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Wormholes

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the origins of the idea that there might be shortcuts between galaxies and the challenges when proving these are not just unlikely but impossible.

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the tantalising idea that there are shortcuts between distant galaxies, somewhere out there in the universe. The idea emerged in the context of Einstein's theories and the challenge has been not so much to prove their unlikely existence as to show why they ought to be impossible. The universe would have to folded back on itself in places, and there would have to be something to make the wormholes and then to keep them open. But is there anywhere in the vast universe like that? Could there be holes that we or more advanced civilisations might travel through, from one galaxy to another and, if not, why not?

With

Toby Wiseman
Professor of Theoretical Physics at Imperial College London

Katy Clough
Senior Lecturer in Mathematics at Queen Mary, University of London

And

Andrew Pontzen
Professor of Cosmology at Durham University

Producer: Simon Tillotson
In Our Time is a 主播大秀 Studios Audio Production

Release date:

42 minutes

On radio

Next Thursday 09:00

Broadcasts

  • Next Thursday 09:00
  • Sun 29 Sep 2024 23:00

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