March 29, 1993: Teleportation Beams From Sci-Fi to Real Science

1993: Scientists show teleportation is possible, at least theoretically. The downsides: The original teleported object must be destroyed, and it can’t happen instantaneously.

The story goes on to flesh out some of the milestones that have occurred in the teleportation arena in the interrum, including teleporting photons a few meters and teleporting information up to 10 miles.

Gizmodo marked the anniversary by sharing this story with us:

Beam Me Up, Scotty: Scientists Transport a Hunk of Matter 18 Inches

Scientists in Copenhagen took one more step toward the Star Trek transporter, figuring out how to teleport groups of billions of atoms from one place to another using light, quantum mechanics, magnetism and a concept they call “entanglement.” Professor Eugene Polzik and his team managed to move an object about 18 inches, using an excruciatingly complicated process that amounts to some serious magic. Says the Prof:

“Creating entanglement is a very important step, but there are two more steps at least to perform teleportation. We have succeeded in making all three steps — that is entanglement, quantum measurement and quantum feedback.”

Somebody on Facebook said this story was actually six years old. Probably so, as the Reuters story linked in the Gizmodo article isn’t there any more. Still very cool.

Star Trek references aside, this method of teleportation sounds somewhat different from the Star Trek models of teleportation which breaks you down into bits and either beams 1) you or 2) your pattern to the other location where it is reconstituted either 1) from your original matter or 2) locally available materials. (For the record, 1) is the original series and 2) is Next Generation and beyond.) I’m not sure if I would ever want to do 1), but 2) is a big no way. The guy who lands on the other side isn’t me — he just thinks he is. I’m dead.

But THIS approach, from the sketchy details provided, might move the whole person intact, irrespective of what the Wired article says about the original having to be destroyed. As I understand it, if you recreate my quantum states, you recreate me. You don’t just have a copy in that case, you have the original. Would the subjective me-ness that is me come along for the ride? Theoretically, yes.

Still, come to think of it, I think I would have to pass. Not that it looks like anyone is going to be offering free teleportation rides any time soon.

I’m just sayin’.

Image via Wikipedia

Phil and Stephen discuss the implications of the discovery of the first potentially habitable planet
outside the solar system. What does the existence of Gliese 581g imply
about the existence of more such worlds? What does it tell us about the
potential for life elsewhere in the galaxy.

If we’re ever to travel to a planet such as 581g, how will we get there? And what will motivate us to go?

 

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Some have been upset by the new trailer. Not me. I think it looks pretty cool. Perhaps it suggests that there are massive changes in store for the Trek continuity, but director JJ Abrams at least assures us that Chekov will still pronounce his V’s as W’s, even though Russians don’t really do that.

Now that is some serious respect for tradition.

Of course, Star Trek fans have the right to be a little nervous about turning their baby over to this particular sitter. First Alias and then Lost have shown a tendency on the part of the unquestionably brilliant Mr. Abrams to apparently just sort of make stuff up as he goes along. And anyone who has heard about his script for a Superman reboot a few years back — in which Krypton is never destroyed, Jor El is a martial arts expert, and Lex Luthor is a CIA agent (and, no, I’m not kidding) — has reason to be anxious.

We can only hope that Abrams got most of that kind of nonsense out of his system in writing that script, and that any broad and sweeping changes he has made to the Star Trek universe won’t immediately strike us as overwhelmingly and unforgivably stupid. Besides, let’s get with the program, folks. They make big changes when they make movies about historical figures. Showtime has been retconning the life of Henry VIII like crazy on the The Tudors, and HBO did the same thing with Caesar, Mark Antony, and Augustus a few years back on Rome. So in that spirit, let’s do a little creative destruction of our own. There must be a little dross amongst all that glitters in the Star trek treasure chest. If we could make a few changes to Star Trek as we know it, what would they be?

Here are 10 thoughts on the subject.

Yesterday they added a new invention to the list – the universal translator.

Jeff Russell’s Starship Dimensions.

Starships from all your favorite sci-fi series (yes, Serenity is here) displayed side-by-side. You can even drag-and-drop the ships around the page. For comparison, real-life buildings and vehicles are present. You can even drag Jeff Russell himself around the page to see how a human would look next to these ships.

Lots of fun!