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Stellar Wormholes May Exist

seagirlreed writes "Pairs of stars could be connected via wormholes filled with 'phantom matter,' according to Kyrgyz researchers. If a wormhole exists within a star, the stellar body may exhibit measurable properties astronomers might detect. Although interesting, other scientists are skeptical, pointing out that this is highly speculative research."

18 of 94 comments (clear)

  1. First post? by thomst · · Score: 2

    Stellar wormholes exist? Yay interstellar subway system!

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    1. Re:First post? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      You go first.

    2. Re:First post? by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 2

      Yay interstellar subway system!

      So what I want to know about your Interstellar Subway is:

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      Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
  2. This reminds me of a Stargate Universe episode... by FlapHappy · · Score: 5, Funny

    You know, the one that starts, "If we just flying the ship into the sun..."

  3. any evidence at all? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Is there any evidence to support this hypothesis whatsoever? Or is this purely based on random scifi-based wishful thinking? The article seems to say "if you accept that A (which really has nothing to support it at all) is true, then B can also be true." Uhh, yeah.

    1. Re:any evidence at all? by stardaemon · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Which may be interesting if B also gives A, and B is testable.
      Otherwise, not so much.

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      The only way to stay sane in an insane world, is to be mad yourself...
    2. Re:any evidence at all? by ocean_soul · · Score: 2, Insightful

      This is strictly hypothetical, with no evidence whatsoever. This is totally not newsworthy because a) it is nothing new, the theoretical possibility of this is long known b) it is very unlikely that this hypotheses is true. This hypotheses is itself build on other, probably untrue, hypotheses and assumptions. (says a theoretical physicist)

    3. Re:any evidence at all? by maxwell+demon · · Score: 2

      Is there any evidence to support this hypothesis whatsoever? Or is this purely based on random scifi-based wishful thinking? The article seems to say "if you accept that A (which really has nothing to support it at all) is true, then B can also be true." Uhh, yeah.

      Worse: It's "If you accept A (which not only has nothing to support it at all, but actually has strong theoretical reasons to assume to be false) is true, then it cannot be completely excluded that B could also be true."

      --
      The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
    4. Re:any evidence at all? by sjames · · Score: 2

      There is none at all. It is just some interesting what if type speculation at the moment. It suggests a few things to look out for in the future, but we haven't seen any of them yet/

  4. Chevron 7.... by Blackout+for+Hungary · · Score: 3, Funny

    Locked!

  5. Daniel Jackson by MoldySpore · · Score: 2

    If only we could find Daniel Jackson, they'd be able to unlock the mystery of wormholes...and then our military can take over it just like they do everything else. ;) Even Stargate didn't dispute that fact!

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  6. Alternative to cosmic inflation? by mangu · · Score: 3, Interesting

    TFA says "Also, if the wormhole is short, so that the two stars it links don't lie far apart, an observer might see another unusual signpost -- two closely spaced objects with nearly identical properties."

    However, the wormhole doesn't need to be short, which would mean regions of the universe far apart from each other would have similar properties if wormholes existed.

    This would solve one of the big problems in modern cosmology, the horizon problem: how can regions of the universe that couldn't possibly have communicated with each other in the lifetime of the universe have similar properties?

    1. Re:Alternative to cosmic inflation? by nedlohs · · Score: 2

      Given Inflation solves both the horizon problem and the flatness problem and it's predictions agree with a bunch of observations, and it's part of mainstream Big Bang theory; the horizon problem isn't really a problem anymore, and certainly doesn't need FTL travel via wormholes...

  7. Strange Matter by mbone · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The original paper makes it clear that this, like every other wormhole solution in General Relativity, requires "strange matter" - in their case, "as exotic matter, a massless ghost scalar field has been chosen". The interesting thing is that it links two stars together in a way that may have observable consequences (material would flow from one star to the other to keep the pressure in the cores equal, which would change how the star would evolve from one in isolation).

    Note that these wormholes require the "exotic matter" to exist, so it's a mistake to say that this proves they can exist or whatever, as there is no actual evidence for any of the strange or exotic matter possibilities required to support them.

    Now, suppose that such exotic matter does exist. Could this be used for transportation by an advanced civilization ? Maybe. You would have to find a wormhole end point in orbit about a black hole, and wait (or engineer) for the star to expand and for the black hole to "eat" the star's gas. If that process could go to completion, voila !, a naked wormhole would be left, and, if that were stable, you could use it for transportation.

    Figuring out the necessary black hole engineering to do this is left as an exercise for the reader.

  8. Who is keeping score? by aristotle-dude · · Score: 2

    So far, scientists have invented the following imaginary forms of matter/energy in an attempt to prop up their failed models and understanding in recent times: Dark Matter, Dark Energy and now Phantom Matter. They have also created concepts like cosmic strings, branes and a multiverse. We don't have the technology to test for or detect any of those things. Isn't anyone else bothered by this? We all laugh at the idea of "ether" now but why are so many ready to accept these new invented types of matter/energy?

    It seems to me that if these scientist were interested in pursuing intellectual honesty, they would admit that the models are broken and go back to the drawing board rather that trying to create something out of thin air.

    I find it ironic that people on the internet these days like to put down faith and god but seem to completely miss that these scientists making shit up and you are just accepting it as fact.

    --
    Jesus was a compassionate social conservative who called individuals to sin no more.
    1. Re:Who is keeping score? by PPH · · Score: 2

      'Doing the math' on such hypothetical forms of matter allows scientists to make testable predictions about them. Then, if someone should see a bizarre new particle in an accelerator they'll recognize it as possibly satisfying the hypothesis.

      At least it will allow them to make predictions about the size and power of the next big accelerator needed to settle the question and allow the hunt for funding to commence.

      --
      Have gnu, will travel.
  9. Re:This reminds me of a Stargate Universe episode. by rsmith-mac · · Score: 2

    I was going to go with one of a dozen SG-1/SGA episodes myself.

    Suns + wormholes almost always result in a rockin' 1960s adventure - unless it results in changing the makeup of a star and (nearly) dooming the neighboring civilizations.

  10. Re:Reminds me of Hoagland. by ceoyoyo · · Score: 2

    They've used their model to predict observable effects. That's the way science works. Someone comes up with a crazy idea and someone figures out how to test whether it's real or not. The difference with the crackpots is that they either a) don't have models that will ever make actual predictions or b) refuse to believe evidence that their predictions are incorrect.