exotic” forms of matter with negative energy could be used to keep them open. However, such exotic matter has yet to be discovered.
- Size: If wormholes exist and can be stabilized, they might be microscopic in size—far too small for a person or spaceship to fit through.
- Navigation: Even if we overcome all the above challenges, there’s still the question of controlling where the wormhole leads. There’s no guarantee that we could direct it to a specific location.
- Safety: Lastly, even assuming we could do all of the above, we don’t know if it would be safe for anything to travel through a wormhole. The intense gravitational forces could potentially be destructive.
In short, while wormholes are a fascinating concept for space travel and teleportation in science fiction, they remain purely speculative in the realm of actual science. We are a long way from understanding them sufficiently or possessing the technology necessary to use them for teleportation. As of 2021, we can’t confirm wormholes as the answer to teleportation.