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Could We Find a Door To A Parallel Universe?

p1234 writes "Though no direct evidence for wormholes has been observed, this could be because they are disguised as black holes. Now Alexander Shatskiy of the Lebedev Physical Institute in Moscow, Russia, is suggesting a possible way to tell the two kinds of object apart. His idea assumes the existence of a bizarre substance called "phantom matter", which has been proposed to explain how wormholes might stay open. Phantom matter has negative energy and negative mass, so it creates a repulsive effect that prevents the wormhole closing. 'US expert Dr Lawrence Krauss, from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, points out that the idea rests on untested assumptions. He told New Scientist magazine: "It is an interesting attempt to actually think of what a real signature for a wormhole would be, but it is more hypothetical than observational. Without any idea of what phantom matter is and its possible interactions with light, it is not clear one can provide a general argument."'"

9 of 327 comments (clear)

  1. Yes, it's called the "portal" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Geesh, this isn't new news, it happened back in the 1960's... as I recall it was on stardate 3134.0
    we sent a captain, a doctor, and a scientist through the portal. Geesh, people have been talking about it for 40 years now.

  2. Sorry guys, can't resist by CrazyJim1 · · Score: 4, Funny

    In Soviet Russia, the door to a parallel universe finds us.

    1. Re:Sorry guys, can't resist by Namlak · · Score: 5, Funny

      Actually, in Soviet Russia, the parallel universe find a door to YOU!

  3. It's the Beard. by 0100010001010011 · · Score: 4, Funny

    "possible way to tell the two kinds of object apart"

    It's the beard. We've known this for some time.

  4. Re:Most useless press release ever by An.+(Coward) · · Score: 5, Funny

    Evidence schmevidence, I for one won't believe in any of this black hole nonsense until I actually see one.

  5. Does any of this matter really matter? by Stanislav_J · · Score: 4, Funny

    We had "anti-matter," "dark matter," now "phantom matter." Jesus, is there anything substantial and real in physics anymore? As the years go on, physics starts to sound less and less like science and more and more like "Alice in Wonderland." Everything seems to hinge on things we can't see, or can't measure, or can't prove. Unless some of this mumbo jumbo can give me eternal life, make women throw themselves at me, or build a better and more luscious cheeseburger, I'm not interested.

    --
    "Every great cause begins as a movement, becomes a business, and eventually degenerates into a racket." -- Eric Hoffer
  6. Re:Most useless press release ever by PinkPanther · · Score: 5, Funny

    I for one won't believe in any of this black hole nonsense until I actually see one

    I was going to post a Google Images link, but without SafeSearch the result list isn't exactly what you might expect...

    --
    It's a simple matter of complex programming.
  7. Re:Most useless press release ever by omega_dk · · Score: 3, Funny

    Maybe with *your* saved search history. What? Google has to use the information they save from your browsing somehow :-)

    --
    Just because you don't like the truth, does not make it false.
  8. Re:Most useless press release ever by ptbarnett · · Score: 4, Funny

    Evidence schmevidence, I for one won't believe in any of this black hole nonsense until I actually see one.

    Warning! Do not look into black hole with remaining eye!

    http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/?id=20080131